Media Release

Monday 10 August 2009

Orewa Students Mourn Road Deaths

Orewa College hosted a number of ‘ghost students’ last week in an effort to increase awareness of drink drive fatalities on New Zealand Roads.

27 pupils attending the school last week were designated to dress in black, and remain silent throughout the week as a visual representation of the fatal consequences of drink driving amongst the young.

The initiative has been organised by SADD (Students Against Driving Drunk) to raise awareness about the consequences of driving drunk and to highlight SADD week, which is being marked this week from 10 – 16 August.

The students attended classes as usual but were not be able to speak or respond to questions.

"We've had a very positive response from staff and students alike to the initiative,” says Rebecca Thornber, Orewa College’s SADD Chairperson. "We had some students give cards to the dead students - saying I don't want you to die.”

In 2007, alcohol and drugs were a factor in 128 deaths, 559 serious injuries and 1,177 minor injuries on New Zealand roads.

“Alcohol consumption reduces driving performance and decreases driver reaction time and judgement, “says Rodney Road Safety Coordinator Jacki Dawson.

Many studies show that the risk of being involved in a crash increases as a driver’s blood alcohol level increases. At high blood alcohol levels the risk rapidly increases.

Statistics from the Ministry of Transport indicate that for every 100 alcohol or drug-impaired drivers or riders killed in road crashes, 54 of their passengers and 42 sober road users died with them.

Alcohol and drugs are significantly more likely to be a factor in crashes involving people aged between 15 and 29.

ENDS

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