The UK is giving autistic adults the chance to drive using a car driving simulator VR as part of a new two-year study led by the University of Bath and University of Exeter via extended reality technology, according to BBC.
The program, previously successful with older drivers in West Mercia, allows participants to rehearse complex road scenarios without real risks.
By developing customizable, in-home VR training modules, researchers want to create a more inclusive path to licensure that might set the stage for standardized virtual driving that prioritizes accessibility and reduces stress for neurodiverse learners.
Scientists believe that by using safe, virtual environments, autistic learners will be more confident before they take on the complexities of the open road.
The same VR technology has been used with older drivers in West Mercia to teach them about how ageing affects reaction time and road safety, proving the effectiveness of this project.
VR Reduces Anxiety over Driving
For others with autism, driving poses particular difficulties. Overpowering anxiety, sensory concerns, and distress at the need to engage with instructors usually makes the experience problematic.
”I found the idea of driving without an instructor really scary,” said Sophy Tyler that never felt safe driving alone.
The researchers are examining how driving simulator VR and augmented reality can enable students to practice in a real-world, low-stress setting. Researchers continue to test whether the technology is most effective before individuals actually start real lessons or following initial lessons.
There are already cases where a virtual driving simulator is being used to de-stress behind the wheel. Police and fire services in Worcestershire have set up VR scenarios for drivers of 65+, showing how age can impact driving.
One driver, aged 78, said motorways were more stressful and younger drivers “whizzing round,” stressed him out.
Driving Simulator with VR
University of Bath Professor Mark Brosnan said that driving has historically been an issue within the autistic community. Since nowadays, while our lives circulate around technology, using it for help is necessary.
“Mainly as many autistic people struggle with sensory sensitivities and very high levels of anxiety,” Brosnan said. “Sometimes interacting with other people is challenging so sitting next to a driving instructor, understanding the social signals at junctions can be difficult.”
To assist, the realistic VR driving simulator project is collaborating with developers to develop in-home training environments. These arrangements may be the best driving simulator setup allowing individuals to rehearse safely before venturing onto the road.
Gloucestershire’s 19-year-old Maisie Hughes signed up to the car driving simulator VR project. She has yet to start actual lessons but sees benefits to learning through technology.
“It would give people the opportunity to learn to drive at their own pace and make mistakes that don’t really matter because it’s not real,” she said.
From virtual driving lessons to the promise of being able to work with a driven VR car, researchers say the work is still in its early stages.
But both experts and participants agree that technology in the way of a realistic VR driver
may transform autistic people’s ways of becoming independent, self-assured, and living in the driver’s seat.
According to what experts say, with the right tools, VR could even be adapted into driving simulation driver test, giving learners a more fair and less stressful path toward getting licensed. Wider access VR driving lessons may also open the door for more inclusive approaches to driver education across communities.
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