Every year more than 17,000 people in America are killed in drunk-driving collisions. The problem begins early with one in three high school students admitting to bingedrinking. To reach kids before it’s too late, Santa Clara has become the nation’s first county to hold drunk driving trials in public high schools. It’s “Scared Straight” meets high school civics. The message is clear: if you’re going to drink, don’t drive. If you do, next time it might be you facing the judge.
Correspondent Craig Miller reports.
Update November 17, 2006
On August 8th, 2006, the DUI Courts in the Schools program was expanded to high schools across the State. Schools have the option of bringing the whole trial in front of the student body or just the sentencing. Other counties that have participated are Sacramento and San Joaquin.
The program in Santa Clara continues to flourish and has expanded to all Santa Clara County high schools. To date, 16 schools in the county have conducted DUI trials. In October 2005, a DUI trial was held at San Jose State University.
- “DUI Courts In The Schools,” Ca. Office of Traffic Safety
- Arrest for Driving Under the Influence, Ca. Dept. of Motor Vehicles
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving