Young People Teach Dangers of Drink Driving

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The Crash Bash Road Show kicked off at Catholic Cathedral College on Monday 3 March with a strong message against drink driving.

The theme for 2010 is 'Alcohol Limits for Young Drivers' and the winning script, entitled 'Requiem in a Bottle', was written by Mingji Liu from St Andrews College.

Production assistant Tim Bain says it's all about young people understanding their limits and realising there are alternatives to drinking when out with friends.

"This year's play is centred around a school formal and shows different levels of drink driving and the paths they lead to. The key message is that one drink is one too many - young people shouldn't have any alcohol if they're going to jump behind the wheel.

"The premiere went really well and we did manage to get a lot of laughs. We tried to make it light and humorous to keep the audience engaged - and it seemed to work," he says.

Sarah Numan, Business Support Manager at the Christchurch City Council, says young people aged 15 to 19 are disproportionately represented in New Zealand road crash statistics, with alcohol and speed the major contributing factors

"We want to see a shift in these statistics by targeting young people in new and creative ways and encouraging students to come up with their own interpretations and messages. Young people speaking to their peers comes across much better than another lecture from an adult," she says.

The 10 minute play is presented during school assemblies and includes a question and answer session at the end.

The annual road show, which is run by the Council in association with the New Zealand Transport Agency and SADD (Students Against Drink Driving), will tour 20 major Christchurch high schools during March.

The campaign coincides with Government's announcement today to lift the driving age from 15 to 16.

ENDS

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