Videogame to Teach Teenage Motorists Risks of Distracted Driving

More teenagers are killed in auto accidents every year than from any other cause of death. Many of those accidents occur because teenagers are distracted at the wheel. The University Of Minnesota’s Transportation System Institute has now developed a video game that has been designed to teach teenagers about the dangers of being distracted while driving.

The video game was recently premiered at the Teen Safe Driving Summit. In the game, players are required to drive a pizza delivery vehicle in the city of Little Moots. In order to help their business, the players are required to use their smart phones, engage in social media, and use GPS system while driving. When the teenagers are distracted in this manner, they face a number for obstacles in their path, including traffic tickets, and personal danger.

While the teenagers are navigating these obstacles are using their cell phone systems, the game informs the teenager about the distraction and his driving performance. Many teenagers do not understand the kind of risks that they are placing themselves in when they use cell phones while driving. What this video game does is inform them about how distracted they can be when they use cell phones at the wheel.

Houston vehicle accident lawyers like how the researchers have taken a video game format that is so popular with teenagers, and converted it into a teaching experience for teenagers and young adults. The video game has already garnered major media attention, and even won an award at the International Serious Play Conference. Even Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has made the war on distracted driving part of his agenda at the Department of Transportation, has had praise for this new initiative to combat distracted driving involving teenage motorists.