Passing the text at Hewlett High School

Hewlett High School senior Rachel Vcherashansty, a licensed driver for two years, tried to text and drive at a simulator set up by the Save a Life Tour representatives who visited the school last Thursday.

“I didn’t concentrate and control the wheel, and I couldn’t read the text,” said Vcherashansty, who said that she doesn’t text and drive, and has her friends respond for her, when she is control of her vehicle.

And that was the point of the all-day program, which included an assembly, filling out surveys and viewing videos that showed motor vehicle accidents and family members speaking about the impact of those accidents on them and their loved ones.

“Ideally, we do this around prom season,” said Save A Life Tour representative Clay Martin. “Everyone knows; it’s a reminder why it’s so important. It’s really about making the right decision and starting a good habit.”

The Save A Life Tour allows participants to learn about the devastating effects of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and distracted driving using an interactive simulation. The program addresses the result of poor choices and frequent fatal consequences of impaired or distracted driving.

More than eight people are killed and 1,161 injured in vehicular crashes each day that involved a distracted driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Distracted driving is defined as driving while doing something that decreases your focus on driving.

“Being involved with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), I understand the importance safe driving for myself and my peers,” said senior Lindsey Reiter, a SADD co-president at Hewlett High. “The two simulators and talking about it drives it home that everyone should learn about safe driving and it is something they should do every day.”

In the U.S., 28 people die daily in motor vehicle accidents that involve an alcohol-impaired driver, according to the CDC. That is one death every 53 minutes. The annual cost of such incidents is more than $44 billion.

“I learned that driving while distracted even for a few seconds makes all the difference in saving someone’s life,” said Jamie Gordon, another Hewlett senior and SADD co-president.

To learn more about the Save A Life Tour, go to savealifetour.com.