Virtual reality is being used to show young Welsh drivers the shocking reality of a fatal car crash – WalesOnline

It is the harsh reality of motoring that no-one ever wants to experience.

But young drivers in Carmarthenshire have been given a shocking insight into the events before, during and after a fatal car crash - using virtual reality technology - to help drive home the road safety message.

Aimed at young people who are about to the begin driving or have already passed their test, the event used immersive 360 goggles that play a film which features a car journey taken by a young driver and his friends.

The viewer has a 360-degree point of view from the front passenger seat.

During the journey the viewer experiences certain behaviours and factors that contribute to road traffic collisions with the consequences proving fatal for one of the other passengers.

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The initiative, organsied by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service along with Go Safe Cymru, Dyfed Powys Police , Welsh Ambulance Trust and the Institute of Advanced Motoring was featured at a Pre-Drivers Safety Event at Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli.

Road safety watch manager Emyr Davies said: The film that feature on the Immersive 360 Goggles is very effective and accompanies a lesson plan, that we as partners deliver, and centres around behavioural change.

New and young drivers are good drivers, otherwise they wouldnt pass their driving test. What the statistics show is that a higher proportion of young drivers will experience a road accident with one or more passengers in the vehicle.

The learning outcomes from these events are to make young people aware of the dangers of peer pressure and to resist certain pressures to drive faster or be distracted by a number of factors, such as using mobile phones.

Certain peer pressures can be positive; our message to passengers is to encourage responsible driving to maintain their own safety as well as other road users.

By working in collaboration with our partners, we are promoting the Fatal 5 messages - Dont drink and drive; kill your speed; dont get careless; wear your seat belt and switch off your mobile phone before driving a vehicle.

Statistics released by the Welsh Government revealed that young people aged between 16 and 24 represented 12 per cent of the population of Wales in 2015, but between 2011-2015, the group accounted for around a third of all passenger casualties.

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Virtual reality is being used to show young Welsh drivers the shocking reality of a fatal car crash - WalesOnline