Westport School To Host Distracted Driving Event

WESTPORT, CT – The Teen Awareness Group (TAG) in collaboration with the Westport Youth Commission and the Westport Police Department will hold its fifth annual Distracted Driving event at Staples High School on Saturday, Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Staples High School Football field.

According to a news release, organizers invite high school students to experience the dangers and impact of driving while impaired or distracted in an effort to encourage safety and healthy decision making. The Distracted Driving event is another opportunity for young people to positively interact with police officers while also raising awareness of the impact of texting or being under the influence while behind the wheel.

Police officers will walk students through a series of challenges designed to encourage kids to be mindful on the road. An obstacle course and other simulations will be available utilizing DARE goggles that reflect the effect of substances on depth perception, coordination and decreased reaction time while impaired.

Students will negotiate the obstacle courses in golf carts that are on loan from the Parks and Recreation Department. Other activity stations, facilitated by officers, include standardized field sobriety tests and other educational games.

The Connecticut State Police will also be on hand with one of their two simulators, the seatbelt convincer or the roll-over machine, which provide a powerful and realistic reminder of what it could be like to be involved in an motor vehicle accident in a safe and controlled environment.

The Department of Human Services’ (DHS) youth programs like TAG and the Westport Youth Commission have a long history of working with the Westport Police Department to educate the community about the consequences of risky behaviors and providing outlets for young people and officers to spend time together in a non-enforcement capacity.

The Teen Awareness Group (TAG) is a student club at Staples High School, which is facilitated by Human Services Student Outreach Counselor Ed Milton. Club members meet weekly to plan and implement programs, which focus on peer education, prevention and community awareness of youth issues.

The Westport Youth Commission, facilitated by Youth Services Director Kevin Godburn, is a town-appointed partnership of students and adults charged with advocating for youth and family issues in Westport.

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