Last year, the Innocorp company in Verona, Wisc., created what is perhaps one of the most efficient drunk driving simulators in existence. The fatal vision goggles, as these simulators are recognized, convincingly give its user the feeling of being under the influence of alcohol. Through experience or simple observation, these goggles teach a humorous, yet eye-opening, lesson.
On Tuesday, three officers from the Baldwin Park division of the California Highway Patrol visited the University of La Verne to demonstrate the goggles locally. During their presentation at Sneaky Park, several ULV administrators and students wore the goggles and viewed the world through the eyes of a drunk person with 0.15 or 0.16 Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level.
For me, the simulation was completely disorienting because, although many people find it difficult to believe, I have no idea what it is like to consume alcohol. I have never even had a sip of any alcoholic beverage. Never.
Therefore, I opted to experiment with the goggles on my own. After putting them on, I stood there, looking directly at the officer who was assisting me. There were no problems until I actually looked through the lenses. To this day, I believe I was falling backwards while the officer stood there, waiting for me to be ready.
In the touch-the-pen-with-the-tip-of-your-finger test, I think I attempted touching the pen about four times before actually succeeding in doing so. I mean, I took my time and concentrated on the pen, but, for the life of me, I could not get it. I even attempted to catch a bright-orange ball and failed.
As I tried picking up the ball from the floor, I nearly fell over out of complete dizziness and vision impairment. I took the goggles off and walked away having failed every test if I had actually been drunk. Half an hour following the conclusion of my experiment, I still felt dizzy — even without the goggles.
What I learned from my failures was the truth about alcohol and how easily its effects can damage a person. Whether a victim of a drunk driving accident be oneself, a friend or even a complete stranger, the damage from that accident cannot be taken back. It is permanent in the mind of the affected, no matter how small or large its results may have been in the end.
Drunk driving is a serious problem in the society in which we live. To date, it is the leading cause of death among our population; realistically, the effects of drinking, which most people find easy to do, are more damaging than the harm those people can cause intentionally.
Statistics show that one in every two individuals will be affected by a drunk driving accident during his or her lifetime. This information is scary, yet society has allowed itself to believe that such incidents “will never happen to us.” Thus, ignorance begins.
I am not condemning nor judging those who drink, but it is not a wise decision to consume the slightest ounce of alcohol and get behind the wheel.
As for my own experience, I may drink at some point in my life, but whether or not that is before I am of the legal drinking age is unknown. I have assured myself, however, that it is something I do not want to try for the time being-especially after experimenting with the goggles and making a fool of myself.
From the experience, I know when I eventually do drink, I want those I trust to be present; not to say ‘Oh, she’s finally drinking,’ but to confide that I will be in good hands and will be taken care of if, in fact, I cannot touch the pen tip again.
Araceli Esparza, a junior journalism major, is editorial director of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at esparzaa@ulv.edu.
