Teens to train on driving simulator at West Central
Times-Georgian, By Staff Writer Greg Garner
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has temporarily donated a driving simulator to the new West Central Technical College Driver Training Program. Beginning this weekend, 15 and 16-year-olds will be able to use the “Patrol Simulator II,” a computerized device that simulates a variety of driving situations, conditions and potential emergencies. With the feel of a real automobile – it has a steering wheel, gas and brake pedals and instruments – the machine can mimic what operating a vehicle is like a heavy traffic, with a flat tire, with the brakes going out or under the influence of alcohol. “You’re actually sitting there like you’re under the influence,” said Phil Carter, vice president for economic development at West Central. “The neat thing about that is that you can tell the kids all these things about why you shouldn’t drink and drive, but when they get behind the wheel and see that they can’t control the car, it’s just a real eye-opener”.
The driving simulator will only be a part of the course that West Central students have to pass. Classroom work, as well as driving an actual vehicle, will be requirements, too. According to Carter, the simulator, which is the only driving machine in Georgia being used by teenagers at a technical college, will be operated by those trained on the device, including Lt. Jeff Richards, the coordinator of training for the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. From a separate computer, the operator creates the different driving conditions students will encounter. “The machine allows the students to have a variety of ‘virtual experiences,’” Richards said. “It allows them to practice safe, defensive driving techniques, so that when they get on the road, they will have some experience in potentially dangerous situations.” “It gives the kids an opportunity to see things that you can talk about, but a practical application is worth a thousand words,” Carter said. “If you get a kid to think just a little bit, maybe that will keep them from doing something they’ll regret for the rest of their lives.” Inexperience is a top contributor to teenage traffic deaths, said Sheriff Terry Langley, who stressed that this simulator is not a solution to that problem and encouraged parents to give more practice behind the actual wheel.
“We think this will help, but of course this isn’t the fix-all,” said Langley. “It just gives them a little bit more experience than they would have had. And then, when the students go to the actual drive time at West Central, the combination of all of that will make them more well-rounded. “By partnering with West Central Technical College, I feel we can better educate our youth and make Carroll County a safer place to drive and a great place to live.” While the simulator will be housed at West Central’s Carrollton campus, the sheriff’s office will continue to use the simulator for its public safety training. Carter said he is confident that if it is good enough to train young drivers. “They find it very, very effective in training their officers,” he said. “I think that speaks volumes. If you’re training officers in emergency situation and you put them in different scenarios, you certainly can put an impressionable 15-year-old or 16-year-old through a meaningful experience.
Other News |
