Lakeland Police are bringing the message to students about the possible consequences of unsafe driving as part of their Red Ribbon Week Campaign. Red Ribbon Week is focused primarily on “Just Say No” to drug and alcohol use, but Lakeland Police are taking the opportunity to also send a message to students about the dangers of texting and driving. On display at Lakeland Highlands Middle School, 740 Lake Miriam Drive, Lakeland, Florida, are two cars that have been totaled. One car was wrecked when being driven by a drunk driver. The other car was wrecked while being driven by a person texting on their cell phone. The question posed to students: “Which car is which?” Police are hoping this example will drive home the dangers of driving under the influence as well as texting while driving.
Officer Oscar Wesley, a School Resource Officer at Lakeland Highland Middle School, says that he has seen the impact first hand that this visual example has on students. “Most of them are shocked. They tell me after seeing this they are never going to text or drink and drive. This is what we were hoping for – to send home the message to students that the dangers are real. The behavior can be life threatening and needs to be taken seriously.”
The cars are on display at Lakeland Highlands Middle School and will be there until Monday, October 31, 2011. If you want to know the answer – which is which – you will need to visit the display. For more information on Red Ribbon Week click on the following link: http://www.justice.gov/dea/ongoing/redribbon_factsheet.html
- posted by Sergeant Terri Smith
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