Palm Desert High School will host “Every 15 Minutes” awareness event

Students will get a graphic and up-close look at the effects of drinking and driving today, when fire, health care and law enforcement officials host an “Every 15 Minutes” presentation on the campus of Palm Desert High School.

The program aims to call attention to the fact that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, who account for nearly 13 percent of all fatal crashes in the U.S., sheriff’s Sgt. Armando Munoz said.

At the time the program was created in the 1990s, it was estimated that someone was killed or injured in an alcohol-related crash every 15 minutes. In the decades since, that figure has fallen to one person every 53 minutes, organizers said.

The two-day program locally will feature a life-like demonstration of a
crash scene.

Organizers are also seeking sponsors to provide money and material items to help offset the cost of Every 15 Minute events. Donations can be sent to Palm Desert Police E-15 Minutes program, 73705 Gerald Ford Drive, Palm Desert, CA, 92211.

Checks should be made payable to Palm Desert High School Foundation and contain “E-15 Minutes Program” in the subject line.