The Longest Student Health Center is hosting a Distracted Driving Simulator today in an effort to encourage students to think before joining the 660,000 cars on the road whose drivers are on their cell phones.
The simulator will be on the drill field from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. for students to experience the consequences of texting and driving and drinking and driving.
According to Joyce Yates, director of Health Education and Wellness, the department decided to bring in the simulator to encourage students to not drive while distracted.
“The Health Education and Wellness Department realizes the importance of prevention needed in the area of distracted driving,” Yates said.
The National Highway Safety Commission states that distracted driving is the cause of 16 percent of all fatal car crashes and 21 percent of all injury-causing crashes.
David Shrock, graduate student studying kinesiology, said this simulator will show students how being distracted while driving affects their reaction time.
“Participants will be able to take a ‘test drive,’ viewing a computerized screen above the dash that simulates a vehicle in motion. Upon completion of the exercise, the ‘drivers’ will be able to see how well or poorly they did in the demonstration,” Shrock said.
Claire Lightsey, junior elementary education major, said she does not agree with texting while driving because of the risks it
places on a person’s life.
“I believe that texting and driving is wrong because you are not only putting yourself at risk but others driving around you too. I would hate to be the one that sent the message that someone was reading when they crashed,” Lightsey said.
Shrock said the dangers of distracted driving are greater than one may think.
“Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting.  When traveling  at 55 miles per hour, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field,” Shrock said.
Yates said she hopes bringing the simulator to campus will have a positive impact on the students and that this will save the life of at least one student.
“Hopefully, once a participant sees his or her score while driving distracted, the student will realize the danger of this type of driving,” said Yates. “It is expensive to bring the simulator company to campus, but it is worth it if one life is saved due to the learning experience,” Yates said.
Lightsey said a life is more important than a text and she hopes students quit texting while driving after going through the simulator and seeing their results.
“Whoever you are texting is not as important as your life. If it is so important, pull over. But don’t risk your life and others just to text ‘hey,'” Lightsey said.