Wakefield High School held its annual Prom Promise anti-drunk-driving event today, but it was a bit different than years past.
Instead of a large indoor assembly with PowerPoint slides, a speaker and staged demonstrations, the police department decided to take things outside. Groups of students lined up to try their hand at driving golf carts around a cone course while wearing “drunk goggles.”
“This year I wanted to do something that’s more interactive, where all the kids get to participate,” said Cpl. Kyle Anderson, who helped to organize the event.
With the goggles simulating the distorted sense of reality and slowed reaction time of 3-5 drinks, students invariably found themselves driving slower than usual and, often, veering well off-course.
“It’s not to train them how to drive drunk,” Anderson said. “It’s to give them an idea just how bad they drive when they have a drink.”
Anderson said prom promise is held this time of year because teens are “statistically more likely to get into DUI situation” around prom and graduation season. Golf carts for the simulation were donated by Army Navy Country Club.
