Road trauma is the biggest killer of youths worldwide, described by the UN as an ‘epidemic on wheels’. Upwards of 90% of fatalities in the first 3 years of driving are caused by ‘driver error’ – yet in the last 50 years every aspect of road safety has been improved except for the way we teach people how to drive. Driver training is where we have the greatest capacity for improvement.
myDRIVESCHOOL® was conceptualised a decade ago for the Australian market … after I was involved in a road trauma fatality at 22, then becoming a mother of two sons (statistically boys are dying nearly 4:1 on the roads), and 25 years’ experience working in professional motorsport, both here and abroad. This was my ‘purpose meets passion’ project. It was always the mission to go global with the driver training, and our plan is to launch in UK, Japan and UAE in 2022 and US in 2023. In Australia in the last 6 years, fatality rates decreased 12% while serious injury increased 38%.
Simulation is a proven driver training tool, and used with great success globally to enhance capabilities, save resources and reduce risk. Unfortunately it can be cost prohibitive and difficult to get the simulator to the masses or the masses to the simulator.
With gaming a burgeoning industry globally, I investigated the possibilities of combining the technologies to deliver a ‘game’ that was both fun and ticked all the boxes in terms of learning outcomes. Playstation released GT Academy which launched the racing careers of several young drivers, so I thought if online can teach them those higher level cognitive skills at speed, I can teach people how to drive. In 2015 I found/was introduced to an indie development studio that had already built their own proprietary engine and we started building.
To test the program we conducted a blind randomised trial at a driver training facility, whereby we got groups of students, all of whom had never driven before, and split them up — half doing myDRIVESCHOOL® first and the others did the Government funded in-car driver lesson with independent professional instructors.
The instructors had no idea who did what when, and had to rate all students with a set criteria. The students that completed myDRIVESCHOOL® first were rated 48% more competent and 17% less anxious. I was happy to launch …
The Stage 1 program was launched at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix and went on to win the Australasian Serious Games Congress in the same year, with the highest score in the history of the event. In December that year, myDRIVESCHOOL® exhibited in Florida at the World’s largest simulation & training exhibition (I/ITSEC) and was nominated for another 5 awards.
Come 2020 and the World changed… myDRIVESCHOOL® was exhibiting at the Australian Grand Prix when we were advised to pack up and go home, and that’s where most of us spent the entire year – at home.
All our schools cancelled and we had to look at other markets and how we were going to survive. COVID did however teach us something – online works, it’s safe, efficient and cost effective. In Australia COVID has killed over 900 in 1.5years – road trauma kills 1200 people EVERY YEAR.
By accident we realised the myDRIVESCHOOL® program was suited to kids (and adults) with disabilities, more appropriately termed different abilities. It has been used for people with autism, ADHD, ABI’s, anxiety, mild-mid intellectual or physical impairments, PTSD, stroke, etc.
Practitioners can use the program as an assessment tool to gauge capacity for the patients to be able to drive, and if they don’t manage to complete the program other mobility options can then be investigated. In Australia, nearly all NDIS patients have an ‘assistive technology budget’ in their annual core support package. Driving is a Top 3 goal for all NDIS patients and myDRIVESCHOOL® can be used an assistive technology for specialised driver training.
The program is a series of graduated pass/fail modules to teach basic in-cabin operational procedures, cognitive skills (hazard/spatial awareness), road rules, intersections and emergency braking. If they speed, they fail. If they don’t turn on their indicators, they fail, etc. And it’s just a boring big red X on the page, no dramatic crash vision, just a failure notice. The program is delivered on PC/laptop with a portable steering wheel/pedal set (off-the-shelf gaming wheel).
We are now in the process of building our Stage 2 program which will address more behavioural aspects of road safety, and include texting+driving, drug/alcohol impairment, seat belt wearing, sharing the road with trucks/motorbikes/cyclists/pedestrians & fatigue. Once this is completed we will convert all modules to LHD, and customise for international markets. We are looking to release Stage 2 in March 2022 – funding pending.
Last year we did a submission for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the increase in the Victorian road toll, along with 150+ others. I was asked in to present to the Committee, of whom released their 258page report in March this year. myDRIVESCHOOL® was cited and the Committee have recommended that the Government trial simulation training for Learner Drivers. Singapore has the best road safety record in the Southern Hemisphere and have mandatory simulation training/testing for Learners.
We have also started a charity – appropriately called ‘Road Safety Matters” to deliver digital road safety programs to digital natives, with a focus on regional/remote, indigenous and at-risk kids. This will hopefully allow us to be eligible for more grant/government funding, Corporate CSR, and HNWs.
There’s so much evidence out there, and this isn’t rocket science – just bureaucrats who find it easier to say no than to actually DO something. I’ve conducted a couple of public surveys and 95+% of people want this driver training available for learners. It’s cheap, effective, fun and SAFE.
