Law enforcement and EMS conduct distracted driving day for Northampton 10th grade class

Several law enforcement agencies and emergency responders hosted a Distracted Driving Awareness Day on Friday for Northampton High School’s 10th-grade class. The event took place at the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office.

Participating agencies included the Virginia State Police, Northampton County Sheriff’s Department, and the police departments of Cape Charles, Eastville, and Exmore. The event featured interactive demonstrations aimed at highlighting the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.

One of the main attractions was a specially modified golf cart outfitted with wavy glass, loud music, and other distractions. Students attempted to navigate a cone course while driving the cart. Other activities included driving pedal carts and walking in a straight line while wearing “impairment glasses.” The Northampton Sheriff’s Department demonstrated routine and felony traffic stops, while Northampton County Emergency Management offered a drone demonstration.

The Northampton Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office also presented real-life cases from the county. One involved a DUI crash resulting in maiming; the other centered on a minor who consumed an alcoholic beverage laced with drugs at a party and stopped breathing. Students viewed real footage of the crash and watched a video showing the minor’s father performing CPR to save her life.

The main event was a simulated crash scene involving a fatality and an arrest. Members of the Eastville Volunteer Fire Department responded to the mock accident, using the Jaws of Life to cut the roof off a vehicle as part of the demonstration.

“We are hoping to make it an annual event,” said Sheriff David Doughty. “We want to show the dangers of distracted and impaired driving—and ultimately, save lives.”

A total of 78 sophomores attended the event, including student Palmer Hubbard.

“It was fun. It was really good to see how they do everything,” Hubbard said. “My main takeaway is to always be sober when you’re driving and to make sure you’re riding with people you trust.”

Sheriff Doughty added that he hopes to expand the program to include local private schools in the future.