PVM....very graphic assembly at high school re: drunk drivin

What do you want us to PVM? That the school was justified in doing something drastic in the hopes of saving lives on Prom weekend where the chances of teenage drinking and driving are higher?

The issue/problem with teens is that - IN THE ABSTRACT - they don't think it will happen to them. It takes brutal and graphic visuals to break through their false belief in their own invulnerability.

While I think that parents should have been aware in advance what the program contained, if it saves even one life then I think it's worth it.

My parents' small community is currently reeling from the death of three 17 year olds who were drinking and driving. If this kind of program would have made them or their friends think twice then I'm all for it.

I attended something very similar put on by a friend's church when I was 17. I remember being pissed off at the church for showing us that. It was portrayed as a haunted house, but all the scenes were real life accidents, suicides, drunk driver car accident, etc.
But you know what. I have remembered it still 20 years later. it always pops into my head when I've been at a bar or had a few drinks. Because of it I have also never driven after a drink.
So while it may seem extreme and gruesome, what the school did serves a purpose. They quite possibly saved lives by putting on that show.

I'm sorry you're upset and if your child is one of those particularly vulnerable or sensitive to these issues then my sympathies are with you.

However, I still think these programs save lives. Teens are often more resilient then we credit them for. Are the emotionally vulnerable going to handle their peers' deaths any better than a role play? I think not.

I'm surprised this is shocking, honestly. I've been out of high school almost 20 years, and we had this then. I didn't even realize it was still effective because I thought it had been so done that everyone knew to expect it.

IMO, if you can't handle seeing what might happen in a car accident, you shouldn't be driving. This was, presumably, aimed at drivers. A little, healthy fear, can be a good thing.

I'll validate that you're upset over the fact that the kids were left traumatized. But the school didn't go too far in presenting such a realistic recreation of a DUI wreck.

I'm glad the kids were traumatized over what they saw, the sight will stick with them forever, and hopefully will make them think twice about getting behind the wheel drunk, or into a car with a drunk driver.

IMO, it's such a serious problem that it needs to be addressed with shock value. Juniors and Seniors are not little children. They are given the freedom and responsibility to drive and be driven by their peers. The privilege of operating a piece of machinery that can be deadly if used carelessly. No young person believes that it'll happen to them. They've probably never seen violent death or devastating injury in real life.

It's harsh, but it's real, and they shouldn't be shielded from the reality of it just because it's traumatizing.

I think it's a great idea, and I wish they did this at my kids' school.

I'm sorry that some kids were traumatised, but it's nothing compared to the trauma of losing someone in a drink driving accident collision. If it saves the life of just one of those kids, it's worth it.

These are juniors and seniors, so 16-18. At that age if they were too traumatized by this, they could walk away. These aren't little kids who just follow directions, these are young adults with minds of their own. I was a very good student, and a very good kid, and even I ditched a few classes in high school. If we'd had this event at our school and I was feeling too upset, I would have left the scene. No one is going to manhandle a kid and force them to stay and watch.

I don't have a problem with this event at all, and I don't think parents needed to be notified. I think the lack of notification helps with the shock factor, actually. And as someone else has said, if it stops one person from driving drunk, if it saves one life, it is so worth it. 

Angie, I totally understand why you might be upset, but I do support the school in this case.

I agree. My senior year in 1966 a classmate was killed by a drunk driver who ran a red light.

My kid's school did the same thing, only they take it a step further. It's called every 15 minutes. They take random seniors the night before (with parental permission) to a hotel and keep them sequestered. During the next school day, every 15 mins one of the sequestered students is brought into the school until the actual assembly. They are dressed in black and are not allowed to speak to anyone. That's because every 15 minutes someone is killed by a drunk driver. They represent those killed. It is terribly emotional when they realize a classmate has been lost and hits really hard when it's "your" friend.

I have zero problem with the program. Most teens feel invincible and that nothing bad could happen to them. They need the reality check.

I've been hit by 4 drunk drivers. I've been very very lucky. The worst one was when I was a passenger in the car and we were stopped at a stop light. The drunk driver hit us from behind at 40 mph. Even with my seat belt on my head hit the windshield. If I hadn't had it on I would have gone through the windshield. I still suffer horrible headaches because of it 29 years later.

I would rather they see the "fake" scenes than deal with the aftermath of a real one.

A couple years ago a 16 yr old boy (not drunk or on drugs) was speeding with 2 friends in the car. He caught air on a hill, lost control and they hit a tree. Both the passengers (2 15 year old girls) both died on impact. All 3 were wearing seat belts. One of the girl's Dads was a first responder. Imagine that feeling. Seeing your daughter dead. Heart wrenching! The 16 year old best friend driver was in critical condition and then when well enough went to Juvy for 60 days, 300 hours of community service and 2 years probation and the life long guilt he will endure for killing his best friends because he was being stupid behind the wheel. The whole thing is heart wrenching.
I like the idea of showing them this during drivers ed. Don't wait til Prom/graduation. Old enough to drive??? Old enough for a reality check oh what could happen if you act like an idiot, whether it's speeding or drunk driving.

Sounds like ya'll do the Every 15 Minutes Program. It's actually great. In my school, the ones who were in the accident were the ones who partied. It really made an impact on them. And us.

They even get zipped in the body bag and taken to the mortuary.

It really brings everything "home" for the kids. While we all know drunk driving kills, it's pretty gnarly to imagine your classmate passing. That really strikes a chord.

If you think it's traumatizing to see a fake reenactment, imagine losing an actual kid to drunk driving.

The counselors are available to the participants, but it really isn't so traumatizing that the student body gets PTSD.

It also focuses on texting and driving as well as drunk driving.

I think the program is amazing.

We also had this at our high school, and I've been out almost 15 years. We had no idea it was coming (maybe the first year for our school?) but I remember our teacher telling us all to go out to the field. We had the helicopter land, the cars set up, the people strewn about (I remember one being through the windshield). I'm pretty sensitive and I don't remember having any lasting effect from it.

A PP mentioned what else my school did, with certain students being pulled and an assembly. Actually, two years later, my brother was one of the participants in it. We actually had the freaking coroner come to our house, gather everyone, and tell us he had died in an accident. I remember my mom crying and just being like, "wow." At the assembly, I remember people speaking who had truly been affected by drunk driving (I remember a dad who lost his baby).

Anyway. It is graphic but it's reality. Sounds like they had counselors available if necessary, that seems good. Sorry it didn't sit well with you, though...

They did this at my school as well...and that was well over 20 years ago. I thought it was something that was done pretty much everywhere.

It is very upsetting, and I do understand how it can seem wrong to not warn parents that you are going to do something that could leave kids seeking out help from counselors to deal with it. But, I think that part of the effectiveness of the program is that the kids are not be warned in advance. Because, unfortunately, a life-changing or life-ending accident comes with no advance warning. No one tells you that today is the day that this will happen to you if you are not careful.

In my own school, even with this kind of program we still lost a student to drunk driving in our junior year. It seems like there is never enough that we can do to try to make our kids understand the danger in getting into a vehicle if the driver is not able to focus completely on their driving. (And quite honestly, that's not always enough to keep you safe, either. )


I'm so sorry, OP, that you and many of the kids were upset. Hugs!

Driving under the influence is, in my opinion, one of the most heinous things anyone anywhere could ever do.

Whether it is done through overconfidence, lack of self knowledge or self-control, sheer carelessness or in the spirit of not caring what may happen to oneself or anyone else on the road, there is absolutely no excuse for it. Anyone who does it is somewhere on the line between sheer evil and just plain stupid. Yes, I am aware that alcoholism is an illness, but the act of driving is a choice.

I applaud programmes such as the ones discussed here, while being conscious that distress to some is inevitable. So be it, if even ONE person thinks before driving under the influence (of drugs, alcohol or anything else) even if the shock value is of short-term duration, I still say it is worth a try.

Signed, someone whose family has lost someone to an underage, overprivileged young man who drove drunk several times before the fatal accident in question and was protected by his Daddy's millions. They covered it up the previous occasions and got him off for what I hope was his last "accident".