Area students are learning about the dangers of drinking and driving first hand. More than 3,000 juniors and seniors got a lesson today but it wasn't in the classroom. It was at the Civic Center. And it wasn't about math or science. It was about a choice that could change their lives forever. It started out dramatic. But that's what was needed to get students attention and get them to think about what they were seeing.

"Oh, my goodness, this made a big impact on me because I'm a licensed driver and I'm out there everyday driving," says Mischa Lewis.

It began with a re-enactment of a DUI accident. From there, students saw the chain of events that would happen if a fatal accident had really occurred. The simulation was so real; it made some students think about their own decisions.

"Ya know, hold on, you need to look back and see what you're doing, you have your whole life ahead of you, I'm 17, just like the girl in the re-enactment and I kind of saw myself in it," says Mischa Lewis.

That's exactly the idea. School officials and public safety officers want students to see this demonstration and relate to it. They want students to realize that this could happen to them if they decide to drink and drive. But in case the demonstration isn't enough, students heard from a Georgia state prisoner who is serving time because he drove drunk and killed someone.

"But then on April 11, 2000, I made a choice that night I'm going to regret for the rest of my life," says Chris Sandy. Sandy is currently serving time in a prison near Macon, Georgia. The hope is that these students will not make the same decision he did.

"We want you to be safe, we want you to be alive, we want you to be around," says BJ McBride, Director of Guidance Services.

This is the 8th year of the re-enactment and the two victims in the car are played by students. Both of the actors saw the demonstration when they were juniors in high school and wanted to get involved in the program to educate their peers. So far this year in Muscogee County, there have been 14 traffic fatalities; one of those involved a teenager who was under the influence. The Columbus Police Department says last year there were 26 fatalities and 12 of those involved alcohol or drugs.