Hart High School students are on edge after witnessing the sobering effects of driving under the influence Thursday.
Students assembled a stones throw away from the harrowing scene of a simulated car collision outside of the school.
The staged accident is a part of Every 15 Minutes, a program that takes students out of the classroom and puts them into the aftermath of a DUI crash.
The programs goal? Shine the spotlight on the dramatic impact that drunk driving can have on teenage lives.
“The message is when you get behind the wheel of a car, your not just responsible for yourself. Your responsible for anyobody else who may come in contact with that car weather it’s a passenger or a pedestrian or other drivers out there and so you need to take that commitment very seriously,” said Hart High School Principal Dr. Collyn Nielsen.
The program isn’t specific to drinking and driving, it also warns against the effects of distracted driving.
“Make good decisions, don’t drink and drive but don’t text and drive. Be very alert to what’s happening out there and realize the importance of this,” Nielsen said.
Every 15 minutes, a student is called out of class, signifying a new DUI-related death. They remain silent for the rest of the day, refraining from interaction with peers.
The student body assembles outside of the wreckage to witness the simulated death of their friends and classmates.
“The last time we did this two years ago the students were just fantastic. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop and really intent on seeing what was happening,” Nielsen said.
Hart students see impacts of DUI
