Safe driving could yield $100K, The Band Perry performance for Marble Falls High School
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
MARBLE FALLS — You only look away for a second — or so it seems — as you check a text on your phone, but when you look back up, the world may appear entirely different. The fact is texting and distracted driving is one of the leading causes of automobile crashes.
And for teenagers, car crashes are the leading causes of death.
But a program sponsored by State Farm aims at changing that by showing youthful drivers during National Teen Driver Safety Week on Oct. 15-24 just how quickly things can change on the road if they’re not paying attention.
“I don’t think kids — or anybody — realizes how quick things can go wrong when you’re not paying attention behind the wheel,” Kara Stewart said. She and her husband, Shane, own a State Farm Insurance agency in Marble Falls. But a note that recently came across her desk highlighted the dangers of distracted teen driving as well showed a way to help prevent it.
And it could earn Marble Falls High School a $100,000 grant and a free community concert by The Band Perry.
“The big thing is really about helping kids see the dangers of texting and driving and just distracted driving,” she said.
For the students, the big day is Oct. 22, when State Farm will bring a driving simulator to Marble Falls High School for several hours. During this time, students can try out the simulator to really see how quickly things happen on the road when you aren’t paying attention.
“It’s an interactive simulator, so they’ll actually sit at it and ‘drive,'” Stewart said. “During the simulation, their phone will go off, with a text, and more likely than not, they’ll check it.”
As the student looks away from the “windshield” to check his or her message, another car or some scenario will play out on the simulator that could cause an accident. The driving program, which sent the text, simulates real-time, real-speed actions.
“Even I was amazed at how fast things can change when you look away for what you think was for a second,” Stewart said.
Along with the driving simulator, organizers are hoping to encourage teen drivers to make safe choices while behind the wheel through the 2N2 — two eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel — initiative.
“We’re asking teenagers to go to the website (www.)celebratemydrive.com and commit to driving safely,” Stewart said. “And it’s not just for teenagers, but the entire community. This is something everybody can commit to doing.”
And the more commitments a school and community make through the website, the more chances at earning a grant up to $100,000 and a concert by The Band Perry. State Farm is awarding 90 high schools with grants of $25,000 and 10 with grants of $100,000 based on the number of commitments made. And two high schools and their communities will land the concert.
“I realize we’re a smaller community, and maybe we don’t have a chance at The Band Perry concert, but who knows,” Stewart said. “We just need people to go to the website from Oct. 15 to Oct. 24 and make the commitment. Even if we aren’t the top school, maybe we can get one of the $25,000 grants.”
She pointed out that Marble Falls High School has already defied the odds, so to speak, by getting selected for the driving simulator. Of the 3,000-plus high schools across the country, Marble Falls was only one of a handful to be chosen for the special project.
Go to www.celebratemydrive.com to learn more or make the commitment.
daniel@thepicayune.com