On May 1, 2, and 3 members of the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office received refresher driver training from trainers with West Virginia Counties Risk Pool (WVCRP). The training consisted of classroom instruction as well as driving simulator training.

Drive Square Simulation System enabled the officers to drive in a virtual space while operating the controls of an actual Sheriff’s Department vehicle in a multitude of environments and scenarios.

Simulator sensors and actuators were connected to a Sheriff’s Department cruiser, a computer, and rotating disks.  Through these sensors, the driver’s actions are then fed into the virtual world by using virtual-reality goggles. Scenery is computer generated and the system receives data from the wheels, brakes and gas pedals of the vehicle to provide a truly hands-on driver training experience. This allows trainers to introduce various driving-related scenarios in a controlled environment, illustrating real-world hazards.

Sheriff Sloan stated, “Officers receive emergency vehicle operation training at the State Police Academy but typically receive no additional driver training after graduation.  Police officers spend a lot of time behind the steering wheel of their cruiser and we believe it is important they receive additional driver training just as they receive routine training in other facets of their profession. We expect our officers to drive responsibly and safely and believe the training they have received will be beneficial. We would like to thank the Lewisburg Fire Department for the use of their facilities for this training.”