Crash Course on Distracted Driving Visits NKHS

Bumper stickers, radio spots, television commercials and billboards all tell us not to drive while distracted and put down the cell phone, but one group is taking the fight one step further.

Enter Distractology 101, a mobile training tour, uses driving simulations to show teens first-hand how dangerous it is to drive distracted. Organized by the Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Inc., the tour is offered to newly licensed drivers free of charge. From now until the end of the week, the tour will be at , showing students the dangers of distracted driving.

“I text and drive a lot,” said Greg Allen, a student at North Kingstown High School who took part in the tour on Monday. “It definitely makes you think twice.”

Students sit down for a 45-minute driving simulation, complete with motorcycles running red lights, pedestrians and text messages. An instructor will text a student during the test and ask them to read the messages. According to instructors, many students are unable to avoid an accident while reading those messages.

“There’s nothing like seeing it and feeling it,” said Kathy Christopher of Christopher and Regan Insurance, who is putting on this week’s tour at NKHS — Distractology 101’s only stop in the state.

Christopher, a NKHS graduate and local business owner, wanted to take advantage of the Distractology 101 offer and bring it to her alma mater.

“Unfortunately, in our business, we see firsthand almost every day the negative outcome distracted driving plays a part in,” said Christopher.

The tour, in its second year, travels through most of the northeast, predominantly Massachusetts. Christopher coordinated with school officials to bring the tour to NKHS, sending out packets about the program to every student who applied for a parking spot at the school. So far, 55 students have signed up for the tour; 25 spots remain.

“If you save a life, it’s worth it and makes a difference,” Christopher said. “We’re hoping they take home what they learn here and spread it to their parents.”

According to Christopher, the program is very popular with students, who also receive a $15 gas card after completing the simulations.

“By the end, you see that they’re learning,” said Christopher. “They’re going slower, paying more attention.”

“If this was given at driver’s education classes, I think those classes would be much better,” Allen said. “During those classes, they show movies of car crashes and people dying, but I think this would be much better. You can actually see it with this.”

Click here to learn more about Distractology 101.