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April 5, 2019
Students drove mock vehicles through an obstacle course while wearing DWI goggles to simulate the effects alcohol has on driving.
Regional Awareness Program Educates Community on Dangers of Drunk Driving
Regional Awareness Program Educates Community on Dangers of Drunk Driving
By Camille Stevenson
By Camille Stevenson
Last Wednesday evening, March 27, Oswego County CiTi BOCES hosted the 15th annual Regional Awareness Program (RAP) to educate students and the community on the dangers of drunk driving and being safe, cognizant drivers.
Youth Creating Change Coalition (YC3 - a youth-led coalition bringing awareness to and preventing substance abuse) volunteers ran a tabling event to show the effects of marijuana and alcohol impairment on vision, hand-eye coordination, and decision making.
People had to wear goggles while completing activities such as a maze or putting shapes into a sphere through matching holes. They would first complete the activity without the goggles to simulate “sober” conditions and then complete the activity with the goggles demonstrating “impaired” conditions.
After completing the activity, YC3 volunteers explained how their actions and decisions were akin to that of people under the influence of marijuana and alcohol. Some of these actions included delayed reaction times, altered depth perception, and hyper-attentiveness.
Students wore goggles with BAC levels well over the legal limit to simulate conditions of drunk drivers as they tried to complete mazes.
Bob Lighthall delivered an impactful and thought-provoking presentation on the dangers and consequences of DWI. By using personal stories, Lighthall connected with the audience and invoked within them feelings of sorrow and empathy, making the students and parents truly reflect on the effects drunk driving has on victims and their families.
He wishes for teens and parents to understand his message of “Have a Plan” and to carry on the discussion at home and with their peers. By having a plan, teens will be prepared for situations where people are drinking and will not make the wrong decision of getting into a car while drunk or with a drunk driver, essentially saving their life and the lives of others.
The DWI victim impact panel consisted of Wendy Peters, Shelly Potter, and Tray Woodmancy. Each speaker shared their moving stories of losing family members to drunk drivers and being victims of DWI accidents.
Peters, a victim of a DWI accident, had no recollection of the 30 days she spent in the hospital after the accident due to being in a coma and several internal and superficial injuries she sustained from the accident. She hopes for people to hear her story and to know not to get into cars with drunk drivers and to take the keys away from people who have been drinking.
Woodmancy will be having a candlelight vigil at Butterfly Gardens in Liverpool on April 12 to commemorate the death of her 14-year-old daughter Samantha Reynolds and to bring awareness to the severity of DWIs and the effects they have on grieving families.
Tyler Ahart, a Farnham representative, explained how events like these are important for communities because they bring awareness to issues that people are uncomfortable talking about and can be “reality checks” for people who have become complacent in their everyday lives.
He said, “Everybody needs a reminder to live a smart life” and to not “take life for granted.”
Overall, the Regional Awareness Program did an excellent job of educating teens and their parents on the dangers of drunk driving. Lighthall was able to ingrain the phrase, “Have a Plan” into their minds so it becomes instinctual to call someone for a ride when placed in a situation with inebriated people.
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