Police: Be Smart This Prom Season!

Police want everyone to enjoy prom season.

More importantly, though, they want everyone to enjoy a safe prom season.

That's why township police officers have begun visiting classes at Highland and Timber Creek to stress the importance of avoiding the many dangerous situations they may find themselves in prom weekend.

And the presentation isn't just about saying no to alcohol and drugs, though that is an important part of the presentation.

Students at the two high schools are being put in the police department's DWI simulator, but not only to experience what it's like to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The exercise also aims to show students just how dangerous it is to drive a car while sending text messages.

Distracted driving accounted for 16 percent of all fatal crashes in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Texting can cause drivers to focus their attention to texting long enough to miss a person running in front of the vehicle, the vehicle in front of you making a sudden stop or the traffic light changing to red.

In addition to the texting and DWI simulations, students will be instructed on the requirements of the state's Graduated Drivers License program and informed about a new Gloucester Township ordinance combating underage drinking.

The new ordinance, which was adopted by Council April 25, makes underage drinking on public and private property a violation.

The prom-safety classes were held this week at Timber Creek, which holds its prom tonight.

The classes, which are offered by the Police Department's school resource officers and Traffic Safety Unit, will be held at Highland Monday and Tuesday.