LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WBEN) - Students at Lackawanna High School on Wednesday showed up on Wednesday to the sight of a wrecked car with the phrase "Don't Text & Drive :)" plastered on each side.
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn this morning will be speaking this morning with students at Lackawanna High School about the dangers of drinking and driving plus distracted driving. pic.twitter.com/GyjvGs19Dx
— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930)
June 5, 2019 That car was the first sign that showed the dangers of drinking and driving. We are in the midst of what AAA of WNY coined the "100 Deadliest Days", the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day where fatal teen crashes rise 17 percent, and the students at Lackawanna High School witnessed presentations from Erie County District Attorney John Flynn. The district attorney highlighted the dangers of drinking while behind the wheel and discussed subjects like prosecuting crimes and how a usual interaction occurs between someone who is drunk and a police officer.
"I think if you inform the students of the consequences of drinking and driving and driving while impaired by drugs, I'm just as concerned about kids smoking marijuana and then driving," Flynn told WBEN on Wednesday morning. "If marijuana legislation passes, we are going to see it more. That's my message to the kids here...Don't get behind the wheel or in the car with friends if they've been drinking or smoking marijuana."
Erie County DA John Flynn speaks with underclassmen at Lackawanna HS about the dangers of drinking and driving. Mercy Flight personnel also hold a demonstration for seniors. pic.twitter.com/h00J4Kqv9E
— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930)
June 5, 2019 Flynn said that attitudes about impaired driving have changed throughout the years and that ridesharing has altered the landscape. Last year, there were 2,400 DWI arrests in Erie County, a decrease from the previous year. Since ridesharing came to New York State, Erie County STOP-DWI reported a 13 percent decrease in the number of arrests.
Nationally, there's a push to lower the DWI limit from .08 BAC to .05. Flynn believes lowering the limit will eliminate anybody from having a drink at dinner and effect the entertainment industry. However, he doesn't believe it will solve the problems of DWI in society.
Seniors at Lackawanna also witnessed a Mercy Flight helicopter landing on the football field. Pilot Haji Shareef and paramedic Michael Gugliuzza spoke with the students, too.
Students at Lackawanna HS get to see a @mercyflightwny helicopter land. pic.twitter.com/g3c1UpjolB
— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930)
June 5, 2019 "We end up seeing a lot of people who had completely avoidable incidents, largely because people are trying to do stuff they've never done in the past," Shareef said. "Beyond drinking and driving, you also have kids driving at 2 in the morning or 3 in the morning. Whether they were drinking or not, they're trying to drive at times they've never driven before. They've got way more people in the car. They're excited and jumping around and then stupid things happen simply because they're too distracted."
Mercy Flight answered questions from students and showed them the equipment in the helicopter.
"There's a lot of unnecessary accidents that can be avoided if everybody just kinda thinks a little bit about what they're doing," Gugliuzza said. "They will avoid having to see us."
DWI education continues locally on Friday when AAA hosts an impaired driving summit on Friday at Salvatore's Italian Gardens. The free event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
