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BLOOMINGDALE -- Students at the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School learned the importance of staying safe behind the wheel following a special presentation held Jan. 26.
The school's Family Career and Community Leaders of America, which includes students in the early childhood education program, hosted a presentation by representatives of State Farm Insurance and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The group conducted exercises using simulation goggles to depict intoxication.
Adviser and early childhoods education instructor Becky Kelley said the event was made possible through Families Acting for Community Traffic Safety grants.
"We got two grants, one for each chapter," Kelley said. She noted the junior and senior groups each received a $1,250 allocation for safety programs.
The first grant was for impaired driving, Kelley noted. She said State Farm Agent Casie Johnson attended the event with Katie Rawson and Rebecca Blankenship, along with State Trooper Josh O'Donnell of the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Wintersville.
"They basically had a presentation on 'See Something, Say Something' and the dangers of impaired driving," she stated.
Approximately 50 students in the early childhood education, animal science and criminal justice programs then had a chance to wear impairment goggles to simulate states of intoxication.
The eyewear altered their vision and made tasks difficult to complete, such as stacking cups, tossing a ball, walking on a balance beam and completing an obstacle course under O'Donnell's supervision.
Criminal justice students addressed the importance of seat belts and conducted a seat belt challenge where teams of four people raced to buckle up the quickest. Kelley said it was a fun learning experience.
"They had a lot of fun and it sparked an interest in seatbelts," she said. "We might do a school-wide challenge with a presentation on seatbelts when the weather improves."
Alaina Ensminger and Paige Furbee, seniors in the early childhood education program, agreed that they learned a lot through the event.
"It taught us the impact of how hard a car hits when you crash and the dangers of eating and talking on the phone behind the wheel," said Ensminger.
"It taught us that anything can happen and you shouldn't drive while distracted," Furbee added. "The littlest thing can cause an accident and if you are not paying attention, another driver can hit you."
This was the fourth year the FCCLA obtained the grants.
The school chapters previously used FACTS and other grants to spotlight vehicle and seatbelt safety.