Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his policy is on the inclusion in driver education on road safety of up-to-date visual tools and materials, including virtual reality films, to ensure that people are made aware of their driving from the perspective of other road users.

The Department has used the ‘Innovation Challenge Fund’ to assess how new technologies such as virtual reality can help learner drivers to develop their hazard perception skills prior to taking their tests.

Virtual reality road safety awareness films are likely to be helpful in driver education. They promise to bring an added spatial dimension to the experience and can be very engaging when used well. It is important that they should always be based on the kinds of established behavioural change techniques used by the THINK! Campaign, the best local authority driver education, and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.