Simulator shows effects of drunk driving (Photo by John Schreiber, The Daily Campus)

Students crowded the southeast corner of the Dedman Center Monday to get behind the wheel of a drunk driving simulator for a sobering interactive experience.

The mobile drunk driving simulator, which resembled an arcade version of ‘Crusin’ USA,’ was anything but.

In an effort to interactively educate, the $1.2 million dollar machine allowed students to cruise the virtual city streets as it increased their blood alcohol content (BAC) on the screen. Students had approximately three and a half minutes to roam the virtual city streets driving normally while the simulator impaired their motor skills with increased BAC, delaying reaction time by as much as half a second. As the numbers on the center screen increased from one to 11, the participant’s reaction time became slower, often causing them to lose control.

Program Council and the Dean of Student Life co-sponsored the simulation in an effort to make more students aware of the dangers involved with drinking and driving.

“Interactive programs are much more appealing for students than lectures,” Dee Siscoe said, dean of student life. “Hopefully this will prevent some students from getting behind the wheel when they shouldn’t be.”

Students taking Wellness I participated in the simulation during class after hearing guest speaker John Sanger, director of the SMU center for alcohol and drug abuse prevention, during class.

“There is a direct correlation between blood alcohol and car crashes,” Sanger said. “And impairment starts well below the legal limit at .05.”

As the day progressed, these facts were put to the test- passing every time. After swerving off the road into the virtual grass and failing to regain control, sophomore Anthony Mungioli said it was then he realized how impaired his judgment had become. His virtual blood alcohol content fell just shy of .2.

“You would be amazed at how much damage can be done in that delayed amount of time,” C. J. Oldes said, one of the two set-up crew members.

Oldes and road manager Dan Burrington travel all over the country to set-up and demonstrate the drunk driving simulators for students. Having interacted with many students, both Oldes and Burrington agree that most people take the simulation seriously, but there are always one or two who treat it like a game.

“We shut down those students who think it’s a video game and intentionally hit vehicles,” Burrington said. “We ask them to leave.”

“It drives me insane when students don’t take this seriously, Oldes added.

“Our goal was to target the Wellness teachers and we have done that,” Sarah Aghassi, performing and visual arts chair for Program Council, said, adding that the event was a success.

The drunk driving simulations tour, officially known as “Save a Life” is sponsored by Edutainment and booked by Kramer Entertainment located in Grand Rapids, MI.

For more information visit http://www.kramerintl.com/.