Simulator creates awareness for impaired driving prevention

BOONE COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – The importance of driving sober was on display Wednesday in Boone County.

Students a Scott High School in Madison had the chance to see the dangers of driving while impaired firsthand through UNITE’s “Arrive Alive” tour bus.

The tour bus includes the first and only marijuana driving simulator in the country. The simulator allows participants to see what it looks like to drive while distracted, drunk or drugged in a fully functioning vehicle without moving or actually being intoxicated.

Students say the simulator is an eye-opener to what could happen if you drive while distracted.

“It’s, unfortunately, a popular behavior to get intoxicated around the celebration of prom, so we hope to talk to them before they get out of prom and out on the roads,” said Heidie Martinez, with the Arrive Alive Tour.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities rose more than 10% nationwide in 2021, so this is a crucial time to educate young drivers on the dangers of driving while impaired.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOWK 13 News.