Ghost Out Day –

A group of students are selected to be “ghosts” or representatives of teens killed in alcohol-related crashes. These students do not speak throughout the school day and are dressed in black t-shirts imprinted with the words “DUI” on the front and “Killed Me” on the back. Their faces are painted white to simulate a “ghost.” Announcements & statistics related to impaired driving are made throughout the day. Posters with facts about impaired driving are displayed throughout the school. (Purchase inexpensive black t-shirts and use white fabric paint for the t-shirt imprints.) Wording on the t-shirts can be changed for seat belt or other safety promotion.

Grim Reaper Day –

A student dressed as the Grim Reaper “silences” a student every 40 minutes as a representation of how often a drunk driver kills someone in the U.S. The students selected must stay silent the remainder of the school day and their faces are painted white. Each time a student is “silenced” his/her name is announced over the P.A. to emphasize the frequency of how often a drunk driver kills.

Crashed Car Display –

Contact a local wrecker or towing company to set up a wrecked car in a visible area at the school. Design posters (or host a school-wide poster contest) with facts and information about impaired driving to display with the car. Posters can be mounted to stakes and posted in the ground leading up to the car. Hang a banner with the heading “I Pledge to Drive Alcohol and Drug Free” for students to sign. The banner can be saved and displayed at prom and/or graduation.

Mock Crash –

Work with local, police, fire, and rescue to set up a mock crash to be viewed by the entire school. Many departments use these mock crashes as training exercises so most are happy to do them for the schools. Write a script for the mock crash based on a “party/prom/graduation” theme and have the teens leave the party with an impaired driver. Select a student who speaks well to moderate the crash or tape the script and play it back during the event. Select students to be the actors in the mock crash. Local fire and rescue will “paint” on their wounds for the mock crash.

Please Be Safe Letters –

Ask English teachers in the elementary school or middle school to have their students write letters to the juniors and seniors asking them to enjoy their prom and to please drive safely. The letters can be distributed to each junior and senior during homeroom on the Friday before prom. Letters can also be written to the seniors congratulating them on their graduation and asking them to celebrate and drive safely. The letters can be distributed to the seniors in homeroom prior to graduation. Make sure you give the teachers the exact number of juniors and seniors so you have enough letters to hand out. Club members should make a presentation or provide hand-outs on safe driving to the younger students with information and facts they can use in the letters.

Prom/Graduation Chain –

Set up a table during junior and senior lunches and have the juniors and seniors sign colorful strips of paper that say, “I Will Do My Part to Keep Our Future Safe by Buckling Up and Driving Alcohol and Drug Free on Prom Night.” Glue or tape each signed pledge into a loop and tape the pledges together into a chain. The chain can be displayed in the junior/senior hall or in the main hall of the school along with a banner that states the pledge. It can also be moved to the prom location for prom night. The same idea can be used for seniors at graduation.

Skeleton Display –

Borrow a skeleton from the science department or purchase one through an educational catalog. Dress the skeleton in a prom dress or tux for prom season, cap and gown for graduation, or current fashion for other celebrations. Display the skeleton in the lobby of the school with a sign that has an appropriate message for your event, such as “Not the Look You Want for Prom? Please Buckle Up and Don’t Drink and Drive.”

C U Alive - Texting Safety Tree -

Set up a table in the cafeteria during school lunches and encourage students to sign up to receive a text message on Fridays and Saturdays or on prom/graduation night reminding them to buckle up and drive alcohol and drug free. The registration forms should include the student’s name, grade, cell phone number, and a signature line. Have your club come up with fun safety messages to text to participating students and divide up responsibility for sending the messages. E-mail Safety Messages – Follow the instructions for the Texting Safety Tree above except get the students email addresses and send email messages instead.

The Face of Traffic Safety –

Set up a Facebook account just to promote your National Youth Traffic Safety Month efforts. Create some videos that promote traffic safety and upload them for everyone to see. Make sure to include a pledge wall on your Facebook and give teens some links to great resources they can use. Don’t forget to include the YOVASO website as one of the resources! 

DUI Goggles –

Check with your school resource officer to see if he/she has access to DUI goggles through the police department or contact the YOVASO Office. Simple games can be set up during lunch period, such as walking a line wearing the goggles or touching the finger to the nose. The club could also talk with the principal about organizing a fun sports game at the end of the school day where the goggles are worn by opposing teams. A “tricycle basketball game” where students vs faculty ride tricycles wearing the goggles and try to make a basket was successfully done by Giles High School. Similar games using soft, foam balls, such as Dodge Ball, Kick Ball, Tennis, Ping Pong would also work. The games could also be set up during half-time of a home sports game, such as baseball, soccer, basketball, football, etc.

Catch Those Z’s –

Sponsor an exciting poster contest on the topic of preventing drowsy driving. Include some statistics, have a catchy slogan or tile, use graphics, be creative! To promote the contest, cut out large Z’s out of construction paper, and write the details of your project on them. Pass out the Z’s at lunch or in the school parking lot before or after school. 

White Out Day –

Organize a white out day at the school where all students and faculty are encouraged to wear white t-shirts to show their support of driving alcohol and drug free. Students could be encouraged to purchase inexpensive white t-shirts and write an anti-drinking and driving message on the shirt for white out day. The event should be publicized with posters and announcements for several days and flyers with facts and information about impaired driving should be distributed to students. This would be a good event to request media coverage if a large percentage of the students agree to wear white.

Hall of Shame –

Ask teachers in the art department to have students design posters based on the tragedy of drinking and driving. Posters may include the tragic facts, newspaper clippings about DUI fatalities, poems, etc. Display these posters along the hallways and have students vote on them. Winning categories could include: Most Creative, Best Message, Best Impact, etc. A large banner in the hallway could say: “Hall of Shame.” Work with local businesses to get donations for prizes.

Only Dummies Drive Drunk –

Hand out “Dum Dum” lollipops at school imprinted with the message: “Only Dummies Drive Drunk.” Messages can be typed on the computer and run off on mailing labels. Have students dress up in the Vince and Larry Crash Dummy Costumes (if available) to distribute the candy.