Taylor Wilhite at the Distracted Driving simulator
As a valuable contribution to Homecoming week, Danbury Township Maintenance and Police Department secured a loan from the Ohio Department of Transportation of a Distracted Driving Simulator. Brett Waldron of Danbury Township is instructing students in the use of the simulator this week. The school is hoping to have all current drivers in the high school and many of the upcoming drivers have an opportunity to test drive the simulator.
For the first few minutes, students drive the simulator without distractions. For the next few minutes, or until there is a ticket or accident, students are given distractions such as texting while driving or interruptions from a passenger. When a ticket or accident occur, the simulator takes the student through a virtual experience of an ambulance ride or life flight and/or trial and hearing, with a summary of the financial costs and loss of driving privileges that result.
Danbury student Cassidy Rhodes drove very cautiously on the simulator, and still experienced an accident when distracted by texting. Cassidy said, “It was hard. I was surprised how hard it was. I definitely won’t text and drive.”