A driver’s license is soon conditioned on victory in Mario Kart ? We learned about virtual reality (VR) for video games, training aircraft pilots or treating other phobias and traumas. But the virtual reality of licensing drivers is new. In South Korea, those over 65 may have to use it by 2025 to prove they can drive. The goal is to eventually create a long-term conditional driver’s license system for this age group.
As a reminder, virtual reality works from a VR headset: the 360-degree user is immersed in a fully digital world. Ideal for developing scenarios and analyzing user feedback. To check the driving skills of the elderly, the South Korean police announced that they will launch, next year and for a period of three years, a study to determine the best possible test.
Driving skills, cognitive abilities, memory … the driver must be able to evaluate everything, The national news agency Yonhap News reported on Monday.. In all, 1.2 billion won (900,000 euros) will be allocated to the plan in the first year, which is expected to total 3.6 billion won (2.7 million euros).
If the method is unprecedented, other countries have already implemented systems to control elderly driving. In New Zealand, people over the age of 75 must pass a physical exam every two years. In Germany, drivers who find it difficult to travel long distances can only drive within a certain radius of their home. But in South Korea, the agency noted, there are no strict regulations on the behavior of the elderly, with the exception of cases of dementia.
Crazy dog and fish tail
A disturbing legal vacuum, if we are to believe the country’s police statistics. Bottom line: In 2018, a study showed that out of 10,000 drivers, older adults are 1.86 times more likely to be involved in road accidents than those in their 30s. In addition, they are believed to be responsible for 2.75 deaths, the highest number of any age group.
The data is even more alarming as Korean society ages, which increases the number of elderly people who hold a driver’s license. According to the researchers behind the study, deterioration of vision over time could be one possible explanation. In fact, the eye will adapt less quickly to changes in the shade of light, which changes the interaction of the conductors.
The exact content of the test planned by the authorities has not been disclosed, but specialized site Next Web I assume. In an academic study entitled The emerging role of technologies in road safety and driving Find out, VR headsets are used to test driving skills. The trial takes place in two scenarios: day driving and night driving.
Each time, the tested person is confronted ‘Unexpected accidents’. Understand here: a dog suddenly crossing traffic lanes, a fish tail, the approach of a heavy vehicle at an unsigned intersection … a little less exciting than Mario Kart.
