Members of the Waitaki Students Against Driving Drunk (Sadd) group applied chalk outlines representing fatal accidents to pavements in the town as part of Sadd Week, which runs from August 13 to 19.
Waitaki District Council road safety co-ordinator Elton Crane said the pupils were up at 7am on Monday to draw the outlines, highlighting the sobering statistics of fatal accidents involving alcohol and young people.
Alcohol had been a factor in 101 fatal crashes involving 15- to 19-year-olds, in the past five years, he said.
A fake accident scene, complete with police emergency tape, would be displayed on Thames St all week to further push home the anti-drink driving message.
"It is really just a reminder. It will be here all week and the students will be talking in assembly all week to give the message that it is just really socially unacceptable to drink and drive."
Mr Crane added that with between 30 and 40 pupils from Waitaki Boys' High School, Waitaki Girls' High School and St Kevin's College, the Waitaki Sadd group was "one of the stronger groups" in the South Island.
Oamaru Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Steve Couper welcomed the initiative, and said the Fire Service came across the real thing "more often than we would like".
