Drunk driving awareness programs have been extremely popular in recent years. Groups like SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions, formerly Students Against Drunk Driving) and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) regularly stage scenarios that attempt to shock teens with the stark realities of possible drunk driving consequences. These scenarios usually take place around prom season, as groups attempt to ensure that teens will make wise choices on prom night.
In decades past, these demonstrations have largely consisted of static displays placed on school lawns. Wrecked cars and funeral cars are generally a part of the display. If a student has recently been involved in a non-fatal accident, his or her car may be used to help bring realism.
In recent years, these static displays have been supplanted or reinforced by live demonstrations. These demonstrations are often sponsored by police and fire departments, and may include ambulances, police cars and even funeral cars. Live actors play the roles of the injured and dead.
A group in Dracut, Massachusetts recently staged one of the most realistic displays yet, according to the Valley Dispatch. Held on school grounds, the scenario placed three students in cars that had just been involved in a head-on collision. A fourth student lay on the pavement, the victim of a gushing head wound. As the girl was declared dead, her mother rushed onto the scene, screaming in agony. One of the drivers, a popular student, was arrested for vehicular homicide as liquor bottles were pulled from the car. The girl was zipped into a body bag and loaded into a funeral car as her mother was physically restrained.
Later, students filing into an assembly were met with an open coffin bearing a mirror inside. A chilling note read “This could be you.” The mother of a student killed in a drunk driving accident then addressed the somber group.
Although demonstrations like the above could be considered too graphic for students, proponents believe that these programs make a difference. Student drinking statistics are down, and some groups partially attribute this to these realistic anti-drinking and driving displays.
If you would like to donate your funeral car for use in a school display, contact your local chapter of SADD or MADD for more information.