Drinking And Driving In The Book Whirligig

There is a one simple fact that is completely and utterly inarguable: teen drinking and driving is still happening. However, it is commonly argued that this is no longer much of a problem our youth faces. If all teens ceased to drive while intoxicated, I would have to agree that there is no problem. Until that day comes, society is still facing a major issue. There are real and true stories about this issue, and even the main character, Brent, experiences drinking and driving in the book Whirligig. My research illustrates real accidents, similar to the one Brent went through, that teens in our society have experienced. Teen drinking and driving is very much still a problem our youth faces, and until teens learn the dangers and hear the unfortunate stories of teens in drunk driving accidents, the problem cannot be solved.

The story involves a young woman named Kristina Lowe. She was reportedly, “drinking at a nearby home and was sending a text message while driving” (Rhoades 2012). Lowe was driving while Rebecca Mason and Logan Dam were her back seat passengers. They both, tragically, died when Lowe’s distracted driving put them off of the road, head first into a stand of trees. Another passenger, Jacob Skaff was injured in this crash. Chief Stacy Carter believes that drinking parties are a “rite of passage for young people” (Rhoades 2012). She, along with emergency responders teamed up to try and stop teens from drinking and driving. The program, “Every 15 Minutes” puts parents and teens in real life scenarios of their children or friend’s deaths. They plan for and attend funerals, write obituaries, and go through emotional trauma like a real accident has