Inside Babcock's emergency vehicle simulator

Simulators play a crucial role in many different types of vehicle training, from nimble fighter aircraft to the vast lumbering cargo ships and tankers that roam the oceans. While it seems obvious to invest in simulation training for these multi-million-pound machines, the same economic and safety factors don’t tend to come into play for driving.

Although driving simulators have been around for decades, experience on the road is the preferred method of learning. For the ‘blue-light’ drivers of emergency vehicles, however, practising their skills on real-life streets can pose a risk for them and other road users. That’s one of the factors that led engineering services company Babcock to develop a simulator specifically designed to replicate the experience of emergency services driving.

Its recently launched fire-truck prototype is the culmination of 18 months’ R&D. Featuring a 200˚ wraparound screen, the simulator will not only facilitate emergency driving in a safe environment, it will also enable training tailored to specific incidents. According to Alistair Cumming, Babcock’s head of training, design and development, this will enable more focused instruction, complimenting real-life training rather than replacing it.