The department estimates that 35 simulators will be needed, but the exact number will be determined by how many students are chosen for the course, spokeswoman Marilyn Kali said. Kali said simulators will be available on all islands, but it has not been decided where. One option is to put the computers and simulators in portable buildings or trailers and move them to school parking lots, libraries and other central locations, she said. According to Kevin Curtis, president of KQ Corp., which is sponsoring the program, several simulators should be in place by Jan. 1, and the rest should be available in the following six months. The program, called Zone Control Driving, was developed by Frederik R. Mottola, executive director of Driver Behavior Institute and president of Interactive Driving Systems.
Instruction is given through an online course, and driving practice is done on the simulator.
He said the simulator would put students into hazardous situations to teach them how to handle them. The simulator consists of three large video screens placed side by side in a panoramic curve to show not only what's in front of the driver, but on the road shoulders and in scenery on the sides. A steering wheel, brake and accelerator pedals, and other controls are available. Weather conditions, six-lane highways and bumpy, narrow roads can be simulated. Mottola said the simulator can monitor a variety of driving habits simultaneously, such as speed, lane position and the smoothness in accelerating, and offer constructive criticism as a student is driving.