Mohonasen High School students heard personal stories about the deadly consequences that resulted from poor choices and decisions made by drivers.
Students watched a thought-provoking video about one man’s decision to text and drive that resulted in the deaths of two men during a May 26 presentation by the National Save a Life Tour. Presenter Devon Watson also told students his own brother was hit and killed by teenage drunk drivers while he was crossing a street at a crosswalk.
“You’re young, and I know a lot of you think, ‘It’s not going to happen to me,” said Watson. “Every day you make choices. We’re here to raise awareness.”
Watson said more than 100,000 accidents each year involve texting – a figure that’s rapidly increasing. T he average text takes about five seconds, he said.
“You swerve a little bit. … Think about who you could hurt. That little swerve matters.”
Watson said using a phone in a car is a choice.
“When you use a phone in the car, you are saying the people in your car aren’t as important as your text,” he said. “If you decide to make these grownup decisions, you have to be willing to live with the consequences.”
The National Save a Life Tour is a comprehensive safe driving awareness program used by schools and government organizations across the country. The program specifically places emphasis on driving situations such as distracted driving, impaired driving, driver experience, improper driver behavior and seat belt usage.
In addition to the video and live presentation, juniors and seniors also had a chance to use an impaired driving simulator and a texting and driving simulator that demonstrated a potential real-life situation any teenager could encounter. Students had the opportunity to sign a pledge banner.
The Amy Stock Memorial Trailer, which was parked at the high school campus for the day, was also part of the presentation. Amy Stock, a professor at SUNY Empire State College, was killed by a drunk driver in July 2015 while driving home from a night of babysitting. The memorial contains the demolished remains of her car as well as news reports about her death and tributes to her life.
The district offers an awareness program each year prior to prom and graduation season.
