This week, Arbella Insurance
brought their Distractology 101 trailer to our Bourne office to offer teen
drivers an opportunity to test their distracted-driving simulator and learn of
the dangers of taking your eyes off the road. The trailer features two
simulators and runs drivers through a myriad of scenarios with and without
cell-phones, testing drivers’ abilities to avoid obstacles the road can
present. Distractology has drawn significant media attention, most notably from
the Cape Cod Times, WQRC 99.9 FM Radio and The Enterprise. Cape Cod Times recently wrote an
article about Distractology, which can be found here: Cape Cod Times Distractology Article.
Over the course of the week, nearly 50 young
drivers came to take part in Distractology 101, a great turnout despite
students still being in school. For these drivers, Distractology proved to be
an eye-opening experience with fender-benders galore. The simulator tested
drivers’ ability to recognize road signs, blind spots, and just how far your
car can travel when you take your eyes off the road for a split second. Drivers
were asked to perform simulations of stopping at stop signs that were seemingly
hidden, navigating intersections where they did not have the right of way, and
avoiding pedestrians in cross-walks that were hidden by cars in another lane.
While crash simulations were mild and the tone was light-hearted with a good
amount of laughter, young drivers walked away from the simulations more aware
of the violent consequences of driving while distracted and the sporadic nature
of other drivers on the road. At any given time, a driver could run a stop sign
or stop short and it requires the driver’s undivided attention to avoid an
accident. Adding a cell-phone into the equation, especially in an era of
non-stop texting, Facebook, and Twitter activity is certainly a recipe for
disaster. It’s difficult to break a bad habit, so teaching drivers of the
dangers of distracted driving will hopefully prevent them from developing one.
It takes a simple text-message to take a driver’s eyes of the road for only a
few seconds, plenty of time for an obstacle to create havoc.
Special
thanks go out to Arbella insurance and all who participated in Distractology
101, especially parents and teen-drivers willing to take the time to learn
about the violent consequences of texting and driving. Raising awareness about
the dangers of distracted driving not only enlightens young drivers, but
enhances the safety of other drivers on the road.
Here are a few pictures of drivers testing the simulator...
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