Madison County Sheriff's department educates the community with DUI simulator

JACKSON, TN (WNBJ)-

The Madison County Sheriffs’ office brought the simulator to the West Tennessee state fair exhibit hall.

Those that choose to participate in the simulator experience what it's like to try and drive under the influence of alcohol.

“a driving simulator under the influence of alcohol whereas if you weren’t under the influence of alcohol and you were to complete that same task it wouldn’t be as hard,”

Deputy William Haley goes on to says that most people are unable to arrive safely at the destination in the simulator,

“Most people within like 2 to 3 minutes they're gonna crash like someone just did, they didn’t even make it out of the parking lot.”

The sheriff’s department brings the simulator to events to teach people about the importance of driving sober

“Educate the public trying to lessen the numbers, lessen the crashes, lessen all of the pain and suffering that comes along with somebody that either crashes or hurts someone or gets caught and has to go to jail,” says Lieutenant Allen Castleman.

If you wreck in the simulator, you will experience a video of a field sobriety test, being checked into the jail and eventually a court sentence. This is to demonstrate the consequences of driving under the influence. If you hit someone in the simulator then you will have to hear their family member testify in court.

Lieutenant Castleman says that the ultimate goal is to keep the community safe, “if we can educate the public and keep them from hurting themselves or hurting other people, that’s always a positive.”

The simulator is free for the community to try and will be at the fair until it ends on Sunday