Drunk Driving in Rodgers Parking Lot

By: Kerin E. Lazzaro
Posted In: Opinion

Today I experienced what it felt like to drive drunk in one of the University’s parking lots. As part of Well Fest, Salve held “Fatal Vision” on April 10, 2006 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students were given the opportunity to wear goggles making them feel as though they had as many as six drinks, and drive through a course set up in Rodgers parking lot.

According to Allison Pickup, Assistant Director/Area Coordinator for Alcohol Education, about 50 students took part in the event. Many students who took advantage of the free ice cream truck outside the security building, got a few laughs from the while watching their classmates drive through the course knocking down cones left and right.

At around noon, I headed over to Rodgers parking lot with my camera-woman, Alana Cullen. Members of Residential Life and Security had a table set up with information on blood alcohol levels, myths about alcohol and the dangers of drunk driving.

While I was waiting, I watched another girl try to drive the golf cart through the orange cones set up while she was supposedly “under the influence.” Pickup was riding shotgun gripping onto the sides of the cart with white knuckles around corners.

I was very nervous, not for myself, but for Ms. Pickup who would be my passenger. I have been told by friends and family that they fear for their lives when they drive with me. My road rage can get a little out of hand sometimes and I turn into a mildly crazy driver. This experience could be very interesting.

I hopped into the driver’s seat and Ms. Pickup said she would time me to see how fast I could drive through the course without killing my passenger. I drove through the course, on my best driver behavior, and made it through in 20 seconds. She then handed me a pair of goggles and said “These goggles will make you feel like you have had five or six drinks.” My memory flashed back to scenes of this past weekend. This could be really ugly.

When I put the goggles on, I felt like I was looking underwater. My vision was blurred and I immediately started to feel a little nauseous. I was looking at the people around me and they looked like cartoons morphing into different shapes when they moved.

I hit the gas and Ms. Pickup hit the stop watch again. Immediately, I ran down the first cone I came to. I was hysterically laughing trying to focus and stay within the bright orange cones that looked liked they were jumping in front of the golf cart.

For some reason, I thought I was doing really well until I hit the third, fourth and eventually seventh cone. I finished in 25 seconds and hit seven cones, my potential victims. Ms. Pickup handed me a Fatal Vision sticker and braced herself for the next drunk driver.

After drunk driving, Alana and I both tried to walk in a straight line with the goggles on. When I looked down at the white line, it did not look straight, but curved in all different directions. I had to bend down and stare at my feet to make sure I was standing straight on the line.

I was surprised that a tainted piece of glass could have this much effect on my actions. I slowly tried to walk in a straight line. I could not get one foot in front of the other without stepping off to the side to catch my balance.

“By doing this program we were hoping to educate the students on some of the effects of alcohol and driving aspects such as reaction time, trying to focus, risk taking and trying to teach them that if they do choose to go out and drink, to make sure they have a designated driver that does not drink at all that night, not even one,” said Pickup.

According to the National Commission Against Drunk Driving (NCADD) someone dies in an alcohol-related traffic crash every 30 minutes. The deaths can be easily prevented if people take responsibility for their actions and designate a sober driver before a night of drinking even begins.

I am infamous for not being able to hold my liquor, but I was very surprised that the fatal vision goggles had such an impact on my actions. A lot can be learned from my quick drunken cruise through Rodgers parking lot; it is not safe to drink while driving, drive while drunk and stay out of my way while I am behind the wheel.