Utica College – NY

Driving simulator shows students how split second changes can mean life or death on the road

By WKTV News

Story Created: Apr 25, 2011 at 4:11 PM EDT

Story Updated: Apr 25, 2011 at 6:04 PM EDT UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) – Drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of five seconds – enough time to hurt or even kill someone.

Some Utica College students got behind the wheel on Monday to test that fact, when a company called UNITE came in with a distracted driving simulator. The simulator acts like a video game and allows students to experience the potential consequences of using a cell phone while driving.

“We help people to make the right choice,” said Andrew Rogers of UNITE. “We all know texting and driving, and drinking and driving is bad, but we’re trying to put them in the different real life simulations. Like, someone will come up, cross and jaywalk. It raises awareness that some stuff doesn’t always happen the way it should on the road.”

The simulator also put students in a drunk driving scenario showing them just what could happen in as little a time frame as a split second.