Remember, don’t drive distracted, put down the phone and keep both hands on the wheel.

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

The students themselves found the experience in the PEERS Driving Simulator an experience they won’t forget and a lesson learned.  The article also stated, the simulation came to the school via the district’s Saftey and Security Department, SADD Club and the county Department of Emergency Services.  A local tent rental busines, Central PA provided a large tent outside the school for the event.

Quoted in the article are several students, here are two very good experiences that will change how they drive distracted.

“Siera Bathgate, 17, admitted she has texted while driving before … but won’t again after Tuesday’s simulation. “It’s bad and can cause many problems to you and to others,” she said.”

“I hit her! I hit a person!” Kierstan Kerstetter exclaimed while simulating driving while texting. The 16-year-old has her permit, but said she hasn’t texted while driving and never will.”

Take a look at the full story here on LockHaven.com

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration stated that 594 teens have died from distracted driving in 2009.  The PEERS distracted driving simulator helps teens experience the feeling of distracted driving and seeing the consequences.
ABC 2 News covered the event, take a look at the video below to see our Simulator in action:

Source:
ABC 2 News – First National summit on teens and distracted driving this week

The four school tour consisted of Frenchtown, Billings Central, Belgrade and Butte High.  The experience was covered by several local Montana news organizations.

Watch this video from a different school which demonstrates the impaired driving simulator.

Check out what the students had to say about the simulator experience:

French Town –

Briggeman, Kim. “Simulator teaches high-schoolers dangers of impaired, distracted driving.”Missoulian 04 10 2011. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.  http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_b2340922-ef03-11e0-b22f-001cc4c002e0.html

“Texting and driving dangers highlighted in Frenchtown.” KPAX News 05 10 2011. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. http://www.kpax.com/news/texting-and-driving-dangers-highlighted-in-frenchtown

Belgrade –

“Car Simulator Shows Students What It’s Like To Drive Drunk And Distracted.” KTVM NBC 07 10 2011. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. http://www.nbcmontana.cm/ktvm/29412935/detail.html

Billings Central –

Benoit, Zach. “Central students get hands-on look at dangers of texting, drinking while driving.”Billings Gazette 28 09 2011. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.  http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/article_e3b6c083-4b80-5ac3-9537-56aadf85aaa4.html?oCampaign=hottopics

And check out this interview with a student before and after our simulator:

Check out the full article, here.

The way humans operate on a day-by-day basis has changed drastically. We interact with technology exponentially more than we did a mere 20 years ago. Tablet PCs, smart phones, wireless internet anywhere—the ways in which we perceive information are becoming more and more technology-oriented.

We at PEER Awareness recognize the importance of working within this new trend. That is why we use all of the most cutting-edge technology in our interactive programs. For example, our DUI simulator uses a real car—not some artificial simulator—to give students the perspective of actually driving. The car is suspended on sensors which receive input from the “driver.” Our technicians get information from the “driver,” such as body type, gender, and height, and then they calculate a specialized rendering of hypothetical drinks per hour. The students put on the heads-up display (HUD) and attempt to drive the vehicle through real road conditions, including rain, snow, and ice.



Peer Influence

Humans are social creatures. We like to connect with others and share experiences. This allows us to learn through others by their experiences, by discussion, and by encouraging behaviors.

We keep this in mind when designing our programs. Our Dare to Face Your Future program, for instance, allows students to walk through an interactive museum-like exhibit with their peers. By inciting interactivity among students, awareness of important topics spreads on its own, fueled by social interaction. This also allows students to learn from other students’ experiences, and gives them a chance to tell others of their own experiences. Operating in the scope of social interaction, our programs impact students much more significantly than traditional lecturing which keeps students silently listening.



Own Proof Source

Humans learn best by doing themselves. When we were kids, it wasn’t enough to hear that the stove was hot—we had to touch it ourselves to learn our lesson. This metaphor carries over to many different situations, but the process is still the same: by being in the experience, we learn the best.

By designing our programs to first and foremost be interactive, we are able to put students inside the experiences. With our DUI Simulator, students get to experience for themselves the dangers of drunk driving in a real car, but with no real danger to themselves. While lecturing, campaigns, and public service announcements may bombard students with drunk driving awareness, our programs are able to impact each student on an individual, personal level.