It was an alarming scene to come upon ... unless you knew this was staged. Even so, with fire trucks and crew, the Jaws of Life, EMS and police active on site, it was a scene of tragedy and loss of life at the mock two-vehicle crash.
The VCI student body stood outside their school, focused on the scene on Government Road.
Hands on the wheel and eyes on the road was the message for VCI students. But it’s a message that all drivers need to take seriously; while drivers under 25 years of age make up the highest statistics of distracted driving/cell phone use, according to information given to Virden Collegiate Institute assembly on Friday, May 19.
From VCI, the members of Teens Against Drunk (or Distracted) Driving (TADD) were made-up to show bloody injuries; several lay on gurneys, covered, meanwhile the jaws of life worked to free the driver.
One of the most impactful aspects was the adult actors playing the parts of grieving family members. From their first moments at the scene of the accident, to the announcement of death, during medical triage by Dr. Hamel, these adults represented the terrible loss that can result from a moment of distraction at the wheel.
The entire response was realistic. In a brief interview, Dr. Hamel acknowledged the reality of the emergency room scene.
(TADD), supported by Manitoba Public Insurance, helped facilitate this staged event for the school. A group based out of Steinbach, MB, brought the Last Responder Project; resources included a guest speaker to address the assembly, who commented on revolving PowerPoint photos. These were real individuals who lost their lives through texting and driving accidents, or other forms of distracted driving.
RCMP Constable Azeez spoke to the assembly about cell phone use and distracted driving, including drunk driving. He said of this enactment, “There is the chance that something like this could happen.”
He then explained the signs of impairment and the procedure when a driver is pulled over under suspicion of impairment.
The constable demonstrated on volunteer, Dane Leslie, who blew clear in the roadside breathalyzer test device (to the applause of the assembly). However, the constable stressed the serious consequences of drunk driving and the charges that can result in jail time under certain situations.
He also explained that adjusting the sound system in the vehicle, or anything that takes the driver’s attention from the road, could constitute distracted driving.
TADD President Veronica Tyhy spoke briefly, thanking those who gave their time and other donations to make the presentation possible.
Following the presentation, as the assembly of students filed from the gymnasium, they were given the opportunity to make a commitment to drive responsibly. For students, this was a pledge not to drive drunk or distracted, demonstrated as they dipped their thumb in dye, placing their red thumbprint on a wooden casket.
VCI Principal Mark Keown was impressed with the afternoon presentation. This was a first in at least seven years, a large event to coordinate between first responder services.
Keown stated that Lieutenant Ky Tough of WDFD played a huge part in bringing the first responder services together. “He did a great job,” said Keown.
