Statistics show young people are more likely to drink alcohol and drive, particularly around times like spring break or over the summer. At one Texas high school students gave their classmates an idea of the consequences of intoxicated driving by staging a mock DWI crash.
A report on 4ValleyCentral.com highlighted the “Shattered Dreams” simulation. A group of students from Sharyland Pioneer High School simulated a mock fatal DWI crash at the school.
School holds mock DWI exercise
Junior Rebecca Salazar said of the simulation:
“The big message that we’re trying to spread out is to be to safer during Spring Break and in general not to drink and drive and not to be distracted by any others in your car and always use your seat belt.”
The students did not shy away from highlighting the graphic consequences of a DWI crash. School Principal James Heath said the strong images were intended to help cut the amount of fatalities among teens in the valley.
Drunk driving is a particular issue for teens. Over the 2016 spring break, 16 people died in crashes caused by teen drivers who were drunk, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Heath said the school often hears about drunk driving issues from academics but he wanted to impart more information about real life outside the school.
During the simulation, students watched emergency crews responding to a simulated DWI crash. The crews used the jaws of life to free victims, removed ‘deceased’ motorists from the accident scene, and even performing mock field sobriety tests.
The wreck simulation was filmed and will be used as a tool to continue to spread awareness.
DWI Crashes and Teen Drivers – The Statistics
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), intoxicated driving by young people claims thousands of lives a year. MADD says:
In Texas, teens can be charged with a DUI for driving with any identifiable trace of alcohol in their blood. We highlight the differences between DUI and DWI here.
If you are over 17 years of age but under 21 and have any detectable amount of alcohol in your system, even if you are below the .08 percent BAC required for a DWI charge, you can be hit with a DUI charge.
In other words, you can be charged with a DUI without being intoxicated or impaired. While some states require a BAC of at least .02 in order to charge a driver with a DUI, Texas is a zero tolerance state.
Smelling alcohol can be enough for a police officer to issue a DUI citation against someone under 21.
If you have been charged with a DWI or a DUI, please call us today for a free consultation at (682) 204-4066.
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