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The Teen Driving Simulator Center, a project funded by The Allstate Foundation, closed on July 15, 2011. The project was designed to introduce teens to a new way to practice and acquire experience behind the wheel, using a safe virtual environment. Each of our eight (8) simulators featured a steering wheel, gas and brake pedals, and three widescreen monitors to give you a realistic driving experience.
The new Teen Driving Simulator Loaner Program now replaces the simulator center. Although we no longer have a physical location for the simulators, groups, schools, and driving schools can request a simulator system that we will loan to them for 1 to 2 months.
Why does the simulator loaner program exist? The number one killer of teens is motor vehicle crashes. On average, 11 teens die each day in the United States due to car crashes. Over 4,000 teens are killed and over 300,000 are injured in car crashes each year.
In 77% of deaths during the first year of driving, driver error is the cause of the fatal crash. Driver error is mainly due to a lack of driving experience. Common avoidable errors include failure to scan for and identify hazards, failure to adjust speed based on road conditions, and lack of attention.
According the best information available, driving simulators can give teens additional experience that translates to better on-the-road behaviors.
What is "StreetReady"?
StreetReadyTM is a software program that contains a 12-lesson skills-based driving simulator curriculum. For StreetReady, teen drivers spend approximately 20 minutes on each lesson and must pass each lesson before moving on to the next lesson. Students usually complete the 12 lessons during six visits to the center. Lessons are compiled of three distinct phases:
Introduction-The lesson objectives are presented in a multimedia format to introduce
concepts and proper procedures to students.
Practice Session-Students are able to practice performing proper driving procedures before being scored.
Evaluation Session-The students then apply the knowledge garnered from the first two
phases and are evaluated on performing the targeted driving skills.
Lessons:
- Getting Ready to Drive - Allows students to familiarize themselves with vehicle components and provides a pre-test of student's skills.
- Developing Visual Processes - This lesson helps students develop knowledge of basic visual processes, such as sight line, targeting transition points and blind zones.
- Developing Searching Skills - Students apply the basic vision and perception concepts learned in Lesson Two to the driving task. They must also use their focus vision to gather critical information to help deal with potential problems.
- Searching for Signs, Signals and Markings - To successfully complete this lesson, students must divide their attention to gain information from the signs, signals, and pavement markings on and around the roadway.
- Evaluating to Minimize Risk - This lesson tests students' risk assessment by measuring how they choose to respond to threats or critical problems that could affect their vehicle's travel path or sight line.
- Executing Effective Speed and Position Adjustments - Students will learn how to properly use their brakes or accelerator for speed adjustments to perform lane position adjustments or lane changes.
- Managing Intersections - Lesson Seven will help students learn how to properly approach intersections and then safely follow the steps for entering and exiting the intersection.
- Managing Turns at Intersections - Students will learn the proper steps for safely making a left or right turn at different types of intersections.
- Managing Curves and Hills - In this lesson, students learn how to deal with restriction to sight line and travel path to properly negotiate any curve, hill or combination of grades and curves.
- Managing Time and Space Intervals - Students will learn how to develop the processes for searching for problems, evaluating situations, and executing appropriate communication, speed, and position adjustments in complex situations involving higher speeds, more traffic flow, unusual intersections or approaching hills or curves.
- Responding to Vehicle Failures - This lesson educates students on many vehicle malfunctions and allows them to practice how to resolve some potential problems.
- Assessing Driver Performance and Awareness - This lesson tests the skills students have learned in the previous lessons. Students will be expected to evaluate driving situations and execute reduced-risk choices within the available time and space using appropriate communication, speed adjustment and lane position adjustments.
The StreetReadyTM curriculum reflects all essential aspects of vehicle operation. In addition, many of the more detailed concepts that are often presented in non-simulation information regarding separation distances, collision avoidance, risk avoidance, and the dangers of driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol are reinforced in the simulation lessons.
If standard conditions are used, each lesson can be completed in 20 minutes for a total of 4 hours for all 12 Lessons. Teen drivers can also select to simulate driving at night, in rain, in fog, and in snow. With StreetReadyTM, you have an expert instructor focusing only on your student teaching, demonstrating, reminding and measuring a multitude of safe driving lessons. Over 80 specific criteria are assessed throughout the lessons to help drivers develop safe driving habits.
What is "One Simple Decision"?
One Simple Decision (OSD) is a piece of software that is designed to modify driving behavior by illustrating the consequences of choices made behind the wheel. Through the combination of driving simulation, intense interactions and first-person consequences videos, students are immersed in an intense, personal experience that forces them to "live through" the results of the decisions they made while driving. Designed for drivers between the ages of 15 and 24, One Simple Decision "hits where it counts" with consequences that affect their money, friends, physical health, career aspirations and their freedom. OSD specifically addresses distraction driving including texting, cell phone use, peer distractions and other electronics. Equally important, OSD explicitly provides information and experiences that deal with impairments including alcohol, legal/illegal drugs and fatigue.
To request a simulator, call 860-545-9988 and ask for the Teen Driving Simulator Loaner Program.
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