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TCC observes Distracted Driving Awareness Month with traffic safety fair

TCC observes Distracted Driving Awareness Month with traffic safety fair
TCC observes Distracted Driving Awareness Month with traffic safety fair
Posted at 5:06 AM, Apr 17, 2018
and last updated 2018-04-17 02:55:32-04

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - As Floridians observe April as Distracted Driving Awareness Month, students at Tallahassee Community College are hosting a traffic safety fair.

TCC is observing Distracted Driving Awareness Month by hosting its second annual traffic safety fair, which they are calling "Safe. Not Sorry."

The event is organized by mass media students at the community college and is supported by almost 20 different exhibitors promoting safe driving.

The Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management Services, Florida Students Against Destructive Decisions and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are just a few of the organizations supporting the fair.

Part of the event honors the legacy of Anthony Branca, a TCC student who was a motorcyclist killed by a distracted driver in 2014.

TCC's fair will display a car mangled by a traffic accident and also interative simulations - like a motorcycle simulation - to help drive home the point of safety.

"I think that distracted driving is something that is really a societal issue and that we all need to make sure that we're not doing that, because it is so dangerous," said Reggie Grant, an assistant professor of journalism. "And you know how many times is it that you drive down the road and you look next to yourself and you see someone is not looking at the road they're looking at their phone."

A recent study by the Triple A Foundation found that distracted drivers are four to eight times more likely to cause a traffic accident than those who keep thier attention on the road.

TCC's Safe Not Sorry is an outdoor event. It was originally scheduled for last week, but rescheduled due to rain. Last year's event drew more than 300 participants.

TCC students will host the fair in the parking lot behind the Lifetime Sports Complex at TCC from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.