The Student Programming Association sponsored a “No Texting and Driving Simulator” in front of the Student Union on Sept. 4 to inform students about the dangers of texting while driving.
The “No Texting and Driving Simulator” booth was complete with an actual car hooked up to a virtual simulation device, a pledge book that students could sign and interviews with actual families of victims of texting and driving accidents.
The non-profit organization that brought the real life car and simulation software, along with their passion to educate students about the hazards of texting and driving, is the PEERS Foundation.
The PEERS foundation, formed by Michael Seymore in 2008, upholds the “responsibility to educate today’s youth about the importance of making healthy decisions.”
“We are here to inform kids that more people have been killed in texting and driving accidents than drunk driving accidents, and that it can happen to anyone, young or old,” a PEERS volunteer said.
Many students signed the pledge saying that “No text message, email, website or video is worth the risk of endangering my life or the lives of others on the road. I pledge to never text and drive and will take action to educate others about the dangers of texting while driving.”
If students were still skeptical about how texting for a few seconds could really hurt anyone, they were encouraged by the PEERS volunteers to step into the simulator where they would be asked to put the virtual road simulation over their eyes and try to drive around obstacles while sending a text message.
For some students, the task seemed easy enough, but as they drove through the simulated roads and obstacles, every student got in numerous wrecks. One student even hit a virtual pedestrian.
Acadia Thompson, mass communication freshman, already knows how dangerous texting and driving can be and already chose not to touch her phone while behind the wheel.
“I never text and drive and this simulation proves why I don’t text while I’m driving in the first place,” Thompson said.
After trying out the simulator, students who regularly text and drive have now changed their minds because of the deadly consequences.
Rasheaka Gremillion, biology freshman, is one of those students. “I did text and drive before going through the simulator, and I didn’t realize how dangerous it really can be,” she said.
Both of these students made the pledge to stop texting and driving and to spread the word about how one simple text behind the wheel can change someone’s life forever.
The texting and driving law for Louisiana came into effect July 1. It reads: “No person shall operate any motor vehicle upon any public road or highway of this state while using a wireless telecommunications device to write, send or read a text-based communication; it is a primary offense.”
Those who did not get a chance to experience the simulator on campus can still do so online at www.itcanwait.com.