High schoolers learn life-saving lesson from Mario Kart Wii

by JC Fletcher on May 19th 2009 12:55PM

How do you keep kids from getting distracted? One school thinks Mario Kart is the answer. In order to teach kids about the dangers of texting while driving, Colorado's Vail Christian High School has introduced the "distracted and drowsy driving program," in which kids play Mario Kart Wii while answering and sending text messages, in order to see how phone use adversely affects driving skill. As a bonus, the program teaches awareness of hazards like banana peels and turtle shells.

The program, which also includes deterrents like a chair that simulates a 5MPH collision and a golf cart that simulates drunk driving, is part of Vail Christian's entry in a National Organization for Youth Safety contest. The school stands to win a $10,000 award if its program wins. Students who successfully demonstrate understanding of how dangerous texting while driving is will also earn college credit in Obvious Studies.

[Via GamePolitics]

Source

Tags: mario-kart-wii, Nintendo, safety, school, Wii

Reader Comments (60)

We don't need this method of lesson here in NJ.
What we need is cops and towns that actually enforce the no hand held cell phone laws we already have.

People ignore the cell phone law because nobody gets busted for it.

I spend alot of time on the road as a contractor and all day long peope on cell phones make bad moves behind the wheel.

I say crack down hard on it, make the penalty go up by each offense, maybe first offense $100, then second offense $500, third $1000 (for texting or handheld phone use)
We can use the money to cover budget gaps and keep morons with handheld phones off the road.

Do people who hold their phone while they drive understand that wired headsets are only $5 on ebay, and you don't have to worry about your arm getting tired?
I buy my nokia headset 3 for $10, and if for some reason i don't have one, i don't talk while i drive,

Well of course you're going to have a hard time driving, with the left hand on the cell-phone, you won't be able to drift at all

:P

Ha! The science theme park in my town had something like this. To each kids about drunk driving, they covered the screen of an Outrun arcade cabinet in a transparent (but still glossy) layer and botched up the control. They also ruined the controlers of the MVC2 cabinet to teach about drunk fighting. No, wait, that was the arcades...

BOOM, ROASTED!

Problem is, I see as many adults talking on cell phones and/or texting on the road as I do teenagers.

Prime example? My brother-in-law is a 40-something year old police officer who texts nearly constantly while driving, as does his wife, my 33 year old sister. It's hard to implement anti-cellphone/texting laws while you're busy driving around, fingering a querty of your very own.

Christ I hate cell phones and the idiots that misuse them.

How about taking this one step further and neglecting the Wii remote strap? Buckle up, kids!

Dumb kids, pause the game then text

They should hook these kids up with some excitebots, try drinking, and then driving, spinning, hitting a baseball and throwing a pie. Sounds a lot like a generic night at your average college fraternity, actually.