KO Students Learn Dangers of Distracted Driving

The phone rings or a friend texts. A teenager, fresh with his or her new driver's license, has to make the decision of whether to answer.

Although the right thing to do is not to pick up the phone, the teen takes just the few seconds to do it anyhow. Right then, a deer appears in the road ahead.

The distraction is just enough that the driver doesn't have time to react.

That type of situation is what about 165 wellness class students faced Wednesday when Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC representatives visited with a teen driver simulation program designed to prevent destructive driving behaviors among teens and young adults. The program is now in its third year, according to Andrea Kunicky, Children's spokesperson.

Through the combination of driving simulation, intense interactions and first-person consequence videos, the teens were immersed in an emotional and personal experience that program organizers hope will transform or prevent dangerous driving behaviors.

KO wellness instructor Scott McCormick said school officials chose National Teen Driver Safety Week, Oct. 17-21, to bring home the message of safe driving to the students in grades 9-12. The program is made available to schools through a grant from Allstate insurance.

"If it helps one student change what they're doing, then it's worth it," McCormick said. "This is something that affects them right now."

Children’s Hospital staff members Darius Carlins and Jordan Hines guided students step-by-step through a simulated experience that used high-definition video scenes and cutting-edge gaming technology to show real life consequences of poor decision making while driving.

The simulation focused on the consequences of impaired and distracted driving as the students safely experienced the risks and consequences of driving distracted or impaired.

The driving distractions included alcohol, fatigue, illegal/prescription drugs, texting, cell phones, peer interaction and other scenarios. The simulator let students experience braking, speeding and stopping under those simulated conditions, McCormick said.

They also learned about consequences—from car repairs in an accident to having to be flown by helicopter because of traumatic injuries, he said, as they safely experienced the risks and consequences of driving distracted or impaired.

Although he isn't quite old enough yet for a license, Kyle Clause, a freshman,  found the challenges of being behind the wheel "fun."

Senior Courtney Garda, 17, a licensed driver for about a year, found the information helpful but different than actually being on the road. During the simulation, she tried texting but gave up.

"Texting on my real phone is a lot easier than that phone," she said. "And that car's a lot different."

When driving on the road, Courtney said she saves texting for when she's stopped at a red light or parked.