Road safety education for young people in Bedfordshire is to be transformed with the launch of a new virtual reality immersive experience.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s (BFRS) new Vision Van will engage and educate young drivers in schools and at local events.
Dedicated hydraulic chairs inside the van allow users to immerse themselves into a virtual reality scenario, to better understand the factors and risks that can lead to a driver being distracted or to lose concentration on the road.
Area commander Ian Evans, head of prevention and protection at BFRS, said: “We are called to far too many incidents where younger drivers have either been injured or have caused harm to others as a result of making unwise decisions behind the wheel.
“The Vision van is a great way of showing drivers how their actions can result in life-changing consequences in an innovative and fun way.
“Over the coming months we will be working with Bedfordshire Road Safety Partnership to get the van out into the community to fulfil our aims.”
Schools, colleges and other higher education institutions will be able to book a visit from the Vision Van, which has been jointly funded by Bedfordshire’s police and crime commissioner.
It will be used as part of Bedfordshire’s Road Safety Partnership’s mission to reduce road casualties by 50% by 2035.
PCC Festus Akinbusoye said: “In Bedfordshire in 2022 alone, emergency services attended over 300 road traffic collisions where someone was killed or seriously injured.
“This is why as part of the police and crime plan, we have dedicated resources aimed at educating drivers, particularly young drivers, on the biggest risk factors associated with driving. Namely, using a mobile phone, speeding, drink and drug driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
“As police and crime commissioner, I have met many family members of road traffic victims through the Road Victims Trust, and each meeting is a reminder to me of the need to work as a partnership in Bedfordshire to reduce road casualties.”
Awesome work, that looks like a real great initiative.
Glenn Hartwell, Coventry
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