The LSU College of Engineering recently acquired a simulator, produced by Realtime Technologies, Inc., to help undergraduate and graduate students study one of the most expensive and life threatening fields in America — driving.
Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death of children, teens and young adults ages 15-34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 30,000 Americans died in automobile accidents last year.
It costs Louisiana $969 million on average in crash-related death costs per year. This number includes $8 million in medical costs and $961 million in work loss costs.
Acccording to the College of Engineering’s website, researchers plan to use the simulator to help increase driver safety.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the Louisiana Board of Regents helped fund the project.
The simulator consists of a full-body Ford Focus without wheels, featuring a computer program that, with the help of cameras and projectors, depicts a realistic driving experience.
Users can put the car in gear, use the brakes and gas pedals and check the mirrors.
The simulator can project almost any obstacle, including unsafe weather conditions, road surfaces, traffic or environment.
Researchers can use the simulator to study human error, driving performances for different groups under varying environmental conditions, the impact of drugs on drivers, highway designs and the risks of text messaging and in-vehicle technologies.
College of Engineering officials said they hope the research tool will attract federal grants and encourage other universities to consider driving research a priority.
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Contact Laura Furr at [email protected]