Sedalia Fire Department Inspector Jamie Volk stopped into the studio to discuss upcoming Distracted Driving events at State Fair Community College and Smith Cotton High School.

Jamie explains how every driver is a distracted driver at some point and how the brain is only able to concentrate on one task at a time. He says that the brain is simply not wired for multi-tasking, which makes distracted driving dangerous.

April 21, the event will include a mock car wreck at State Fair Community College, right out in the parking lot. This demonstration will be comprised of a simulated distracted driver who seemingly wrecks because of his lack of attention to driving. Following the wreck, the emergency responders, the Sedalia Fire Department, Sedalia Police Department, the Pettis County Sheriff’s Department and Pettis County Ambulance District, will react as if it were a real accident. The Fire Department uses this event to help educate young people of the dangers of distracted driving, as well as for training for emergency personnel.

The Smith Cotton High School demonstration will take place May 3.  High School students will watch a short video about distracted driving, will have four or five different emergency personnel present to speak and answer questions, as well as other exciting events that Jamie didn’t want to ruin by talking about. He did mention, however, that they would have impairment goggles (thanks to MoDot), which will allow students to experience what being impaired feels like. This will hopefully help young people understand how compromised their motor skills are when under the influence.

For more information, you can contact Sedalia Fire Department. 

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