Bainbridge High School holds “Drive Smart, Stay Safe” event ahead of prom
Published 9:47 am Wednesday, March 26, 2025
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Thursday morning, Bainbridge High School (BHS) seniors and juniors participated in an impactful event designed to save lives and raise awareness about the importance of safe driving. Tonya Welch, Family and Consumer Science Teacher at BHS, emphasized that the school’s top priority is the safety and well-being of its students. With prom approaching last Saturday, faculty and staff took proactive steps to remind students that the choices they make behind the wheel can have lasting consequences. This led to the launch of a powerful initiative, “Bearcat Drive Smart, Stay Safe: Make Every Mile a Memory, Not a Mistake.”
The program was developed to address the devastating effects of impaired and distracted driving that have impacted families and communities, including right here in Bainbridge. Welch explained, “These tragedies don’t just affect those behind the wheel—they ripple through families, friendships, and entire communities.” Rather than simply telling students about the dangers, the initiative aimed to show them firsthand the consequences of unsafe choices, all within a controlled environment.Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Department, Georgia State Patrol, the Lutzie 43 Foundation, Rathel’s Auto Parts, Collision & Salvage, and Rathel’s Towing, students were able to engage in eye-opening, interactive experiences, including:
•Navigating a golf cart course while wearing “drunk goggles” to simulate impairment
•Performing field sobriety tests to understand how impairment affects coordination and judgment
•Observing the wreckage of a real vehicle involved in a crash, a sobering reminder of the consequences of unsafe driving
•Taking the Pledge to Keep Our Drive Alive, committing to safe driving habits
• Hearing the emotional story of Phillip Lutzenkirchen’s legacy from the Lutzie 43 Foundation.
While prom night was a central focus of the initiative, Welch emphasized that the message extended far beyond one evening. “This isn’t just about prom—it’s about every single day,” she said. “Whether our students are heading to school, work, a friend’s house, or a weekend event, every time they get behind the wheel, they are making a choice—the choice to drive responsibly, put their phone down, never drive impaired, and look out for their friends.”
The goal of the initiative was clear: to ensure students have an unforgettable prom night filled with joy, laughter, and lasting memories, while also emphasizing the importance of making it home safely. By empowering students to make responsible choices, the school hopes to inspire change not just within Bainbridge High School, but also across other schools and communities.
“We appreciate the media’s role in helping us spread this life-saving message,” Welch added. “By sharing what we are doing today, we hope other schools and communities might be inspired to take similar action. Together, we can make our roads safer and ensure every mile our students travel is filled with memories—not mistakes.”
