MARQUETTE, MI –
MARQUETTE -- The U.S. Army Distracted Driver Trailer is spending the entire week touring high schools throughout the U.P. One stop was at Marquette Senior High School....
Jarryl Jenkins, Commander at the Iron Mountain Recruiting Company, explained, "We just want to educate our youth on the multitude of opportunities the Army has to offer, as well as the multitude of things that keep them safe and out of harms way."
The distracted driving trailer comes with a go-cart, as well as 5 different types of goggles that show students what it's like to drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Taylor Klarich, a senior at MSHS, said, "I did the drunk goggles, and it's definitely really hard. You see multiple of yourself. And, I would never do that actually because it was super hard. I think I hit all of the cones."
The trailer also has a simulator inside that gives a better perspective of what happens while driving under the influence, and the risks that come with it.
"As they're driving, if they need to make a turn, they have to turn at the right time. If not, then they get pulled over for swerving or hitting other vehicles," said Jenkins. "People think it's pretty easy to do. You see people on the highway doing it all the time. But it's wrong, and the students here today are learning that 'Hey, maybe it's not so safe because I'm missing common things. I'm missing my turn, I'm missing a red light, I'm missing cars that eventually I might hit."
And at the end of the day, students said the message was received loud and clear...
"Just never do any sort of substances and drive because you will not succeed. Even if you think you are succeeding," said Klarich.
The distracted driving trailer will be in Escanaba on Thursday, May 3, and in Kingsford on Friday, May 4.