OTTAWA COUNTY (WHTC-AM/FM) — Careerline Tech Center (CTC) Public Safety and Security Services (PSSS) students worked with the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) to host a Safe Driving event for fellow students April 30 and May 1, at Careerline Tech Center.
Lee Hoeksema, PSSS instructor for Careerline Tech Center, said students focused on dangerous driving habits as their community awareness assignment. “The students arranged for OCSD deputies to help and spoke with local magistrate Mark Bos to find out fines and costs of common tickets,” Hoeksema said. “From there they decided on the topics which could have the most influence and created learning stations around them.”
OCSD officers brought in specialized equipment for the day to assist with the educational process. In one station, a driving simulator showed students how texting and other distractions can affect their driving. “After using the simulator to drive with the distractions, students were shown how the erratically the car operated. It was very eye-opening for them,” David Blakely, PSSS parapro for CTC, said.
In another learning station made possible through the collaboration with OCSD, students wore Fatal Vision goggles that simulated the effects of alcohol and drug intoxication while playing a Nintendo Mario Kart driving game. The remaining two stations allowed students to create safe driving slogans and participate in online quizzes focused on the consequences of breaking common laws and the associated fines including seat belt usage and distracted driving.
“CTC teachers told us after the event students were telling drivers to slow down because it was rainy. That’s exactly the learning and awareness we hoped for,” Hoeksema said.
