Students put on special vision impairment goggles and tried to drive, pass a sobriety test and shoot basketballs. The program had to be held inside because of the rain and students drove a one-person cart instead of a larger vehicle.
“We want to show you what it's like to look through the eyes of someone who's been drinking,” said Wayne Alexander, Youth Program Coordinator.
Alexander explained that the cones on the course represented people you were hitting while driving.
“That was hard,” said junior Jesse Pawley after trying to navigate the course. “He said I killed like 14 people.”
“It was crazy,” said sophomore Danosha Edwards after her turn on the course. “I don't think I was even sitting in the seat right.”
After running over several cones, senior Anthony Stevens said driving with the goggles on was pretty hard.
“I thought I was between the cones,” Stevens said.
Passing the sobriety test and shooting goals wasn't any easier. Senior Catherine Keith struggled to maintain her balance while walking a straight line.
“It was very awkward,” Keith said. “It makes you feel dizzy.”
Pawley said the experience made him realize that just a little bit of impairment can make a big difference. Several students said the experience made them think more about not driving drunk and not getting in the car with someone who has been drinking.
That was impact Jama Richardson, Youth Services Coordinator, had hoped hoped the program would have.
“I want them to get an awareness of the dangers of drinking and getting behind the wheel and just riding with someone who is impaired,” Richardson said.
Richardson had been trying to get the program to visit LCHS for a long time. Though she was disappointed that the rain moved the event inside, she believes it was still effective.
“I think they've realized how dangerous drunk driving is,” she said.
As part of the program, Alexander also laws regarding drunk driving, especially for those under 18. He also talked about punishment for DUI and the impact a DUI arrest could have on one's future.
“Don't ever drink and drive,” Alexander concluded. “And don't ever get in a car with someone who has been drinking.”
Logan County students also got to visit the Rollover Simulator, a partial car on a machine that spins it, simulating what it is like when a vehicle rolls over. The goal of the demonstration is to show the importance of wearing seat belts.
Steve Bowen of the Transportation Cabinet and Ashley Lawrence and Christine Malone of BRADD were on hand to run the program.
Bowen talked to students before the demonstration, telling them the importance of wearing seat belts. He explained that if you are in an accident and don't have on a seat belt you are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured.
Bowen also pointed out that air bags, which come out at about 200 miles per hour, are more dangerous if you aren't wearing a seat belt.
Finally, he reminded the students that wearing a seat belt is a primary law in Kentucky, which means you can be pulled over for not wearing one.
“It only takes three seconds to buckle up,” Bowen concluded.
Students then watched as the simulator was turned on and the car began to spin. The passenger dummy was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown around in the car and then thrown from the vehicle. A baby-sized dummy in the backseat was not buckled in and was also thrown from the vehicle.
Bowen later said that the statewide average of seatbelt usage is 72 percent.
“We want to increase seat belt usage across the state,” Bowen said.
Richardson said that she was thrilled to have both programs visit the school on Wednesday and she hopes they made the students think about the topics they addressed.
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