Teaching Culpeper teens the dangers of underage drinking and driving

A local teenager is dead after a single-vehicle crash on Clover Hill Road recently, a grim reminder about the risks facing young drivers.  The recent tragedy was attributed to excess speed, but other factors are often to blame for teen crash deaths: drinking, distraction, or simply lack of experience.

Emergency workers in Culpeper are doing their part to educate local teens about the risks of drinking and driving.  Not only do they want to deter teens from drinking underage, but they also want to make sure they do not drive while intoxicated. 

On April 16 the Culpeper County High School hosted a demonstration sponsored by Youth of Virginia Speak Out.  The event was timed to happen just before the school’s prom that weekend – an event that often leads to underage drinking.  A number of agencies participated in the event, including the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the Culpeper Office of Emergency Services, the Culpeper Joint Communications, and fire and rescue teams.

Two damaged cars were set up in the school’s parking lot, and students were able to play the parts of crash victims.  Students observing the demonstration learned how emergency personnel respond to car crash scenes, and saw how EMS workers provide medical treatment victims and how students who are believed to be intoxicated are taken into police custody.

Hopefully some lives were saved by the demonstration.  No teen deserves to die because of a poor choice to drink and drive, and no family deserves to lose a child in such a terrible way.