Driver training goes digital

By: Jack Nerad for Driving Today
Date: Sunday, 09. December 2007

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As those of you who have done both know, it is far better to crash your vehicle in a computer simulation than on the road. This is the premise behind GE Capital I-Sim, a company that has just opened its first Driver Development Service Center in Salt Lake City. The new facility combines classroom instruction with new, state-of-the-art driving simulators using computer technology (natch.)

Whether it's truck drivers, police officers, or emergency vehicle operators, the I-Sim program focuses on real-life scenarios that train drivers how to avoid accidents without endangering life or property. The company might soon have additional programs for taxi drivers, garbage collectors, and the drivers of criminal getaway cars.

"We can train truck drivers to maneuver their 18-wheelers through hazardous road conditions or emergency vehicles to reach a disaster scene quickly and safely," said Mark Stulga, CEO of GE Capital I-Sim. "Our complete program lets drivers take classroom learning straight to a life-like simulator. I-Sim technology allows instructors to correct virtual mistakes before they become reality."

The center uses a three-part training approach-classroom instruction, computer-based training with a complete driver skills evaluation, and hands-on simulation time, although the company failed to mention exactly what their hands were on during the simulation. And we'd hate to guess.

The computerized training is currently aimed at professional drivers, and you can see why. The more than 30,000 accidents that occur each year cost the trucking industry $24 billion. The Salt Lake City facility features the new Mark II simulator-a full-size, fully operational truck cab placed in a three-dimensional cinema. (Which strikes us as a bad place to park.) Police officers can get life-like training on the latest PatrolSim. And soon drive-in movie-goers might hone their skills in the MakeOutSim.

"We're definitely plowing new ground with this approach to driver training," Stulga said. "The technology that's involved is phenomenal."

In addition to the Salt Lake City training center, Stulga says GE Capital I-Sim plans to open new Driver Development Service Centers in Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia.

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