2008 Woodie Awards
Save a Life tour promotes alcohol awareness
Liz Hendricks
Issue date: 3/17/06 Section: News
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In 2004, 16,694 people died as a result of alcohol, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, these people didn't die from liver failure, heart disease, or any of the other alcohol-related diseases.
They died because someone decided to consume an alcoholic beverage, sit behind the steering wheel of a car, and put their life and everyone else's in danger.
The Save a Life Tour, a high-impact alcohol awareness program designed to teach people the reality of driving under the influence, is trying to stop that kind of death from happening again.
Their most recent destination: Gamecock Center, Jacksonville, Alabama.
Sponsored by the Peer Educators of JSU, the Save a Life Tour rolled through town last Tuesday. The tour has a driving simulator, with five screens to mimic the affects of alcohol on driving ability.
Nathan Vander Ploeg, who started traveling with the Save a Life Tour in December, says people are always surprised to see how poorly they really do in the simulated driving program.
"A lot of people are really shocked at how much they don't pay attention to anything but the road," says Vander Ploeg. "People think that if they can manage the car they'll be all right, but they end up getting hit by something else."
According to the NHTSA, 38 percent of fatal car accidents in Alabama involved a driver whose blood alcohol level was .01 or higher.
NHTSA also estimates that in the U.S., an alcohol-related-crash occurs every 32 minutes.
For Brian Beldyga, these numbers hit close to home. About five years ago, a drunk driver killed someone he loved.
He admits that before the accident, he too was guilty of drinking and driving.
"I'm a perfect example. Back in the day I did this [drunk driving] everyday and I believe this now. I should've been put away," says Beldyga. "It's sad, but I've learned from it."
Not only has Beldyga learned from his tragic experience, he has dedicated the last five years of his life to touring the country and educating people about the dangers of drinking and driving.
They died because someone decided to consume an alcoholic beverage, sit behind the steering wheel of a car, and put their life and everyone else's in danger.
The Save a Life Tour, a high-impact alcohol awareness program designed to teach people the reality of driving under the influence, is trying to stop that kind of death from happening again.
Their most recent destination: Gamecock Center, Jacksonville, Alabama.
Sponsored by the Peer Educators of JSU, the Save a Life Tour rolled through town last Tuesday. The tour has a driving simulator, with five screens to mimic the affects of alcohol on driving ability.
Nathan Vander Ploeg, who started traveling with the Save a Life Tour in December, says people are always surprised to see how poorly they really do in the simulated driving program.
"A lot of people are really shocked at how much they don't pay attention to anything but the road," says Vander Ploeg. "People think that if they can manage the car they'll be all right, but they end up getting hit by something else."
According to the NHTSA, 38 percent of fatal car accidents in Alabama involved a driver whose blood alcohol level was .01 or higher.
NHTSA also estimates that in the U.S., an alcohol-related-crash occurs every 32 minutes.
For Brian Beldyga, these numbers hit close to home. About five years ago, a drunk driver killed someone he loved.
He admits that before the accident, he too was guilty of drinking and driving.
"I'm a perfect example. Back in the day I did this [drunk driving] everyday and I believe this now. I should've been put away," says Beldyga. "It's sad, but I've learned from it."
Not only has Beldyga learned from his tragic experience, he has dedicated the last five years of his life to touring the country and educating people about the dangers of drinking and driving.