Drunk And Distracted Driving Prevention In Jackson County

Posted: Apr 01, 2014 4:28 PM PDT
Updated: Apr 01, 2014 4:28 PM PDT
By Molly Mitchell

WMBB News 13 – The Panhandle’s News Leader

Losing a loved one not only impacts a family but entire communities. In Jackson County, high schools are taking time out of the classroom to give students a life lesson on the importance of driving without distraction. A vehicle can be a deadly weapon and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is teaching young adults to respect the power they have behind the wheel.

Tuesday, Marianna High School students found out if they could handle the situation. A citation is given after students take a spin in the drunk driving

simulator. Using their own cell phones, students also discover the impact of distracted driving. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, a DUI in Florida averages $25,000. That includes court fees, raised insurance, DUI classes, lawyer fees and that doesn’t include the scholarship they may lose.

The Arrive Alive Tour is sponsored by Allstate and Mayo Insurance companies. The tour will visit five county high schools to prevent reckless accidents. According to Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts, having to respond to such preventable accidents is a tough part of the job, “Having arrived at several of them, several with fatalities, your first thought is, how could this have been prevented? Second, how am I going to tell these parents what has happened. That’s probably the toughest thing.”

The Arrive Alive Tour will stop by Malone High School Wednesday.