KPLU Local News
(2010-05-02)
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A student tries to text while driving in the D2 simulator.
Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Transportation Department
Students at Murray High School are trying out the Distracted Driving, or "D2," Simulator. The machine looks like a NASCAR arcade game. But what arcade game has left and right turn signals, or a working horn? The simulator is designed to recreate the driving experience as accurately as possible. Students provide their own distractions.
"I want you to find a text message that someone has sent to you and read it out loud to me."
Kentucky Young Drivers Program Manager Shane Ratcliff directs a 16 year old through the simulator.
" Says hey.' Says hey, that's all it says. OK, hit reply.'"
The goal is to hit the brake when a small stop sign graphic somewhere on the simulator screen, but when that happens, it's the students' friends who are the first to notice.
" Hit reply, put where's the party at' Stop sign' *brake* Aha, I had you distracted, didn't I?' Ya'll tell him.' Ah, snap.'"
The simulation ends and Ratcliff explains the statistics that pop up on the screen. Before the student realized it, the stop sign was on screen for 4.3 seconds, and the car had traveled over four hundred feet. In total, the car took six hundred feet to stop.
" Well, I'm dead.' Now put the phone away and we'll do it again while you're paying attention, and we'll show you how much different it is."
Ratcliff says most young people don't listen to a warning about distracted driving, but when they see it for themselves, the result is different. The 16-year-old goes through the D2 again, this time with his cell phone aside. Assistant Evie Paschall reads the results.
" Look at your stopping time. You're seventy-five percent faster the second time than the first time when you were texting. So what does that tell you?' I should definitely not text while I drive.'"
Seems like a 180 degree reversal, but talking to the students after the simulation, that assessment may be premature.
" Do you think this has changed your opinion of texting while driving?' Yeah, a little bit. Just a little bit. My brakes work, so when I mash that brake, I know my truck's stopping."
Others aren't as confident.
"After this, I probably'd never text again. Cause my reaction time was really, really bad."
This 19-year-old senior says she's been scared off texting before when she's almost had an accident.
"My heart jumped out of me, so's I was like, I ain't gonna text and drive,' but then I will go back to it, of course."
One student stands quietly against the wall. She says she never texts and rarely talks on her phone when she's in the car. This high schooler didn't need a simulation.
"Um, . . . my cousin . . . got hit by a car."
The girls agree, even if the D2 didn't convince them, the possibility of getting a ticket does. They say it's not worth it. Starting July 1, law enforcement officers will give warnings to drivers who text. Come January, those warnings will turn into fines, $25 for the first offense, $50 for every offense after that. Shane Ratcliff says Transportation Cabinet officials have upped their education efforts ahead of the new law.
"The office has recently purchased another simulator. So that we can have two going out all the time, even though the second one isn't in yet."
Around 125 students got a chance to go through the D2 simulator during its two-days at Murray High School. Students enjoyed the chance to get out of class for a few minutes. Program organizers appreciated that the simulator came to the school for free. The state covers the entire cost. © Copyright 2012, WEKU
