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Georgian College students want you to 'Survive the Drive'

Students are tackling 'big four' issues; 'Our generation is the first to have texting, so it is up to us to bring awareness that doing this while driving kills'
survive the drive group from georgian
Four local Georgian College students want you to Survive the Drive. From left: Trinity Austin, Bradi Moore, Cari Bouwman and Matthew Eliot. Contributed photo
NEWS RELEASE
SURVIVE THE DRIVE
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The commute is becoming treacherous as snow has already begun to blanket our region, weeks before winter's official start.

Water cooler talk has quickly turned to the roads as many motorists realizing they were not prepared for the winter-like conditions. While snow tires are a huge safety measure, it is also a good time to assess how we drive.

Survive the Drive aims to fight The Big 4 driving offences: Distracted driving, impaired driving, aggressive driving, and driving without a seat belt.

A group of four Georgian College Police Foundations students, who grew up in Simcoe County, are trying to actively speak up about these issues. Trinity Austin, Bradi Moore, Cari Bouwman and Matthew Eliot are working hard to ensure people survive their drive.

“Our generation is the first to have texting, so it is up to us to bring awareness that doing this while driving kills,” said Moore.

The group has created a non-profit organization to bring awareness about The Big 4, called Survive The Drive.

According to the OPP:

  • One person is injured from distracted driving every 30 minutes;
  • A driver using their phone is four times more likely to crash'
  • Every day, four Canadians are killed in alcohol/drug related motor vehicle crashes; and
  • Five lives are saved for every 1% increase in seat belt usage.

In 2018 there were 55 deaths on OPP-patrolled roads because of inattentive drivers. “This needs to end,” says Moore.

Survive the Drive's awareness campaign consists of two online pages to inform the public of the dangers of The Big 4. You can visit those at the group's Facebook Page or on Instagram.

The organization has also placed flyers and posters around Orillia, as well as messages on the billboard at Sunshine Superwash, directing the public to the Instagram and Facebook account.

“We are trying to accumulate as many followers as possible so we can continue to raise awareness to a broader audience,” says Moore. “And we hope that through (this) we can achieve this goal, and make sure everyone gets home safely."
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