Driving Forces in Simulation

Simulators gain popularity among law enforcement trainers

• Travis Yates
• Law Officer Volume 5 Issue 7
• 2009 Jul 1

The use of simulation has grown immensely in law enforcement training in the past two decades. Although firearms simulators have been a mainstay within training circles for years, emergency vehicle training simulators have only recently gained popularity.

Today’s simulators can be traced to the invention of computers and the early simulators used to assist the federal government in training astronauts and military personnel. As the technology developed and became more cost effective in the 1970s, the commercial industry introduced simulation training products for use by the public transportation industry, truck drivers and, eventually, police officers. Simulation is now commonly used to train personnel.

Simulation attempts to imitate the real-world environment, and it offers several advantages over traditional training. Driving simulators can expose the student to varied environments that simply cannot be replicated on a driving track. Further, in comparison to traditional training methods, simulators are a cost-effective, efficient and safe means of training personnel.

That said, with the advantages of driving simulation come inherent disadvantages. Simulators are quite effective as a tool in teaching decision-making, but they rarely have the ability to hone skills needed to drive a modern police car. In that respect, driving simulators should never be considered a replacement for training on a driving track. There’s also a substantial cost to implementing simulator training, and it takes a high level of expertise to instruct others using simulation.

Despite these disadvantages, driving simulators can play an important role in the safety of officers, and there are several companies that strive to ensure their emergency vehicle driver training is as realistic as possible.

Custom Is King
MPRI’s Patrol Sim IV Driving Simulator uses the latest in digital simulation technology to create real-world training scenarios. Using three plasma screens and a 180◦ view, the driver is placed in an impressive virtual environment. With more than 100 preloaded scenarios, MPRI’s scenario builder software makes building custom scenarios as easy as the drag and drop of the computer mouse. Whether it’s simulating pursuits, tire blowouts or the PIT maneuver, the Patrol Sim IV has proven to be a very popular simulator among pubic safety agencies.

Force Feedback
FAAC is a leader in combining driving simulation with use of force simulation. The FAAC Vehicle Interactive Pursuit-5 (VIP-5) has five LCD panels offering a 225◦ continuous horizontal field of view. Designed specifically for law enforcement, the VIP-5 trains the officer to turn their heads full left or right for critical intersection analysis. The steering contains force feedback, providing for a realistic driving experience, and the “open-air” driving station is fabricated with materials that are representative of an actual police vehicle.

Using FAAC’s “Driving Force” officers receive and respond to calls in the patrol car, conduct an investigation and field interview, make a simulated arrest and implement a level of force necessary to gain compliance from a subject.

High-Resolution Visuals
Founded in 1970, Doron continues to be an industry leader in driving simulation. With a curriculum package of 82 approved California POST scenarios and excellent on-site customer service support, the high-resolution visual system in Doron’s 550 LE Simulator is an industry favorite. The company’s optional SkillTrak Driver Performance Monitor System gives trainers the ability to monitor and measure students’ reaction skills against national standards.

Newcomers 
MPRI, FAAC and Doron hold a dominant position within the law enforcement driving simulator field. Although each company is unique and attracts customers for different reasons, they all provide realistic simulation options. From the look of the simulator to the feel of the environment and even the scenarios themselves, the big three are big for a reason. Agencies may find it difficult to decide which simulator to purchase, and cost may not be a deciding factor. Until recently, the big three’s market domination set the standard cost of one simulator at close to $100,000.

Two companies have entered the police driving simulator market, promising innovative new options and pricing in driving simulation. The first newcomer, Applied Simulation Technologies (AST), developed the EVOC-101 Web as the first stage of a blended learning curriculum for law enforcement in a convenient Internet setting. EVOC-101 presents the techniques, concepts, rules and procedural knowledge necessary for emergency vehicle operators to drive safely and effectively in emergency response situations in a rich, interactive format.

Topics include proper vehicle position, lights and siren use, on­coming lane use, silent response, policy issues and more perishable skills. This multimedia courseware prepares and refreshes emergency response drivers for a simulator, a test track and real incidents. EVOC 101-Web proves particularly useful as a precursor to an officer entering a simulator. It’s also valuable to agencies that can’t afford an actual simulator by teaching important driving concepts via multimedia.

The second newcomer to the law enforcement simulator market is Simulator Systems International (SSI), an innovative leader in simulation training for the aviation, maritime and automotive industries since 1976. With the installation of thousands of driving simulators, along with its broad range of high-tech devices from part task trainers to multi-million dollar flight simulators, it’s natural that SSI would expand to the law enforcement driving simulator market.

In addition to an integrated training curriculum, SSI’s Squad Sim will provide written, verbal and icon feedback about the operator’s driving performance and will include specialized training modules in several different categories, including general traffic safety, risk awareness, hazard perception, traffic stops, emergency response and high-speed pursuits, along with specific training modules for municipal, highway patrol and rural sheriff’s departments.

The most exciting part of this new simulator is its accessibility: The Squad Sim will cost approximately $30,000 and come with a three-year warranty, making the possibility of driving simulation real for lots of agencies. Expect it around October.

MPRI Patrol Sim IV:  www.mpri.com/driver/patrolsimiv.html

FAAC VIP-5:  www.faac.com/policesimulators.htm

DORON 550 LE:  www.doronprecision.com/law.html

SSI Squad Sim:  www.simulatorsystems.com

AST EVOC 101-Web:  www.appliedsimtech.com

Conclusion
Vehicle collisions have been the leading cause of on-duty death among law enforcement officers for the past 11 years. We must remain vigilant in our efforts to turn this troubling trend around. Our profession combated the rise of on-duty deaths due to gunfire three decades ago with focused training and technology. We must take that same approach in addressing the rising danger in vehicle collisions. Simulation combines technology and training to expand driver preparedness off the track and into a simulated environment where the possibilities are endless.     

Travis Yates is a captain with the Tulsa (Okla.) Police Department and supervises the department’s precision driving unit. He received  Law Officer ’s 2008 Trainer of the Year Award. His Web site, www.policedriving.com, is dedicated to EVOC.

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• Law Officer Magazine Volume 5 Issue 7

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