December 21, 2011 New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission and Division of Highway Traffic Safety offered shoppers visiting Bridgewater Commons a chance to experience firsthand the simulated dangers of drunk driving, reports Central Jersey. Whether it was a 16-year-old or an 81-year-old, once the person strapped on a pair of specialized goggles to simulate alcoholic intoxication, the results were identical. Neither could take a single step without awkwardly stumbling around. Each person had to be kept upright by a state police sergeant. “That was weird,” the 16-year-old said. “It’s like you think you’re standing in one place, but you’re actually in a completely different place.” “It was tough. I just lost my balance,” said the 81-year-old. “And if you can’t put your foot in front of you, how the hell are you going to get behind the wheel?” In the U.S., nearly one-third (32 percent) of all traffic-related deaths last year occurred as a result of alcohol-related car accidents, accounting for 10,839 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Especially at this time of year, we know how people are. They’re under pressure. . . . But when people are driving, they should be focusing on the task at hand,” the Motor Vehicle Commission’s chairman and chief administrator, said Tuesday, while watching shoppers participate in the simulations. “The goal here is not to write more tickets. . . . It’s less crashes, less injuries, less fatalities.” If you or someone you know were the victim of an accident, the New York car accident lawyers at the William Mattar Law Offices may be able to help you.
Goggles simulate drunk driving