Thursday, October 1, 2026
The nation’s leading impaired and distracted driving program, Save a Life Tour, teamed up with DEDICATEDD, an organization sharing the same mission, to speak to Valley Stream North High School’s oldest students about the dangers of distracted and drunk driving.
“Kids feel so invincible already, and cars are one of those things where in a blink of an eye, you can end up losing your life or taking someone else’s,” Benjamin Middleton, Save a Life Tour’s manager, said. “It’s all fun and games until something like that happens.”
On Dec. 5, Students Against Destructive Decisions or SADD, a student-run group raising awareness on critical youth issues, revived this annual event. Each 42-minute session ran from 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with dozens of students participating in immersive distracted and drunk driving simulations.
“Students at this age often get peer pressured to drink or they willingly do it,” SADD President Simardeep Kaur said. “It’s very important that they know how it feels without actually doing it. That way, they know their possible outcomes before they consider making that decision.”
During the program, students engaged in interactive activities while wearing drunk driving goggles designed to simulate blurred vision, poor coordination and delayed reactions caused by alcohol.
“It’s about warning kids about the dangers of distracted driving — not just driving under the influence but texting while driving, eating while driving and the impact that it could have,” SADD advisor Joe Moniaci said.
Students also took part in a driving simulation that tested their reaction time, an essential factor that can determine life or death, especially when impairment is involved.
“Generally, having a delayed reaction won’t work out for you while driving,” sophomore David Phillips said. “It seems like such a small thing, but it’s going to turn into a bigger thing.”
The event emphasized drunk driving awareness as students attempted simple tasks such as walking in a straight line between cones or playing with children’s toys while impaired.
“Driving drunk impairs your vision,” senior Jules Dekel said. “It makes you see things that are not in the right spot.”
Distracted driving was highlighted in another simulation where students received messages on a program phone, mimicking a texting-while-driving scenario.
“I learned how hard it is to actually maintain balance and focus while impaired,” senior Jonathan O’Reilly said.
Distracted and drunk driving have become epidemic problems affecting drivers of all ages. Middleton explained that nine out of 10 cars likely have an impaired driver behind the wheel because many people aren’t paying attention — they’re texting, calling, eating, drinking or even doing makeup while driving.
Middleton shared a personal story about the life-changing consequences of impaired driving. At 18, he rolled his first car and was fortunate to escape with only a concussion, a sprained neck, cuts and bruises. Three months later, his friend died in a similar accident.
Marge Lee, President of DEDICATEDD, also spoke from personal experience.
“I survived a head-on crash with the drunk driver,” Lee said. “I was seriously injured along with my two younger children; my eldest was killed. This is why I do what I do.”
The event left a lasting impact on students, who signed the “Save a Life Tour Pledge” as they left, committing to making smart choices behind the wheel by avoiding distracted and drunk driving.
