Drunk Driving Programs: Marietta College Hosts Arrive Alive Tour’s Simulators

The Arrive Alive Tour is bringing their drunk driving programs across the nation. One of their recent stops was at Marietta College in Ohio. The students got a hands-on look at the dangers of distracted driving and impaired driving.

Drunk Driving Programs - Arrive Alive Tour

Drunk Driving Programs

For our stop at Marietta College, WTAP News attended the event to cover it. Michael Tatar was on-site, as he got a chance to try out the simulator himself. Participants get right into the driver’s seat of a Jeep Patriot for the drunk driving programs. They are shown the reality of distracted driving and drunk driving. What happens when they make the choice to get behind the wheel under those circumstances.

The Marietta College Police Department brought the program to campus. Marietta College Chief of Police James Weaver said, “Distracted driving is something that has become very prevalent over the years, with the introduction of certain technologies and it causes a lot of accidents.”

A Surprising Experience

Drunk driving programs give participants the feel of being intoxicated without being intoxicated. Weaver said, “It was very interesting and very immersive. Being not intoxicated helped me to see what it’s looks like to be intoxicated.”

Students were on-hand to go through the drunk driving simulator, as Marietta College student Stephanie Sydensticker said, “At first, it was really easy because she started me off easy. But then after a while she started adding the alcohol and then it got blurry and then in got scary because there were things pulling out.”

Distracted Driving Can Be Same As Drunk Driving

Many people think that drinking and driving is way worse than texting while driving. That is not the case! Max Vandewater, safety ambassador for Arrive Alive Tour, said, “With texting and driving, your attention span is decreased to about the same level as a .08 blood alcohol level, so it’s very similar in the fact that your full attention, all of a sudden, the road is not a part of that.”

Drivers have to remember to focus when they are on the road! Vandewater said, “The most important thing to remember while you’re on the road, is that it requires critical thinking and very quick judgment. Once you’re impaired with alcohol, it’s obviously lowering your judgment ability.”