Meridian Community College’s Street Defensive Driving Class ended another session on Friday with a series of interactive simulations sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Hosted at the MCC Riley Workforce Development center, the class involved several different courses, the rover, the seat belt convincer, the distracted driver simulator and fatal vision goggles, each led by MDOT instructors.

About 15 teenagers gathered to watch the different demonstrations, which included a rover, a truck that rotates, simulating a tumbling accident.

A dummy was placed inside to simulate how a person can be thrown from a vehicle if they’re not safely buckled in. “Not wearing your seatbelt can cost you your life,” MDOT safety educator Greg Smith said as he lectured the students on the hazards of not wearing seat belts.

Smith also reviewed new state laws designed to combat vehicle fatalities. “Every occupant in the vehicle must be in a seatbelt,” he said. “If your are driving in the left lane and not passing you can be ticketed… and no more riding in the beds of a trucks.” Another simulation, the fatal vision goggles, showed the students how alcohol can impair their driving.

“Any amount of drugs or alcohol you take in your body does impair you,” said Jonathan Colwell with MDOT.

The teens also drove a cart while wearing the goggles and sat in the convincer, which simulates a crash at 5 mph.

Lamar School student Wyatt Davidson, 15, found the class informative.

“I learned about how your should always wear your seat belt and when you get in the car you don’t know if your life’s gonna get taken or not,” she said.

Collier McRae, 15, said he will be a more confident driver because of the course. “I feel like I’m a better driver now,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of work and I feel like when I get on the road, it’ll be a lot easier.”