Drunk driving prevention program at my school

[StrangeLove]

I got to Lafayette High School, and on thursday there was a program to help stop drunk driving. It was only shown to Juniors and Seniors.

A car crash was set up in a parking lot with students in full makeup were inside the cars. The crash looked real. It looked just like an accident scene. It started with a girl on a cell phone talking to an operator on 911. Soon a cop car shows up, checks out the accident, and calls for more officers. Ambulances, fire trucks, helicopters showed up. The scene is treated as if it is a real accident scene, and very well done. A girl was tested for drunk driving, and arrested while firemen worked on getting the other people out of the cars. The girl didn't just go to the police car, they actually took her to the police station, and put her in a cell...

One person died in the wreck, and 2 more were injured. They were put in an ambulance, and taken to the hospital. They were put in IC.

Today there was an assembly in the gym for the whole school. Guest speakers were there, and a video was shown of the accident scene. The next person to talk was Eric Searcy. He was involved in a drunk driving accident in 1998, and he was paralyzed from the neck down. But, he was regained use of his arms. He had got into college, and was trying to join the baseball team. He made the team, it was his dream to college baseball. That same night he and a few friends were driving when a drunk driver in a pickup truck passed out behind the wheel, and ran a stoplight and broadsided the car. The driver got out of the trunk and ran away from the scene. That driver had been arrested for DWIs 7 times!

Eric didn't wake up for over a month, and in 5 years he has had 16 major surgeries.

The year that he was supposed to play baseball the team made it to the college world series, and he was forced to sit and watch other people live his dream because of someone else's mistake. The drunk driver got 10 years in prison...

Well, I hope this gives you something to think about before you decide to drink and drive...

I don't have any pictures of the event, but all I can say that it looked and was treated like a real accident. Couldn't gotten any more realistic that what it was...

Sad thing is... I thought the helicopter landing was the coolest part

[C-Kwik]

Life is all about the choices you make. I see nothing wrong with drinking. But know yourself enough to know if you are able to make good choices when you are intoxicated. If not, don't drink unless you know there will be someone that will be sober to drive home. And if you do not have a designated driver, it's ok not to drink. And if a friend, pushes you to drink with no regard to your safety or your decisions, perhaps you should reconsider your friendship. You only get one chance at life. You get to choose what you do with it.

[Nathan]

Shattered Dreams? we did that at my high school...its a pretty good program I think, I was a photographer for the school paper and personally used at least 8 rolls on it

[StrangeLove]

Wasn't shattered dreams, it was done the junior league of lafayette (i think)

This program had major funding

C-Kwik, I'm a prohibitionist :rockon

[Nathan]

Well, it sounds IDENTICAL to the Shattered Dreams program we had...major funding and a great way to make an impact upon youth. Hopefully it works a little bit!

[fiznat]

best way to make kids not drink and drive is to let a member of their class do it, and kill 3 people including himself in a horiffic accident 1 mile away from school.

worked for my highschool.

[Phax]

best way to make kids not drink and drive is to let a member of their class do it, and kill 3 people including himself in a horiffic accident 1 mile away from school.

worked for my highschool.

Yup. In these days of over sensationalized everything, the mind of your average kid can only truly comprehend consequences of they are directly involved in a scenario.

[andrave]

they did that at my highschool the year before I was a freshman, that exact same thing. And they left one of the cars they used parked in the lawn in front of my school until after graduation.

We also had "trauma nurses talk tough," where actual nurses from trauma units bring slides of all the alcohol related accidents they have scene. I saw things there more grisly than you could ever find on rotten.com. There were people in our auditorium that got sick and had to leave.I'm talking sick stuff. Drunk kids partying on a boat, one fell off and got run over and his leg flesh was spiral cut up off his leg from the propellor... just nasty ****.

[C-Kwik]

Well, the reality is that prohibition didn't work and I doubt it will again. People will drink. Minors will drink. We need to start teaching what responsible drinking is to teenagers. Trying to shield them from it isn't going to make things better. It's a double edge sword for parents though. On the one hand you feel like your giving them approval to drink by discussing it. On the other, you want to be able to discuss it, just in case. It's like giving condoms to your teen. But personally, I'd rather my kids drink responsibly and acknowledge it rather than be ignorant about their activities.

[Jesda]

Yeah, schools love to throw in a shocker story or scene here and there to scare you. The problem, just like the DARE program, is that all the consequences are exaggerated, and kids get no sense of reality. So when they sort of get away with it, they keep doing it and feel invincible "hey should this have killed me?"

Here's the reality:Most drunk drivers never get caught.Most drunk drivers who get caught, go to jail and end up in court. Their lives dont end.

Unfortunately theres those many cases where people get killed.

I frequent freakhole.com and ogrish.com so my sensitivity to accident photos and videos isnt really there. Its mostly fascinating.

-Jesda

[Bunta240]

In 1997, 21 percent of young drivers involved in fatal accidents had been drinking

Eight youths a day die in alcohol-related auto accidents

Some facts I still have from a project I did. Drunk driving is so much more important then all the funding my school puts in to stop pot use and abstinence training.

And this reminds of my friend who just got a DUI. I feel bad for him cause his insurance is gonna skyrocket, hell have to pay a big ol fine, and atleast 1 year driving suspension. But hes got to learn not to do **** like that anymore.

[StrangeLove]

I know prohibition didn't work. In fact, people drank more during prohibition :pface

I honestly hate alcohol... I've seen what is can do to people. I have no sympathy for drunk drivers. They know its wrong, and they know they shouldn't do it. But, they do it anyway, and they get what they deserve. It disgust me how selfish those people are... However, I do feel sorry for their families and the families of the victims of drunk drivers...

I have read quite a stories here on nico about people that have had their cars totaled, and friends seriously injured because of someone that was under the influence...

I'll stop preaching now

[Onizuka]

I have no sympathy for drunk drivers. They know its wrong, and they know they shouldn't do it. But, they do it anyway, and they get what they deserve. It disgust me how selfish those people are... However, I do feel sorry for their families and the families of the victims of drunk drivers...

:ylsuper

[C-Kwik]

There are talks about ppolice being able to impound and sell your car if you are caught drunk driving in CA. I hope this takes effect. The punishement is a slap on the wrist until someone dies...

[JESTER]

They have that here in NC. If you are caught drinking and driving, and have a suspended license for DUI your car is ours. Matter of fact we just took some guys ford ranger about three hours ago. Sucks to be him.

[gabossie]

Well, I'll tell you what happens to people in CA on Wed night when I got to my DUI hearing. I know I loose my license for at least a year, but I'm probably going to be going to AA meetings and a drunk drivers program for a few months. I actually share Pills opinion on drunk driving though, no mercy. I don't feel to guilty though seeing as how I wasn't drunk, just under 21 with alcohol in my blood at all. Had I been a couple months older, they would have told me to drive home. Oh well, I still think the punishment should be worse.

[Jesda]

There are talks about ppolice being able to impound and sell your car if you are caught drunk driving in CA. I hope this takes effect. The punishement is a slap on the wrist until someone dies...

Im not a big fan of government profitting from crime. You should see what happens in bull**** drug seizures. Old people losing RVs and nice cars to greedy police departments.

Confiscation of a vehicle is unrelated to the crime. Vehicular manslaughter is different, and perhaps it can be applied upon conviction. But seizing and selling someone's car for being intoxicated? Too much, too far reaching.

-Jesda

[StrangeLove]

Well, I'll tell you what happens to people in CA on Wed night when I got to my DUI hearing. I know I loose my license for at least a year, but I'm probably going to be going to AA meetings and a drunk drivers program for a few months. I actually share Pills opinion on drunk driving though, no mercy. I don't feel to guilty though seeing as how I wasn't drunk, just under 21 with alcohol in my blood at all. Had I been a couple months older, they would have told me to drive home. Oh well, I still think the punishment should be worse.

The BA level for a minor is .02 in louisiana, is it the same in CA?

That really sucks though...

[JESTER]

Im not a big fan of government profitting from crime. You should see what happens in bull**** drug seizures. Old people losing RVs and nice cars to greedy police departments.

Confiscation of a vehicle is unrelated to the crime. Vehicular manslaughter is different, and perhaps it can be applied upon conviction. But seizing and selling someone's car for being intoxicated? Too much, too far reaching.

-Jesda

What!?!?

These people out here selling poison to school kids, helping stupid people get addicted to crack, and you think seizures is bull ****. Man that is the only real punishment for doing these crimes. They don't really do much jail time now days, trust me on that one. Taking their cars or homes if they are selling out of it, is letting these pieces of **** off easy.

If I have to go out and get a job to make a living, these scum sucking pieces of **** selling drug should have to have a job, too. Not just sit at home making money off of selling poison.

As far as DUI, it is absolutly the best way to keep these people off the road. They get slapped on the wrist until they kill someone. It tends to make it hard to drive if you dont have a car, hence harder to murder a fellow driver or pedstrian. Not to mention as far as DUI's, the money goes to the school system, at least here in my state. No better cause, get drunk drivers off the street and provide money to the schools at the same time.

Remember here you have to have been caught DUI and have your license suspended and be caught driving drunk again on that suspension to have your stuff taken and sold. This means not that you made a mistake. Anyone can make a mistake. This means you did it, and dont care, and are doing it again.

I for one don't want my family murdered by a drunk who we could have tryed to keep them off the road by taking their car and didn't.

[gabossie]

Cali limit for a minor is .01 as far at the DMV is concerned. It's their "Zero Tollerance" policy.

[C-Kwik]

They have that here in NC. If you are caught drinking and driving, and have a suspended license for DUI your car is ours. Matter of fact we just took some guys ford ranger about three hours ago. Sucks to be him.

This coming from a state where up until a few years ago, drinking was legal as a passenger. I was there a while back and it was wierd to be able to hold my beer in the passenger seat without hiding it.

[C-Kwik]

Im not a big fan of government profitting from crime. You should see what happens in bull**** drug seizures. Old people losing RVs and nice cars to greedy police departments.

Confiscation of a vehicle is unrelated to the crime. Vehicular manslaughter is different, and perhaps it can be applied upon conviction. But seizing and selling someone's car for being intoxicated? Too much, too far reaching.

-Jesda

I'm not a big fan of drug dealers profitting from crime. It's not like they earned their money in a legal business. They should have been well aware of the risks. And I'm sure with the revolving door policy we have in our penal system, they'll be back driving their Rolls Royce on Dubs in no time.

I don't agree with that. If a person can not show a reasonable understanding and respect for the well being of others behind the wheel of an auto, their car should be confiscated. They are exhibiting poor responsibility and for that reason they should not drive. And it's harder to drive if you do not own an auto. And since peoploe can't seem to just do the right thing and in many cases repeatedly do it over and over, the punishment should be raised. Generally, I say the punishment should fit the crime, but so much information is out ther on this very topic and I'd say as a society we have done a great job in getting the word out as to how serious this can be. But people still do not learn. The potential for disaster in a drunk driving accident can be catostrphic to the people involved. If even one life were saved as a result of a stricter punishement, then I say it's worth it. You can't put a price on the value of a human life. I'd say though, if something like this were imposed, I'd like to see that once operating costs are met, then any excess goes to either somekind of drunk driving prevention programs or aid for victims and families of victims of drunk drivers.

[Bubba1]

Make sure you don't get nailed for DUI in PA. They recently passed some of the toughest DUI laws in the country. The first cases are starting to hit the courts now and it's shocking some folks. In addition to big fines, and big insurance surcharges, suspended licenses, there is now jail time. I understand a first offense may run you a few THOU. Ain't worth it to drink and drive anymore.

[StrangeLove]

Quote » Ain't worth it to drink and drive anymore[/quote]

It was never worth it...

[gabossie]

It was never worth it, and mine is gonna cost me a few thousand and I lose my license for a year, but no jail time on the first offence.

[Bubba1]

It was never worth it...

well said.

[Jesda]

Oh god a debate about the war on drugs...

Well, at least alcohol prohibition is working. Glad we kept it in place and didnt help create the rise of the mob.

[JESTER]

Probition didn't work. I will say that. And as soon as our government figures out how to regulate marijuana sales, it probally won't be illegal either.

But drug dealers are the lowest form of scum on the planet. Anything that is addictive as crack cocain and heroin and meth, and, most of the other stuff out there, should be illegal. Not saying Alcohol isn't addictive, but not like these drugs are. Look at ecstacy, it kills the hell out of people all the time. Just that one bad pill and it's all she wrote, unless you are out front of a hospital. Acid, that crap will come back on you years down the road. Had an associate whos girl friend has flash backs. Now that is not something pretty to see.

Weed is a different story. I personally dont like the stuff, and it is illegal, but I dont fault people for it's use. I see it in the same category with booze.

Seeing as were are getting in a debate over drugs, what do you guys think about tobacco????

[s13ofdoom]

I go to el camino real in lausd (los angeles unified school district.) my point being i dont think we have enough money for books and teachers dont have funds to make enought copies for the students. MAN lausd is messed up if we dont have enough for regular use and you have helicopters flying around to teach you lessons hahahaha.

[Bubba1]

Seeing as were are getting in a debate over drugs, what do you guys think about tobacco????

I have mixed views on them. I personally think it;s a disgusting habit. While they're unhealthy, will more than likely give you health problems later in life, and smokers that pitch their butts instead of properly disposing of them, or smoke in closed cars with young children are total ignorant slobs, there are real benefits to smoking. Among them

1. Since smokers die sooner, that means social security stays solvent longer as smokers won't collect as long. So puff away.

2. Tobacco is a huge industry that employs thousands and generates billions of dollars in tax revenues. Eliminating the industry would cripple the economy and reduce tax revenues to the point that even Dubya would have to raise taxes. I think the gigantic increases in taxes and industry lawsuits are simply a money grab by the state/federal governments to prop budgets, not using it for tobacco related problems.

I say if adults want to abuse themselves smoking, let them but I don't want to have to be sitting in close proximity. That's why I'm okay with office/restaurant smoking bans. Smoking areas in restaurants make as much sense as non-peeing areas in swimming pools. But if you do smoke, be mindful that you're forcing your disgusting habit on your children by blasting them with second hand smoke, which is bad for them. Plus if you smoke, don't be a pig and use the frigging ashtray in your car instead pitching butts to the street or someones lawn.

Okay I'm done venting.