By Jill Harmacinski
STAFF WRITER
—
NORTH ANDOVER — The driver in front of him slammed on his brakes unexpectedly, but Colin Kenny was too busy returning a text message to notice the bright red glow of brake lights.
The 17-year-old slammed into the back of the car. Then, the following message flashed before him on the big screen, "You can't stop for things you don't see ... You text, you lose."
It's the mantra of Distractology 101, a course that simulates the real-life dangers posed by texting and chatting on a cell phone while behind the wheel.
Some 80 Merrimack Valley teens took the course last week when Distractology's 36-foot neon yellow mobile classroom rolled into town.
The mobile classroom was developed by Arbella Insurance Group's Charitable Foundation. Using research conducted by Dr. Donald Fisher, an engineering professor at UMass Amherst, Arbella developed the simulated driving console for teens and other inexperienced drivers.
Through his research, Fisher concluded that "real life scenarios" are the best way to teach safe driving techniques.
Roughly 6,000 people are killed each year due to multi-tasking behind the wheel. And studies have shown that driving while distracted is equivalent to having a blood alcohol level of .08, according to Arbella.
Arbella's goal is to train 10,000 new drivers over the next three years. Arbella's Charitable Foundation is spending $1.4 million over the next three years to bring the mobile classrooms to cities and towns in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Distractology 101 doesn't replace traditional driver education. But students who enroll and pass the course are eligible for a 7 percent insurance discount. They also receive a $15 Mobil/Exxon gas card for taking the class.
"If we can save one life it's well worth is," said Gary J. Milliken, chief executive officer of Harrington Insurance Agency.
Once behind the wheel of the simulator, teens are put through six different driving scenarios. They are asked to read text messages and send text messages while driving.
Meanwhile, there are stop signs, traffic lights, pedestrians and other hazards to be on the lookout for throughout the 45-minute course.
Whether driving through busy city intersections or out on a country highway, the course stresses the importance of constant attention on the road. While focusing on driving, it's impossible for the brain to focus on anything else.
"A brain simply cannot do two things at the same time," a section of the simulated course emphasizes.
Finally, students take an "improvement drive" and hopefully show off their new skills.
Working last week with Kenny, instructor Dan Hicks noted many teens have a "it won't happen to me" attitude.
"You might get away with it a million times but it's that one time you don't get away with it," Hicks said.
Finally, the teens are asked to complete an online portion of the course.
The mobile classroom is off to Braintree this week. For more information on Distractology 101, check out DistractU.com. Milliken also encouraged parents to take advantage of the online training.
