Distracted Driving Programs: Arrive Alive Tour Visits Santa Maria High School

The Arrive Alive Tour is all about bringing their drunk driving and distracted driving programs across the country. The latest stop was at Santa Maria High School in California. These students learned the dangers of drinking and texting while driving. Details from the event can be seen below.

Distracted Driving Programs

During the distracted driving program, students are able to experience the dangers of texting and driving. However, it is done in a controlled environment. That environment happens to be a Jeep SUV. Santa Maria Times visited during the event and spoke with one of the members of the Arrive Alive Tour crew, Mallory McKenzie: “Students get to watch and see their classmates go from somewhat good drivers … to swerving off the road or perhaps colliding with another object. There’s a general surprise [from students] that they can’t complete this successfully. There’s a lot of overconfidence when it comes to alcohol consumption and distracted driving. People don’t think these situations are going to happen to them [when] they definitely do.”

The Statistics

According to the Santa Maria Times, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that 25% of drivers between 15 and 20 years old killed in a motor vehicle accident had a blood alcohol content level of .08 at the time of the crash. While some people might think that using a cellphone while driving is not as bad as drinking and driving, that is not the case. A University of Utah study determined that drivers on a cellphone are similarly as impaired as a driver with a BAC level of .08!

Preventable Injuries

For this stop at Santa Maria High School, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital was a sponsor. Jessica Harris, a pediatric injury prevention specialist, is in charge of trying to reduce the number of kids admitted to the hospital’s trauma center. She said, “We want to reduce the number of children we see in motor vehicle accidents due to distracted or impaired driving.” Harris went on to say that impaired or distracted driving is a “great example of a preventable injury.”

The Fines

If the simulator does not scare you from drinking and driving, maybe the penalties will! According to McKenzie, the total cost of a DUI can often exceed $10,000. This includes fines, fees, classes and insurance increases. That is a hefty penalty, especially when you could pay $10 and get an Uber or Lyft home!