Drug suit simulates driving while high

 

 

It is April 20, or 4/20, an infamous date when a lot of people light up in honor of marijuana.

But if you do, there is new technology showing why you should hand off your car keys.

The automaker Ford has developed a drug driving suit designed to show what it's like to drive while under the influence of pot, heroin, and cocaine.

It consists of several weights placed on on the arms and legs to effect balance and movement, headphones that muffle sounds, and vision impairment glasses that simulate tunnel vision and blurriness.

Driving a make-shift course with the gear on creates a lot of swerving, and puts a lot of cones under the wheel. It definitely doesn't feel safe.

"You have slowed reaction time, feeling like even though you may see something, your body just doesn’t move quite as quickly to respond to it," said Josh Akers, a drug recognition expert. "From a clinical effect on how it’s affecting your body, it’s just as dangerous as alcohol."

According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, 18 percent of all fatal crashes involve drugs other than alcohol.

The idea behind the drug driving suit is to send a message, especially to young people, to never get behind the wheel if you've taken any kind of drug.