AURORA | Drivers visiting Stanley Marketplace this month will have the chance to spend a little more time behind the wheel.
The north Aurora bazaar is hosting a life-size car dashboard through the end of April in an effort to raise awareness for districted driving awareness month, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Visitors will be able to grip the wheel of the ad hoc cockpit and watch a series of testimonials from Colorado drivers who have been affected by distracted driving. The vignettes include anecdotes from a Boulder man who lost both his legs when an inebriated and distracted driver collided with him while he was loading his car, and a metro-area man who was rear-ended three times in 10 months by distracted drivers, among others.
“Distracted Driving continues to be a dangerous issue on Colorado roads,” CDOT Communications Manager Sam Cole said in a statement. “An average of 42 crashes a day involve a distracted driver and the consequences can be truly life-changing. This display aims to educate drivers on the devastating impacts that distracted driving can have on our roads.”
In a 2020 survey, 92% of respondents admitted to driving while distracted in the past week, according to information released by CDOT.
Distracted driving accounted for more than 15,000 crashes in the state in 2019, according to the agency, causing more than 4,300 injuries and 28 deaths.
Residents who can’t make it to Stanley in the next to two weeks can watch and read about the testimonials from their own devices on the CDOT website.