DWI Simulator Arrive Alive Visits Northeastern State University

On March 13, Northeastern State University administrators worked to educate students about the hazards of partying too hard during Spring Break. As part of the Safe Spring Break Week, NSU hosted Unite’s Arrive Alive Tour program, which used a state-of-the-art virtual reality dwi simulator to educate students about the dangers of impaired driving.

“Northeastern State is pleased to be able to help provide this experience as a part of our overall health and wellness efforts for our students,” said Ben Hardcastle, NSU vice president for university relations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drivers used a virtual reality dwi simulator with a real steering wheel and gas and brake pedal. Participants chose between three dwi simulator systems: texting and driving, drunk driving, or drugged driving, which mimicked the effects of marijuana.

“A majority of the people choose drinking over the others. They think that is more dangerous,” said Mallory McKenzie of Unite.

NSU Junior Logan Bryant did the drunken driving simulator, and he didn’t expect it to be as difficult as it was. He was also surprised he crashed as soon as he did. “I think a lot of college students think they are invincible, and it’s good to show them they’re not,” he said. “It’s a fun experience necessary to teach college students.”

Every two minutes, someone is injured in a drunken driving crash, and one person is killed every 50 minutes in the U.S. due to alcohol-related vehicle crashes, according to arrivealivetour.com.

Unite is a Michigan health and wellness organization that has been offering a dwi simulator for 13 years. It began using the virtual reality headsets five years ago, and added a marijuana simulation a year ago.

“Our tour started in California, and overwhelmingly the students were choosing the THC sim