Published: September 05, 2008 02:49 pm         

First responders tested on virtual driving skills

Cooke County first responders aren’t playing games when they sit behind the wheel during a driving simulator course taught by the Texas Association of Counties.

The scenarios feel real and the crashes and unexpected incidents along the road surprise drivers and test their skills like the real thing.

“In the simulator program, paricipants are placed in situations in which they virtually crash their vehicles and immediately see their mistakes. They are then taught strategies to avoid the crash in the future,” said the simulator’s trainer, Don Courtney of the Texas Association of Counties.

The Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Fund bought a simulator more than seven years ago for its members. The current simulator is about a year old.

It has proven to be a highly effective way to improve vehicle safety records, Courtney said.

“We waited a year to get the simulator here. Our goal is to get as many first responders through the program as we can,” Cooke County Emergency Management Coordinator Ray Fletcher said.

The unit — a $435,000 trailer equiped with two vehicle simulators — is part of the association’s effort to curttail accidents, save tax dollars and save lives.

The vehicle arrived on the Cooke County Library parking lot earlier this week and first groups of workers have already the program which includes at least one hour of classroom time and about an hour behind the wheel.

In all, over 100 individuals are expected to participate.

Police officers, deputies, EMS workers, county equipment drivers and even county commissioners will take a turn in the driver’s seat before the training vehicle pulls out Oct. 1.

One simulator is designed to look like a smaller vehicle such as a Ford Crown Victoria patrol car or a fire department SUV. Another simulator mimics a big truck.

There’s an odometer, gas and brake pedals, side and rear view mirrors, turn signals, an air conditioner — everything found inside a real car.

Take a seat in the simulator and training specialist Don Courtney dims the lights, loads the computer program and briefs the driver on the scenario.

He gives a general description of the driving conditions, but doesn’t warn the driver of the distractions and hazardous situations along the way.

Pedestrians cross the street unexpectedly. Cars pull away from the curb without warning.

The driver puts on a seatbelt, starts the car’s engine, puts the vehicle in drive and takes off by depressing the gas pedal.

At first the scenario is easy — a leisurely drive down a quiet city street.

Then things get interesting.

During one scenario, the driver is instructed to follow a fast moving purple pickup truck whose driver just robbed a bank.

There’s a little row of shops on the left and a mall with a large parking lot on the right.

Other vehicles get near the suspect’s pickup truck making difficult to keep an eye on the miscreant.

Get too close to the curb and you’ll feel the car bump the concrete.

Over-correct and you might crash into a building or another car.

The driver in the simulator has the perception that he or she is actually moving.

Some drivers report getting a little queasy.

Courtney can also manipulate driving conditions by adding snow and slick roads, poor visibility and other pitfalls.

Many people involuntarily lean with the curves as they turn virtual corners.

As in real life, crashes can happen quickly and are jarring, even in the virtual environment.

It’s a lot like the Grand Theft Auto video games, but Fletcher said it’s much more useful.

“The simulator really focuses on defensive driving techniques,” he said. “We don’t want to wait for a big accident to happen. It pays to be proactive and train our drivers to avoid accidents.”

Most who attend the class and drive the simulator take the experience seriously, Courtney said.

“Almost everyone has a pretty positive attitude. It makes a believer out of them, especially when they crash,” he said.