Shattered Dreams is a two-day program designed to educate students, parents, and the community about the serious issue of underage drinking and driving, by providing a realistic experience and encouraging them to make positive choices. Once targeted at addressing drunk driving, students are now being warned of the danger of distracted driving.
Distracted driving continues to be a problem in Texas with one in five crashes involving distracted driving. In 2017, the total number of traffic crashes on Texas roads was 537,475. Of those, 100,687 or 19% involved distracted driving, often cellphone use. The 100,687 crashes in Texas resulted in 444 deaths and 2,889 serious injuries.
About every 20 minutes in Texas, someone is hurt or killed in a car crash involving alcohol. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,323 Texans were killed in drunk driving accidents in 2015.
While the unusually quiet student body watched, police, fire, and other emergency personnel responded to the scene. The “victim” students were transported by ambulance and AirMedCare, while the “deceased” student was transported by Heartland Funeral Home. The “drunk driver” was arrested on the scene after failing a sobriety test in front of the students watching.
A leading cause of death and serious injury to teenagers ages 15-19 is traffic crashes. Fatalities from those events are usually a result of teen drinking and driving, speeding, and driving distracted. For more photos of the Shattered Dreams event at Brownwood High School, visit our Facebook Page.
