Car crashes are still the leading cause of death for teens in the U.S. In an effort to curb this statistic Batavia High School brought the Save-a-Life Tour to town on Friday Oct. 9. Students were able to experience first-hand with impaired and distracted simulators the dangers of driving while texting or under the influence of alcohol. Last year Batavia High School won State Farm’s National Competition geared toward teen driver safety called Celebrate My Drive, and received a $100,000 grant. They used part of the grant money to bring the Save-a-Life Tour to students this year.

The Save A Life Tour is a comprehensive high impact safe driving awareness program that informs, educates, and demonstrates the potentially deadly consequences resulting from poor choices and decisions made by the operator of a motor vehicle. The program specifically places emphasis on the following driving situations: Distracted Driving, Impaired Driving, Driver Experience, Improper Driver Behavior and Seat Belt Usage. The Save A Life Tour utilizes several methods for educating including: video presentation, speaking presentation, interactive demonstration with simulators, pre and post surveys and take-a-ways including a pledge card and a wristband.