[timmsa]

My son's high school does this program for the seniors every year. And this year my son who is a senior get to participate in it.
What it is, it's called Every 15 minutes, statistics show that every 15 minutes there is someone who dies because of a drunk driver.
Well these kids get to go through the mock process to see what it is like and what the process is without really have to go through it for real.

some kids play the drunk driver, some play the victims who survive and some play the victims who died because of the drunk driver.
And the drunk drivers actually get arrested taken away in police cars and actually go through the booking and the court system.

I think this is cool, because they get to see what really happens.
And hopefully it will teach my son something.

[gesherlady]

That is so cool.. In our school (jr high) we have ghosting.. Kids killed by a drunk driver. Their faces are painted white and they are not allowed to talk or participate in classes all day.. It is really hard for them.. It is like they don't exist anymore for the day.

[Alexdur85]

I remember doing that when I was in school.

It's going to be hard on the parent as well. At ours they video taped the parents going to the morgue or the hospital or the jail to see their sons or daughters. Their reaction was real even though they knew the accident was not. I hope you're ready.

They also take the kids out of the class and post how they died To show the kids what it would be like to not have them in their class because of a drunk driver. It's a good program but I will admit I cried.

[randomequine]

We did this my senior year of high school -- we had SADD sponsor a thing, had some donated vehicles that had been wrecked...the actors got wicked cool makeup that was SO REAL....there was a 'voice over' going on through the loud speakers and the police and fire department showed up and they used the Jaws of Life and everything....it was pretty intense, even though we knew it was all fake.

They do it every other year before prom in May.....of course, the prom favors are generally some sort of drinking glass (champagne flute my junior year, beer mug my senior year ) so they really were sending us mixed signals

[timmsa]

I just hope it teaches him something because he thinks he will be able to drink and drive when he turns 21 and get away with it.
And that is why I am so glad that he gets to be in this.
Also the police, fire department and even ambulances and the hospital personal are going to be there.
And some judges are actually in on it to. They actually will go before a judge and be arraigned and sentenced. Also the victims that die get put in body bags and taken away(this would be very hard for me to get in one of those).

[Alexdur85]

Originally Posted by randomequine

We did this my senior year of high school -- we had SADD sponsor a thing, had some donated vehicles that had been wrecked...the actors got wicked cool makeup that was SO REAL....there was a 'voice over' going on through the loud speakers and the police and fire department showed up and they used the Jaws of Life and everything....it was pretty intense, even though we knew it was all fake.

They do it every other year before prom in May.....of course, the prom favors are generally some sort of drinking glass (champagne flute my junior year, beer mug my senior year ) so they really were sending us mixed signals

Omg no joke. At least you got a "cool" one. Ours was a key chain.. I'm not parading around with a prom key chain. I was way to cool for that!

I remember the jaws of life and the way that the bodies were "displayed" was pretty freaky. We even had a helicopter (i.e. REACH) come in and take one of the students to the hospital.

[momof3k2c]

Originally Posted by gesherlady

That is so cool.. In our school (jr high) we have ghosting.. Kids killed by a drunk driver. Their faces are painted white and they are not allowed to talk or participate in classes all day.. It is really hard for them.. It is like they don't exist anymore for the day.

We have the same program here, last year my son was one picked & had to go thru this all day he didnt much care for that! Like you said it's really hard for them.

[thekanes]

I graduated high school June 10th, 1989; we didn't have anything like this...I wish we had...my 14 year old sister was killed by a drunk driver on June 23rd, 1989! I had NEVER experienced a loss before and to have it be my sister...devastated me & my family.

People (kids) just do not understand the pain the loss causes. People (kids) just do not understand that it can happen to them. The loss almost drove my parents to divorce, my mom committed herself into a hospital for sucidal thoughts and I ran off to get married (4 weeks later).

You NEVER forget and it NEVER goes away. I am now married with 3 great kids that will NEVER have an aunt or uncle that will NEVER have cousins. I will NEVER be an aunt! I will NEVER know what it's like to have this "title". Other than a close friend, I do not have the privellage of sharing my thoughts, memories and secrets that you do with a sister.

My kids have grown up "knowing" my sister through pictures, news paper articles, and video tapes...but what we stress to them all the time is that she was killed by a drunk driver. My daughter is now 19 & at college...she has NEVER drank and drive BUT does DD all the time; do I believe this, yes...why? Because she grew up knowing our families loss. I only pray my boys will continue in her footsteps, especially since boys thing they are "superman"!

Keep programs like this in schools! Remind your kids "it could happen to them"; it happened to me.

[applerama]

these are some great programs. my school never did anything like this ..

[naturallysassy]

Ahhh, yes! I remember going to see the car accident they had staged outside of my high school. It was a huge mess and there were some of my friends playing victims. It really made an impression on me...

Them using the jaws of life to get out one of the seniors I thought was hot at the time ( ) was no laughing matter!

I think all schools should have something like this. It's all fun and games until...

[poshpoodle]

My sister and I were friends with a girl when we were young. My sister spent a lot of time at her house. Her younger sister, Jayme Webb was drinking and driving and killed an innocent man- on his Birthday. You can look up the video called "shattered:. She did go to jail/prison. This was very hard for her family, her friends, and all that knew her. She had a very hard time because she has had to live with the fact that she took someone's life. I did write to her when she was incarcerated and she told me to never, never make the mistake she did- that she took someone's life and that is somehting she has to live with and she can never take it back. I think part of the transcripts are on line. I beleive they played part of the program in some schools. I think her mother Vicki Webb also spoke at some schools. Jayme is not someone you would have ever thought would make this mistake, she was raised in a wonderful, loving family and went to Church on a regular basis. She was and still is a wonderful person, I am sure. She made a mistake that took an innocent man's life. As far as I know the mother of the man's life she took said she will never forgive Jayme. Can not say I can blame the way she feels- If anyone ever took my child's life I can not imagine how I would feel. Actually I found the link. You can go here to see about the video called "Shattered" and to see the brief video about the drunk driving wreck and Jayme. THe Webb's are an amazing family, although I have not seen or spoken to them in years they had great family values and raised their children (4 of them) with wonderful values. You try as a parent to teach them everything you can-this family never would have thought this would have ever happened to them- but it did.
Connect with Kids : Teen Issue: Drinking and Driving