The Personal: Driving simulator illustrates texting dangers

Texting while driving is rampant in the country and the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is demonstrating how dangerous it can be through the use of a driving simulator.

According to the Community Press, officials with the IBC recently took their simulator - dubbed the 'DUMB' car, which stands for Distractions Undermining Motorist Behavior - to a Road Safety Week launch in Stirling, Ontario. The source reports the people who were there were invited to try the DUMB car, which puts drivers into a situation where they're about to merge onto a highway. While they're merging, the drivers are given a cellphone and instructed to text while they merge into traffic.

The paper reports that the drivers were mostly unsuccessful in their attempts, as users veered too far into lanes and smashed into oncoming cars.

"Our goal is to reduce injuries," said Kerri Jianopoulas in an interview with the paper. Jianopoulas is a public health nurse with the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit, which also took part in the kick-off. "Even being distracted momentarily can result in a collision."

It can also result in a rise in auto insurance rates, as the Insurance Bureau of Canada says a person's driving record may affect premiums.