One in three alcohol-related teen traffic fatalities happen during the Prom season. MPB's Kobee Vance reports that two Mississippi agencies have teamed up to reduce those accidents in the state.
In 2018, Mississippi had the highest fatality rate from car crashes in the nation according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Mississippi Department of Highway Patrol and the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services have created the PROM program, asking teens to Please Return on Monday.
Anita Naik is with the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services. She wants to help teens understand the lasting impacts of traffic accidents.
"And our message is for high school juniors and seniors especially. We want them to have fun at prom, we want them to have the best time, but making sure they understand that the choices they make could impact their future."
Colonel Chris Gillard, Director of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, says parents should talk with their teens about the dangers of driving impaired.
"If you do get in a bad situation, don't be afraid to call. Yeah, we can deal with that on the other end, but make sure you call your mom, your dad, or call us for help."
Antonio Wright was a linebacker at Jackson State University when a tire popped on his car. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt, and now, Wright is a paraplegic. He speaks at PROM events in schools to show how every decision-- can make a huge impact in life.
"I didn't drink that day, I had allowed to let someone else to drive my own vehicle that day. You would have thought that I was in a great, safe position, but I still made a bad choice. So what my encouraging word to young people is, look very closely at your choices, because every choice adds up."
The PROM initiative reached over 10,000 Mississippi students last year, and this year they're expanding their reach with a 30-minute video schools can show to their students.
