Pot goggles and defensive driving: Highway Patrol offers lessons to teen drivers at State Fair

But here's the good news: If you're headed to the fair with your teens, pull them off the Midway for a few minutes to get a lesson in defensive driving from the highway patrol.

The highway patrol's display sits just outside the fairgrounds' Scott Building not far from Kiddieland and the Midway. There, you'll find a display of patrol cars from different decades and a mobile command unit. But, for young drivers, in particular, there's also a large trailer with a driving simulator where they can test their driving skills.

Teens must navigate through a series of obstacles, which pop up on the three large screens in front of them as they sit at the wheel. They include lights, pedestrians, stop signs, traffic and other things drivers must be prepared for.

In fact, they take home a print out of how they did, along with tips for where they could improve. Davis said everybody who tries the simulator finds something to improve.

But the simulator doesn't just stop at the usual driving hazards. Teens also can don special goggles that replicate what it's like to drive when drunk or high on marijuana. Another test lets teens see how much of their attention isn't focused on the road when they're texting and driving.

"They get the knowledge and we critique them a little bit," said Trooper Tommy Davis, one of the state's nine transportation safety information officer.

This is the third year the simulator has been at the fair. It typically travels to schools and other large events. It's free. And, there can be a line at the fair. It's a popular destination, Davis said.

"We try to focus on our teens," he said. "We have a high number of fatalities. This is a way to combat the problem we have."

Davis added: "Our sole focus is zero fatalities. That's our goal."