Every 15 Minutes

by Nina Kloss

Every 15 Minutes, one person in America dies in a car crash that has its cause in drunk driving. In most cases, youngsters are involved in such accidents since they often tend to underestimate the dangers of driving under the influence (DUI).
In order to demonstrate to teenagers the risks of drunk driving or just riding with an influenced driver, the “Every 15 Minutes” program has been performed in Clark County, Washington yearly since 1995. The program especially focuses on the emotions of the youngsters. The lifelong consequences of accidents caused by driving under the influence are put right in front of their eyes.
This year, 24 juniors and seniors of Prairie High School agreed to take part in the two-day prevention program which was in cooperation with the sheriffs of the Clark County Sheriff Department. In 15-minute intervals, the participating girls and boys were accompanied out of the classrooms by a fellow student dressed as the grim Reaper.

This happened in front of their classmates eyes. With white make-up on their faces and dressed in a black robe, the students returned to their classrooms together with a police officer. The dressed up students represented one of the many thousand people, who are victims of drunk driving in the USA every year.

The police officer delivered the death notice to the classmates. Although everybody knew that this was just a staged situation, the atmosphere in the classrooms changed suddenly. The officer looked in many thoughtful and shocked faces.
In order to reinforce their role as victims, the participating students forbore from any kind of communication with their fellow students.
Already after a short while, most students noticed how hard it was not to be able to communicate with their “dead” friends. Besides the students, there were also parents included into the “Every 15 Minutes” program. Some previously notified parents were visited by the police during the afternoon and evening hours and received a faked death notice. Unexpected emotional outbursts among the parents were not a rarity when the authentic message was delivered.

In the meantime, the participants spent the night at the school in order to simulate the separation from family and friends. Together with the program representatives and the sheriffs of the Clark County Sheriff Department, they worked on a presentation for the other students. It was not just a listing of the dangers of alcohol especially in connection with driving. The goal was rather to emphasize the fact that teenage carelessness can destroy numerous lives within only seconds.

The story of Jacqueline Saburido, who was at the age of 20 when the accident happened, illustrates what horrifying proportions drunk driving can assume. In Texas in September 1999, Jacqueline and four of her friends, who were just heading home from a birthday party, collided with the vehicle of a drunk high school student. Two of her friends died while Jacqueline suffered severe burns which disfigured her beyond recognition.
The 20-year old lost her hair, ears, nose, and most of her vision. Due to countless surgeries, her life could be saved but she will suffer from the consequences of the accident for her entire life.
In the fight against driving under the influence, Jacqueline went public and explicitly agreed to spread her pictures worldwide. The horrifying pictures of this tragic accident strongly affected the students and made them understand that drunk driving can not only destroy their own lives but also the lives others.
Statistics show that the number of accidents caused by DUI drastically increasing on days of festivities, as for example Prom or Graduation. Therefore, it was very important to the representatives of the “Every 15 Minutes” program, as well as to the sheriffs and teachers, to appeal to the youngsters’ reason, especially considering the up-coming graduation.

The “Every 15 Minutes” program ended with a promise that all students of Prairie High School made voluntarily; they do not want to belong to the devil-may-care people whose egoism and carelessness destroy the future and the lives of others.

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