Millville High School students are learning the dangers of impaired and distracted driving with a hands-on, video-game-like driving simulator brought to the high school thanks to the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers. The “One Simple Decision” virtual-driving instruction unit was brought to MHS on Thursday and Friday, February 23 and 24, by representatives of the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization, which has partnered with the HERO Campaign to bring the simulator to area high schools.

Funded by a grant from the Honda USA Foundation, the driving simulator enables students to virtually “drive” an on-screen car while their reactions are altered to simulate impaired driving. When the drivers experience accidents, videos of police and EMTs arriving on the scene provide realistic consequences of drunk and drugged driving, including judges imposing fines and drivers losing their licenses.

The HERO Campaign was founded by the family of Navy Ensign John R. Elliott, who was killed by a drunk driver in July 2000, two months after graduating from the United States Naval Academy, where he was named the “Outstanding HERO” of his graduating class. The Elliott family established the HERO Campaign to prevent drunk driving by promoting the use of safe and sober designated drivers, and spare other families from suffering the loss of a loved one due to drunk driving.

The campaign’s virtual instruction unit is intended for high school students who sit in front of a large desktop computer screen equipped with a steering wheel and pedals. Another module shows students the dangerous consequences of distracted driving by simulating texting and driving. Millville High School is among the first high schools in southern New Jersey to utilize the simulator in driver-education classes.

“We are thrilled to introduce the new HERO DUI simulator to Millville High School’s driver education students,” said Bill Elliott, father of John Elliott. This will be a game changer. Previous DUI prevention instruction methods had students wear ‘fatal vision’ goggles to simulate drunk driving. This is far more realistic,” noted Elliott.

“We are excited to give Millville High School students the chance to experience the DUI simulator and to partner with the HERO Campaign,” said Dave LaGamba, 6-12 Supervisor of Health & Physical Education for Millville Public Schools. “It feels like a video game, but with a serious message. I think it will be popular with our students.”

The HERO Campaign offers the simulator to area high schools in cooperation with the Atlantic County Division of Highway Safety and the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization. The “One Simple Decision” simulator can be reserved by high school personnel by e-mailing info@herocampaign.org or calling 609-233-4787.

The HERO Campaign promotes its message of safe and sober designated driving in partnership with prevention agencies, high schools, colleges, law enforcement, bars and taverns, and professional sports teams. For more information on the HERO Campaign, call 609-626-3880 or visit herocampaign.org.