Karenis Foster reacts to "driving" into the path of a truck while simulating driving and texting. Save a Life Tour simulations mimic distracted driving conditions. John Richardson administers the test Tuesday at Penn State Mont Alto campus. (By Kevin G. Gilbert, Staff Photographer) |
Ninoshka Coronado thought she could text and drive without a problem.
But the Penn State Mont Alto student got a sobering dose of virtual reality Tuesday when she got behind the wheel of a Safe A Life Tour: Distracted Driving Simulator at the school.
“I do it (text) often. I’m pretty good at it,” said Coronado, 19, of Hanover, Pa. “But when I got on this, I was really bad at texting and driving.”
After getting behind the wheel of one of the two simulators, she slammed into another car while texting, resulting in a virtual fatality and tallying up an $11,350 fine.
She was one of several hundred students who got a realistic look at the dangers of texting while driving when Penn State Mont Alto hosted the Save A Life Tour, which featured two driving simulators in the Heritage Room in the Millstream Cafe.
Pennsylvania will ban texting while driving when a law goes into effect on March 8. It will be a primary offense, permitting police to pull over drivers they see violating the law. It carries a potential $50 fine.
Donna Rhodes, Penn State Mont Alto’s coordinator of student activities, said she hopes the program increased awareness of the dangers of texting and driving.
“I’m hoping they (students) think about it (texting and driving) when they pick up their phone in their car,” Rhodes said. “It’s unrealistic to think this program is going to stop it completely, but as long as it raises awareness about what can potentially happen, then we have made a difference.”
In addition to the simulators, students were greeted by an open casket and a graphic accident video.
“I’m going to stop after watching that video. It really shocked me,” Coronado said. “I didn’t think over a text message you would be able to kill so many people and even go to jail and injure yourself.”
According to event organizers, research shows that texting while driving is about six times more likely to result in a crash than driving while intoxicated, and results in more than half a million deaths and injuries every year.
The Save A Life Tour stops at military bases, high schools and college campuses, spreading the word about the dangers of texting and driving across the country, said John Richardson, instructor for the tour.
“My goal is to stop people from texting and driving and to save a few lives,” he said. “If I can reach one person, I’ve made a difference.”
The exercise was a reality check for Penn State Mont Alto freshman Allison Saner.
When the 19-year-old got behind the wheel of the simulator and tried to text her responses to a few simple questions, she swerved, veered off the road and crashed into another vehicle, causing a fatality.
“I just can’t believe it. I text and drive, but it was never real to me,” Saner said. “You just don’t realize how much it really affects your driving when you’re texting and not paying attention.”
James Baigmorada, 21, a sophomore from Johnstown, Pa., had a tough time texting and driving.
“I thought it was a really good exercise because I normally don’t drive while texting, and now I see why,” Baigmorada said.
He couldn’t keep a constant speed and nearly crashed several times. The simulator reinforced his commitment not to text and drive.
“When you’re driving to risk someone else’s life and your life, that’s a terrible thing to do,” Baigmorada said.
