Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada) was at Morris School last week to educate Gr. 9-12 students about the dangers of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
MADD is a volunteer-driven charitable organization with a mission to stop impaired driving and support its victims.
“MADD was supposed to do a presentation at the school last year,” said guidance counselor Laurie Edel, “but bad weather cancelled the event. The school was closed yesterday because of the weather. I was worried we might have to cancel the presentation again.”
MADD has a team of field representatives that do school presentations about the dangers of driving under the influence and how students can be safer drivers.
In Morris to speak to the kids on behalf of the group last Tuesday was Elysia Townsend, MADD’s Western Canada representative.
“I grew up in a small town like Morris,” she shared. “I have seen the impacts of drunk driving. I’ve lost friends because of it. It is preventable.
“I do a lot of work in the schools. The goal is prevention. Education is how can we improve young people’s decision-making abilities.”
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 16 to 25-year-olds. Alcohol and/or drugs are a factor in 55 per cent of those crashes.
Young people have the highest rates of traffic death and injury per capita among all age groups and the highest death rate per kilometre driven among all drivers under 75 years of age.
“Impaired driving is a serious subject. Impaired driving accidents are 100 per cent preventable,” stressed Townsend. “We are talking to young people about it to prepare them for making choices. Hopefully, they will make better decisions.”
The MADD presentation took place in the school gymnasium. After a brief introduction by Townsend, the students watched a video called No Tomorrow in which the life of a promising young musician is cut short when he is killed as a passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend impaired by alcohol and drugs.
That was followed by a series of true or false questions designed to further engage the students.
“There is a bunch of information to throw at students in a short time,” Townsend said. “Impaired driving is not just being drunk—drugs also play a part. MADD wants to share stories and change misconceptions.”
The event wrapped up with video testimonials from families that have suffered loss because of impaired driving.
The presentation certainly got the kids thinking about the dangers of getting behind a wheel while impaired.
“It explained a lot of stuff and what is wrong with it,” observed Gr. 10 student Samantha Heppner.
“The presentation opens your eyes,” said Gr. 12 student Alex Sabourin. “Don’t drink and drive, because it could be the last time you get into a vehicle.”
