CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — This week, driver education classes at Robert C. Byrd High School learned about drinking and driving through the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration’s DUI simulator. 12 News got a chance to speak with some of the students that participated.
On Wednesday and Thursday, students will get hands-on experience with various driving conditions, scenarios and hazards. The program itself mimics what drivers encounter at different blood alcohol content (BAC) levels. Some of the obstacles they encounter while using the computer simulator are deer and people running out into the road, sharp turns, and other vehicles driving in the opposing lane.
One of the students, Trystan Adams, mentioned how hard it was to drive in the simulator and that he was driving 70 miles per hour (mph) in a 20 mph zone. He said that as his BAC level continued to rise, he wound up hitting an eighteen-wheeler head-on in front of a police vehicle.
“It could show you what the precautions [consequences] of drinking and driving could be. Like you could lose your life, and it pretty much just shows you that you could just, pretty much die at any time if you drink and drive,” Trystan said.
Another student, Manny Fratto, told 12 News that he hit a lot of stuff during his time in the simulator, including a person. He said that steering was made more difficult because the simulator replicates symptoms of being under the influence and that nobody should drive in that condition.
The DUI simulator will be traveling to Buckhannon-Upshur and Grafton High Schools next week. If your school is interested in bringing the DUI simulator in to teach your students about drinking and driving, you can visit this link for more details.
