Drive Square Driving Simulator
The Northwestern Lehigh School Police Department recognizes the hazards and the human toll that Driving Under the Influence exacts from our community. According to the Pennsylvania DUI Association in 2019 there were a total of 9380 DUI-related crashes in Pennsylvania, resulting in 299 deaths.
Of particular concern is the fact that 14% of the driver fatalities in the 16-20 year age group were drinking drivers.
In order to combat this trend, the Northwestern Lehigh School District obtained grant funding to purchase the DS-575-EDU Basic Drive Square Driving Simulator. Now that COVID restrictions are being removed, this system is being prepared to be used as part of the ongoing efforts of the Northwestern Lehigh School Police Department and Students Against Drunk Driving to educate young drivers about the dangers of DUI.
This system will allow students to sit in an actual vehicle and safely experience operating a vehicle in a simulated drunk mode through the use of a head-mounted virtual reality display that will simulate the effects of Driving Under the Influence, such as delayed response to controls and the narrowing of the effective field of view. Although the vehicle will be stationary, turntables and sensors will allow students to simulate turning and pedal use in response to what they experience through the headset.
As noted by Drive Square https://www.drivesquare.com/tech/ this system has been utilized by multiple agencies to help educate persons about the hazards of DUI. Northwestern Lehigh is excited to present this opportunity to our students so that they better understand the risks of DUI and devastating and permanent effects it has on families, communities and our nation.
This program is made possible through a grant funded by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The opinions and statements expressed in this advertisement do not necessarily represent the views of the Pennsylvania.