On Saturday, May 10, 2008, Village of Islandia residents participated in a newly
established program that will target
the effects of driving while intoxicated
(DWI). The program is designed to demonstrate to our
young, and not so young adults, how DWI
will affect their judgement and driving
abilities.
Participants were given the opportunity to experience
the effects of impairment by using special
goggles. They were asked to walk on a
straight line, first without goggles, and then
while wearing goggles designed to simulate
being intoxicated. They then drove peddle carts, first without
the goggles, and then wearing the goggles,
to expereince the differences in their
judgment and reaction time when driving impaired.
This was organized
as an enjoyable event,
but also as one that would leave an important
mark on the participants. The powerful
hands-on interactive tool demonstrated
the dangers of impairment. Younger children
drove their parent in a two-seater peddle-cart,
as older children experienced driving
the obstacle course themselves.
Participants
who completed the course were given a
t-shirt with the "Village of Islandia Educating our Children against DWI" logo and all were given a certificate of achievement.
The Village also thanks
members of the Suffolk County Police
Department for demonstrating their roll-over
vehicle to stress the importance of wearing
a seatbelt. The Village also thanks MADD
(Mothers Against Drunk Driving), who
spoke about the consequences of driving
while impaired.
Based on the program’s success, the Village plans
to have it running at all of its
events to encourage safe and responsible
driving
