The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Simulator teaches driving safety
UTICA, N.Y. » AT&T teamed up with Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr , the Oneida County Traffic Safety Advisory Board, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and AAA to bring its nationallytouring 3 D virtual reality simulator to the Oneida County Office Building in Utica on Tuesday.
“Distracted driving was responsible for multiple traffic fatalities in Oneida County last year,” said Picente. “We are in the midst of assembling a task force to assess and combat this rising problem and have many county initiatives that educate young people and the general public about these dangers. Bringing in this virtual reality simulator is another valuable tool in driving that point home further.”
The Oneida County Office Building and Watertown were two of only 200 stops for the “It Can Wait” 3D virtual reality simulator nationwide tour in 2017. This simulation shows the
consequences of glancing at a phone while driving in a 3D fully-immersive experience.
In addition, AAA provided tips and literature on how to avoid distracted driving, and the other law enforcement agencies in attendance provided driving safety tips for the warmer weather, clarified laws pertaining to distracted driving and discussed the dev- astating dangers associated with this behavior.
A social media post, a selfie, a text, a scroll, an email—one look behind the wheel is all it takes to lose a life. AT&T Research shows that 7-in-10 people engage in smartphone ac- tivities while driving, and 1-in-10 motorists have even video chatted while driving. Similar studies by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reported that more than 80 percent of drivers view distracted driving as a bigger problem than three years ago, yet 42 percent of drivers admit to reading a text message or email while driving.
“Driving is a major part of our everyday lives and people are passionate about smartphone communications,” said Greeley Ford, AT&T. “But using your smartphone for activities like messaging or social posts while driving is very dangerous.”
“We are in midst of the ‘100 Deadliest Days,’ the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when teen crash fatalities historically climb,” said Edward Welsh, regional general manager, AAA Northeast. “Since teens drive more during the summer than any other season, this is a timely reminder to everyone - drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists - to be mindful when sharing the roads with young drivers.”
To learn more, visit ItCanWait.com. People can also use their own smartphone to view the 360° experience at home or check out the It Can Wait sizzle reel.