NEW GLASGOW
Grade 12 students at North Nova Education Centre received a sobering lesson on the lethal dangers of drunk driving as emergency services staged a mock accident – resulting in the ‘death’ of one actress.
Firefighters arrived at the scene outside NNEC on Thursday morning and used tools such as the Jaws of Life to pry open the doors and even cut off the car’s roof to reach the actresses. One actress in the back was already dead, her body limp as fire crews lifted her out of the vehicle.
“Just don’t do it. It’s not worth it,” said actress Katie Enfield to would-be impaired drivers.
She played the severely injured drunk driver in this scenario and still had fake blood on her face after firefighters broke through the door with the Jaws of Life tool to rescue her.
Anyone tempted to get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs should either walk or ask someone sober for a lift, said Enfield.
As the demonstration unfolded, firefighters told students what they should do in the event of an emergency, such as calling 911 and how to safely approach a stricken vehicle.
“We want students to make a safe and responsible decision about their actions,” said Const. Ken MacDonald of the New Glasgow Regional Police.
He also said it was important for them to understand the devastating consequences of impaired driving, including death, life-changing spinal injuries that leave people paralyzed and the impact on both victims and their loved ones.
Impaired and dangerous driving can also result in criminal convictions, hefty fines and even jail time.
The mandatory minimum sentence for impaired driving in Canada is a $1,000 fine, 12-month driving ban and a criminal record on a first offence. The sentence increases to 30 days in jail and a two-year ban for a second offence and 120 days in jail and a three-year ban for subsequent sentences.
Once convicted drivers are allowed back on the road, they will face a massive increase in insurance costs as they are deemed a high risk.
Police say that alcohol and driver distraction are two of the leading factors in fatal and serious-injury collisions in Nova Scotia. Distracted driving includes habits such as using cellphones or eating while driving.
"We hope that students will be responsible during their graduation by witnessing the mock collision and the consequences of impaired driving,” said MacDonald in an earlier release.
New Glasgow Regional Police, New Glasgow Fire Department, Trenton Fire Department and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Pictou County teamed up to stage the mock incident.
