The Goal Is No Drunk Drivers On Prom Night

With another school year drawing to a close, the issue of prom is on the forefront of most high schooler’s minds. And that is no less true for their parents, although it is probably safe to say that their parent’s concerns are a little different in nature. For starters, the issue of drunk driving is a big one on prom night. The SKID program deals with these parental concerns.

SKID was developed by Oregon Deputy Tom Moore in 1998, and came to Michigan in 2004. The SKID team recreates a drunk driving crash for a whole school, providing them with an up-close-and-personal look at what can happen during a crash. The process is made more realistic by the fact that teen volunteers play the roles of crash victims. Wearing prom dresses and make-up, their bodies are pulled from the wreckage after fire-fighters use the jaws of life to cut open the cars.

Adding to the very realistic display of the crushed vehicles and prom-attired bodies, are recordings of real 911 calls, radio chatter from the emergency services personnel on the scene and the play of lights from the police and fire departments vehicles. With the grand finale of a helicopter evacuation simulating the transporting of an injured person to a nearby hospital and one volunteer actor zipped up in a body bag, the stage is set to teach teens the facts about drunk driving and drugged driving.

The most recent SKID performance was done at Herbert Henry Dow High School in Midland, Michigan. On scene performing their roles as they would in the event of a crash, were members of the Midland County Sheriff’s Department, Midland Fire Department, MidMichigan Medical Center EMS and even staff from the Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Home

According to one of the student volunteers who played a role in the production, he hopes that the demonstration saves some lives. Although he did say that he was sure the message had fallen on a few deaf ears in the crowd, he was hopeful that a few lives had been saved by people who would remember the SKID program and then make smart choices.

Drunk driving, drugged driving and buzzed driving are all dangerous and cost people their lives. So as attorneys who are also parents, we advise all of our clients to encourage their teenagers to make smart, informed choices on prom night, and every night for that matter. However, in the event of a mistake involving alcohol or drugs and driving, please contact us right away. We understand that people make mistakes, and we are here to help you.