“Save a Life” comes to MC

Simulator shows effects of drunk driving

By  Brittany Koritz
Courier Staff

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a huge problem among many people, especially college students.

According to the University of New York City, statistics show approximately 12.8% of all drivers involved in fatal accidents during 2001 are known to have been intoxicated according to the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) laws (.10 or .08) of their state.

In response to these number, Monmouth College was one college of many visited by the “Save a Life” Tour, which took place on Thursday, Sept. 29 from 11:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. in the Huff Athletic Center. The program was sponsored by ASAP and the Wellness Program.

The simulator was set up with two large screens which revealed what a driver would see if he or she was drunk.

As the drivers proceded in the simulator, their impairment gradually became worse, resulting in the driver being involved in an accident.

The DUI simulator was an excellent opportunity for students to see what it would be like to drive drunk.

The main purpose  was to show the effects of drinking and driving in order to prevent drunk driving, not to stop people from drinking.

“Interactive programs are much more appealing for students than lectures on topics such as these,” said Molly McNamara, MC’s director of wellness.                      McNamara stated, “Hopefully this will prevent some students from getting behind the wheel when they shouldn’t be”.

Juniors Sarah Kaufman and Liz Martin were two of the workers in the Huff Athletic Center during the simulator.

Kaufman remarked, “I thought that it was pretty cool, and they weren’t really telling us not to drink.  They still encouraged us to have a good time, just not to drink and drive.”

According to those who participated, many people have said they would have liked to see more people take part.

“A lot of people weren’t taking it seriously and they were playing it like a video game. Some people actually got kicked out,” said Martin.

Movies which depicted the sad and often fatal stories of the drunk drivers or their victims were played during the program. Many parts of the movies were noted as being extremely graphic since it showed emergency room personnel working on the patients.

The message of the “Save a Life” Tour is to have fun but be responsible for your life and others around you.