PJHS: Hang Up and Drive

April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and Port Jervis High School would like to thank Jacy Good and Steve Johnson from Hang Up and Drive for their impactful presentation to all of our sophomores about the dangers of distracted driving. We also thank Orange County STOP DWI for bringing them to us.  

On her college graduation day, Jacy and her parents were hit by a distracted driver who ran a red light. Jacy's parents both died in the accident and Jacy was left partially paralyzed. Jacy and Steve share how their lives have been impacted by one person's decision to use their phone while driving.

Here are just a few of the many important points:

• Distracted driving doesn't just mean texting while driving. It means not giving your full attention to operating your vehicle.
• Talking on the phone, whether hand-held or hands-free, makes a driver 5x more likely to crash, because their full attention isn't on driving.
• As a driver, use the automatic Driving Focus/Drive Mode feature on your phone.
• As a passenger, designate a texter or phone operator. Make it someone's job to control the music, the GPS, and handle incoming calls/texts.
• No questions asked, wear a seatbelt!!

Thank you, Jacy and Steve, for encouraging our students to be educated and safe drivers.

For more information about Hang Up and Drive, please visit hangupanddrive.com.