Driven to Distraction Program At Middlesex County Academy Prepares Students for Safe Driving

By Jana Siciliano on April 19, 2012 10:51 AM | No Comments
IMG_4945.jpgFrom Dan Delmonaco, the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technology:

The Academy was visited by Diana Starace from RWJUH's Level One Trauma Center and given the presentation Driven to Distraction about the dangers of distracted driving. A local Allstate agent also visited the Academy and allowed student's to take the X the TXT pledge not to text while driving. 

Eight Academy students (Jill Deegan, Dan Delmonaco, Payal Patel, Artur Filipowicz, Stephanie Karanevskii, Enya Guo, Laura Gunderson, and Raeesa Soomar) under the guidance of Ms. Rosemary Simmons have been trained as Safety Ambassadors by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. These Safety Ambassadors have delivered presentations on topics including pedestrian safety and automobile safety to first and second graders at Lincoln Elementary School in Edison, NJ.

Students participated in an essay contest sponsored by the Metuchen Municipal Alliance about the effects and truths of underage drinking. The contest was open to high school students at the Academy and other local high schools. Senior Puneet Dhillon won the essay contest and junior Dan Delmonaco received an honorable mention. The two were awarded at the Metuchen Town Talks event on Tuesday, April 17. 
Groups of students created both audio and visual PSA's and submitted them to a schoolwide contest. Three groups have been chosen and entered in the county-wide Middlesex County 3D PSA contest. The winning groups will also attend a reception in May. Students participated in a t-shirt design contest and the winning slogan was "Show you care, Stay aware." The winning slogan and logo will be printed on tshirts for all students and faculty using the grant provided by the BIANJ. 

The project adviser, Ms. Kathleen McNulty, and the student group leading the project have organized a final event with the Middlesex County College Campus Police in which all students will have the opportunity to drive golf carts while wearing fatal vision goggles. This will simulate attempting to drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  

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