Story submitted
In an ongoing effort to develop well-rounded students as well as over-all good citizens, Jefferson-Somerset maintains several programs to develop character among the student body and organizes events like the Arrive Alive program - just one way Jefferson-Somerset goes the extra mile to care for and maintain the safety and well-being of their students. Principal Cory Oliver and the entire Jefferson-Somerset faculty and staff always place the safety of Jefferson County’s children as a high priority.
Sponsored by the Florida Department of Health, UNITE's Arrive Tour brought its Arrive Alive program to Jefferson Somerset K-12, with its high-tech simulator, impact video and a number of other resources to educate teen students (and the public in general) about the dangers of intoxicated driving. In a controlled experiment, the simulator allows the participants to experience the potential consequences of impaired driving.
"We want to empower our students to make wise decisions,” said Andre Gainey Assistant Principal of Jefferson Somerset. “Right now, they're excited about it and they're learning that 'Wow, I didn't know that it took one or two to make me impaired.’”
The students also heard from experts on the Arrive Alive team and learned nearly one-third of all traffic deaths involve alcohol-impaired drivers. In fact, every two minutes, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash. Some students were shocked to learn that on average, two out of three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime. In 2014, the highest percentage of drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes were in the age range of 21 to 24. Every day, people drive drunk more than 300,000 times. However, only about 3,200 of those people are arrested.
In addition to impaired driving, the Arrive Alive team addressed distracted driving – particularly cell phone use. About 89 percent of all Americans have a cell phone, according to CTIA – The Wireless Association, and drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Their lack of driving experience can contribute to critical misjudgments if they become distracted. Not surprisingly, they text more than any other age group, and the number of young drivers who text is only increasing.
Jefferson-Somerset is grateful for the Arrive Alive experts and hopes students will think twice every time they get behind the wheel and encourage their friends and classmates to do the same.
You must be logged in to post a comment.