Arrive Alive Tour focus on driving safety for teens

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As part of their commitment to the safety and well-being of students, White County High School hosted the Arrive Alive Tour, on Aug 17 and 18, so that students could participate in simulated driving experiences to increase their safety awareness while behind the wheel.

“The in-car simulator gives students a firsthand experience on how drugs and alcohol hinder their ability to control an automobile,” WCHS principal Greg Wilson said.

Wilson extended his gratitude to both the Arrive Alive Tour and UNITE, a self-proclaimed “tech company with a social responsibility,” for providing the experience at no cost for White County’s high school students.

“The simulator also showed students how quickly their control of a vehicle changes while texting [behind] the wheel,” Wilson said.

UNITE’s Arrive Alive Tour, which is the nation’s leading health and wellness organization for youth, uses a high-tech simulator, impact video, and several other resources to educate students about the dangers of texting while driving and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

White County students were given the opportunity to sit in an actual vehicle, which had been disabled, and wear a virtual reality headset with sensors connected to both the gas and brake pedals as well as the steering wheel. The simulator allows students to experience distracted driving or driving while impaired in a controlled setting so that they are faced with some very real consequences and are, hopefully, able to make positive choices when faced with decisions about driving in the future.

“Several of our students were able to participate in this activity, and if it helps just one student think before texting behind the wheel or driving while impaired, the goal has been accomplished,” Wilson said about the event that took place in the parking lot at White County High School. “We love our students and want each of them to make educated decisions while operating or deciding to get behind the wheel.”

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