Brighton teens take crash course on dangers of driving

Driving while distracted, drunk or high can lead to an accident

We often hear about fatal accidents on our freeways because the driver was intoxicated or distracted. That’s why one local insurance agency is doing its part to educate the next generation of drivers about the dangers of having a license.

This program out of West Michigan called ” Arriving Alive” is a real car and simulator around the country to teach kids about the dangers of driving drunk, high or distracted.

“So you get all the physical sensations of driving, but mentally you’re in a virtual reality headset,” Arrive Alive Tour instructor Shaquille Hill said. “And in front of the computer system, we set a delay, controlling your peripheral vision and things like that, and the systems you’re in.”

“It was like a little blur in the corners of the screen,” Brighton High School freshman Owen Buckley said.

“I tried THC,” Brighton High School freshman Scarlet Hayes said. “And the vision is like a blur. It has some weird flashes. And it really looks like a hard turn, and the reaction time is very slow.”

The tour made the stop at Brighton High School thanks to the owner of a Brighton insurance agency, who hopes this training will help avoid serious accidents in the future.

“These kids don’t have a driver’s license yet, but they will, and hopefully they will remember this program when they get behind the wheel of a car or behind the wheel,” said Brighton Insurence owner Sean Pipoli.

Kim De Giulio tested the car herself and says the simulator is pretty fun. She says it gives the feeling of being in a video game. She thinks the excitement of seeing others watching you during the simulation is also enjoyable, but she wants everyone to understand that driving while distracted, drunk or stoned is not safe because it can lead to an accident.

Pipoli says that if this program at Brighton even sparked a conversation among students about the dangers of drunk or distracted driving, then that’s the way it is.

“It’s usually like other people in the car who usually get hurt except for the drunk driver,” Brighton High School freshman Lauren Hollis. – So you’re risking other people’s lives. Even if you’re not even under any kind of influence, you’re still hurting other people and affecting them.”

Pipoli hopes this will also spark discussions about not using your phone while driving.

“I think it would be very helpful to place my phone on a separate console or middle console, for example, and turn off the ringer so it doesn’t make any sounds or distractions and I can’t see it, so I’m not tempted to pick it up,” Hayes said.