Fire chiefs warn youngsters to prepare for a road shock
The fire service has unveiled a new weapon in its battle to reduce the number of young people killed on the roads – a car that simulates the impact of a crash.
Leicestershire Fire Service has taken the wraps off the VF4 (the virtual fatal4) – a souped-up Ford Focus designed to grab the attention of young drivers and passengers.
The black and orange car is a road legal head-turner, but is also a state-of-the-art virtual experience which simulates a drive and the moment of impact of a crash.
Watch manager Paul Speight, of the road safety team, said the idea was to shock the youngsters.
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He said: "We make no apologies for this.
"The idea is to grab their attention then give them a huge dose of reality. Basically, we put them in a car and it crashes."
The car will tour all schools in the county and year 11 pupils – aged 15 and 16 – will get in and watch a film of teenagers going for a car journey that ends in disaster.
Film-maker Ben Jacobson worked with Leicester drama group Urban Young Actors to devise the script and scenario for the in-car film.
Mr Speight said: "Occupants will feel the impact of a road traffic collision, hear the sounds of the crash, the deathly silence and the screams for help."
The VF4 is a £7,000 Ford Focus ST with modifications worth £15,000 to turn it into a crash simulator complete with cameras, screens and hydraulic levers.
Mr Speight said: "The completely remodelled car will be the flagship of a wider education package. We will visit schools, young offenders' institutions, and community projects to ensure that the next generation of drivers do not succumb to the 'fatal four'.
"The fatal four are the main causes of driving deaths among 17 to 25 year olds: driving while under the influence of drink and drugs, not wearing your seatbelt, using your mobile phone and speeding."
Students on a 10-week Prince's Trust job skills course mentored by the fire service went for a virtual test drive in the VF4 at its launch.
Danielle Bamford, 24, of Eyres Monsell, Leicester, said: "The crash was incredibly realistic.
"It felt as if you were in there on that journey. It made me think."
Dylan Curtis, 17, of Leicester Forest East, said: "It was pretty scary. When the film showed the firefighters struggling to cut the teenagers out, I thought they were trying to help us."
Georgia Smith, 19, of Braunstone, Leicester, said: "The car is stunning, just the sort I would love to own one day.
"The film will make lots of people think. It made me realise just how dangerous cars can be."
The VF4 was unveiled at the soon-to-be-opened Birstall fire station on Friday.
2 Comments
by zygote3
Monday, March 11 2013, 9:58AM
“Does anyone under 50 really still talk about a car being 'souped up'?
I agree that there is luck involved, but to a degree you make your own luck. I took more risks when I first passed my test many moons ago, and I think that it is pretty typical, and I only had a rubbish 1300cc car with no creature comforts - in something fast I might have been tempted to overtake in places where it wasn't safe. I also think teenagers with friends in the car are a particular danger, not only distracting, but maybe even non-drivers goading their driver mate to not drive like a grandad.
Confronting young and new drivers graphically will the potential outcome of crashes can only be a good thing, if it shocks and scares, then good.”
by TheRutlandFox
Monday, March 11 2013, 9:01AM
“Until you are unlucky or lucky depending if you survive a head on crash. You cannot imagine the forces involved. I thought my head was exploding when i had mine back in the early 90s at just 40 mph, luckily the only serious one in well a 1.5 million miles of motoring
The forces involved even broke the roof aerial off
Nothing i could do different would have helped though, driver on wrong side, no where to go just hit brakes and pray. The biggest killer around the roads in East Leics and Rutland, is drivers lack of appreciation for bends, road conditions and camber, even 25 and 30 year olds that venture out from Leicester. Unfortunately, that is all down to driving experience. The best thing that the agencies can do is to get all youngsters and new drivers up to Prestwold hall or Bruntingthorpe and get them learning how to drive a rally car in a skid. That's how we all learn out here on the off road tracks on farms, No surprise the best rally drivers are Scandinavians or Welsh or Scottish hill farmers.
It then comes as no surprise when your car starts to skid and you know how to get out of it in the split second you have. Experience a skid for the first time and depending on the traffic, you end up in a minor solo crash with just you pride damaged, or worse under the front of the oncoming artic.”