The dangers of distracted driving
<span>EDITOR'S NOTE: To see videos from the mock accident event, see the Herald Tribune's Facebook page or website at www.randolphcountyheraldtribune.com.</span>
It only takes one moment for things to go wrong.
<span>That was the point of last week's distracted driving presentation to Chester High School students the day before the school's Prom.</span>
<span>Conducted by Illinois State Police Trooper Christopher "Joey" Watson, the event also included a mock accident outside the school.</span>
<span>"The biggest thing I want them to understand is they have a choice," Watson said. "So when they get out on the roadway, they've got those choices.</span>
<span>"It's about them, at the end of the day, being able to make an educated decision about what the impacts of it are, they've got to see how the crash works on the backside of it, so they've got real-life experiences and now they have better tools to make those decisions."</span>
<span>According to a slide during Watson's presentation, 10 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 who were involved in a fatal crash were reported as distracted at the time of the crash.</span>
<span>This age group represented the largest portion of drivers who were distracted.</span>
<span>"Kids nowadays have technology at their fingertips," Watson said. "They're connected to it 24/7, so the biggest thing for them is 'How do I disassociate myself from that technology enough to make this decision consciousnessly and effectively?"</span>
<span>According to Statista.com, Americans sent nearly 2.2 trillion text messages in 2012, a number that decreased to a little more than 1 trillion in 2014. </span>
<span>Eighty-one percent of drivers admitted to texting and driving. Facebook users increased from 193 million in 2012 to 204 million in 2014.</span>
<span>"As soon as the phone buzzes or rings, they have to reach over for it," Watson said. "They've got to figure out a way within themselves to make a conscious effort to separate themselves from that technology so they can make that decisions."</span>
<span>Statistics from the University of Utah showed talking on a cell phone while driving caused impairment comparable to driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.16.</span>
<span>"They have thousands of positive repetitions where they drive down the roadway and nothing happens and then, they make that decision consistently at that point," Watson said. "And now, their ability to make that decision is impaired because they've had thousands of successful repetitions, but it only takes that one moment for things to go wrong."</span>
<span>CHS teacher and driver's education instructor Brad Norman also asked the students to make smart decisions on Prom weekend.</span>
<span>"Don't do anything that will put your life in some kind of jeopardy or silly situation that may cause you to regret it later on," he said. "We want you to have as much fun as possible this weekend, but be careful when you're having fun.</span>
<span>"All of these teachers, all of these people here who are adults, we love every single one of you all and I mean that."</span>
<span>The mock accident, which is held every other year at CHS, is a collaboration between the ISP, MedStar Ambulance, Chester Police Department, Chester Fire Department and the school.</span>
<span>This year's scenario featured five people involved in a two-vehicle collision, with one victim seriously injured, three moderately injured and one not injured due to wearing a seat belt.</span>
<span>A green SUV was lying on its side in the middle of Lee Street, next to the tennis court, while a sedan with front end damage was a short distance away.</span>
<span>The first responders spent about 20 minutes extricating the victims, which were transported from the scene via ambulance.</span>