PARKERSBURG - A driving safety event will take place at the Kmart parking lot on the south side of Parkersburg from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 15.
Dan McPherson, a local State Farm insurance agent, has been holding the event for about 14 years. He said he wanted to bring the ideas of State Farm's driver safety program to Parkersburg. The company holds the event in larger cities, but agents across the country can hold one in their hometown.
This year the event will be sponsored by State Farm, and there will be events for teenagers.
"Kids will drive golf carts through a course wearing fatal vision goggles," said McPherson.
The goggles will be provided by the state of West Virginia, the city of Parkersburg and Wood County. There will be about 15 pairs for teenagers to use throughout the event.
Participants will be given the goggles to go through nine or 10 different stations. They will be "texting and driving" in one of the obstacles, to understand how it affects driver attention to the roadway.
"The most important thing is to keep one child out there from doing these things," said McPherson.
Former Parkersburg South High School teacher Larry "Mad Max" Maxwell and Miss West Virginia are scheduled to attend.
A hearse and a limousine will be provided by Leavitt Funeral Home. The limousine will carry the words "Go to prom in this," and the hearse will carry, "But do you want to come home in this?"
The West Virginia State Police will have a sobriety checkpoint and the sheriff's office will bring its Kid Print ID.
Volunteer fire departments will bring rescue equipment to show attendees what it takes to get someone out of a car involved in an accident. FedEx is bringing a tractor-trailer to show teenagers how difficult it is for a semi or large truck to see cars out of the rear view mirror.
There will be games, such as cornhole and a water balloon toss.
The event is for ages 13 and up, along with their parents.
As part of Celebrate My Drive, State Farm is giving away 14 $100,000 grants to high schools across the U.S. and Canada. To vote for a school online each day from Sept. 10-15, go to www.teendriving.statefarm.com/celebrate-my-drive.
