Distracted Driving
Many of today's drivers can benefit from driver training that includes distracted driving. That's where Virtual Driver Interactive comes in. Our One Simple Decision program was designed to modify driving behavior by illustrating the consequences of choices made behind the wheel. A survey conducted on One Simple Decision with the question, "How likely are you to drive impaired in the future?" found that 84% selected 'never' as their response after having gone through the simulation program. One Simple Decision isn't just for teens but also adults and can be a powerful tool in your training toolkit for the drivers in your organization.
Fleet Management: The Cars or the Drivers?
There are many publications, trade shows and job titles that are about "Fleet Safety or Fleet Management". Some years back we thought, "this is great, these people really care about crashes." Well, the answer is "sort of".
It is all too common for "fleet" to mean really only the cost of the vehicle, gas costs, leasing terms and other asset management metrics. I'm not saying those aren't important but they never seem to include the driver involved. Your employee, the one with the family that faithfully does their job every day. Where is the department that takes the same amount of time and attention to the employee as the key "asset" they need to protect? At this point we can divide up a typical large company. HR responsible for the people? Nope, not when it comes to driving. Fleet safety? Nope, they buy, sell, maintain and repair vehicles. Risk management (sounds right doesn't it), no chance except to the extent it affects insurance policies. You would think "legal" would care since multimillion dollar lawsuits are not uncommon in traffic related deaths. Never once hear of them focused on avoiding the crashes that created the liability. Worse yet, companies that DO have some driver training offer it to only those who "drive for the job". These are the same companies that often offer gym memberships; wellness programs; CPR courses and other services that are focused on keeping employees happy and healthy. And yet, a significant reason for an employee to miss work for an extended period of time is related to themselves or their family member being in a car crash.
Where is the driving wellness initiative?
by Bob Davis, CEO & President of Virtual Driver Interactive Virtual Hazard Detection: Corporate Fleet Driver Safety Training [embed]https://vimeo.com/112231426[/embed]
Vehicle crash costs can be the difference between making and missing the number. So it’s not enough to provide the information – employers must be certain that the drivers learned crash avoidance and hazard detection skills necessary to protect the fleet.
Evaluating Training Choices:
Behind the Wheel: Behind the Wheel can be valuable in specific circumstances such as when an employee operates a specialty vehicle with unique characteristics like a garbage truck, semi-truck or bus. It is very valuable for novice drivers learning the basic handling of a car. But for normal adults driving for their jobs, there are much more effective ways of building their skills and keeping their attention. Behind the wheel training cannot be conducted for the higher risk situations that lead to crashes such as fog, night, snow or distracted driving scenarios.
Online Courses: While web training is simple, do “read and click” web-based courses truly translate to improved driving skills for adults? Online training is useful for novice drivers and is an effective, scalable way to deliver that information.
Driving Simulators: There is a long history of scientific justification for simulators and their value for training. Air Force, Marine Corps, the Army and Navy have trained their airmen, sailors and soldiers in the rules of engagement, judgment, combat, marksmanship and indirect fire on simulators. Likewise, driving simulators put drivers in dangerous situations and measure what they do to ensure competency. Also, there is compelling evidence that simulator-based instruction provides a high transfer of learning rate on new and experienced drivers.
US Post Office Case Study
In 2015, Andrea Maddicks, Transportation Manager at US Postal Office in Queens, NY/Triboro District, recognized the need for driver safety training for her fleet of drivers. She turned to VDI to implement an innovative approach in reducing accidents in a cost-effective and engaging method. After recommending and purchasing a VDI desktop driving simulator with the Virtual HD program, the Triboro District recognized a 7% reduction in 2016 in MVS driver motor vehicle accidents and has continued to see a reduction through May 2017.
“VDI’s driving simulators have proven to be a cost-effective and engaging way to provide refresher training before and after accidents to our Postal Carriers and Tractor/Trailer Operators", said Andre Maddicks. "More importantly, the simulation-based driver safety training has considerably reduced accident rates in the Suncoast District during our trial period compared to the same period last year. In fact, we have had only one backing accident since we got the simulator in Tampa compared to last year when there were 26!”
Last week the Governors Highway Safety Association released a report stating that 2017 pedestrian fatalities were at a 25-year high. What’s notable is that in recent years, the number of pedestrian fatalities has increased 28% while during the same time period other traffic deaths decreased. Speculation for this alarming pedestrian death toll is linked to the growth in Smartphones nationwide.
Cellphone use among walkers and drivers is on the rise and so are the safety issues related to distracted walking. We are all well aware of the deadly consequences of distracted driving. But distracted walking? 
Drivers need to be prepared, now more than ever, for the distracted pedestrian who is oblivious to traffic around them creating hazards in their path. Typing (texting) or reading a text alters a pedestrian's gait, speed, and walking pattern, according to a recent study. Campaigns such as the The "Digital Deadwalkers" YouTube video distributed in 2016 humorously highlights what can happen when pedestrians focus on anything other than the task of walking.
If drivers are texting and pedestrians have their head down and are unaware of their surroundings, no wonder the rate of fatalities is on the rise. Driver education needs to train on hazard avoidance with distracted pedestrians as a top contender on the hazard list. 
Virtual Driving Essentials is VDI’s teen driving program that includes training on complex driving situations such as intersections where most pedestrian injuries occur. We train teen drivers about the consequences of driving or walking while distracted in a virtual world – which has proven to change their behavior. There is no substitute for the shocking experience of feeling like you’ve accidently harmed another person.
For more information, check out our website or facebook page. By Pam LeFevre, VDI VP of Marketing [embed]https://vimeo.com/139967478[/embed] [embed]https://vimeo.com/108831040[/embed]