Driving Simulator Benefits

ADH Driving Simulator Benefits ( www.adhlabs.com )

Most simulators can only be used during the first lessons of driver training when basic procedural skills are taught, like learning to change gear, starting the engine.

In our simulators the focus is on traffic participation, traffic rules, learning to recognise and handle traffic signs in realistic high-density traffic situations.

These are precisely the skills that require most time to learn during practice lessons on the road. Training in our simulators is then much more effective compared to traditional in-car training.

There are a number of reasons for that:

• The lessons have been developed in a way that effectively teach the required behaviour. During the lessons, the simple traffic situations are treated first, but as the lessons progress traffic situations become more complex. This results in faster recognition of situations and hazards and in a faster response to these.
•  On the roads, typically a multitude of different things require attention resulting in attentional overload for beginner students. They have to attend to, and do, a number of things simultaneously which they may not have the skills for yet. Because of that, traditional training on the road is not as effective compared to training in a simulator. In the simulator skills are trained in a way that avoids overloading the student.

The simulator applies an advanced 'virtual instructor' and student assessment system. The virtual instructor evaluates the behaviour of the student continuously. It immediately gives feedback when the student commits an error. This fast and systematic feedback increases the speed at which the student learns to drive properly. After each lesson the student assessment system generates a detailed report about the strong and weak points.

In a simulator the student trains in a safe environment with no stress. The consequences of committing an error in a simulator are much less serious than in a real car. This results in more relaxed learning: people learn better when they are more relaxed and feel safe.