What do you get when you mix nearly 100 teenagers, a tire iron, a driving simulator, four police officers, and a couple pairs of drunk goggles? Well this weekend at least, it meant a lot of learning and a lot of fun.
This past Saturday marked our 1st Annual Teen Auto Education Day. We invited teenagers from the Victoria community to join us to learn how to be better and safer drivers on our roads. The free event, which we hosted with DriveWise BC and with support from the Victoria Police Department, provided teenagers with a well-rounded automotive learning day.
Our technicians let the kids get their hands dirty while getting hands-on experience changing a tire, jumping a battery, and checking fluids and tire pressure. Meanwhile, using the DriveWise BC “driving simulator” (which is VERY cool!), teenagers put their driving skills to the test in a virtual environment, and were tasked with trying to drive while wearing ‘drunk goggles’, and also while texting. They were able to easily (and safely) see what a big difference being impaired makes behind the wheel, and will hopefully think twice before doing it in real life. The Victoria Police gave the teens the gears in a ‘pull over’ simulation, making them walk the white line while wearing drunk goggles, and also trying to mini-golf in the same condition. Not easy!
A lot of laughs were had, and more importantly, our next generation of drivers learned potentially life-saving skills. In addition to all the learning, Tru Value Foods was on-site cooking up an amazing BBQ feast for all the kids. All in all a great day!
Giving back to the community is a huge part of our business, and we truly couldn’t have pulled Teen Day off without our amazing sponsors.
A BIG THANK YOU to:
To hear what the teens thought and learnt, see some of the Tweets below! You can also see some photos on our Facebook page here.
i learned how to check oil level and to wipe the stick before you check it so that you dont get an incorrect reading #victeenautoday
— jordan muller (@jordantherower) September 15, 2013
Learned how to jumpstart a battery properly if mine ever dies #VicTeenAutoDay
— Heather Madson (@Heather_Madson) September 15, 2013
Learned how to check my tire pressure today and I’m going to go check it right now #victeenautoday
— jadon Grant (@jaygee133) September 15, 2013
#VicTeenAutoDay I learned how to change a tire so hopefully I won’t get stranded by myself 🙂
— Jessie Nicks (@jessienicks1) September 14, 2013
#VicTeenAutoDay had so much fun learning about driving today! My favorite part that I learned was how to jump start a car!
— Emma Bouck (@Emma_bouck12) September 14, 2013
Learned how to check my breaks #VicTeenAutoDay
— jake McFarlane (@jakemc32) September 14, 2013