A student tries out the driving simulator during a previous Strive for a Safer Drive event at Edsel Ford High School. This year Edsel Ford invites the public to a Community Safety Night Feb. 19 to talk about vaping, the dangers of distracted driving, and more.
DEARBORN — Driving simulators, a discussion on the dangers of vaping and more will be part of Edsel Ford High School’s Community Safety Night Feb. 19. The public is invited.
Several activities will be offered during the event, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at the school, 20601 Rotunda Drive. Cheryl Phillips, with St. Joseph Mercy Health System, will discuss the dangers of electronic cigarettes with parents and students from 6 to 6:45 p.m. in the auditorium. At 7 p.m., the Fire Department will do a live car extrication in the back of the baseball field.
Dearborn Police, Dearborn Fire and AAA will all have booths available with information. Students also will have projects on display about the dangers of distracted driving. Food will be for sale by the Edsel Ford Crescendo Club.
This year’s Community Safety Night is an expansion of a project EFHS runs every year because of a grant from Ford Motor Co. The Strive for a Safer Drive grant draws attention to the dangers of distracted driving.
This year Link Crew partnered with leadership students at the high school to enlarge the event beyond safe driving. Car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, and vaping is a growing epidemic among youth, many of whom do not understand the dangers involved with using nicotine.
“We believe that knowledge is power,” said Tara Haddad, the advisor for Link Crew and one of the event organizers. “The more we work together and educate our community, the more likely we will be to get a handle on these epidemics.”
Teens, families and community members from across the area are encouraged to attend.