Simulator training for young people as part of their driver training programme can help to reduce the numbers of young people dying on our roads.

Sim2Learn Technical Director, Gerry Waldron with former Assistant Chief Examiner with the Driving Standards agency in the UK, Barry Jones at a recent public showing of the Sim2Learn simulator system in action.

That's the view of Barry Jones, former Assistant Chief Examiner with the Driving Standards agency in the UK, who was in Ireland recently to review progress on behalf of Galway based Sim2Learn driving training.

He said: "The most effective way to influence the behaviour and attitudes of young drivers is through the way they learn to drive, and improve the depth and quality of training that is available. This means developing a wider range of opportunities for drivers to acquire skills and demonstrate that they have done so therefore, creating a culture of respect for their lives and the lives of others on our roads."

Simulator training can also be used by experienced drivers to enhance their skills both in terms of defensive and ecological driving, according to Barry Jones. UK experience from simulator training has allowed some company car fleets to make significant fuel economy savings as well as enhancing the safety of their staff on the road.

Sim2Learn are introducing to Ireland a revolutionary driver training model, which is the first 360 degree approach to driver training in Ireland – to improve driver safety and enhance driver skills, thus leading to improved road safety. The company's mission is to educate drivers by using state-of –the-art simulators, rules of the road, theory testing and on-the road training. Sim2Learn's driving simulators use the latest in European driving simulator technology to bring driver training to Ireland.

The Sim2Learn approach provides the learner driver with the opportunity to learn in a safe and stress-free environment. It will also provide the learner driver with all the confidence and technical driving skills required prior to 'on-the-road' tuition with a certified Driving Instructor.

The simulator consists of the cockpit of a car, with all primary and secondary controls including the safety belt, providing the learner driver with a real life car environment in which to learn. The virtual-reality driving environment is provided through three wrap-around, high-resolution computer screens.

When a learner driver looks into the screens, they will see a driving environment similar to the one they see when looking out the windscreen of a real car – it even takes into consideration Irish weather conditions. To date the Sim2Learn approach has been very successful in that 95 per cent of people completing the training have passed their test on the first occasion.

International consensus on road safety is built around the Four E's: Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Evaluation. "The Sim2Learn approach to driver education is pivotal to supporting this strategy," commented Aidan Madden Managing Director of Sim2Learn. "The Sim2Learn approach to learning raises awareness of road safety by imparting knowledge and developing an understanding of the risks with a view to changing attitudes and behaviour at individual, community and organisational levels," he added.

Sim2Learn have simulator training centres in Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Athlone, Letterkenny, Sligo, Waterford and Cork. They will take school groups or individuals for driver training as part of a process that can includes one-to-one car instruction as a follow up in preparation for a driving test.

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