Calhoun Hosts 'Arrive Alive' Tour

Submitted by Bellmore-Merrick School District

Sanford H. Calhoun High School in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District was the site of an interactive and powerful program designed to discourage kids from making poor decisions behind the wheel.

Entitled “Arrive Alive,” the traveling awareness tour is run by UNITE, a health and wellness nonprofit organization aimed at encouraging safety and healthy choices. The organization was brought onto Calhoun’s campus thanks to BMCHSD’s Community Parent Center, which runs similar programs in the district throughout the year.

The Arrive Alive Tour features simulated and interactive exercises that encourage students to realize the dangers involved when driving either impaired or distracted.

During the all-day event held on Oct. 6, students got behind the wheel of an SUV, put on special simulated glasses, and were asked to try and navigate a computer-generated road course. The goggles recreated the experience of driving while drunk at different levels of Blood Alcohol Content. It also simulated unpredictable traffic conditions while students texted or checked in on social media platforms.

In addition to the vehicle simulator, students also rode the “Seatbelt Convincer,” a vehicle’s seat complete with a seatbelt that students wore before sliding down an incline at 5-7 mph. The seat stops abruptly at the collision point, illustrating to students how violent the impact from a five-mile-per-hour collision can be.

Students were also asked to wear goggles that recreate visual impairment from alcohol and do a number of simple activities, such as pedaling a go-kart between cones, stacking cups and walking a straight line marked on the sidewalk.

“The year teens get their driver’s license are among the most exciting, and dangerous, years of their life,” said Wendy Tepfer, director of the Community Parent Center.

“Underage drinking, other drug use, reckless driving and irresponsible decision making have ruined too many futures and ended too many lives. If we can get the teens to understand the risks that they face, then we can help them beat the odds of becoming a statistic and keep them safe.”

The Arrive Alive Tour is also carried out with the help of New York State Troopers. The students were sent outside to participate during health class.

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