Paoli’s first responders teamed up with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to give bus loads of local students and some from Maysville an up close look at what happens when a bad decision turns into a tragic accident.
Staged on a side stretch in Paoli this week was a mock collision scene with two very real cars, both banged up pretty good from the real thing, and some students playing the roles of emotional survivors, badly injured riders and even those covered up by a sheet because they were just too far gone.
You are viewing: What Is A Mock Wreck
None of it was real, but the lessons were as OHP Trooper Mike Shanholtzer gathered the students on Monday afternoon to remind them this mock up scene was a far less graphic depiction of the real thing when drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Adding a flavor the teens are sure to understand, Shanholtzer said the “brutal and gruesome” results can be the same from a wreck when drivers are distracted by their phones and not paying attention to the road.
“This is to inform them of what it’s like when drivers have been drinking or not paying attention,” Shanholtzer said, adding the scene was based on an actual wreck site he once worked.
Read more : What Does Beard Butter Do
“Unfortunately over my career I’ve seen this way too many times. I’ve made too many phone calls, knocked on too many doors to see the impact this has on families,” he said about notifications that a loved one has been killed in a vehicle accident.
“Whatever you do make good decisions. Don’t make a minor decision affect the rest of your life. Get home safe.
“You’ve got to be responsible for yourself. Don’t get yourself or someone else hurt because you’re on your phone.”
Last year around 27 percent of all vehicle accidents in the state involved a drunk driver.
Another leading cause of death on Oklahoma highways is distracted driving, which often times is texting.
Some say a distraction like a text, causing a driver to take their eyes off the road for five seconds, is like driving the length of a football field with their eyes closed.
Read more : What Is 4wd Lock
Other typical causes are unsafe speed, driving left of center and failure to stop.
“The reality is bad things happen and we all make bad decisions. All of us. If you’ve been drinking it’s better to call your parents and make sure you get home safely,” the trooper said to the Paoli and Maysville students gathered around.
“Someone wants you to come home healthy, I promise you.
“Think about what you’re going to do before it turns into something bad.”
Shanholtzer also told the teens if they’re the ones driving up to a wreck site the best thing is to “know where you’re at, dial 911, this is what I see.”
“The more information you can give to a dispatcher the better it is for first responders when they get there.”
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHAT
