KENNEBUNK — Jen Simoneau got into a car accident on Tuesday.

It happened as so many accidents do. The Kennebunk High School student was cruising along a rural back road when a voice from the passenger’s seat encouraged her to send a text message to a friend. With her eyes averted to her cell phone, Simoneau never saw that her vehicle had started careening toward the guard rail. In a flash, she was surrounded by a team of medical personnel, their brows furrowed with concern.

Then the smiling teenager got up and walked away.

If the crash had happened in real life, Simoneau wouldn’t have been so lucky. As it was, she was testing out One Simple Decision, a portable driving simulator recently obtained through a federal grant by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety. The simulation allows students to experience, virtually, the dangers of driving while distracted or impaired ”“ only, unlike other simulations, it takes the scenario several steps further, immersing teenagers in the consequences of their actions: a field sobriety test administered by police, hard jail time, court sentencing, or a trip to the emergency room.

“That’s why I don’t text and drive,” said Simoneau. “It’s just stupid.”

That’s music to the ears of Kennebunk Police School Resource Officer Mark Carney, who borrowed the simulator device from MeBHS and, with help from students, installed it in the lobby in front of the gymnasium ”“ a high-traffic area near the cafeteria that ensured a large number of teens would test out the device.

Designed by California-based Virtual Driver Interactive, the simulator features a screen depicting various driving scenarios, a steering wheel, gas and brake pedals, and a computer mouse, which students use to simulate the act of texting while driving. When an accident occurs ”“ which happens frequently ”“ the screen shifts to one of the several scenarios that may result.

“It divides their attention,” said Carney of texting. “That affects their ability to control the vehicle on the roadway. Really, this teaches them that divided attention is a dangerous thing.

“It’s huge that we show these kids how dangerous distracted driving is.”

Many students who tried the simulator, including Charlie Vermette, said that driving distracted was more challenging than driving impaired ”“ as experienced on the device, of course.

“It was very hard,” said Vermette. “It’s really hard to text while driving ”“ you can’t see the road much. It’s a really good imitation.”

Carney said that about 150 teenagers a day experience the simulator, and hoped that by the end of the week, the vast majority of students will have had the chance to try it.

Student Evan Warren, who helped Carney set up the machine, has had an opportunity to test it out a few times ”“ with mixed results. While it’s possible to survive to the end of the simulation’s courses, the machine is rigged to make it as difficult as possible, reflecting real-life conditions.

“The steering’s about the same (as on a real car), but the brakes are tricky,” said Warren. “It gives you a good idea of what it’s like.”

While any police department in the state can borrow the machine, it requires an officer to attend a special training session in Augusta. The KPD sent Carney, who learned how to set up and operate the device, and received tips on how to impart safe driving techniques to those who try it.

One appeal to young people, he said, is its similarity to a video game.

Friends Josh Strack, Ben Lary, and Ryan Whalen took a video game-like approach to their experience, smiling and laughing their way through obstacle courses with the gleeful relish of seasoned gamers. But despite the fun, the message still hit home.

“It was pretty mind-blowing,” said Whalen. “I don’t think I’m gonna text and drive again.”

— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 319 or [email protected].