Vail Christian High School in the US is teaching its students how difficult it is to drive while dealing with distractions such as mobile phones... using Mario Kart Wii.
With assistance from the Sheriff's Department, Colorado State Patrol, Fire Fighters and the Vail Valley Medical Center, the high school created the "distracted and drowsy driving project", which is basically sticking kids on Mario Kart and giving them a phone.
The program focuses on text messaging and other dangerous driving distractions some might experience behind the wheel (or Wii Wheel).
"I ran into a lot of things and it was very stressful," said 13-year-old student Alli O'Brian. That's not your mobile phone Alli, that's MARIO KART.
Mario Kart Wii trailer
Official trailer
1:56The latest in Nintendo's classic racing series in action
Mario Kart Wii trailer
Official trailer
1:56The latest in Nintendo's classic racing series in action
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Mario Kart Wii trailer
Official trailer
1:56The latest in Nintendo's classic racing series in action
"I don't think I'll text," she added. For the record, we can eat lunch, talk on the phone, browse Facebook and STILL come first.
"The whole focus of Vail Christian High School's traffic safety project is about distracted driving," said Kim Greene of the Vail Valley Medical Center.
"With the way Alli is driving, rarely on the road and often crashing into computerized cows, the program seems to be driving home the point," added the Colorado 9 News.
Other points it drives home; accelerate on the yellow light and always have a 'nana to cover your arse...
Why not a Burnout game? You could shock them with the crashes.
Why not the original Carmageddon? At least then you could "shock" them with gore and blood.
Won't this be sort of self-defeating? If real vehicles reacted as quickly as the karts in Mario Kart, there'd be no accidents at all. Sadly, physics tends to apply more to real-life cars!
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