Distractology 101: Textident Prevention

June 8, 2012


This week, Arbella Insurance brought their Distractology 101 trailer to our Bourne office to offer teen drivers an opportunity to test their distracted-driving simulator and learn of the dangers of taking your eyes off the road. The trailer features two simulators and runs drivers through a myriad of scenarios with and without cell-phones, testing drivers’ abilities to avoid obstacles the road can present. Distractology has drawn significant media attention, most notably from the Cape Cod Times, WQRC 99.9 FM Radio and The Enterprise. Cape Cod Times recently wrote an article about Distractology, which can be found here: Cape Cod Times Distractology Article.


Over the course of the week, nearly 50 young drivers came to take part in Distractology 101, a great turnout despite students still being in school. For these drivers, Distractology proved to be an eye-opening experience with fender-benders galore. The simulator tested drivers’ ability to recognize road signs, blind spots, and just how far your car can travel when you take your eyes off the road for a split second. Drivers were asked to perform simulations of stopping at stop signs that were seemingly hidden, navigating intersections where they did not have the right of way, and avoiding pedestrians in cross-walks that were hidden by cars in another lane. While crash simulations were mild and the tone was light-hearted with a good amount of laughter, young drivers walked away from the simulations more aware of the violent consequences of driving while distracted and the sporadic nature of other drivers on the road. At any given time, a driver could run a stop sign or stop short and it requires the driver’s undivided attention to avoid an accident. Adding a cell-phone into the equation, especially in an era of non-stop texting, Facebook, and Twitter activity is certainly a recipe for disaster. It’s difficult to break a bad habit, so teaching drivers of the dangers of distracted driving will hopefully prevent them from developing one. It takes a simple text-message to take a driver’s eyes of the road for only a few seconds, plenty of time for an obstacle to create havoc.


Special thanks go out to Arbella insurance and all who participated in Distractology 101, especially parents and teen-drivers willing to take the time to learn about the violent consequences of texting and driving. Raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving not only enlightens young drivers, but enhances the safety of other drivers on the road.


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Here are a few pictures of drivers testing the simulator...