PHS SADD club hosts DWI Awareness program

PHS senior Kelsey Nagy reacts to the DWI simulator during last week's effort at the high school. The local SADD Club sponsored the visit in conjunction with the upcoming prom season. (Times photo/Tim Blair) [Click to enlarge]

In their continuing effort to emphasize the dangers of drinking and driving, the Piggott High School SADD Club hosted a visit from the UNITE DWI Prevention Program Thursday. The organization offers a program to all school-aged children and last week they brought their AWARE Simulator System to PHS.

"The simulator can emulate real driving conditions, and adjust for a driver that is under the influence," instructor Bill Taggart noted of the DS Portable Road Simulator. The system uses a KIA automobile that is wired with sensors and special platforms on which the front tires sit.

The software program then mimics the reactions of a person under the influence of alcohol and applies them to those of the student operating the simulator.

Use of the simulator was offered to all students at the high school during the course of the day, after they had the opportunity to view a video on how drunk driving crashes had affected the lives of several teens.

Most of the students drove the simulator in a suburban sitting, with a speed limit of 45 m.p.h. The computer then adjusted the student's driving to reflect a blood alcohol content of around .75 to .80, which is legally drunk in the state of Arkansas. Throughout the day hundreds of students tested their abilities, but none was able to complete the task without crashing. Dave Hendrix, the PHS driver's education instructor, also tried his hand but crashed as well.

After each student took a turn, the simulator the software would report on speeding, number of moving violations, collisions and fatalities. Each student was then given a mock "ticket" with their name and particular information. Each was marked as a DUI citation, and bore the reminder to "don't drink and drive." The students waiting to drive also had the chance to watch the exercise unfold on a computer screen on top of the vehicle.

"We travel all over the country with the simulator, in fact we drive the car from location to location," Taggart said. "We were in Poplar Bluff before coming to Piggott and will be going to a location in Oklahoma from here," he said of fellow instructor Christina Holstege and himself.

The DWI Prevention Program was brought to PHS by the SADD Club, which is sponsored by Karen Coomer and Mona Scott. Each year the club holds events to further educate the students on the dangers of driving impaired, usually in conjunction with the upcoming prom season.

Those wanting more information on the UNITE International Program may visit online at dwiprevention.org