With the legalization of marijuana looming this summer, teenagers at Bradford District High School got a chance to learn about the risks of driving high.
Sweet Life Roadshow, an interactive education event that travels to high schools around Ontario, stopped in Bradford April 26.
Students participated in 10 different stations to play games and learn about a variety of topics, including driving impaired on drugs and alcohol, drowsy driving, and distracted driving.
“There’s so much misinformation. I have teens … tell me all the time (they are) better drivers high, (but) they get a form of tunnel vision that affects hazard perception and reaction time,” said Anne Marie Hayes, founder and president of Teens Learn to Drive Inc., which put on the event, and a driving instructor.
“That’s a tough message for teens. This is a big issue for them.”
She said teenagers are the age group most likely to try drugs and are the least experienced drivers, so it is important to educate them about the risks.
Hayes also said distracted driving is becoming a bigger issue for young women.
“They’re taking more risks, and it’s hard to get them off the phones. They’re riskier drivers than they were 20 years ago,” she said.
