Mock crash teaches students a somber lesson about safe driving

Thursday, April 16, 2015
Kaitlyn Riley, Multi-media Journalist, WQOW

Altoona (WQOW) - Students at Altoona High School witnessed a mock crash starring their classmates Thursday afternoon. Police departments, fire crews, rescue squads, and a funeral director joined together to teach students the surreal message.

The scene featured a young drunk driver crashing a mini van, killing a passenger, paralyzing a friend, and earning a prison sentence. Organizers say prom and graduation are the two most dangerous weekends for high schoolers. They said their message goes beyond fake gore and make-believe body bags.

"I believe 100% that these are effective and they work," Mayo Clinic Health System Injury Prevention Coordinator Kim Strasburg said. "There have been studies on the mock crashes across the country, and they're shown to have a bit of a halo effect for a couple weeks. They're going to forget, and they're going to have to be reminded as time goes on, and that's why we do that at those two critical weekends of prom and graduation."

They have been doing mock crashes for over 15 years, and organizers said since starting the program, they have not had a teenage fatality in the Chippewa Valley during prom and graduation weekends.

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