Full Notification

Juniors and seniors at Carpinteria High School will experience a two day program starting tomorrow designed to teach them in a powerful way the tragic consequences of drinking and driving.  On Wednesday and Thursday this week, April 22 and 23, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol will present the “Every 15 Minutes” program at the campus located at 4810 Foothill Road in Carpinteria. 

The “Every 15 Minutes” program is based on the estimate that every 15 minutes there is a fatality due to an alcohol related collision.  The graphic experience challenges high school juniors and seniors to think about their personal safety, the responsibility of making mature decisions and the impact their decisions have on family, friends and many others. 

On April 22, starting first thing in the morning, one student will be removed from class every 15 minutes and will become one of the “living dead”.  A grim reaper and uniformed officer will read their obituary to those remaining in the class.  At 10:00 a.m. there will be a simulated drunk driving collision on the campus parking lot which will involve pre-selected students.  Personnel from the Carpinteria-Summerland Fire Protection District and American Medical Response will arrive and treat victims.  A Santa Barbara County Air Support Unit will airlift a patient to Cottage Hospital. One student, who will be designated as a drunk driver, will be arrested by a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s deputy and transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail.

The next day, April 23, at 10:45 a.m. the junior and senior students will attend an assembly where they will watch a video of the preceding day’s events. Students who participated will read letters of what it felt like to die without having the chance to say good-bye.  Members of the community and emergency responders will speak about how they are personally impacted each time they come across someone who has made a poor choice involving alcohol.

The “Every 15 Minutes” program originated in Canada and was introduced to California students in 1995.   The program is presented at Carpinteria High School every two years.