WASHINGTON 鈥� A virtual reality simulator is coming to a Northern Virginia high school to teach students about the effects of distracted driving.
Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for U.S. teenagers 鈥� .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 40 percent of young drivers in the U.S. text or email while driving.
The nonprofit wants to change that with an interactive program coming to W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax on Tuesday.
The highlight is a virtual reality simulator inside a full-sized Chevy Silverado pickup truck equipped with special sensors. Students wear virtual reality goggles while operating the pedals and steering wheel 鈥� all while texting.
鈥淚t lets the participant have a realistic driving experience,鈥� said Janet Brooking, Drive Smart Virginia鈥檚 executive director.
The teenagers will attempt to complete a driving course.
鈥淭hey absolutely run into things,鈥� Brooking said. 鈥淭hey run into cars, animals, people. It鈥檚 virtual reality, but it鈥檚 very realistic like our roadways would be. I think they are very surprised at how vulnerable they are.鈥�
Other exercises will test the young drivers鈥� abilities to navigate traffic cones while riding tricycles and texting. Students will also attempt to play basketball with impaired driving goggles, provided by the Fairfax County Police Department.
About 300 Woodson High School students are expected to participate. 鈥淚n the two-and-a-half years that we鈥檝e had this program, we鈥檝e reached 30,000 students and 6,000 adults,鈥� Brooking said.
The program will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
