Over 300 students at Chatelech Secondary in Sechelt spent the morning of May 9 learning about the work of first responders, and hearing a first-hand story of life changed in an instant by a car crash.
The Road Safety Day was organized by Sunshine Coast RCMP and ICBC Road Safety, along with School District No. 46, the Sechelt Fire Department and BC Ambulance Service.
Students had a chance to tour a variety of stations and activities that included trying to walk a straight line while wearing “fatal vision goggles” that mimic the symptoms of impairment, as well as check out RCMP, fire department, and ambulance equipment and talk to first responders about their work.
Chatelech Grade 12 students also heard from ICBC Road Safety speaker Heidi Cave.
In 1998, Cave was in a car hit by a reckless driver going more than 100 km/h. Her injuries left her in a coma for two weeks and her recovery included seven months in the burn unit at Vancouver General Hospital and five months of rehab.
Cave is now a mother, motivational speaker and author.
“We connect with graduating students through personal stories to support young drivers to make safe driving choices. On average, youth are involved in 82 crashes every day in B.C. and injured in about one-third of those crashes,” said ICBC road safety and community coordinator Harvey Kooner.
