Sweet Life for Drivers at St. Dominic

Sweet Life for Drivers at St. Dominic
Posted on 05/30/2018
Driving presentationWritten by Ashley Fortin, Student Journalist

Teens wait for years to get their license to drive. It represents newfound freedom where anything is possible - it is a huge milestone. Although, once they get their licenses, teenagers need to remember the dangers of driving. Car collisions are the #1 killer of people ages 15-19 according to the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).

driving presentationOn Tuesday, May 21st, 2018, the Sweet Life Road Show presented by CAA visited St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School in Bracebridge to teach students about the dangers of driving. Students arrived in the gymnasium and found many stations scattered around. Each station represented different challenges teen drivers may face: impaired driving by sleep, multitasking, substances, etc., pedestrian safety, and stations about the laws surrounding the pending legalization of marijuana to the consumption of alcohol.

Students learned more about important driving skills than just the basics, with one of the stations emphasizing the proper way to share the road with trucks and another teaching students what to do in a roadside emergency. Each station demonstrated their message in a variety of ways from skits to games and videos to engage students.

The Sweet Life Roadshow engaged students and catered to the way they understand driving. “I just got my G1 about a month ago,” one student said, “This event was extremely helpful. I didn’t know that trucks couldn’t see me in front or behind them. I also didn’t know that I am in just as much danger as a pedestrian as a driver!” Another senior student, who is a few months away from getting their full G license said, “I drive to and from school every day, and I do admit I have dangerous habits on the road. However, after seeing these presentations I’m definitely going to be safer, watch for pedestrians, and cut down on being impaired by sleep and distracted driving with directions on my phone.This presentation opened my eyes to how dangerously I am driving.”

The Sweet Life Roadshow presented by CAA and Teens Can Drive Inc. taught students how valuable safe driving habits are. Safe driving is an important skill for teenagers to learn and use in everyday life; the students of St. Dominic now have this essential knowledge of driving to take and use in their everyday lives.