DILLSBURG, Pa. — Students at Northern High School in York County are getting behind the wheel to learn about the dangers of distracted and impaired driving.
Under the safety of virtual reality, students can hop into the Safety SIMulator, that came together through a partnership with the Pennsylvania DUI Association and State Farm, to learn first-hand how it is to drive under the influence.
The Safety SIMulator is a virtual driving experience that allows students to sit in a real car “cockpit” with working instruments and a three-screen, 120° view. The Safety SIMulator creates impaired driving scenarios in which the driver or other vehicles on the road are being operated by someone under the influence. The system operator can take the driver through a selection of hundreds of different driving scenarios.
This risk-free setting allows drivers to gain a better understanding of the risks associated with impaired driving.
Since many of the students participating in the two day experience are brand new drivers, educators at Northern High School said that it is important they learn risks associated with driving under the influence early.
Holiday travel is just around the corner, and Beth Thomey-Upton, organizer and agent at State Farm, said their goal is to let the students gain valuable experience before they get on the road to become safer and smarter drivers.
To learn more about the PA DIU Association and the Safety Simulator, click here.