SAN RAMON, Calif. — Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI), provider of driver improvement simulation systems for corporations and communities, today announced the availability of the Virtual Defensive Driver Course (Virtual DDC), an interactive driver improvement course designed to address driving deficiencies, including the nation’s number one cause of fatalities among American workers: traffic collisions. VDI teamed with one of the nation’s top safety organizations, the National Safety Council (NSC) to develop an interactive simulation system for companies and their employees—Virtual DDC—based on NSC’s Defensive Driving Course 6/8, the first driver improvement course in the nation. Since its inception more than 40 years ago, over 50 million drivers have completed the original NSC course. Virtual DDC provides the same course content as NSC’s Defensive Driving Course 6/8 while engaging employees with the ability to practice what is taught in the curriculum via interactive simulations, giving employees actual behind-the-wheel experience in a safe, controlled environment. Virtual DDC requires employees to pass 17 different interactive simulations, including: basic defensive driving concepts (featuring NSC’s Collision Prevention Formula); the proper use of occupant restrain systems; how physical and emotional conditions affect driving ability; dealing with uncontrollable driving conditions; the top six unsafe driving behaviors; and defensive driving techniques for dealing with driving hazards and risks. The interactive course utilizes VDI’s proprietary Performance Assessment Scoring System (P.A.S.S.) which evaluates employees on a variety of driving skills throughout the course, including vehicle startup and shutdown procedures, risk assessment, speed control, turns and lane changes, following distance, etc. P.A.S.S. also evaluates employees on 89 criteria more than 30 times per second, providing complete and immediate feedback of an employee’s performance. In addition, P.A.S.S. assigns every employee his or her own login and ID combo, which enables the system to ensure that all course work is completed and that all driving skills are mastered. Virtual DDC comes equipped with all curriculum pre-installed in the Virtual Trainer, a stand-alone training system designed to look, feel, drive and react like a real car. The Virtual Trainer was developed using real car parts including, steering wheel with horn, turning signals, gear shifter, headlight switch with high beam control, three-point seat buckle and emergency brake. The Virtual Trainer also comes equipped with three LCD monitors, giving the driver a 120-degree view of the road and the ability to identify approaching traffic 15-20 seconds down the road, as required by the Virtual DDC curriculum. VDI provides the Virtual Trainer to companies at no charge—making repairs, maintenance and upgrades obsolete. The only cost to companies is that of the Virtual DDC curriculum. Virtual DDC offers the following benefits: · Ability to practice potentially dangerous scenarios in a safe environment
· Efficient use of time and resources: every course is self contained and self paced
· No instructor or classroom necessary
· Increased knowledge retention by doing instead of reading
· More complete, consistent and objective reporting
· Employees must demonstrate what they have learned
· Easy to operate
· Cost-effective; no obsolescence of hardware
· Numerous states recognize completion of a NSC Defensive Driving Course
· Insurance companies may issue discounts for completing a defensive driving course
“Virtual DDC was developed to help companies better train their employees,” said Bob Davis, CEO and president of Virtual Driver Interactive. “Our goal was to create a system that enabled employees to better retain important driver safety information found in the NSC course. Through interactive simulation, employees and companies can feel safer knowing that the skills learned while training will carry over to the real world.” System Pricing and Availability Virtual DDC is available immediately; prices range from $159.00-$299.00 per trainee, based on the number of trainees and systems in place. About Virtual Driver Interactive Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Raydon Corporation, provides driver improvement simulation systems to corporations and public education facilities around the globe. VDI’s curriculum and simulation systems teach the proven, defensive driving techniques taught by the National Safety Council as well as the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA). The company currently offers two driver training systems: the Virtual Defensive Driving Course (Virtual DDC), a driver improvement course; and StreetReady, designed for novice drivers. VDI is headquartered in San Ramon, Calif. For more information about VDI, please visit the company’s Website at www.driverinteractive.com or call 877-746-8332.