But how else can people learn how to drive, if not through real-life experiences of driving? The theory tests can go so far in terms of teaching people the rules of the road, but it is only through sitting behind a wheel that people can truly learn how to drive . . . even though this can put both the new driver and other motorists at risk.

Technology has provided an answer. Galwaybased Sim2Learn has been researching the use of state of the art simulators to enhance driver training in Ireland. After all, no pilot would be allowed to fly an airliner without the hours in a simulator, so why not apply the same reasoning to learning to drive?

Using this logic, Sim2Learn has developed a comprehensive programme of training and instruction which encompasses PC-based theory training, hours in the simulator, and finally some real-life driving experience which, it believes, is the best and safest way to prepare its students for life behind a wheel. This revolutionary driver training model is the first one-stopshop approach to driver training in Ireland . . . and has been designed to improve driver safety and enhance driver skills leading to improved road safety.

For the simulator to work, it has to be as close to actual driving as is possible to recreate in a virtual environment.

To this end, each simulator consists of the cockpit of a car, with all primary and secondary controls including the safety belt, to provide the learner driver with an actual car environment in which to learn. The virtual-reality driving environment is provided through three wrap-around high-resolution computer screens. When a learner driver looks into the screens they will see a driving environment similar to the one they see when looking out the windscreen of a real car.

allof this is that you can make mistakes in a simulator that might have serious repercussions on the roads, " said Aidan Madden, managing director of Sim2Learn. "In a simulator, you learn in a stress free environment and you gain confidence as you go through the programme" Obviously, a simulator will never be a replacement for the real thing, which is why Sim2Learn incorporates on-theroad sessions into its programme. But, by learning on a simulator, students can familiarise themselves with the controls of a car in a safe environment . . .learning how to use the clutch, how to steer, and basically how to drive without posing a danger to themselves or to anyone else.

"The road network in Ireland makes it difficult for learner drivers to be on the road, but with our system, we can balance what people learn on a simulator with some actual driving, " said Madden.

Sim2Learn has just opened its first state of the art Simulator Driver Learning Centre in Briarhill, Ballybrit, Galway, making it the first centre of its type in Ireland, North or South. But simulator training is already a tried and tested methodology in other jurisdictions, and is used widely in the US, and some parts of continental Europe, particularly Germany, France and the Scandinavian countries.

"Our mission is to educate safer driving by using state-ofthe-art simulators, rules of the road, theory testing and on-the road training, " says Gerry Waldron, sales director.

"The simulation is designed to replicate driving conditions, from the seat belt to using the pedals."

It can also train people to drive through a range of road and weather conditions, from motorway driving on a clear day to travelling through a deluge on a winding country road.

To date, the authentic feeling of driving a Sim2Learn simulator has attracted interest from transition year students and VEC groups (in particular), although it is obviously going to be of benefit to anyone learning how to drive.

Absolute beginners are recommended to participate in the full Sim2Learn course, which is made up of a number of modules (and students cannot progress without completing any of these theoretical or simulated elements) . . . but the simulators could equally be used by people retuning to driving, or those looking for a few pre-test lessons.

But it is not just inexperienced drivers who have taken notice of Sim2Learn's revolutionary training methods. The insurance industry has shown an interest in what is being done, and some major insurers have indicated a willingness to offer discounts to drivers who have participated in an 18-hour course (similar to the Ignition course offered by Hibernian, although given the possibilities that come with the simulators, there will be much more of a practical element to the Sim2Learn programme).

The legal profession has also expressed an interest in the course, with local judges favourably disposed towards retraining on simulators.

Whatever ancillary benefits that driving simulators may bring, the reality is that their primary function is to create better drivers on Irish roads. But can we envisage a situation whereby driving simulation becomes the standard way to learn?

"Our mission is about promoting safer driving, " said Madden. "We would like to see ourselves as complementary to learning to drive in a traditional manner, preparing people better for their first times on the roads. And we believe that, by learning to drive through one of our programmes, we can achieve a 95% pass rate at the driving test."

Over the next few months Sim2Learn will be expanding by opening centers throughout Ireland North and South, with a mix of company owned centers and a national Franchise Program.

For further information please contact our website at www. sim2learn. ie or alternatively email @ franchise@sim2learn. ie