OCEAN CITY — All Sophmores at Ocean City High School learned the dangers and consequences of distracted driving on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9. The presentations were given by the South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance in anticipation of State Farm’s Celebrate My Drive school competition Oct. 18-24.
Mikenzie Helphenstine, Curriculum Director said “The Sophmore class was chosen because they are about to start driver education and become new drivers.”
The 30 minute presentation stressed that driving is a privilege with responsibilities and consequences and honored Casey Feldman who was killed in Ocean City in 2009.
Alliance speaker Teresa Thomas said “This is Joel Feldman’s End Distracted Driving presentation that I modified to make more New Jersey specific regarding the laws and consequences.” (www.EndDD.org)
Effective July 18, 2012, a driver who seriously injures or kills another motorist because they were using a cell phone while driving can be sentenced up to 10 years in jail and fined up to $150,000.00. Most recently the NJ Superior Court Judges recognized that a texter has a ‘duty of care’ to the public similar to that of a passenger who is physically present and could be liable for distracting a driver. http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-new-jersey-texting-20130829,0,527876.story
Officer Jennifer Barbatos, Ocean City Police School Resource Officer said, “The kids had a lot of great questions and seemed to be most affected by the Casey Feldman video.”
Casey’s crash in Ocean City is part of the US Department of transportation’s Faces of Distraction. The 3 minute video documents the facts of the crash and includes interviews with family and friends and how her death has changed the way they drive. It can be viewed on www.distraction.gov/faces.
State Farm will be at the school on Oct. 17 so all the students can pledge not to text and drive and be prepared to start voting Oct. 18. For more information about The Celebrate My Drive school competition, go to www.celebratemydrive.com.
For more information about distracted driving and the South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance visit www. SJTSA.org.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
