There’s a new vehicle in the WA parking lot this week: a large blue and green bus. It takes up a few spaces in the lot, but for a good purpose.
The University of Massachusetts Memorial Center brought their Teen Distracted Reality and Interactive Virtual Education, also known as D.R.I.V.E, trailer to WA. The trailer contains a functioning texting and driving simulator to teach students about the dangers of distracted driving.
“The purpose of having the simulator here would be to demonstrate to the kids here texting and driving and the negative side effects of it,” said health teacher, Brian Roark.
By taking students through a routine, the simulator models real life situations of distracted driving. Students participating in the program are seated in a driver’s chair in front of a TV screen where the road is displayed, and have a steering wheel and pedals on the floor, as well.
As students are driving along the simulated road, a cell phone pops onto the screen in the corner and students must respond to the text messages by clicking responses with their mouse.
“It shows how texting, or clicking, creates a distraction, because you’re looking down at the screen at the same time as you’re driving,” said Roark. “You don’t notice the red lights you’re going through, that there’s people in the street, and that there’s possibly cars coming up behind you in the rear view mirror.”
Senior students were randomly selected out of health and gym classes to try out the simulator. Seniors were their focus for the project because it is aimed at students that have their licenses.
“It was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” said senior participant Anna Collins. “I found myself stopping in the middle of the road to answer the text, and there were pedestrians in the crosswalk I didn’t even see.”
Leo Perreault is in charge of the program and helps the kids get set up and work the simulator. He has been running the program for the last five years at schools mainly in Worcester County.
Westford Academy brought this program in after hearing about it from a Burlington High School teacher. The trailer came at no cost to the school, as it is sponsored by UMASS Memorial and Allstate Insurance.
Detective Justin Agraz, the school’s student resource officer, has been present during the simulations. During his time on patrol as a Westford police officer, he has seen numerous instances of incidents centered around this form of distracted driving.
“I’ve seen more accidents caused by texting and driving than any other factor on the road,” said Agraz. “Everyone knows that drinking and driving is illegal and dangerous, but people see looking down to send a text as an innocent thing.”
This is the reason the school found the program so important to teach student drivers, to teach them the severity of their driving decisions.
“We’re trying to show students the dangers that exist on the road and the dangers that exist with technology when they are so attached and glued to their phones,” said Roark. “They have to put the phone down in order to focus on the road. There could be an instance where you pick your phone up and there’s a soccer ball that rolls into the road and a kid goes across the road, or you miss a stop sign and hit someone.”
The D.R.I.V.E. trailer will also be returning in June to teach students about the consequences of driving under the influence. This program takes participants through the process of getting into an accident, to the police station, to the courtroom, and ultimately to jail. This allows the students to experience the real-life implications if they were ever to get into a distracted driving accident.
