The Benson School of Motoring Driving Simulator

The Process
The Simulator session involves an Approved Driving Instructor for the Driving Standards Agency sitting beside the driver of the simulator and giving instruction whilst on the move.
 
The Simulator
The driver being assessed drives the simulator as if it were on the road. This is by means of a moving road scene displayed on a plasma screen. The simulator reacts like a normal vehicle and includes the following simulated features:

• Driver attempt to drive away with the handbrake on, the simulator will stall just as any vehicle would, and has to be restarted.
  
  
• Driver misses a gear or forgets to depress the clutch during gear changes a loud grating noise transmits through the car.
  
  
• Driver stalls on a hill and extra gas needs to be used through the accelerator pedal to get the car moving (the simulator creates on screen a very steep hill).

The Simulation
Whilst driving the static simulator, events unfold in front of the driver, such as road works, red traffic lights, stationary vehicles, police car on side of road, hills, bends, junctions, bridges, underpasses, roundabouts all with obstacles on, near or approaching vehicles, if a severe misjudgement is made such as hitting the kerb or driving into another vehicle a heads up display advises the instructor and the driver of simulator that an impact has been detected. In addition to the “Impact Detected” advice being displayed on screen a shock/impact sensation is transmitted through the steering wheel (feeling like a mild thud in palm of hand).

Also a mobile phone is within the simulator as a distraction tool; this is activated during the simulation to highlight the dangers of answering and talking on a phone whilst on the move. The use of the mobile phone can cause the driver to hit kerbs or jump red lights, or even cause major accidents, the simulator can re-create a major accident should the driver run into an oncoming vehicle. This creates an on screen traffic jam that is near on impossible to get out of.

The Assessment
An assessment process is carried out by the instructor; this highlights any faults that the driver may have made. This can be relayed to the driver during or at the end of the simulation.

Each driver will be debriefed following the “Safe Driving for Life” simulations.

Pictures were taken in Derby with Derbyshire Constabulary working in partnership agreement with the D S A, + Road Safety Partnership Scheme + Highways Agency + NHS + Fire Service + Ambulance Service + Derbyshire City & County Council.

From this we have also secured further bookings with the "Guildford Ambulance Driver Training Services" who want to use Simulator as a training aid in driving with Blue Lights and Sirens as picture on screen is so true to road conditions with all associated hazards of other road users.