The Clare-Gladwin Career Center’s Criminal Justice students
recently joined UNITE – a national company that works to prevent unsafe driving
behaviors – in educating their classmates, Mid Michigan Community College
(MMCC) students, and community members about the potential consequences of
drunk and distracted driving through the Arrive Alive Tour.
The program used a number of resources to heighten awareness
of the dangers of drunk driving and texting while driving, including a
high-tech simulator that allowed participants to sit in the “driver’s seat” and
experience the outcomes of distracted and impaired driving in a controlled
environment. A Passenger-Eye-View monitor gave those standing near the
simulator the chance to see what the driver was experiencing. Each participant
also received a mock ticket that explained the ramifications of their simulator
experience. “Most students
thought that they would be able to whip right through the simulator course,”
said DJ Newman, Criminal Justice instructor. “However, most of them failed
within seconds.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, drivers younger than 20 years old have the highest proportion
of distraction-related fatal crashes.
Additionally, the Criminal Justice students spent time in
classrooms of their peers to further enforce the dangers of these illegal
driving behaviors by sharing statistics and facts, and conducting mock sobriety
tests. During the tests, the other students wore goggles that replicated how
their vision would be impacted if impaired.
Approximately 300 people participated in the day’s activities.
The Arrive Alive Tour event was made possible by the
Clare-Gladwin Career Center, MMCC, MidMichigan Health, the Clare County
Sheriff's Department, the Clare County Prosecutor's Office, and the Clare City
Police Department.
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