Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable..

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.

LINCOLNTON – The Lincolnton Police Department is in the process of implementing a program of teaching young people and adults the dangers of driving while impaired. Using crime prevention funds, the department purchased a selection of Fatal Vision goggles that simulate the effects of being impaired, be it by alcohol, marijuana, or drowsiness, as well as a two seated Fatal Vision Roadster which will be used to safely simulate driving while impaired.

“I’m in a new position over the community service and crime prevention,” Sgt. Jennifer Green said. “I also oversee the school resource officers.”

Previous to this promotion, Green was the SRO at Lincolnton High School for many years.

Asbury Academy Student Resource Officer Michael Reep learned that Lincoln County School Resource Officer Deputy Marvin Schaeffer (North Lincoln Middle School) had a couple of sets of Fatal Vision Goggles. He asked Schaeffer to do a demonstration at Asbury. 

“They were a big hit with the kids and opened a door for more important conversation with them,” Reep said. “I researched prices from different companies and found the best price for the department. I wrote up a proposal and set it to Sgt. Green.”

As student resource officers, Reep and Shaeffer’s focus is on children, but Reep said that whenever adults have been around during the presentations, they had to try them on too.

“This is something that we’d definitely use during prom season,” Green said. “Now that we have the resource here, we can take them to schools, city events, the safe kids’ day, churches and anywhere else we’re asked.”

At first Green considered using a golf cart to simulate the driving but decided that wasn’t very safe. 

“We got the two seated pedal cart so an officer can be in the seat with the driver,” she said. “There’s a brake on there so we can stop the cart if necessary.”

The alcohol impaired goggles come in five levels that simulate the impairments associated with a particular blood alcohol concentration (BAC) – from less than .06 to .25+ BAC.

“People don’t realize that even the prescription medicine that they take or over the counter medicine like Benadryl can make you groggy and sleepy and affect their driving,” Green said. “Impaired isn’t always under the influence of alcohol. Under the influence can be cannabis, prescription drugs, sleepiness or just nighttime. Everybody’s different and maybe you can’t see as well at night, so you need to slow down from how you drive during the day. This would be a safe way to see how each would affect them.”

On the day that Schaeffer participated in an event as Asbury Academy, he asked the students to close their eyes and he’d select a set of goggles and put them on the student.

“He’d tell them to open their eyes then ask them to do a balancing or coordination test or throw a football or basketball,” Reep said. “Where they’d normally be very accurate or have great balance, because of the goggles, they don’t. He also brought a video game that they could try to do with the goggles on.”

These simulations can be done indoors or outdoors, with or without the pedal cart.

“There’s so much that we can do with this, but the pedal cart is that extra bonus,” Green said. “If you do good with these goggles on, it isn’t an encouragement to drink and drive. Even if you can see well, your reflexes aren’t there.”

Running these programs for young people is a means for the police department to work through whatever barriers may be there with them.

“It’s a way for them to participation in a nonconfrontational way,” Reep said. “Nobody’s going to get in trouble. You’re not going to walk a crooked line with goggles on and get arrested. It might open up not only a conversation about alcohol and drugs, but also communication where we normally wouldn’t have it.”

This is one of the many steps that the Lincolnton Police Department is taking to engage the community in a positive light.

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