A virtual look at the reality of impaired driving brought to you by SGI

As students across the province get ready for graduation season, police across Saskatchewan will be focusing on impaired driving for the May Traffic Safety Spotlight.

SGI has a new virtual reality simulator that will be used in demonstrations by SGI’s Traffic Safety Promotion team at schools, community events and trade shows throughout the province.

In one of the simulator’s scenarios, you walk into a house party in full swing and start to chat with a new friend who’s begun smoking marijuana. Some other people at the party are in a hurry to leave for a concert. Whom you choose to leave the party with, and whether you end up as a passenger or a driver, you’re about to get up close and personal with the reality of impaired driving.

And spoiler alert: SGI confirms that most scenarios end in an emergency room with a tragic outcome.

“While this is a simulation, it vividly demonstrates the very real and sad consequences of impaired driving,” said Penny McCune, chief operating officer of the Auto Fund. “Marijuana will be legalized in the not-too-distant future, and the virtual reality simulator is another tool we have to help people understand that a single bad decision on a night out can affect you for the rest of your life.”

The VR simulator also has scenarios related to distracted driving and speeding.

More people are killed on Saskatchewan roads by impaired driving than by any other cause. Fifty-seven people lost their lives in 2016, and 464 were injured in collisions involving alcohol or drugs.

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Saskatchewan has tough impaired driving laws, with license suspensions, vehicle seizures, and mandatory ignition interlock for convicted impaired drivers — and that’s on top of the fines, jail time and driving restrictions that can be imposed by the courts.

Federal and provincial legislation has been introduced and is expected to be passed this year to deal with drug-impaired driving.

Federal Bill C-46, currently before the Senate, adds three new offences to the Criminal Code related to drug-impaired driving.

The provincial government introduced legislation in November, taking a zero-tolerance stance against drug-impaired driving.

The legislation ensures Saskatchewan’s tough administrative license suspensions and vehicle seizure penalties also apply to people who are charged under the incoming federal laws.

Here are some tips from SGI to help you make the choice to #DriveSober:

• Be a good “wingman,” and don’t let impaired friends and family drive. Offer to be the designated driver, call them a safe ride or let them stay over.
• Arrange a limo, party bus or shuttle for your grad group.
• Parents, talk about the dangers of impaired driving with your children. Encourage them to call you if they find themselves in a situation where they’re with an impaired driver or are too impaired to drive.
• Remember that impaired is impaired: alcohol and drugs are both factors in impaired driving and mixing those impacts impairment levels significantly.
• Just because we are heading toward legalized pot, that doesn’t make it harmless: don’t mix drugs and driving.