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Monte Vista High students got a personal glimpse at the potentially traumatic effects of driving while intoxicated last week, taking part in the school’s Every 15 Minutes educational event.
The two-day program included a simulated fatal car crash, nighttime retreat for participating students and a school-wide assembly — all designed to help encourage the teens to avoid driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or while using their cellphones.
“The program stresses the importance of making mature decisions and recognizing that their actions affect others besides themselves,” parent volunteer Lori Stanton said.
The Every 15 Minutes event took place last Monday and Tuesday at the Danville high school, a collaborative effort among students, staff, parent volunteers, local law enforcement, emergency responders, area hospitals, clergy and other community members.
On Monday, students and staff gathered at the school football field to witness the simulated aftermath of a violent car crash, with selected students playing the roles of drivers and passengers. The simulation included on-site emergency triage, DUI investigation by law enforcement, medical transport by helicopter, hospital treatment and death, Stanton said.
Student participants then attended a retreat Monday night, with activities aimed at demonstrating the effects of driving while intoxicated or distracted, according to Stanton.
An assembly followed at the school on Tuesday. Presenters included Austin Whitney, an anti-drunk driving advocate and motivational speaker, and Robert Pack, of the Troy and Alana Pack Foundation — which was named for two young Danville children who were killed by an intoxicated driver in 2003.
Monte Vista’s Every 15 Minutes program was able to be presented because of a range of contributions, including PTSA funding, a federal grant, local business donations and many parent volunteer hours, Stanton said.
My daughter thought this was a fantastic experience.
This sounds like it could be a good program, but my son thought that most of the students made a joke out of it last year at SRVHS. There were way too many classroom interruptions. And girls exaggerating by crying during the day and interrupting more class time. I would love to volunteer to participate to see for myself and draw my own conclusions.
Every 15 Minutes was a wonderful wonderful program! Thank you. I appreciated being able to volunteer in a small way to facilitate the larger amount of volunteer work and planning that took place to create this event and learning for our students. Thank you MVHS Principal Janet Terranova for supporting the program. Thank you to the grantors, to our community donors, and to the key parents Laurie, Gia, and many many dedicated others who put this together.
This program focused on the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol (at any age!)and driving with distraction (texting, in this case).
Please remember that alcohol affects judgment and can result in tragic consequences for the user and those connected to the user whether combined with driving or whether combined with other activities (i.e. swimming, diving, skiing, simply socializing for some). Excessive use of alcohol is a problem outside the car too.
(Note just prior is from “a resident of Danville” not “a resident of Monte Vista High School”.)
I absolutely applaud what the school is doing. In addition to these programs, I think that adults who have collected a second distracted-driving ticket should be forced to attend a preventive-mayhem class. If they fail to attend, then they lose their license for six months just as an inebriated driver would.
I was following some dingbat blonde (natural hair color, I’m quite sure) in a black Range Rover SUV on San Ramon Valley Blvd Thursday morning around 10:30, approaching Crow Canyon. I could not figure out why she was only going 13 m.p.h. and seemed to be having trouble coloring between the lines. Then I got in the right turn lane for Crow, looked at her, and she was messing with her tweety-texter and looking straight down at her lap. Totally unaware where she was, if anybody was behind her, beside her, flipping her off (very likely), or what color the light was in front of her. Had I been a cop, she would not have known anything until I flipped on the siren.
Somehow she had either the job skills to earn the money for this type of vehicle, or the luck to marry a successful guy, yet none of that gave her the ability to drive a car with a shred of common sense.