Driver Training Simulators for Wheeled Vehicles – KMW PROGRESS Product Line

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann

As a result of the rapid and dynamic development of PC technology and the attendant price collapse, KMW today is able to offer driver training simulators at a favourable price-benefit ratio in the automotive sector. Meanwhile, we are seeing an increasing number of private driving schools using driver training simulators from KMW Training & Simulation (T&S) to train student drivers for their driving test. The German Traffic Safety Council (DVR) in collaboration with the trade association as well as the German Motor Vehicle Inspection Association (DEKRA) are banking on KMW simulation technology as part of their accident prevention training programmes. Based on this positive experience, not only in Germany but also abroad, the new EU Directive 2003/59/EC, expressly recommends conducting training on high-performance simulators for the training of professional drivers in the freight and passenger transport sectors. The initial 35-hour advanced training for male and female drivers in freight transport must be verified by 10 September 2014.

KMW T&S supports the efforts of the EU Safety Charter and has developed a mobile truck driver training simulator to conduct or upgrade this specified training measure. A variable own vehicle, such as type of trailer or semi-trailer, load state, special truck training events, e.g. cross-wind, brake failure, microsleep or a maneuvering course, is available for training with a high degree of realism. The KMW T&S software enables the instructor to generate scenarios within seconds and thus permits optimally adapted driver training. Today KMW T&S is able to offer a comprehensive solution for every task definition and budget, ranging from car simulators for driving schools to truck and bus driving simulators all the way to the „blue light simulator“ for civilian task forces. All these simulation approaches are trendsetting developments in supporting the driver training instructor with the creation and conduct of exercises as well as control and evaluation of training exercises.