On April 29, Chapin High School held a Drunk Driving Awareness assembly. South Carolina State Trooper David Jones warned students of the repercussions of driving while intoxicated with a video and demonstration, along with many shocking statistics. With prom season in full swing, the tragic realities of DUI-related car accidents should be taken into consideration.

An average of 850 fatalities per year come as a result of car incidents, with more than half of them being alcohol related. One alcohol related fatality occurs every thirty minutes. Many people don’t plan on drinking and driving, but it only takes one person; 50% of DUI crashes involve only one vehicle.

The video shown by Trooper Jones involved two teenage girls at a party, a situation many Chapin students connected with. This made the dangers of DUIs seem much more real than the statistics previously presented.

Chapin students Lawson Bemis (junior) and Brooke Parker (senior) were selected by Tropper Jones to assist with the demonstration. Each of them wore goggles that simulated a .15 alcohol level while taking different sobriety tests. The first test involved balancing on one foot with the other foot eight inches above the ground. The second was nine heel-to-toe steps down a straight line. Both students failed the tests, which showed how much alcohol can affect everyone.

A group of twelve men recently created the Target Zero Team. They are constantly trying to make South Carolina roads a safer place; focusing mainly with speed, seatbelts and DUIs. During Chapin’s Prom, which is planned to take place May 7th, this team will be in and around Chapin looking specifically for intoxicated drivers.

Trooper Jones concluded his presentation by offering students a way out of drinking and driving by dialing *47.

Drinking and driving puts more than one person at risk. Please consider the ill effects of driving under the influence and the risk it puts on everyone before making a regrettable decision.