Part of getting teenagers ready for life in college and beyond is to help them become aware of certain dangers around them. One of those potential dangers is drinking and driving. You can create an anti-drunk driving campaign for your students that keeps them engaged and teaches them how to stay as safe as possible on the road.
Hire A Guest Speaker
Invite a guest speaker to address the students at your school during an assembly. The speaker could be a police officers who has responded to the scene of drunk driving crashes, the parent of a person killed or disabled in a crash, or a person who was responsible for a drunk driving crash. Be sure to schedule enough time for the speaker to really get his or her point across, and allow for a question-and-answer session, if possible. Because of the subject matter being discussed at an assembly about drunk driving, you may want to get permission slips signed by parents. For more information, contact companies like eSpeakers.
Host An Anti-Drunk Driving Fair
Work with local vendors, such as taxi cab companies and ride sharing companies, to create a fair students can attend. Have each of the vendors pass out some swag to make the event more fun, and ask them to discuss the different ways their businesses can help to keep teens safe on the road. You can have a student art exhibit as part of the fair, with the artists who create the most compelling pieces about drunk driving winning a prize at the end of the night.
Host Mock In-Class Parties
Give your students practice at dealing with situations that involve drinking and driving by hosting mock parties in the classroom. Re-enact different scenarios that require students to make a decision, such as taking a friend's car keys away or calling a parent for a ride. Have students talk about why each situation is difficult, and have them brainstorm solutions to help make them feel more comfortable with the different situations.
Reward Sober Drivers
While you won't want to encourage any high school students to drink, you can reward sober drivers at school events, such as proms. Consider asking each group of friends attending the event to designate one person who will represent a sober driver for the evening. Have that person wear a bracelet or T-shirt that identifies him or her as sober to everyone in the school. This can by symbolic of how an actual designated driver might feel when telling people at a party that he or she isn't drinking. Reward all of your "sober" drivers at the end of each school event with a prize to thank them for helping to keep the roads safe.
Drunk driving has serious consequences, and reinforcing safe driving habits can give your students the tools they need to become part of the solution against drunk driving. Use these ideas, or work with your staff to come up with other programs you can use to reduce drunk driving.
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