Simulated dangers, real-life lessons

Statistics show that automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages 16 to 23, with alcohol involved in more than half of these fatalities. And, more frequently nowadays, texting is becoming another major factor in wrecks.

But if that evidence isn’t enough to illuminate the danger, the Michigan-based health and wellness company PEER Awareness gives those in that age bracket a better understanding of the hazards. It brought its texting and DUI driving awareness simulator to Blue Ridge Community College on Thursday.

PEER Awareness provided BRCC students with a Nissan Versa suspended and monitored with sensors to simulate driving in real life.

Once behind the wheel, participants were given a headset display rendering a virtual field of vision, which is distorted in conjunction with the driver’s blood alcohol content. The software also slows reaction time. Participants provide their age, gender, weight class and hypothetical number of drinks consumed in one hour to come up with their BAC.

The virtual drive through a residential neighborhood features numerous obstacles along the way, including a biker, a pedestrian, a dog crossing the street and other cars. Once the simulation is over, the program tells the driver how many times he or she exceeded the speed limit, crossed over to the opposite side of the road and hit something.

“All that’s missing is blue lights,” said James Wright, assistant professor of health and physical education at BRCC.

“The kids are really into this,” said PEER Awareness road manager Richard Haight. “They’re actually getting a firsthand view while they’re sober of what it’s like to be drunk. It’s the only place you can go where one minute you’re sober, and the next minute you’re drunk, and then you’re sober again.”

In order to incorporate the dangers of texting while driving, users must navigate through the same neighborhood — this time “sober” — while texting, “Hey, how are you?” on their cell phones.

Haight said the texting segment of the simulation is harder for a lot of people than the DUI part, and he added that texting while driving has become a major problem for young people.

“A lot of kids think texting and driving ain’t that big of a deal, but it really is,” he said. “There’s numerous accidents all over the country because people are looking at their phone instead of paying attention to driving.”

Wright noted that although there are currently no hard numbers for fatalities related to texting and driving, the subject matter was significant enough to be included in this year’s simulation. It wasn’t a part of the program the last time PEER Awareness came to BRCC.

“The preliminary indicators are that texting is every bit as distracting and dangerous as driving under the influence,” Wright said.

He also believes that a hands-on learning experience bodes much better for the students than a routine lecture on the risks.

“It’s a lot of fun for the kids — they giggle and laugh — but it gets their attention,” he said.