Merced students get street smart about dangers of drunk driving

Schools in Merced County have joined efforts to reduce teen drinking, drunk driving, distracted driving and illegal drug use.

During an assembly Wednesday, select students at Merced High School participated as responders from the Florida-based SAFE (Stay Alive From Education) program showed them the consequences of reckless driving.

Similar presentations had been given at Buhach Colony and Atwater high schools earlier Wednesday.

SAFE founder Vince Easevoli, along with co-founder Ralph Jimenez, advised students on the importance of wearing seat belts, not texting while driving and having a designated driver when attending parties.

According to the presenters, trauma from motor vehicle crashes is the leading cause of death among teenagers. Every 12 minutes, someone is killed in a car accident in the U.S., even though most accidents could be prevented, the presenters said.

When Easevoli and Jimenez asked students how many occasionally don’t wear a seat belt, many hands shot up. The reasons given by students as to why they were not secured by a seat belt included: they were driving just around the corner, they had forgotten and seat belts were uncomfortable.

Easevoli, a Miami-Dade firefighter-paramedic for 27 years, explained to students that statistically, there is a greater chance of being involved in a car accident within 10 miles of home. He also asked students to ensure seat belts are worn when riding in taxis and to check that their drivers are also secured. “It only takes one unrestricted occupant in a vehicle to injure or possibly kill the rest of the people in that car,” Easevoli told students.

Jimenez also informed students on how exactly seat belts work and why they save lives. Seat belts, Jimenez said, distribute the force of an impact and constrain the body inside the vehicle. According to the data presented, people are 25 times more likely to die if they are ejected from the vehicle.

The presentation included video clips and photos of the aftermath of car accidents where drivers and passengers were severely injured or killed. According to the presenters, the graphic examples were something first-responders see on a regular basis.

SAFE was founded in 1988 because, Easevoli said, “There was a need for something like this.” He explained that firefighter-paramedics were constantly speaking at schools about fire safety, but teens are more affected by preventable vehicle accidents, he said.

“It’s all about choices and common sense ... put on a seat belt, and call your parents (before driving intoxicated),” he added. “They much rather get a phone call from you, then a knock on the door with bad news.”

This story was originally published October 30, 2014 at 8:09 PM with the headline "Merced students get street smart about dangers of drunk driving."