A simulated ATV accident in Barrhead, AB teaches students about risk

BARRHEAD – Barrhead Const. Karen Vicente has done it far too many times throughout her career – telling a parent or spouse that their loved one has been lost in an accident that, in most cases, could have been easily avoided.

On May 1, as part of their annual RISK Day, Grade 9 students at Barrhead Composite High School (BCHS) participated in a simulated accident scenario in which two teenagers were involved in an all-terrain vehicle (OHV) accident involving a Fatality died and life was seriously changed. Life of another.

RISK stands for “Reducing Injury with Student Knowledge.”

In the scenario, the two teenagers, both disabled, were riding a quad bike when it overturned, throwing both people far away from the machine.

EMS pronounced one of the teens, the passenger, who was not wearing a helmet, dead at the scene; the other was taken to hospital by ambulance with serious and potentially life-threatening injuries.

“This is the hardest part of my job,” she said, fighting to hold back tears. “Today you saw a fake accident, but I saw actual collisions and accidents. I’ve been in the job for 13 years and have tons of it, too many. I can tell you, they’re not very pretty… all of them.” They’re imprinted in my brain and keep me awake at night.

Vicente then emphasized the importance of making good decisions and said in addition to the emotional strain it brings on emergency personnel, the driver in this scenario faces very serious legal difficulties, most likely driving in the restricted condition, which could lead to death.

“This is a charge under the Criminal Code,” she said.

Vicente urged students to make good decisions and not drive a vehicle while impaired or get into a vehicle with someone they suspect is impaired.

“I don’t want to knock on your door and tell your parents that you were seriously injured or died and have another memory that keeps me up at night,” she said.

The school has hosted a variant of the program before the long Victoria Day weekend since 1993, after several years of the school losing several students in alcohol-related car accidents over the May holiday weekend.

The school hosted the event in collaboration with the Barrhead CARES coalition and with help from Barrhead RCMP, Barrhead Regional Fire Services (BRFS), Associated Ambulance and Alberta Health Services (AHS).

In recent years, the scenario has varied from this year’s OHV accident to a motor vehicle collision to a drug overdose, among others. Regardless of the scenario, they all have one thing in common: They could all be easily avoided if participants had made smart decisions.

Amber McGinn, BCHS student services coordinator, said all the scenarios have one thing in common: They are all preventable.

Amber McGinn, BCHS student services coordinator, said in an email interview that in addition to the mock accident scenario, students participated in presentations led by RCMP, BRFS, EMS and AHS, including counselors and individuals for Alberta Addiction and Mental Health Talk about their personal stories and how to deal with peer pressure that can lead to making poor and potentially life-changing decisions.

McGinn added that Grade 9 students typically participate in the school’s annual RISK Day because it is closely linked to their health curriculum.

Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com