Local teens and adults will have the opportunity to see out of the eyes of a drunk driver Friday at the Dawson County Tigers' home football game.
Community Action and Prevention Alliance, or CAPA, formally known as Dawson Against Substance Abuse, and Forsyth County Schools will be sponsoring a drunk driving and distracted driving education program.
The Arrive Alive Tour, led by health and wellness organization UNITE, will visit Dawson County High School's stadium beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.
The program uses a high-tech simulator, an impact video and a number of other resources to educate students about the dangers of drunk driving and texting while driving.
The simulator will allow students to experience, in a controlled environment, the potential consequences of drunk and distracted driving.
"Following the successful event in the spring, CAPA is partnering with Forsyth County underage drinking initiative to bring back the DUI texting simulator," said CAPA Director Veronica Johnston.
CAPA hosted the last Arrive Alive Tour at the high school in March. More than 100 juniors and seniors participated.
"The simulator will give students the opportunity to experience the harmful consequences of driving under the influence," Johnston said.
"Parents are also encouraged to participate in the texting simulator. [Everyone] will experience firsthand the severity of the dangerous habit."
CAPA seeks to teach youth and adults the seriousness of drinking under the influence and texting while driving.
According to CTIA -The Wireless Association, one of the most common driving distractions is cell phone use. Nearly 89 percent of Americans have a cell phone.
Drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
According to a press release, studies show [teenagers] text more than any other age group and the numbers of young drivers who text is only increasing.
While there is no charge to use the simulator, participants must be 16 years or older to participate.
For more information, call Johnston at (706) 265-1981 or DeGrasse at (888) 436-3394.