Thanks to cutting-edge technologies, drivers can now get a better perspective of what it is like to be in a car crash without going through the painful experience of a real car accident allowing them to better understand the importance of responsible driving.
An insurance company promoting road safety is giving the public an idea what happens in a car crash without giving them the inconvenience of suffering from broken bones. NRMA Insurance launched the Crashed Car Showroom at the center of Sydney's central business district to promote road safety and spread awareness on the dangers of reckless driving using technological innovations.
The showroom used Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset in one of its highlights, the crash test dummy simulator, to give visitors an idea what it is like to be in a car crash using a car from 30 years ago and a modern car. The Oculus Rift was developed and primarily designed for video games and this is the first time that the technology is being used for safety simulation.
"Getting people to understand what happens in a crash, obviously 3D technology was the one that was going to work best," said NRMA head of research Robert McDonald. "You can tell people all you like [about car crashes]. If they don't experience it, they don't know."
Visitors who want to experience the crash test simulation are asked to wear the Oculus Rift headset and get behind the wheel of a hydraulic car that virtually crashes. To make the experience more realistic, the severity of the virtual crash will depend on the speed of the vehicle.
"This is an opportunity for us to raise awareness for safety on our roads, as well as showcase NRMA's expertise in the field," said NRMA Insurance head of marketing Anthony Justice.
The simulator also gives an idea how car safety has improved over the years as it involves two separate demonstrations that show what it is like to be in a car crash driving a brand-new Holden Commodore and a 1982 Commodore.
"Cars are becoming massively more complex, so that's created lots of challengers for insurers in repairing collisions and making sure the car maintains its structural integrity," said McDonald. "Reducing the frequency of collisions by having technology intervene is a way of offsetting the increasing average cost of the car crash."
The Crashed Car Showroom runs from March 18 to 27 and is free of charge.
