‘Don’t drink and drive’ ad campaigns are very popular in several countries, but many new innovative ways are cropping up to curb drunken driving. According to Reuters, developers in Canada have come up with a video game, which simulates drunk driving.
The game is called Booze Cruise and it is hoped that it will make teenagers think twice about getting behind the wheel after a night of heavy drinking. It was developed by Jim Parker and many of his students. Parker is a digital-media professor at the University of Calgary.
Parker explains, “The basic story is that this person is absolutely pissed and woke up in the trunk of their car and now is going to drive home. And then just for fun, we put distractions on the side of the road, like pink elephants. This is aimed not at adults, this is aimed at people who are 13 to 16. We want to stop them from doing it in advance.”
In fact, the Canadian Police was roped in to make Booze Cruise very realistic. They too, seem enthusiastic about the game. Const. Rob Haffner of the Calgary Police Service says, “I think it’s going to be a great tool. Whatever education that we can get out there is always going to be beneficial as far as drinking and driving goes.”
However, the Booze Cruise game is yet to finish and Jim Parker is expected to receive more funding to finish a more complete version before letting schools and police get their hands on the game.