Simulator to safely show Team Mildenhall hazards of DUI

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Austin M. May
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Members of Team Mildenhall will soon be able to feel the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol safely and legally. 

Drive Smart, a virtual-reality drunk-driving simulator, will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 12 to 14 outside the BXtra here to educate participants on the dangers of driving drunk without any of the associated risks. 

"If you ever wanted to know how drinking affects your driving, this is a good, safe opportunity," said Tech. Sgt. Joshua Franklin, 100th Air Refueling Wing Safety office. 

The knowledge gained in the simulator is beneficial for anyone, but especially critical in a place where many drivers are unfamiliar with the driving conditions, Sergeant Franklin said. 

"The better a person is at driving in the United States, the worse they usually are in the United Kingdom," he explained. "If anything goes wrong, we revert to what we originally learned." 

Americans driving in the U.K., when faced with a variable they can't control, such as an animal or stalled vehicle in the road, will tend to swerve to the right, Sergeant Franklin said. 

The sergeant said even if a person has been driving here for a few years, they can still be easily confused, especially in an emergency. 

Knowing how difficult simply driving under the influence is may make a person think twice before compiling that difficulty with the challenges of driving in the U.K., said Sergeant Franklin. 

Anyone is welcome to come out and give the simulator a try, according to Natasa Kovacevic, Army and Air Force Exchange Service New Car Sales, which developed the event. 

"We have used it in Germany before where it proved to be quite a success," Ms. Kovacevic stated in an e-mail. The simulator was also recently used at RAF Lakenheath and received positive feedback, she added. 

"It's meant to be a bit of fun while educational at the same time," Ms. Kovacevic said.
While the experience of driving the simulator may be fun, the intended lesson is crucial.
 
"This is so important in the U.K.," Sergeant Franklin said. "How you drive can affect how you survive here."