Students at Universal Technical Institute Learn the Dangers of Impaired Driving During "Cruising Smart" Event

On Tuesday, August 26th and Wednesday, August 27th, students and staff at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) – the leading provider of automotive, diesel, motorcycle and marine technician training – learned the dangers of driving under the influence during a “Cruising Smart” event at the Exton campus. The two-day event fell during National Traffic Awareness Month and coincided with the timing of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, from August 15 – September 1.

UTI-Exton partnered with Bryn Mawr Rehab, Chester County Highway Safety Project, Rehab After Work and the Upper Uwchlan Township Police Department to build a program around raising awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and to encourage students and staff to make smart decisions behind the wheel.

Students heard from a number of presenters, including a state trooper and a survivor of a motor vehicle accident who shared his first-hand account from the incident that in a single moment managed to change his life forever. The speaker also described what he referred to as the “ripple effect.” That is, how easily one poor decision can impact the lives of so many.

“Beyond raising awareness to the dangers of drunk driving, Cruising Smart demonstrates our campus’ commitment to safety – not only that of our students, but the safety of our neighbors in the community as well,” said Bob Kessler, campus president at UTI-Exton. “As roadway safety advocates, we hope to empower individuals to make informed decisions behind the wheel in order to prevent accidents and help to build healthier communities and better quality of life. We’re proud to partner with local safety organizations to encourage responsible driving. Together we can make a marked difference to save more lives.”

A mock crash vehicle was also on-site throughout the week to serve as an impactful reminder of what could happen as a result of one bad decision. Students and staff were given flags on which they wrote inspirational and memorializing messages before placing them on and around the wrecked car.

As a last-minute addition to the presentation, the Education Manager at UTI-Exton came up in front of his colleagues and students and for the first time shared his tragic tie to an impaired driving incident. He felt that he owed it to his students to emphasize how important it is to think before you act and if you have to second-guess whether it’s ok to get behind the wheel, more often than not the answer is probably no.

“We know how impactful it can be for students to hear directly from their class mates and instructors, some of whom have personally been involved in these types of accidents, and we wanted to make sure their voices were heard as well,” said Bob Kessler, campus president at UTI-Exton. “This peer-to-peer approach to educating students about the dangers of driving under the influence resonates well with them and helps to drive home the message, ‘it could happen to me.’”

According to NHTSA, every 90 seconds someone is injured in a drunk driving accident in the United States, and every day 27 people die from alcohol-related accidents. For teens the statistics are even more startling. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers, and one in three traffic fatalities among teens in America is alcohol-related.

The educational program aimed to emphasize the importance of making responsible decisions behind the wheel and offer safety strategies to help students say “no” when faced with dangerous situations. Even once students returned to their classrooms, many classes spent additional time sharing their personal stories and sentiments about the topic of driving under the influence.

For more information on Universal Technical Institute, visit www.uti.edu.