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Distracted driving program at WHS

A program on the consequences of texting and driving will be presented to Waupaca High School students at 8 a.m. Thursday, March 1.

Sponsored by the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department and Westland Insurance, the seminar will include stories and information on the dangers of texting and driving, as well as a driving simulator.

According to a 2010 report from Nielsen, those age 13-17 send an average of 3,300 texts per month, making teens the most avid users of the technology.

A survey by Common Knowledge Research Services found nearly 50 percent of respondents between age 16 and 29 said they send and receive text messages while they drive.

A 2009 study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which placed video cameras in the cabs of trucks, found that the drivers who texted had a 23 times greater risk of being in a crash.

“The simulator provides an eye opening experience of what happens when they drive while distracted,” according to Barb Nelson of Westland Insurance.

The simulator will be available throughout Thursday and Friday, March 1-2. It will also be available for students and parents during the parent-teacher conferences on March 1.

“We invite everyone to participate in this effort to educate and keep our children safe behind the wheel,” Nelson said.

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