“The main purpose is kids understanding how dangerous distracted driving and drinking is,” Officer Ned Batlin said. “The secondary purpose is getting kids and cops together, creating a dialogue and getting to know each other.”

TAG’s goal is to reduce risky behavior behind the wheel by creating a more united community. “It is a collaboration between the police, between Teen Awareness Group, between Westport Youth Commission. It's all these groups coming together to put together a fun day,” Ed Milton, the advisor of the club said.

At the event, students were able to drive golf carts through an obstacle course while wearing drunk goggles. This activity allowed students to experience what it is truly like to be driving while intoxicated.

“My favorite event was driving the golf cart with drunk goggles. While this may be fun and like a game, it really challenged me and made me think how impossible it would be to drive under the influence,” TAG member Mia Kobylinski ’19 said.

Another activity available was a question and answer session with Officer David Scinto about the training of canines.

Scinto held a demonstration where he lined up two golf carts and hid drugs inside them. Then, he allowed the dogs to sniff around and locate them. The dogs were able to track down the hidden drugs in both golf carts. Officer Batlin explained that these dogs are not actually trained to look for drugs, instead they think they are finding their favorite toy.

These activities proved to be a hit amongst many of the people who came out ot the event. “We had a great day, a great turnout, and we’re looking forward to the bright future,” Officer Batlin said.

TAG has future events that also shed light on the harmful effects of distracted driving. Simulators will be placed outside of the auditorium, where students will be able to gain an idea of what it would feel like to text and drive.