Drinking while driving

Drinking while driving

Drinking while driving (DUI) is still one of the main factors in accident causation. Alcohol is involved in  over 25% of all car crashes in the US and a number of European countries. This makes alcohol the most important factor in accident causation in traffic. Especially young male drivers are affected. Young male drivers generally are inexperienced drivers and they tend to overestimate their driving skills and underestimate the effects of alcohol on their driving performance. Also, people under 20 often don’t ‘feel’ the effects of alcohol which causes them to drink much more than others. To read more about the accident risk of young drivers, click here… To read more about the effects of alcohol on driving performance, click here….

A car simulator that simulates the effects of alcohol will make them more aware of the negative effects of alcohol on driving performance. The effects of driver impairment, or driving under the influence (DUI) are simulated by:

  • blurred vision
  • slowed reactions and impaired motor performance resulting in swerving and reaction delays in braking

Alcohol also increases overconfidence which, ofcourse, can not be simulated easily. The impaired driving simulation practice shows the effects of driver impairment by comparing driver performance in two conditions:

  • normal driving
  • impaired driving

by showing the results on number of collisions and driving off the road, and crossing the center line. During the drive, a number of different hazards have to be coped with, such as a dog that crosses the street, a passenger that crosses the street from behind a stopped bus, people on a zebra crossing near a school, cars driving off from the side of the road, oncoming traffic, a lead vehicle that brakes unexpectedly etc. This practice will make young drivers aware of the dangers of impaired driving (DUI) in a way that can’t be demonstrated in a real car on public roads.