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Why Simulation

The value of Simulators

Active realistic vehicle controls ensure that the learner gains familiarization and muscle memory using the similar hardware as in an actual vehicle.

Facilitators can identify inefficiencies or weaknesses so the learner can focus on training to correct or strengthen the areas.

Solution in South Africa

In his brief to parliament, Minister Ndebele said South African drivers were considered some of the worst in the world…
In October last year, at a schools road safety debate in Durban, Minister Ndebele said "We are making progress... towards ensuring that every Grade 11 pupil would have a learner's licence and every 18-year-old a driving licence."

Afsim believes simulator training can be the solution to better driving in South Africa and to achieve the objective with regard to ensuring qualified and experienced young drivers in South Africa.

Although accepted as the norm for a learner driver to gain experience on a public road, it is extremely dangerous. Simulator training has proven to be cost effective, easy-to-use, and a safe alternative. A variety of exercises are represented in different environments. We acknowledge that simulator training is not the last step in obtaining a driver’s license.

This summary below show if you replace 80% of driver training in a vehicle, with simulators, you will save more than 175 million rand a year on training only 100 000 learners. This is a saving of nearly 80%. Damage to vehicle’s and insurance was not even taken into consideration.

		Traditional Option	Simulator Option
Basic Running cost of a vehicle per year		92 250 000	18 450 000
Vehicle’s value	80000	20 000 000	4 000 000
Simulator value	55900		6 708 000
Cost of facilitators	150000	112 500 000	18 000 000
Total Cost		224 750 000	47 158 000

For calculation purposes the value of the vehicle was depredated over three years and the value of the simulator over five years. (The extended period on the simulators is due to very limited wear and tear.)

This table is based on the following:

Learners	100 000
Traditional training
Hours per learner in vehicle	15
Simulator training
Hours per learner on simulator	12
Hours per learner in vehicle	3
Km travel per hour lesson in vehicle	30
Vehicle Running Cost per Km	R2.05
Training hours per vehicle per year	2000
Vehicle value	R80 000.00
Simulator value	R55 900.00
Facilitators cost to company	R150 000.00

Ten or twenty lessons at a driving school, could conclude in having a legal drivers licence, but does not qualify you to be a safe driver on the road. Southern California Research Institute has found that motor vehicle crashes are significantly higher among young drivers during the first year of licensure, and crash risks decline with increased experience. With simulators, driving skills and experience can be obtained from a younger age, in a safe environment, before driving on a public road.