Students at KCKCC TEC will get a glimpse of the dangers of distracted driving during a simulator demonstration Friday.
AT&T’s “It Can Wait” simulator will be at the KCKCC Burke Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave., in the multi-purpose room, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. The event will be free and open to the public.
Gary Enrique Bradley-Lopez, a student at KCKCC, said he is planning to try out the simulator on Friday.
“I love the idea of there being a simulator on campus,” Bradley-Lopez said. Students will learn about being distracted and driving, he added. The event will increase awareness on this issue, he said.
“A lot of times we get distracted with our phones, and it’s not the best place to use it,” he said.
Andrica Wilcoxen, director of student activities at KCKCC, said tragedies can’t be undone.
“This is going to be great because we’re not waiting for the tragedy to happen and then do something about it. We’re being proactive,” Wilcoxen said.
Members of the public also may visit the virtual reality “It Can Wait” simulator.
The virtual reality simulator will provide students the opportunity to experience the dangers of taking one’s eyes off the road and looking at the phone while driving, according to information from AT&T.
According to AT&T information, seven in 10 people engage in smart phone activities while driving. They may text or they may be watching videos on their phones while driving, according to the AT&T spokesman. However, it only takes one look at the phone to change everything, according to AT&T information.
AT&T has a campaign called “It Can Wait” that asks drivers to visit www.ItCanWait.com, and pledge to keep their eyes on the road, not on their phones, and share their pledge with others through social media.
The campaign started against texting and driving and has now expanded to any smart phone use while behind the wheel, according to AT&T.