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Best Practices for Road Weather Management Version 2.0

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Title:

Using Driving Simulators to Train Snowplow Operators: Lessons Learned from Some Preliminary Evaluations

Abstract:

Driving simulators have been used for human factors research and driver training for more than 30 years. As simulator technology has improved and prices dropped, more public agencies are considering driving simulators as training tools. Snowplow driver training is an especially attractive area of interest, since these drivers must operate equipment valued up to $200,000 in stressful shifts in blinding snowstorms. In Arizona, the infrequency of snowstorms and the heavy turnover of drivers made snowplow driving simulator training particularly attractive. In the 2005-06 snow season the Arizona Department of Transportation used a fixed-based L-3 Communications' TranSim VSIII simulator in the Globe, AZ maintenance district to offer 2 training programs.: one on enhancing drivers' sensitivity to potential hazards and the other on fuel management and shifting techniques. The objective of the first program was to enhance safety while the second program was to reduce fuel consumption and equipment repairs. A research team from Arizona State University, in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Transportation's Arizona Transportation Research Center, was engaged to assess the effectiveness of the simulator-based training in addressing these objectives. Substantial progress in meeting these objectives will require long-term monitoring, but there are already observations that are indicative of trends and speak to potential. The assessment included surveys of driver participants, focus groups of driverparticipants and district field supervisors, and a review of reports generated by the simulator. The overall findings noted the enthusiasm for the driver awareness program, particularly among recent hires. The fuel management program caught the interest of experienced as well as less experienced drivers who could see immediate application for driving a full array of trucks with standard transmission. The surveys and focus groups indicate positive indications that the snowplow training program is enhancing driver confidence. Reports on fuel consumption pre and post training simulator training offer encouraging trends in terms of fuel consumption.

Source(s):

86th Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting, Arizona State University. For an electronic copy of this resource, please direct your request to WeatherFeedback@dot.gov.

Date: 2007

Author:

Kihl, Wolf

Keywords:


Winter maintenance
Institutional issues
Productivity

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