The Arrive Alive Tour Visits McKenzie High School, Promoting Safe Driving

McKENZIE (November 14) — The Arrive Alive Tour®, sponsored by the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, visited area schools including McKenzie High School on November 14 to deliver an immersive experience aimed at preventing impaired and distracted driving among teens.

UNITE’s Arrive Alive Tour® stands as the nation’s leading awareness event on drunk and distracted driving, featuring the country’s first marijuana driving simulator. This state-of-the-art simulator gives participants a safe, hands-on experience of the real-life dangers of driving while distracted, intoxicated, or under the influence of marijuana – without any actual risk.

Students simulated driving under one of three conditions - drunk, distracted, or drugged. The other students monitored the driver’s progress on a TV monitor.

Jaylin with Arrive Alive, started the simulator as each student entered the automobile. With a virtual reality headset placed on the driver’s eyes, he or she attempted to drive during a virtual reality simulated condition of being impaired or distracted.

McKenzie Police Officer and SRO Andy Weaver helped monitor the simulation and was available to advise students what the consequences would be in case of a real situation.

With Tennessee’s 2023 statistics showing 178,154 car accidents, including 61,699 crashes involving young drivers aged 16-25, this event comes at a critical time. Distracted driving accounts for more than 11% of all accidents in the state, underscoring the need for impactful education. Tragically, young drivers with a BAC of .08% are 17 times more likely to die in a crash than those who have not been drinking, making the Arrive Alive Tour’s message essential for Tennessee teens.