Sioux Empire Safety Village Strives to Prevent Injuries Caused by Drunk Driving

SIOUX FALLS - The Safety Village works to educate the community that injuries are preventable. As South Dakota lawmakers contemplate banning texting and driving, the Safety Village is teaching teens and adults the dangers of distracted, drunk and drugged driving.

The Safety Village has five driving simulators, two table top and three full-sized simulators that travel around the state teaching people what it feels like to be behind the wheel while impaired or distracted.  The simulator program allows for drivers to use their own cell phone to make calls or text so it’s a more real experience. These simulators are available to organizations or schools for a $100 fee per simulator. A state grant keeps the prices low.

The Sioux Empire Safety Village has a newly designed website that’s convenient for agencies or families seeking information on indoor, outdoor and most importantly fire safety.

“They can get injury prevention information from our new website. It’s easy to find and it’s easy to navigate,” said Bobbi Lower, Safety Village Development Director.  The site offers safety information room-by-room. It’s a great tool, especially if there’s a new baby in the home and you want to make sure each room is safe.

The Safety Village, located on the north end of the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds, features several exhibits. One is called the Power of Fire. It’s an actual house that burned. “The home shows exactly how fire travels through a home,” said Lower. Tours are led through the house explaining how well placed smoke detectors and sleeping with bedroom doors closed, saves lives.

The Safe House is another exhibit that has a computer in each room showing visitors how to safely set up each room in a house to prevent injuries.

The Safety Village sees most of its visitors during the Sioux Empire Fair. Nearly 11,000 visitors tour the exhibits during that week of the fair. A recent Wii bowling tournament raised $5,300 for the safety village.