ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. — Ahead of prom season and spring break taking over the last few months of school, students got a stark reminder about the dangers of drinking and driving.
During a horrific crash reenactment Wednesday morning, students saw first-hand what could go wrong if they drink and drive.
WATCH: Palm Beach County Fire Rescue participates in mock car crash
The goal of this activity is to let teens know how dangerous it is to drive distracted or under the influence. Organizers, like the Safety 4 Life Foundation, says the goal is to show young people how painful, expensive, and emotionally exhausting getting into a bad crash like this can be.
Students at Royal Palm Beach High School acted out being in a horrible crash, while Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and deputies from Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded.
Hundreds of students watched the exercise unfold.
We spoke with Olivia Borges and Tanieyah Mowatt, both sophomores at the school, who participated in the exercise. They both pretended to be injured in the crash.
They told WPTV reporter Victor Jorges that this is something they’ll remember when they get behind the wheel. Mowatt is learning to drive, and Borges said she’s already cautious while driving, but this will be a big reminder to not make bad decisions when behind the wheel.
Organizers tell us they want kids to think twice before making decisions behind the wheel.
“We're hoping that this is the closest they ever come to a horrific car crash,” said Tara Applebaum, executive director for Safety 4 Life Foundation. “When they see all of these emergency vehicles and right down to the funeral home coming and taking away one of their friends, that they will never experience this and that they will think before they do anything dangerous.”
The foundation says teens who attend these events are more likely to drive safely.
