Cabrillo High School will host the “Every 15 Minutes” program, developed to prevent teen drinking and driving, April 2-3.
Every 15 Minutes is one of several teen driving programs the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is involved in with the goal of reducing crashes and fatalities among teenagers.
Every 15 Minutes is unique, however, in that it helps the students see the impact of the tragedy from a different perspective — through the eyes of their family and friends.
The two-day program focuses on high school juniors and seniors, challenging them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions which could impact family, friends, and others.
Through realistic demonstrations, Every 15 Minutes dramatically shows the effects a fatality crash caused by an impaired driver has on a school, the families and a community.
Volunteer students are taken from their classrooms every 15 minutes to represent the “victims” of a multiple fatal DUI collision.
The student body witnesses a wrecked vehicle, brought to the campus, and watch as emergency crews demonstrate efforts to extricate the “victims” from the vehicle.
The collision scene will be held around 11:30 a.m. April 2.
At the end of the first day, the volunteering living-dead, are taken to an overnight retreat where they hear first-hand from people who have been involved in or are affected by an incident involving alcohol.
The students write letters to their loved ones, expressing thoughts they would convey if they had not been “killed” on that particular day.
On day two, April 3, there will be a student body assembly at 11 a.m. in the Cabrillo High School auditorium.
The Every 15 Minutes is presented after months of planning and meetings involving school officials, law enforcement, firefighters, community hospitals, emergency medical responders, chaplains, counselors, judiciary, community groups, local businesses, and parents.
Funding for Every 15 Minutes was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.