Imagine getting in the driver’s seat after three beers - and driving into oncoming traffic.
Smart Drive’s new “Remediation and Education Program for Driving Under the Influence” gives drivers that chance - virtually.
MSU police and Olin Health Center demonstrated Smart Drive’s system Monday at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.
The program is designed to deter people from driving under the influence of alcohol by allowing them to virtually drive drunk when they are actually sober. The system is set up like a video game.
“This shows more of a realistic (picture) of what you can really do being drunk while you are driving,” said Tonya Michelson, a spokeswoman for Smart Drive Simulating Training. “While you are sober, it will take you through a scenario impaired from .08 (blood-alcohol level) to .10.”
The system looks like the inside of a Ford Crown Victoria. It is equipped with three screens - which provide a wraparound view of the road - and a steering wheel, brake, gas, turn signals and full dashboard.
The program presents driving scenarios that allow the participant to use the vehicle while sober and then virtually drunk. After the road examination, the driver sees the effects of drunken driving.
“It was a year to a year and a half worth of research into scenarios, statistics and what is working out in the field today as far as DUI remediation,” said Peggy Langille, administrative manager of Smart Drive.
Langille said the Smart Drive system is original.
“There is nothing out there on the market that I’ve been able to find that is this type of a program that involves vehicle simulation, along with all the other things involved,” she said. “Vehicle simulation gives you hands-on learning, which means you get to see it or hear it.”
Some participants, like East Lansing District Court Judge David Jordon, said the simulation is realistic and nerve-racking.
“The one where I ended up driving across a field, I think that I was jamming on the break but they had it set up like I made a mistake and jammed on the gas,” Jordon said. “Every time I turned I was overcorrecting.”
Jordon, who will analyze the product, said it helps drivers to see the impact of drunken driving.
“I think people don’t realize how much their perception and motor skills are impaired by alcohol,” Jordon said. “The first thing that happens is you lose your judgment.”
The system includes an educational period in which the driver views statistics and facts about drunken driving. It also features video of family members of victims.
The MSU police said the project should help reduce DUI rates.
“This has a higher potential of getting across because it is interactive,” said MSU police Officer Steven Beard, who helped organized the demonstration. “They also get the driving, and they get the education as far as being involved.
“It is a little more attractive than a classroom setting; more opportunity to pay attention and get involved on a one-on-one level.”
Beard said the Smart Drive system is one component of police efforts.
“We are promoting health education in conjunction with Olin Health Center,” he said. “This is one of our kickoffs to promote alcohol education at the university.”
