SAN ANTONIO – A staggering 83,000 lives have been lost on Texas roadways since Nov. 7, 2000, due to motor vehicle crashes, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
This grim statistic underscores a heartbreaking 23-year streak of daily deaths on the state’s highways.
Tragically, motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, with six teenagers aged 16 to 19 losing their lives every single day as a result of these preventable incidents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
Drinking and driving is a significant contributor to these fatal crashes, which is why the Northeast Independent School District (NEISD) has partnered with Shattered Dreams, an initiative dedicated to educating students about the perils of impaired driving through hard-hitting, realistic demonstrations.
“We can save anyone, one family, one kid. That’s what we’re hoping for,” Gary Comalander, principal at Johnson High School said.
The demonstration, a months-long endeavor in the making, is strategically scheduled to take place before high-risk periods like spring break, prom season and graduation, serving as a timely reminder for students to make smart decisions during these milestone events.
“We’re getting ready to go to spring break, prom season, senior activities and then graduation, and then going to college,” Comalander said. “And so it’s kind of a reminder for our seniors and juniors as they go through this time of their life to make smart decisions.”
The powerful demonstration vividly illustrated the harrowing consequences of drinking and driving, depicting a crash scene complete with emergency responders, victims being transported by ambulance and even a helicopter evacuation.
In a sobering turn of events, the student actor portraying the impaired driver was arrested and booked on charges of vehicular manslaughter.
The demonstration’s impact is palpable for parents like Mandy Howland, a mother of four.
“If it helps one child, then we’re excited that we spent all these hours doing it,” she said.
Howland witnessed the positive effects on her children and their peers over the years.
“I see my own children in college making better choices and their friends making better choices and just watching out for each other,” Howland said.
As for the students themselves, the message was clear.
“Just never get into a car and never get behind the wheel. Especially if you had alcohol,” Carter Lewis, an NEISD student involved in organizing the demonstration said. “And there’s always people you can call, and there’s always opportunities to get home safe.”
With motor vehicle crashes claiming far too many young lives, initiatives like Shattered Dreams serve as a powerful reminder of the deadly consequences of drinking and driving. By educating students through immersive, realistic scenarios, the goal is to inspire them to make responsible choices that could ultimately save lives.