Mock crash shows real drink risk

By Beck Vass
One teenager lay on a broken windscreen with deep gashes on her face and others moaned as they were cut from a car wreck in front of school students at Aquinas College yesterday.
But unlike the horrors Tauranga's emergency services usually face on our roads, this drama was not real.
The school's Students Against Driving Drunk committee members staged a head-on car accident that involved fire, ambulance and police staff to drive home to students what could happen if they drive drunk.
Year 12 student and SADD committee member Samantha McGillivray, 16, said the message was especially important as schools around Tauranga high schools approached ball season.
"It's to warn people, if they are thinking of drinking before or after the ball, what could happen so then they consider what they do."
Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty road safety co-ordinator Lynette Hines said the mock accident was the first of several by Tauranga high schools that were staging crashes to warn students about drink-driving.
"It's really good if peers are giving the message to their peers," she said. "It's more meaningful."
It took nine students from the Tauranga College of Beauty Therapy two hours to make deep gashes to "victims" using latex and wax, adding realism to the scene.
Greerton-based crash analyst Senior Constable Chris Hills said drink-driving continued to be a problem with Tauranga youths.
He recently caught a 15-year-old girl driving with 598mcg of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit for someone under 20 is 150mcg.
"They're not large drinkers but they're over their limit. What they've got to realise is 150 sounds like they can have a drink but the reality is they can't. They can't afford to drink and drive."
While the accident scenario was similar to the real thing, he said, it was nothing like the true horror of an emergency scene.
"They see fake blood here but the reality is it's completely different when you see an actual person dismembered. Half the time you don't even recognise them as a body or whatever."
It was easy for young people to believe they wouldn't be involved in a car accident but the sad truth was that some would, he said.
It was also a chilling illustration of the role St John Ambulance filled every day in the community. At the "crash" was Western Bay of Plenty St John area manager Ken Hansen, who said the event was a good example of what faced St John members.
It took place as a prelude to St John Appeal Week, which runs from this Sunday. All funds raised would be distributed to local St John centres to help with resources and services.
From Monday, 1.2 million fundraising envelopes will be delivered to households nationwide.