[KHTS] – Most fatal vehicle collisions involve a teen, and California Highway Patrol officers are partnering with other Santa Clarita Valley emergency officials to bring the Every 15 Minutes program to West Ranch High School on Thursday.
“Every 15 Minutes” is a two-day program which demonstrates to junior and senior high school students the impact impaired driving has on friends, family and their community.
From the start of the school day the simulation will begin. Every 15 minutes, a student will “die” in a fatal vehicle collision and will be pulled out of class by the Grim Reaper.
For the rest of the day, that student will be able to attend their classes but will be unable to communicate to their friends, teachers and family.
A simulated impaired driver traffic collision will occur at the top of the cul-de-sac in front of the high school at 10:40 a.m. While the collision scenario will take place for about an hour, the cul-de-sac will be closed from 9:30 a.m. through 11:45 a.m.
After the crash, the “walking dead,” crash victims and impaired driver continue to learn about how distracted driving can affect their family, friends and community.
The impaired driver goes to court and jail, any survivors of the crash are taken to Henry Mayo Memorial Hospital where they “die,” the walking dead and crash victims go to the youth grove and cemetery. All of the participants are cut off from communicating with their family and friends.
The next day, various speakers will give speeches about teens who have been killed in vehicle collisions including Tom and Alice Reynolds, who lost their sons Tim and Danny as well as Wayne Rhoades, who lost his son Andrew Rhoades, Lutz said. The students involved in the simulation and Santa Clarita City Councilman Bob Keller will also speak.
“I believe that Every 15 Minutes is particularly important in this valley because of the extraordinary amount of driving age students in the valley,” said CHP Officer John Lutz.
More than 67 percent of all fatal collisions involve a teen, whether or not they are the driver, he said. Teens only make up four percent of the driving population.
“This program has adapted over the years from bringing attention to the impaired driver, to being a program that encompasses not only drunk driving but distracted driving as well as simply poor driving,” Lutz said.
Along with the California Highway Patrol, the City of Santa Clarita, the William S. Hart Union High School District and West Ranch High School, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, American Medical Response, Eternal Valley Mortuary, the Hyatt Regency Valencia, and many other community partners and affiliates participate in the simulation.
The Every 15 Minutes program is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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26 Comments
I am proud to say my daughter portrayed a dead victim at Saugus High almost 10 years ago. To this day she plans ahead before she goes out and uses Uber or taxi’s . A wonderful program.
Id be a wreck seeing my kid in the viewing part.
I was apart of one 12 years ago at Vasquez and it was a great experience. This is a great program and I know this would benefit a lot of teens and schools!!
This program is great. I still have my every 15 minutes t shirt from 2005. Definitely something to keep on doing for years to keep coming.
I participated in this program about 15 years ago and still remember it vividly. It’s important that this topic is discussed and in this case, acted out to make it real. Some teenagers (and adults) believe they are invincible. When they see their friends “die” and not return to class the rest of the day, it’s eerie.
Great message, but 90% of the high school kids I’ve talked to say it was more funny than anything else. It’s pretty silly, with the costumes and cheesy fake blood etc. I guess if one kid gets the message – it’s worth it. But still pretty dorky.
Great message, but 90% of the high school kids I’ve talked to say it was more funny than anything else. It’s pretty silly, with the costumes and cheesy fake blood etc. I guess if one kid gets the message – it’s worth it. But still pretty dorky.
You’re talking to kids who will most likely be the ones to get duis in their future because they lack morals. go observe any class going through this and see all the crying eyes. Kids who think this is something to laugh about should have to be the ones zipped up in body bags during the demonstration or spending the night in jail and going to court the next morning finding out they killed someone and getting charged. Do you by chance have a dui? I wouldn’t be surprised if you did.
It is a great program! Anyone who disagrees is ignorant and just really lacks morals and understanding. I never drink and drive and I remember very vividly that whole experience. If it can impact the majority of kids, that is great.
Wonder what life with you is like. If anyone disagrees with you, they’re ignorant and lack morals and understanding?? Pull it down a notch. Also, you kinda stated what I already said. If it could impact the majority of kids, that’s great. But it doesn’t seem to be doing that. So it’s not so great. I honestly feel it’s a dramatic band aid approach. Sorry to disagree with you. I know how you hate that.
I didn’t direct my statement at anyone, you obviously feel attacked. And I can handle people disagreeing with me, seems as if you may need to work on that though. And I know first hand through my own classes experience and family members who have participated as well that this is an impact full program. It’s the ignorant kids who are “too cool” who laugh about these experiences that are the ones to worry about on our roads. If those are the kids you’ve been talking too, sounds like they need better role model adults with morals in their lives
Hmmmm…..kinda just reversed everything I said and ignored your own words. In any case, good luck with those “adults with morals”.
Whatever man, don’t have time for your uneducated outlook on this subject. They probably didn’t have this program in your day so you’ve never personally experienced it.
We had the real deal just yesterday at woodley and San Fernando mission, a young teen on a bike lost his life
I drove right by that not too long after it happened. Emergency crews were still attending to the poor teenager. Such a sad story
This program is amazing. I think that they should let the whole school see it not just juniors and seniors.
I remember this!!
If anything they should be doing this more for adults, not teenagers
Just last night I was almost hit by a drunk driver swerving on the freeway.
At least the guy pulled to the shoulder and stopped after almost hitting me
The irony of seeing people participate in this, then see them getting wasted on the weekend and even a couple of them driving. It really works!
I remember this in canyong high ..
María Eso si me da miedo la santa muerte claro q así nos vamosa convertir ahí q miedo
Marie Barrett
Misty Funicello and Marie Barrett is that Alec
LOL! Yes!
My oldest daughters boyfriend played a dead victim in 2012 @ Saugus HS. Although they went to different schools it was hard on her that day. Not being able to talk to him. My youngest is a junior at WR & she said it was pretty emotional today. She is not looking forward to the assembly tomorrow. She said she’ll have to bring a box of tissues. This is a phenomenal program. It really makes the kiddos stop & think.
People care enough to give their time, and share their painful memories with others to remind them to take driving seriously. They don’t want anyone to suffer the consequences. The message is getting through to some, so keep up the good work and pray for those who take it lightly.