CHS students using the Driver Training Simulator.
Last Thursday and Friday, Year 11 students from Canowindra High School spent time learning about the effects of alcohol, drugs, fatigue and distractions on driving, participating in an extremely important program provided by the Rotary Club of Young.
The program is not about teaching driving skills. Rather, the program enables students to experience – in a safe way – the effects of impairment and distraction on driving ability.
The Driver Training Simulator, valued at $40,000, is the second of its kind in NSW and features a steering wheel and three screens. Students experienced two training modules, starting with 15 minutes of basic driving, followed by 15 minutes of challenging driving.
The simulator tests drivers in a number of different and challenging driving situations, including driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, texting whilst driving, night driving, various weather conditions, and road hazards such as people, animals and other vehicles.
The experience provided a powerful demonstration of the effects of drugs and alcohol on driving ability. It’s an experience that participants cannot – at least should not – experience ‘for real’ with real drugs or real alcohol in a real vehicle on a real road.