Students from Trundle and other central schools have learned about the effects of alcohol, drugs, fatigue, and distractions thanks to a driving simulator.
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Ken Engsmyr of Parkes Rotary Club said students, organised in pairs, were provided with two experiences.
With the "impaired driving" module a participant first drives for about five minutes to experience normal driving conditions, a practice drive.
Then they stop, the simulator screens blur, the screen image rocks, braking and steering become less responsive.
The participant drives again for about five minutes.
The difference between normal and impaired driving is compared by means of a report (traffic violations) generated by the simulator.
The experience provides a powerful demonstration of the potential effects of drugs, alcohol, and fatigue on driving ability.
It is an experience that cannot be responsibly provided "for real" with real drugs or real alcohol in a real vehicle on a real road.
The effect of distraction is demonstrated by asking a driver to maintain control of a vehicle while being distracted by text messages, trying to pick up an object from the cabin floor, and taking selfies.
The participant experiences how difficult it is to maintain control when distracted.
"We also talk with participants about the detrimental effect passengers can have on a driver's ability to maintain control," Ken said.
Research from the United States has revealed that, compared with driving alone, the risk of a young driver dying in a road crash increases fourfold per mile driven if the driver is carrying three young passengers.
And if a young driver is accompanied by one passenger aged 35 years or older, their risk death in an automobile accident decreases by 62 per cent, according to American Automobile Association research.
"While the research comes from the United States, from talking with young Australian drivers it is not hard to see why a young driver conveying young passengers is at increased risk of being involved in a fatal accident," Ken said.
