A driving simulator that will test how well truck drivers respond to difficult road conditions and give them potentially life-saving experience of handling dangerous situations was opened last week by Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling.
Funded by the Government's Road Haulage Modernisation Fund, the £1.2 million simulator project is the first of its kind in the UK and will enable over 600 commercial vehicle drivers to benefit from the latest training technology designed to improve driving skills.
The new simulator will put truck drivers in real-life situations that cannot be recreated on the road for safety reasons - including a vehicle approaching a roll-over condition, mountain driving and unexpected weather conditions. General skills, such as braking, acceleration, gear selection, tailgating and hurtling through narrow lines whilst on the phone will also be monitored. Their skill levels will be measured at the start and end of the training session to identify improvements.
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