The Robert-Fournier arena was truly transformed into an accident scene for one afternoon. Approximately 250 students watched intently as a simulated car accident caused by drunk driving.
Firefighters, paramedics and police officers were on site to reproduce the actions they take when these situations actually occur. Smoke, extrication pliers, stretchers and a defibrillator were there.
“We really act as if we had an accident. […] I think it will shock people even more that it’s me. My friends, my colleagues, they will all see me. They will realize that it can happen to anyone at any time. We must not take chances,” stressed the actress and secondary 5 student, Amélie Plouffe, a few minutes before the start of the simulation.
(Journalist: Lilia Gaulin | Videographer: Maxime Picard | Production and editing: Mòrag Bélisle)
To begin the activity, a video was shown showing students celebrating and consuming alcohol. It then gave way to the simulation of the accident and the intervention of the emergency services.
This activity is an initiative of the school’s addiction and drug prevention committee. “The ball is coming. There will also be festivals. “It’s a more favorable time for drinking and driving, unfortunately,” underlines Sylvain Landry, psychoeducator at Polyvalente Louis-Saint-Laurent and member of the addiction and drug addiction prevention committee.
This is a first in five years for East Angus High School. Before the pandemic, similar activities were already carried out.
Mr. Landry hopes that the simulation activity will empower young people and encourage them to influence themselves positively. He believes that a message by and for young people can have positive impacts.
He also invites them to make responsible choices. “There are other options [que la conduite en état d’ébriété]. […] We want to raise awareness, an impact technique. We are really recreating a car accident. There are deaths, injuries and an arrest.”
A simulation of an accident caused by drunk driving for students at the Louis-Saint-Laurent high school (Maxime Picard/La Tribune)
Throughout the simulation, students carefully watched the scene unfolding in front of them. Silence reigned in the stands of the Robert-Fournier arena.
Jackob Ménard, a fifth-grade secondary school student, was touched by the simulation. “I had hairs on end the whole time. […] I even came close to crying. These are all my friends that I know. I didn’t expect that,” he said in the first minutes following the end of the simulation.
The one who obtained his driving license about a month ago is “even more aware” of the cause of drunk driving following the simulation.
Raise awareness among as many people as possible
Dany Robitaille, director of the Intermunicipal Fire Authority of the East Angus region, believes that this simulation is timely, a few weeks before the end of classes. He hopes that as many students as possible will be made aware of it in the coming years.
“Whether it’s young or old, we don’t want an accident. We do the work we have to do. Our pet peeve is coming on to someone we know. […] The best of all worlds is that we don’t have any work and don’t need these pliers [de désincarcération]“, he explains.
“This type of activity can only be beneficial. If only if in the auditorium we saved an accident.”
— Dany Robitaille
Student Support
A period of information and discussions also took place at the end of the day on Wednesday. Mr. Landry says support was made available to students.
At the end of the video, responsible choice was presented to the students as the actors left on foot towards their destination instead of driving.
(Maxime Picard/La Tribune)
