Staying Safe ON and Off the Roads on Prom Night

By Charlie Glazier

Imagine dancing the night away with your best friends and then it is time to leave. As you drive back to the after party, an ambulance rushes past you. You turn the corner and see your friend’s vehicle flipped upside down and destroyed. The bright red and blue lights blind you as you slow 

down to look. You knew your friend had been consuming alcohol, but had still gotten behind the wheel. They died the next day in the hospital because of the decision to drive intoxicated, on what was supposed to be one of the best nights of their high school career. A night of celebration has now turned to a tragedy for the school and community.

According to the Teen Alcohol statistics teenage drunk driving kills eight teens every day. Along with this, 40% of alcohol-related fatal car crashes involve teens and 60% of all teen deaths in car accidents are alcohol related. Prom is one of the most high risk nights for teen drivers due to the prevalence of alcohol and drug usage. Prom at Glenelg High School is being held at the Renaissance Hotel in Baltimore on April 28, 2018. Staying safe and off the roads is important to the well being of the students leaving and coming from the dance and other events.

Students come together on this night to dance and celebrate a night to remember with friends.  But due to peer pressure and bad influences many students indulge in drinking or drugs. A recent study by Edgar and Snyder Associates proved that 54% of students consumer four or more drinks on prom night. When asking Olivia Browne, an eleventh grade student at Glenelg High School, she says that “My prom group this year got a bus for all the students in our group to ride on to make sure everyone gets there and returns safely.” While the school does not condone underage drinking, students still participate in the act regardless. Staying safe and off the roads will eliminate the threat of you getting behind the wheel or driving with someone intoxicated.

Prom season is in full swing. Christine Daniel, an eleventh grade student at Glenelg High School, says “I am so excited for prom and experiencing it with my friends. I plan to do so safely by not driving or consuming alcohol.” The consequences of consuming alcohol or drugs needs to be carefully weighed for the students attending. Students can still have a fun-filled night without alcohol or drugs.
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Guaranteeing everyone gets to walk across the stage at graduation can be done by keeping not only yourself, but your peers safe on prom night. Students making poor decisions can lead to fatal actions and devastating effects. Make sure you have a safe mode of transportation and do not give in to peer pressure. Making good choices and staying safe is the key to having a fun night. The last thing any school or community wants to endure, is the loss of a student due to impaired driving on prom night.