Photos & Video are property of Southwest Michigan Safe Communities Steering Committee and used with permission Annually, over 3,000 drivers in the United States between the ages of 16 and 21 years of age die because of car accidents. Within the state of Michigan, a disproportionate number of young drivers, ages 15 to 24 are involved in car accidents. Although this age group represents only 13.72 percent of the State’s total population, these drivers are involved in 23.91 percent of the car accidents. More importantly, the drivers in this age group are involved in 23.9 percent of the fatal crashes with one-half of them being between 15 and 19 years of age. Education & Prevention of Impaired Crashes (EPIC) program using a GEM car(Global Electric Motorcars) as a demonstration vehicle. It will be used in conjunction with pairs of Drunk Busters Impairment Goggles worn by the driver and passengers to simulate the effects of alcohol on someone operating a vehicle. The driver of the GEM car will attempt to negotiate a course comprised of safety cones to demonstrate the difficulty of operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.