Cyber drivers crash safely

    27

    Victoria Laney

    Orlando, IACP, October 30

    John was drunk when he climbed into the driver’s seat. He totaled the car two miles later. Fortunately, John was on an information highway rather than asphalt.

    He was behind the wheel of a new driving simulator developed by I-Sim of Murray Utah. The drunk driving simulator will be unveiled in Salt Lake City on December 18, in cooperation with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said Reginald Wells, President & CEO.

    The computer-based simulator can be used for all types of driver training. Law enforcement agencies will use it to train personnel to drive safely in high speed pursuits. Traffic accidents kill more officers each year than bullets, so the simulator is an important means of preventing injuries and deaths.

    A simulator can provide practice in situations that would be impossible to duplicate on a traditional driving range, Welles said.

    The law enforcement version of the simulator premiered at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Expo. Many police chiefs lined up for a turn at the wheel.

    “I like this unit because it has a real vehicle cab. It looks and feels authentic. It could save us training costs,” said Ralph Porter, Chief of Police of Florence, South Carolina.

    The simulator can be mounted inside a van and taken on the road for training at safety fairs, schools, or various law enforcement agencies. Several levels of simulation are offered, from introductory driving to high performance. The simulator is controlled with Windows-based point and click commands.

    Actual scenes from dangerous intersections in local cities can be incorporated. Weather and other driving conditions can be changed.

    “Even in July, a driver could practice on icy roads in a virtual Provo,” Welles said.

    Driver performances can be recorded and replayed for drivers to review their scores. Driving skills can be scored against past performances or training standards, he said.

    More information about the simulator is available at 1-888-259-ISIM, or www.i-sim.com.

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email