On Friday, Sept. 18, students at the University of Hartford were treated to demonstrations on the importance of seat belt safety. The Department of Public Safety and the Connecticut State Police teamed up to bring “The Convincer” and a rollover car simulator to campus.
The rigs were set up just outside of the Gengras Student Union on the GSU Lawn during happy hour. More than 20 students participated in The Convincer simulator while about 40–50 people watched each demonstration.
Officers took participants and strapped them in a seat with a seat belt over the front of their body and lap. The Convincer was then loaded to the top when an officer would release the lock, allowing gravity to pull the seat down until it hit the end, causing a jarring stop that simulated a “5 mph car accident.”
“We’re trying to inform people who may not be aware of the benefit of seat belts and I would say that the majority of the population wears it,” Connecticut State Police Sgt. Troy Anderson told The Informer news editor Spencer Honda. “We’re trying to reach out to that small number of folks who don’t wear their seat belt now and remind them of why they should and the benefit to it and this really is a great tool to show them.”
The @CT_STATE_POLICE brought "The Convincer" to the #UHart campus today to reinforce the safety of seat belts pic.twitter.com/vbJodl0Az4
— The Informer (@UHartInformer) September 17, 2015
There was also a rollover simulator that showed a mock car rolling over on its sides. The car had dummies placed in the car seats without wearing seat belts. As the car spun and rolled over, the dummies fell out of the windows of the car.
Come to the GSU Lawn to see what a 5 MPH crash feels like #UHart #CTpolice pic.twitter.com/9C2DeiumZk
— The Informer (@UHartInformer) September 17, 2015
Although dealing with a serious issue, many of the participants had fun with it and were laughing and having a good time. Anderson agreed that it should be a fun experience and felt that the message was still being sent to all involved.
“Not all educational tools are meant to be unfavorable,” Anderson said. “I think that this is a great opportunity to interact with the police and an opportunity to ask questions.”
Among the recent issues of police brutality, this was a great example of good community policing. Communication with the community is something that University of Hartford Public Safety asst. chief Michael Kaselouskas said he wanted to push forward with his department and this certainly was a good step in the right direction.