Emily Telesco, Features Editor
Photos by Sebastian Gonzalez
Through the week of April 21-25, the NCHS community participated in a multitude of activities aimed to promote safety on the roads as a part of the annual Safe Driving Week. With the assistance of community members, the New Canaan Fire Department, EMS, the student body, Town High Department and the School District, NCHS students and staff immersed themselves in five days of engaging Safe Driving week activities. Each day had a different theme targeting the riskiest teen driving behaviors; passengers, alcohol and drugs, curfew, texting, electronic devices and speeding.
School Resource Officer Shane Gibson assisted with the coordination and planning of this event. “Safe Driving Week is important because it helps promote safe driving habits, which in turn can help reduce accidents and help save lives,” he said.
The week was packed full of a range of activities. Every day in the cafeteria, students were reminded of important safe driving habits with specific phrases to repeat in exchange for a treat provided by NCHS parents. For example, I DONUT text and drive. Junior Evie Morales felt that the week was very engaging. “I really liked all of the activities happening throughout the school, because I feel as though they really involved the students,” she said.
One activity that always stands out to students is the “drunk” goggles field sobriety test, which NCPD officers conducted on Wednesday in order to raise awareness about impaired driving. “It really brought the scary vision of driving under the influence to life,” Evie said.
Representatives from New Canaan CARES were also there to educate students on the dangers of driving under the influence of cannabis. On Thursday, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute came with a full-sized semi-truck to teach students about challenges of sharing the road with large vehicles.
Of course, distracted driving doesn’t just impact the individual in the car, it impacts everyone around them. “One thing I wish every teen driver would keep in mind every time they get behind the wheel is that the choices they make don’t just affect themselves,” Officer Gibson said.
On Thursday, students in grades 10-12 also had the opportunity to hear from Chris Sandy, a safe driving advocate and motivational speaker whose experience with drunk driving more than 20 years ago resulted in the death of two innocent people. His powerful story emphasized the consequences that come with distracted driving, and served as a caution for students to be more careful for the sake of those they share the road with.
On Friday, with the help of New Canaan EMS and the Fire Department, students were able to watch a car crash simulation in the front of the school. Evie was one of five student actors in the “crash.” “Ever since watching the seniors doing it as a freshman, I knew that I wanted to be involved,” she said. “It was incredibly impactful to watch as a freshman and then be a part of it as a junior two years later.”
The importance of safe driving resonates greatly with students. “My largest priority while driving is to pay attention to my surroundings. Some scenarios require different precautions than others, so it is important to be aware of the changes you may need to make,” Evie said.
In the end, the most important thing is that students are able to learn and apply the information they learned over the week in order to be safe on the roads. “I hope each student learns the importance of safe driving and that their choices behind the wheel could have serious consequences for everyone who is on the road,” Officer Gibson said.
