What do a stationary golf cart and root beer floats have to do with drunken driving?

Vanguard Photo | Arianna Paver

Students had the opportunity to experience drunken driving without having to risk their lives.

Both were used to educate students on Dec. 8 through an event sponsored by the Program Board and Peer Health Educators, which collaborated to help students be aware of the dangers of drunken driving.

The DUI Simulator emulated real road driving conditions. The simulator was designed to realistically show participants the dangers of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

A Drunk Driving Simulator allowed students to drive in a simulated drunk mode.

The simulator demonstrates the dangerous effects of DUI/DWI driving, such as delayed response to controls and   “tunnel vision.”

Kari Lewis, applied studies senior, said that using the simulator allows students to experience drunken driving and to make an impact.

“Since we are using an actual car, this high-fidelity tool really brings the ‘do not drink and drive’ message home,” she said.

The in-vehicle simulator also facilitates the usage of mobile devices to demonstrate the dangers of driving while distracted by texting or similar activities.

The demonstrations were done in short sessions with spectators observing while each student was driving.

Participants in the event received root beer floats for their involvement.

Andrew Boyle, vice president of Program Board, said that the organization has wanted to do something like this for a while.

“We tried to get a simulator in the past, but the reality was that it was too expensive,” he said.

Lewis said that she hoped students would understand the meaning of the program.

“The obvious point of this program is don’t drive drunk,” she said.

Under Michigan law, it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, or impaired, by alcohol, illegal drugs, and some prescribed medications.

Lena Stoddard, professional technical writing junior, said that the simulator offers the chance to experience drunken driving without the danger of hurting anyone.

“It’s a real good concept, but it would be interesting to drive the simulator, just to what kind of damage you could do,” she said.