Simulator shows young drivers the risks of distraction

One of the most persistent challenges for teen-driving safety advocates is getting novice drivers to understand that their actions behind the wheel can have far-reaching implications.

Several advocacy groups around the USA are turning to a driving simulation program that focuses on the long-term consequences of distracted and drunken driving.

One Simple Decision, created by Virtual Driver Interactive Inc. (VDI), one of the nation's largest driving simulator manufacturers, seeks to modify driver behavior by showing drivers what can happen if they have a crash while driving under the influence or texting while driving. It combines simulated driving and interactions with police, judges and emergency medical personnel in an intense, 20-minute experience featuring a real judge, actual sheriff's deputies and EMTs.

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Harry Mochel, now 19, of Rye, N.Y., experienced One Simple Decison about a year ago at a private driver's education school in Rye. "I'd been driving for a little while already," he says. "My parents had heard about it and said you should try it."

He says he was "driving" along on the simulator. "It tells you to start texting, so I took out my phone and started texting," he says. "I ended up crashing into a stop sign and got into a head-on collision. It's crazy to see how easy it was."

Just like real life, though, that was just the beginning of his troubles. "The real powerful part was that as soon as you got into the crash, the scene changes from the driving simulation scene to actual video footage of a cop walking up to you," says Mochel, now a freshman at Tulane University in New Orleans. "As he comes up, he shines a light in your face and says, 'Have you been drinking?'

"Then you have the police booking you into jail, and the court," Mochel says. "It puts everything in perspective and makes it really realistic."

The Ohio Department of Transportation paid $42,000 for four VDI simulators and uses the One Simple Decision program at events such as school days, football games and county fairs around the state, spokeswoman Melissa Ayers says.

"We recognized that there is an issue, especially among young drivers, with paying attention to the road," she says. "We started using it last year. We've gotten really good feedback. The kids realize after they've used it, 'I really can't do two things at once (while driving).' "

The program is catching on just as the federal government documents how widespread distracted driving is among the nation's youth and renews its push to curb it. Earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood intensified his 3½-year fight against distracted driving, which he says accounts for about one in 10 road fatalities — 3,092 deaths in 2010.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also released the first-ever federal statistics on how widespread distracted driving is among the nation's youth. The CDC's 2011 anonymous national survey of more than 15,000 high school students found that 58% of high school seniors admitted to texting or e-mailing while driving during the previous month.

Bob Davis, the CEO and founder of Virtual Driver Interactive, says he created the One Simple Decision program after his research found that many teen drivers misunderstood the potential impact of their behavior while driving.

"I asked, 'What's the downside of texting while driving?' " Davis says. "They said, I know it's like a $25 ticket, which is not that much money. They interpreted the law as the downside was a $25 ticket. … The (simulation) experience for the kids has to be a personal one to make it really effective."

VDI's surveys found that 86% of teens and young adults who had experienced One Simple Decision said they would rarely or never drive distracted in the future; 71% said the consequences of bad choices behind the wheel were worse or much worse than they first thought, the company says.

Toyota and Discovery Education use the software for their joint teen driving-safety program, Toyota Teen Driver. "I believe in it. I really do," says Kelly Fisher, Toyota's assistant manager for national philanthropy.

John Robert Elliott, 15, of Mouton, Ala., used the program during the just-ended school year at Lawrence County High School. "It helped me prepare to be on the road," says John Robert, who has his learner's permit. "It makes you think about what you do while you're driving."

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source: USA Today (Copeland, 6/19)

Judge's son among those arrested during Labor Day incidents

The son of Midland County Precinct 2 Judge David Cobos was among more than 30 people arrested in the county for drunken driving during the holiday weekend.

Most were first- or second-time offenders, but others were arrested in the commission of other dangerous and violent crimes while allegedly driving drunk.

Joshua David Cobos, 21, and Jose Guadalupe Robles, 37, both were arrested for a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a motor vehicle in this instance. Cobos also was arrested for a first-time offense of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. Robles also was charged with a second-degree felony of endangering a child. The men were arrested Sunday night.

But Cobos wasn't the only one arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated. There were 14 other arrests for a first-time offense, four for a second-time offense and five for a third or more charge of DWI. Also, eight people were arrested on misdemeanor charges of DWI with an open container, for a total of 32 arrested for DWI between Friday afternoon and Monday night, according to records obtained by the Reporter-Telegram from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department.

"I figured the arrests would have been a lot lower this weekend because of how much we publicized the crackdown," Sheriff Gary Painter said Tuesday afternoon.

But for all the arrests, Painter said, he was happy there weren't any deaths or significant injuries related to drunken driving. He said he hopes to partner with local law enforcement and the district attorney's office more often for "no refusal" weekends.

"This many intoxicated drivers is extremely dangerous," Painter said before reiterating his hope there will be many more crackdown weekends in the near future.

Cobos' son

Midland police were alerted to a rolling, mobile disturbance Sunday shortly before 9 p.m. Officers were originally told the "road rage" incident occurred at the intersection of Andrews Highway and West Illinois Avenue, but were advised shortly after that the vehicles were still "smashing into each other" and headed southbound on Andrews Highway, according to Cobos' and Robles' arrest reports.

Police finally caught the pair at the intersection of West Florida Avenue and South Garfield Street after both vehicles were disabled because of multiple collisions.

After interviewing witnesses and viewing the physical evidence, police determined the disturbance started around the 300 block of Andrews Highway. Reports said Cobos was driving a green 1995 GMC 1500 and Robles was driving a tan Buick Park Avenue when the pair got into a verbal disturbance while driving.

There were conflicting accounts of how the dispute began, but both parties are alleging the other was responsible, police said.

Robles told police officers that Cobos intentionally pulled in front of him, cutting Robles off and causing Robles to slam into the back of Cobos' truck. He then said Cobos threw a beer bottle at his car.

Cobos told officers he accidentally cut Robles off, causing the accident but said there was no intent. He added that Robles continued to pursue him, eventually and repeatedly striking his truck multiple times near the 2100 block of West Florida Avenue.

Regardless of how the incident began, officers concluded there were "straight tire marks from (Robles' vehicle) slamming into (Cobos') vehicle," according to Robles' arrest report.

Witnesses told police the pair began fighting after the final collision.

Based on the evidence and reports attained, Midland police decided to charge both in the rolling assault. Officers wrote in Cobos' arrest report that he used "his (pickup) as a weapon when he intentionally stopped the vehicle in an intersection in a manner that caused a collision with the victim," according to Cobos' arrest reports.

Because multiple witnesses had seen Robles repeatedly slam into Cobos' truck, he also was booked for the same charge. "Due to the fact that (Robles) intentionally struck (Cobos') vehicle and at the same time had a child under the age of one (in the vehicle), he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and endangering a child," according to Robles' arrest reports.

Judge Cobos was on call during the holiday weekend, but upon hearing of the incident, he recused himself from the case. Precinct 4 Judge George Zimmerman presided over the arraignment of the younger Cobos.

"I'm a by-the-book judge," Cobos told the Reporter-Telegram in his office Tuesday afternoon. "I immediately recused myself. I've never done anything improper, nor will I start now."

He declined to discuss much of the incident on the record, but a visibly distraught Cobos said he was sad over his son's alleged actions.

Judge Cobos said elected officials, judges and police officers all have families and sometimes they have to deal with issues like any other citizen.

"I'm a damn tough judge and I applied the same standards at home," Cobos said. "When you're an adult, you make your own decisions ... sometimes in spite of what you're taught."

Judge Cobos said he declined to bond his son out of jail.

Joshua Cobos remained in jail Tuesday night on a $17,500 bond for the second-degree felony and for misdemeanor DWI. Robles also remained in jail Tuesday night on a $13,500 bond for two second-degree felonies. If convicted each could receive up to 20 years in prison for the aggravated assault. Robles also could receive an additional 20 years for endangering a child while striking Cobos' truck.

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source: mywesttexas.com (Cannon, 9/7)