Each weekend in the United States something horrible happens. A teenager driver will make a choice to drive drunk. The fact that studies already show teenager drivers are weaker drivers makes this statistic even more scary. Although no one should drive drunk, it must be emphasized that teenagers must avoid this choice because of their already limited driving skills. School districts throughout the country work with local emergency crews, police and fire departments to present information to preteens and teenagers about drunk driving. These efforts will hopefully help reduce the number of teenagers killed in drunk driving accidents.

It is important for youngsters to see the consequences of bad choices. The deaths in a drunk driving accident involving a teenager affect not only the people in the vehicles but the entire community. It is good to see some of the professionals involved with Coal City healthcare helping to educate the young people of their community. As in past years these professionals will be volunteering their time to help with Road to Reality, a program designed to help people clearly see the consequences of drunk driving.

The ultimate goal of this program is to keep people safe and out of what is the Coal City hospital (Morris Hospital in Morris, Illinois). This done by taking a group of people through the choices a person makes as a youngster who experiments with underage drinking all the way to his or hers ultimate time in an emergency room and courthouse. The event is specifically aimed at fifth through twelfth graders, but as this article alludes anyone fifth grade and above is welcome.

This writer thanks the people in Coal City Illinois healthcare for keeping us safe and volunteering for this excellent program. The main group sponsoring Road to Reality is the Community Cares Initiative.