The Vanier Students Against Distracted Driving (SADD) program hosted an event recently, featuring the SGI Roll-Over Simulator, drunk goggles Mario Kart, trivia on the dangers of impaired driving, and many activities to educate the students on the implications of impaired driving.
The SADD Program, a group of seventeen students and their Adult Advisor Sharol Murdock, spread awareness of the potential risks of driving while impaired. They believe that if they can stop even one person from driving while impaired then they have accomplished their goal.
This assembly was held to educate teen drivers of Vanier and the broader community on the dangers of driving impaired. The knowledge is especially relevant now as students will be leaving on summer vacation shortly.
The SADD Program also partnered with the Traffic Community Outreach Team, which is a group of SGI Summer students that work together to spread awareness of the dangers of driving. One of the things that the Traffic Community Outreach Team does is instruct the students about the “Big Four” which are:
• Driving impaired
• Driving distracted
• Occupant restraint
• Driving while speeding
The most popular event at this assembly was the SGI Rollover Simulator. The Roll-over simulator, a truck cab rigged up to a machine that rotates it, simulates an accident rollover.
In the simulation, there were three dummies inside - two had seatbelts on and the other didn’t. As the vehicle rotated, the dummy with no seatbelt flew out of the vehicle, cracking onto the ground. The students received a thought-provoking lesson on the potential risks associated with distracted driving.
While the rollover simulator was being highlighted outside, inside the students were taking part in various activities, including the most popular drunk goggles Mario Kart. Four students placed drunk goggles on their heads and attempted to play Mario Kart.
"For us, it's really just important for us to get the word out there, to make sure the students are making smart decisions wherever they go and to have them interact with these kinds of things on a fun level. It is not sitting down and watching videos, it is not sitting down and listening to someone speak, it is really interacting with it in a fun way," said Avery Seman, the chairperson of the Vanier SADD Program.
Additionally, the province-wide Red Ribbon Campaign spreads awareness about distracted driving, as the red ribbons aid are a visual reminder to make responsible choices.
If you wish to learn more about the dangers of driving impaired, then visit the SADD Saskatchewan website at: http://www.saddsask.ca/
