(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Community School District, in collaboration with the Iowa State Patrol, is holding a Safety Carnival for Junior and Senior High students at the High School, on Tuesday, Oct. 17th from 8:30-a.m. to 3:30-p.m.  According to AHS Principal Heather McKay, the primary goal of the program is to profoundly impact teenagers by illustrating the potentially dire consequences of alcohol consumption and distractions while driving. The Safety Carnival is designed to challenge students to contemplate the dangers of drinking, texting while driving, personal safety, and the importance of making responsible decisions when lives are at stake. The event concludes a week-long curriculum presented to Dan Vargasons Leadership class at AHS.

Nearly 13,000 people lose their lives each year in alcohol-related collisions, with thousands more falling victim to distracted drivers. Our objective is to educate our students so that they can make informed choices and steer clear of risky driving habits.

Activities that will take place during the safety carnival include:

• A Seatbelt Convincer – students are buckled into a seat that travels approximately 10 feet and mimics a slow speed (10 mph) crash.
• Golf Cart Texting Course – Students will drive golf carts through a course designed to illustrate roadway changes (curves, stops, etc.) while composing a text.  An ISP Driving instructor will be riding with each student as they attempt to navigate the course while texting.
• Pedal Car Course – Students will utilize the pedal car (it’s like an adult big wheel) while wearing Drunk goggles to illustrate challenges of navigating the roadway while intoxicated.
• Field Sobriety Testing – Students will complete the Standard Field Sobriety tests while wearing the Drunk goggles to show how impairment affects their ability to perform routine tasks.
• Virtual reality goggles – Our driving simulator that uses VR goggles will give students an opportunity to navigate different challenges presented through the simulator program.
• Crashed Camaro – Vehicle that was traveling over 149mph and crashed at 104 mph in July 2022, killing the three teenage occupants in Dubuque.  Car has not been altered (exception of reconnecting roof) so students can see firsthand the extensive damage related to high speed crashes.   The vehicle still has contents from night of the crash (Shoes, etc.) so students can see reality of choosing to drive excessive speeds.  There is also an accompanying video we will show that interviews the family and friends of the female victims, and law enforcement who covered the crash who remain affected by this tragedy. (The ISP Technical Investigator who conducted the crash reconstruction will be present to talk about the event).

There will be 6 Troopers from the Iowa State Patrol and 1 Sergeant to conduct activities and answer questions.  The public is invited to come and join the ISP and School Administrators for the event on Tuesday.