Next week, the Dalton Police Department’s Traffic Unit and School Resource Officers will join with students and faculty at Dalton High School to promote driver safety and awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence in advance of prom, which takes place May 9th.
In 2007, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death among American teenagers, with nearly 5,200 teens losing their lives in crashes. That’s more teenage deaths than caused by homicide (2,100), suicide (1,500), and cancer (950). 69% of all teens killed in car crashes were not wearing seat belts, well above the national average of 55% of those killed of all ages. 61% of teens killed were passengers of another driver. 34% of all teenage fatalities from car crashes occurred between the hours of 6 pm and midnight.
On Monday, May 4th, juniors and seniors will be placing 3,490 cat paws on the grounds of Dalton High School during lunch periods. The cat paws represent the number of teens aged 15-20 who dies in car crashes in 2006.
On Tuesday, May 5th, during lunch periods (11:15-12:15), juniors and seniors will spray paint safety-themed messages along DHS property on the Waugh Street side of campus. Messages will include “Don’t Drink and Drive”, “Buckle Up”, etc.
On Wednesday, May 6th, during afternoon release from 2:30 until 3:30, Chick-fil-A will be on hand to hand out coupons for sandwiches to students who are wearing their seat belts.
On Thursday, May 7th, the Dalton Police Department’s Traffic Unit will be on campus all day long, conducting Fatal Vision classes. Students will wear goggles that simulate intoxication while attempting to drive a golf cart through a cone course to demonstrate the dangers of driving under the influence.
On Friday, May 8th, Juniors and Seniors will watch an educational video called “Sudden Impact: After the Crash” to show the effects of a drunk driving crash on victims.
Comments