December 2013/January 2014 Smart, Safe & Sober Newsletter
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Ashland police to use go-kart, to show dangers of drunken driving
Ashland police go-kart mimics operating a vehicle while impaired
(Republished from July 22, 2013 article in Richmond Times-Dispatch.) 
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Photo by Dean Hoffmeyer/Times-Dispatch
Ashland police Sgt. Scott Menzies demonstrates the department’s new go-kart that can simulate the effects of drunken driving. He is trailed by officer Chip Watts, who is operating a safety remote. |
BY BRANDON SHULLEETA | Richmond Times-Dispatch
While Sgt. Scott Menzies often patrols Ashland nimbly by bike and boasts of beating police cruisers to crime scenes, he didn’t look so coordinated in the Ashland Police Department parking lot last week.
That’s because Menzies was test-driving a $13,000 go-kart that simulates drunken driving.
Ashland police will soon begin demonstrations, mostly for young drivers, to stress the dangers of driving while intoxicated (or distracted by such things as cellphones).
When switched to “impaired mode,” the cart has delayed reactions when the driver tries to turn or brake, much as a drunken driver would.
A reporter took the cart for a spin last week and performed poorly, clipping a cut-out boy on a bicycle and forcing an officer to jump out of the way before crashing into a trailer.
“That could have been a kid,” Menzies said.
Menzies said the demonstrations will be a fun way to send a serious message to drivers: “Driving drunk kills.”
The police department received the go-kart from State Farm insurance company through a $20,000 grant, which also covers associated expenses, such as a trailer, cones and other equipment for demonstrations. Police department officials said no taxpayer money was used.
<< CLICK HERE for a PDF PRESENTATION from ASHLAND POLICE on SIDNE >>
For the past few years, the department has hosted demonstrations in which drivers attempt to go through an obstacle using a golf cart and goggles that skew depth perception. Menzies said the go-kart is a major improvement, likely to draw a bigger crowd. Plus, the go-kart has a top speed of only about 8 mph and is designed to endure wild rides without flipping.
Menzies said he expects the department to have at least two public demonstrations per year, but hopefully more.
Lt. James Shelhorse said the department does a lot of outreach programs, designed to prevent crime and let residents know Ashland police officers are “friendly and there to help them.”
The department has a program in which officers visit independent, elderly residents occasionally, helping, for example, repair broken door locks, Shelhorse said.
Officer Chip Watts, who specializes in crime prevention, said last week that he had visited two seniors that day to make sure they were OK given the extreme heat.
Officers also have lunch with students occasionally when school is in session and operate a program called Project Lifesaver, in which folks susceptible to wandering, including some people with Down syndrome, can be tracked with a GPS wristband.
The battery-powered SIDNE kart, short for Simulated Impaired DriviNg Experience, is sold by Innocorp Ltd., a company that specializes in innovative products for education.
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