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Simulated Buzz Serves as Warning
06/04/2017
It’s a given that Entergy employees don’t drink and drive while on the job. Since safety is a 24/7 concern, the Conway office thought it would be a good idea to put on some beer goggles – literally – for an on-the-clock reminder of the hazards of being impaired by alcohol.
Every day 28 people in the United States die in an alcohol-related vehicle crash, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s one every 53 minutes.
Customer Service Representative Ashley Peterson doesn’t want her colleagues to be one of those statistics. So she ordered a pair of goggles that simulate the wearer having a blood-alcohol content of about .20. “I had the guys wear the goggles and then perform a sobriety field test that included standing on one leg, walking a line, tossing a ball into a bucket and pouring a drink,” Peterson said.
How did they do? “They wobbled; they spilled drinks; they missed the bucket, not by inches, but by feet!” Peterson said.
According to the AAA, the “100 deadliest days” of the year began Memorial Day weekend as the summer driving season kicked off. Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s website says, “Remember, if your summer includes alcohol, plan ahead. Designate a non-drinking driver, call a taxi or Uber, or take public transportation.”
And although you may be stone cold sober, it is a certainty that some of those you’re sharing the road with are not. So, drive defensively.
“This exercise with the goggles was an effective reminder that we’re not as sharp as we need to be when we’re impaired in one way or another,” Peterson said. “I know our group is going to take the lesson to heart, and I encourage everyone to, first, avoid drinking and driving and, second, always watch out for the other guy.”
