Arrive Alive Tour Stops In Glasgow

The UNITE's Arrive Alive Tour visited northeastern Montana high schools last week, with Glasgow High School being the first stop on Feb. 20, followed by Poplar High School, Plentywood High School, Medicine Lake School and Scobey High School. The tour was sponsored through a grant with the Montana Department of Transportation, Governor's Highway Safety Association and in partnership with Nemont, Independence Bank, Pro Coop and Daniels-Sheridan Federal Credit Union.

Glasgow High School's Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) group also helped sponsor the Glasgow event. The group, led by Karleen Fossum, wanted the tour to stop at the high school as a way to provide a reminder of the consequences associated with driving while distracted as well as under the influence.

Throughout the morning and early afternoon, many Glasgow students got behind the wheel, while those awaiting their turn had the ability to view the passenger-eyed view monitor, allowing them to see exactly what the driver was experiencing in real time. The vehicle had the battery disabled and the vehicle was immobilized, while sensors connected to the vehicle's gas, brake pedals and steering wheel enabled the participants to be a part of the experience. At the end of each drive, the student driver was provided a mock ticket from the facilitator detailing the ramifications that were caused in the simulation.

The tour is the nation's number one-ranked drunk and distracted driving awareness event, as well as the first and only marijuana driving simulator in the country. The simulator is high-tech and state-of-the-art allowing participants to drive while distracted, drunk or drugged in a fully functioning vehicle without moving or being intoxicated. The simulator also allows participants to experience the real-life dangers without the real life consequences.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2021, traffic fatalities rose 10.9 percent nationwide. In addition, the fatal crash rate for teens is three times greater than for drivers aged 20 and over, and driver distraction is responsible for more than 58 percent of teen accidents. Young drivers (age 16 to 20) are 17 times more likely to die in a crash when they have a BAC of .08 percent than when they have not been drinking.

The Arrive Alive team's mission is to educate drivers on the dangers and consequences of impaired and distracted driving and to create life-long safe driving habits.