A program designed to teach students about the dangers and costs of driving impaired and distracted, was held Wednesday afternoon, in front of the Griswold High School. “Every 15 Minutes,” also stresses the importance of wearing seat belts, and it takes students through the process, legal and emotional, following a mock crash caused by an impaired or distracted driver. Judi Nelson, event coordinator and an emergency room nurse, says the program which started in the mid-1990’s, has resulted in a reduction in the number of deaths from drunk or impaired driving. She said while the number of alcohol related deaths is down, the number of other, preventable fatalities involving motor vehicles is up.

That’s because there’s more than just alcohol involved. In addition to the use of prescription and non-prescription drugs by both adults and young adults, the use of mobile devices such as cell phones, for texting and calling, has proven to be a factor in crashes resulting in deaths. The two-day “Every 15 Minutes” program began Wednesday morning, with students being removed from their classrooms in 10-to 15-minute intervals, from 8:30-a.m. until 1-p.m. They are dressed to become, the “Living dead,” and have their faces painted white to look like a skeleton. During the afternoon, there was a Mock Collision, on the north side of the Griswold School grounds, and a mock trial for the driver.

The students attended a retreat Wednesday night, where they engaged in activities and heard personal experiences from parents and teens who lost a loved one or close friend to a crash involving an impaired or distracted driver. Personal testimonies were heard from Nina McNeese and Julia Peltzer. McNeese lost her two pre-school age boys when a young driver was texting and driving, and hit their vehicle head-on, near Red Oak. There was also a Parent retreat with the some of the same speakers.

This (Thursday) morning, a Memorial/Mock Funeral Assembly was held in the Griswold School Auditorium. Local law enforcement, emergency personnel, legal services and others were involved in making the event as real as possible for spectators and those involved.