FETRANSPOR quantifies the benefits of using driving simulators

Day after day, transport companies work continuously to ensure quality training adapted to the 21st century. Technological progress is enabling tools such as simulators to become an ever more accessible solution for companies of all sizes and in all sectors.

These companies are deriving numerous benefits from the use of the simulator. For example, being able to train for dangerous situations, or situations that are impossible to replicate in real life, in a safe environment. Furthermore, the continued use of simulators is now also allowing organisations and companies to publish numerous studies that put the benefits of using simulators into numbers. This is the case for FETRANSPOR, the federation that groups together the main bus company syndicates in Rio de Janeiro.

The corporation developed 4 heavy-duty vehicle simulators together with LANDER with the idea of offering the companies in the syndicates the opportunity to train their drivers on the simulator. Their main objective was to help eliminate the bad driving habits of professional drivers. In short, to improve the behaviour and attitude of experienced drivers when they are driving.

Over two years, around 1,725 drivers have used these simulators and FETRANSPOR has been able to quantify its drivers' progress through the training sessions. The study revealed data showing that the number of accidents had been reduced by 70%, speeding offences by 60%, at-fault accidents by 55% and dangerous driving errors by 65%. Not just that but 96% evaluated their use of the simulator as positive, 98% evaluated the content of the programme as adequate and 78% said that the course exceeded their expectations.

These results are not the only ones that have been released across the world. Studies such as "The Effect of Driving Simulator Fidelity on Training Effectiveness", from the Southern California Research Institute, have also been published. As have testimonies such as the one from Luis Maiello, the superintendent of training with simulators at NY City Transit. With more than 5,500 buses and 9,000 employees, Maiello says that they have noticed a 33% reduction in the accident rate. There is also the case of Schneider National, which managed to reduce the rate of accidents and their severity by 20%.

The possibility of quantifying the benefits of the use of driving simulators is good news. However, the most important aspect is still the knowledge that simulators are tools that provide several advantages that help companies improve their safety training as an integral part of a company's training structure. For this to be the case, it is necessary to ensure that the simulator provides the highest possible training capacity possible. In this regard, concepts such as immersion and the trainer software are key. For the simulation to provide optimal benefits to a company, it is vital that the student experiences the same sensations as they would in reality and that the instructor can generate an infinite number of situations with an educational scope.

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