Students drink and drive and die-in a simulator

[Editor's note: the first name in the article has been changed at the student's request]
Before Drake, a student at Parkland, made it home from school, he died.
The cause: drunk driving in the Gallery Lounge in the middle of campus.
But Drake wasn't really driving, he was using a simulator provided by a company called Peer that simulates drinking and driving in an attempt to show people what the experience is really like, or at least as close as possible without having a solitary drink.
Facilitators Jeff Lukaart and Zach Bagalay started their presentation by carefully driving a Chevrolet Cobalt into the middle of the Gallery Lounge. How does the simulator work? The driver wears a head-mounted display that has a computer-generated screen that displays a virtual reality highway. There are also sensors attached to the car, which sends data to the software and emulates real road conditions. The driver's age, gender, body type and amount of drinks consumed are entered into the system and the driver then tries to make the four minute journey home while under the influence of alcohol.
Drivers who completed the course were told at the end how many traffic violations, tickets and injuries they had. Others weren't so lucky. Just as it can happen in real life, many died.
"We just want to prevent people from drinking and driving," said facilitator Jeff Lukaart.
"People need to realize it's not smart to drink and drive. It's a lot cheaper and smarter to just call," he said.
The simulator seemed to have impact on a number of students who tried it out. Drake knew first-hand what it was like to drink and drive before he even got into the simulator.
"I have drank and driven. I think it's a dangerous activity and I should not have done it," he said.
Lukaart says that he definitely sees the impact it has on the students who try it out.
"It hits kids hard. I've heard many comments about how hard it hits and how it changes their whole view on drinking and driving. It's as realistic as you can get without actually drinking and driving," said Lukaart.
On average a drunk driver kills someone every 40 minutes. According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), an estimated 12,998 people died in 2007 in alcohol-impaired traffic collisions involving a driver with an illegal BAC (Blood Alcohol Content). This number accounts for over 30% of all traffic fatalities recorded in 2007.
Every single injury and death related to drunk driving can be prevented. Though the number of alcohol related deaths has dropped dramatically in recent years, there are still many to account for that can be stopped. Unfortunately, in spite of great progress, alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious national problem that tragically claims the lives of many victims.
There are many ways to prevent deaths and injuries from drunk driving. These steps can be taken to ensure one's own safety as well as those around:
-Stay completely sober. There is no better way to make you stay safe than this one.
-Know your limit. Stop before you cross that line.
-Eat food while you drink. The food will help absorb the alcohol in your system.
-Sip your drinks rather than "chugging" or "gulping." This will make you consume less drinks and give you the ability to savor your drink.
-Skip a drink every now and then. Alternate between beverages with alcohol and beverages without.
-Stay active. This helps you consume less.
-Beware of unfamiliar drinks. Things like zombie drinks and jungle juice tend to have a less detectable alcohol content so you never know when to stop.
-Limit yourself. There is no shame in being able to tell yourself when enough is enough!