By: April Lin-Ao
On Monday, Oct. 5, an impaired driving simulation was held at Collegedale Academy by
the Collegedale Police Department (CPD).
According to a press release from the CPD, the Arrive Alive Tour was held at
Collegedale Academy and gave students firsthand experience of how impairment can affect a
person’s ability to drive, inhibiting reaction time, coordination, judgment and vehicle control.
According to the Arrive Alive Tour’s website, participants in the simulation get into a
real vehicle as the driver and wear a virtual reality headset. Sensors are connected to the
vehicle’s gas and brake pedals, enabling the participant to experience impaired driving with no
real-life consequences.
Corderio Eatmon, Collegedale Academy’s school resource officer (SRO), led the event.
Eatmon’s role centers on keeping everyone on campus safe, ensuring that daily operations run
smoothly. He also teaches the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) curriculum to eighth
graders at Collegedale Academy’s lower campus.
Eatmon explained that he has organized the Arrive Alive simulation for four years at the
academy, with the program coming to the school every two years.
“I first encountered the concept through a social media post indicating that a few deputies
were using the program at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office,” Eatmon stated in an email to
CCN.
Wanting to implement a similar approach for Collegedale Academy, he contacted a
deputy and asked how he might apply it there.
“Ever since that time, I have tried to implement the program every two years,” Eatmon
said.
The simulation is designed for junior and senior classes, according to Eatmon, who hopes
that the hands-on simulation will help them learn about the dangers of impaired driving.
“I hope the effect helps students recognize how hazardous it is to drive while intoxicated
by drugs or alcohol, along with the risks of distracted driving while texting,” he said. “If this
encourages them to reconsider future choices, I will have achieved a great result.”
Eatmon added that high schoolers are not the only target audience for the Arrive Alive
program, explaining that the simulation could also serve college campuses and local residents.
“I strongly believe the Arrive Alive Tour can benefit community members,” he said. “It
shows potential consequences of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated or under the
influence of drugs.”
Gisele Garza, a senior at Collegedale Academy, says that it was her first time
participating in the simulation.
“I thought it was pretty cool and more difficult than expected,” Garza stated in an email
to CCN. “I thought that the delayed reaction time it gave you was the hardest part to deal with,
and it really showed how certain substances can affect your driving.”
According to the CPD’s press release, Chief Jack Sapp stated that education and
prevention are important in keeping a community safe.
“We hope the experience students had with the Arrive Alive simulator will stay with
them and help them make responsible decisions when they are behind the wheel,” Sapp stated.
