JSU Peer Educators' Safe Spring Break Campaign

Students at Jacksonville State University had the opportunity to drink and drive through the means of drunk driving simulation provided during the Safe Spring Break campaign which provided the following scenario:

You decided to have a couple of beers and get behind the wheel. Everything is going fine and then you slam into the rear of a patrol car. Your driving days are over. Then you remember, "Whew, this is only a simulation."

On March 14, the Jacksonville State University's Peer Educators with the assistance of Counseling and Career Services, University Housing Department, Student Health Center, University Police Department and Student Life-Greek Life brought the National "Save a Life" Tour to JSU to make students, staff, faculty and the community aware of the dangers of mixing alcohol with driving. Along with the tour, the Peer Educators posted signs all over campus reminding all that drinking and driving, drug use and smoking are not the norms of the JSU community. All this was part of the Peer Educators' Safe Spring Break which encourages students to use good judgment and to make decisions that will protect themselves and their friends during spring break.

The National "Save a Life" Tour boasts the most sophisticated drunk driving simulator in the world. By utilizing realistic views of the road and showing the impact of slowed reflexes the simulator very accurately depicts the experience of driving while under the influence of alcohol. This helps students better understand the effects of alcohol on a driver and, hopefully, encourages them not to get behind the wheel if they have been drinking.

The week of spring break is a time when many college students decide to relieve the stresses of classes and studies by taking the ever-popular "road trip." Whether going to the beach, the mountains or anywhere else, students need to be aware of the decisions they make to keep themselves and their friends safe during this time. The JSU Peer Educators work all year to make students aware of the dangers out there and the consequences of bad decisions.

"The simulator is an eye-opening experience," said Fred Mays, JSU Counselor and Peer Educator Advisor. "We hope students take what they learn today and put it to use all the time and not just during spring break. We want all our students to come back safe and ready to hit the books again."

Over 250 people were able to drive the simulator. Many more observers were able to view exactly what the driver was experiencing from large screen monitors on either side of the simulator. The National "Save a Life" Tour is a product of "Edu-tainment" by Kramer, a division of Kramer Entertainment, Inc.

To learn more about the programs available through the Counseling and Career Services and the JSU Peer Educators, visit their Web site.

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