Distracted Driving Simulator Shows Consequences Of Texting While Driving

Our distracted driving simulator was front and center at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School recently. While there, student were able to get an up-close look at the dangers of texting while driving. Our drunk driving simulator was also running, so students were learning the dangers of distracted driving and drinking and driving.

Underestimated The Dangers

During the event, FOX10 made a stop at the high school. They were able to talk to students after going through the distracted driving simulator. The students said they underestimated the dangers of drinking and distracted driving. Max Vandewater, a crew member for the Arrive Alive Tour, said that our simulator allows students to experience the potential consequences of distracted and impaired driving in a controlled environment. 

Vandewater said, “We drive all over the country and just get to see horrible driving techniques. So hopefully they take away safety first, rather than a phone call or fun.”

Distracted Driving Simulator

The simulation allows the students to get behind the wheel of an actual Jeep. The vehicle is put on bluetooth sensors, so the brake pedal, gas pedal and steering wheel can all be used. The students wear virtual reality goggles, which gives them the sense of being drunk or shows the road, as the crew asks them to send a text message using their own phone.

The simulator will give them a delay in their reaction time or make their vision more blurry to simulate how you feel after a few drinks. John Allen Andrews, a student at McGill-Toolen, said, “They give you like a grace period to like just get control of the wheel, then they started adding to it and it got really hard.” Katherine Mather, another student at McGill-Toolen, added, “You think you can drink and drive and it’s going to be okay, but once you actually get behind the wheel, it’s a lot different than you think it’s going to be.”

Something To Take Serious

School counselor Jeannie Nix helped bring the distracted driving simulator to the school. This is such an important issue around the country, it is not doubt schools want their students to experience it. Nix said, “We really want them to see what the dangers are and understand that even what they are seeing on TV or whatever their friends are doing, or whatever they see older kids do, there really are some serious dangers, so we want to them to experience it themselves.”