On 29 May, Youth Against Drunk Driving (YADD) Garneau hosted MGCI’s very first Fatal Vision Challenge with the help of Toronto Public Health and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
This event took place in the gym at lunch, where dozens of students lined up to participate in four different obstacle courses to experience the dangers of impaired driving firsthand.
Students drive through an obstacle course while wearing impairment goggles. Photo: Henry He
One of the obstacle courses was designed to show students what drunk driving feels like. Students were challenged to ride around pylons in mini go karts wearing impairment goggles. These goggles were provided by Toronto Public Health and compromised a user’s vision by making objects appear blurry and sometimes green. In the next station, students were challenged in a maze called “Driver’s Seat”. Again wearing the goggles, students had to make their way from the “start” line to the “finish” line on the stand-up board game. If the students touched either side of the walls, a bell would ring to warn them. Three rings and you’re out!
The two most popular obstacle courses were the beanie toss and the locked door challenge. Students crowded around these stations to cheer for friends. Students had to toss beanies in a “toilet bowl seat” to experience what it’s like to throw up when drunk. After that, students were to walk in a straight line, while still wearing the impairment goggles, to reach a mini door that they had to unlock with keys provided. This door was to represent the troubles of getting back home when drunk.
Previously in November, YADD Garneau hosted a Black-Out Day. On this day, students were to wear black and participate in a vow of silence in memory of the victims of impaired driving. By participating in this vow of silence, students would have “blacked out”. This was meant to show how friends and peers around them would feel if they had passed away from impaired driving.
Henry He, the president of YADD Garneau, stated: “I feel [the turnout] was very positive. The average student may not have cared too much about the dangers of impaired driving, but after participating in some of our stations and trying on the Fatal Vision goggles, we certainly hope that they took away something from the event.”
YADD will continue to raise awareness next year with a car crash display.
