Mesa College’s Student Health Services created an experience like none other in the center of the LRC Quad April 24-April 30. The event, titled “Death Experience,” intrigued, disturbed and inspired both students and staff, bringing attention and awareness to the issue of drinking and driving, as well as the growing issue of texting and driving.
Two vehicles were placed in the quad, simulating a serious wreck. The cars were destroyed, painted with red to resemble blood, and set up with mannequins. Surrounding the crash site were multiple posters that included pictures and true stories of people who have been killed or incarcerated because of alcohol related collisions or texting related collisions. The posters also included statistics to better inform the public on how serious this problem really is.
According to textinganddrivingsafety.com, more than one in four crashes involve cell phone use. Texting while driving has proven to be six times more likely to cause an accident than being intoxicated. At any given time of the day, there are approximately 666,000 drivers using their cellular devices while operating a vehicle.
Because of the severity of this rising issue, the Student Health Services chose to display a large banner at the event that read, “No conversation is worth a life.” By signing it, the students, staff members and faculty pledged to stop texting and driving.
One onlooker, Professor Bonnie Rosecliffe, responded to the crash site saying, “I feel sad and horrified.” After her mother was rear-ended by a drunk driver, she suffered a devastating loss from a shattered leg and was forced to use a wheelchair and crutch for the rest of her life.
“This reminds me how needless it was. So that’s why I’m signing this. It’s an opportunity to state my voice,” said Rosecliffe.
“The most influential part of my high school experience was “Every 15 Minutes,” said an anonymous Mesa student who was taking time to really ingest the image of the collision and the stories. “Every 15 Minutes” is a demonstration conducted in schools across the country that is very similar, almost identical, to “Death Experience.” The bystander, who knows someone who was involved in an alcohol related collusion, was deeply affected by the event and hopes that students can really understand the gravity of the consequences of drinking and driving and texting while driving.
On the other hand, some believed that the demonstration, while meaningful, could never really express what it is like to go through one of these experiences.
“It’s eye-opening, but I don’t think people really grasp the meaning toward it until they are personally affected by it,” said Mesa student, Juan.
The main event took place on April 30. It included an enhanced demonstration involving policemen, police vehicles, paramedics, ambulances, firefighters and fire trucks. The first responders and fireman spent close to 10 minutes simulating what would really occur during a real-life emergency involving a collision. They removed the door of the vehicles and quickly rescued the individuals inside. The paramedics then attended to the individuals before putting them into the ambulance, turning on their sirens and racing off campus.
The event also gave students the opportunity to wear Fatal Vision Goggles in order to experience what it would be like to drive while intoxicated. Finally, the San Diego City Assistant District Attorney attended the event. She displayed disturbing and tragic images of fatalities and injuries caused by drunk driving and explained how she prosecuted the DUI cases.
The purpose of this event was to further bring awareness and knowledge to the dangerous possibilities of irresponsible driving. Not only are those who are intoxicated typically injured or killed, but innocent victims are often very seriously affected as well.
The intensity and realistic nature of the demonstration gave students and faculty a rude awakening, clearly displaying that there truly is no conversation, no cocktail, no party and no text message that is worth your life or someone else’s.
