After a study of young drivers found that 1/3 had already watched online driving tutorials and more than 1/4 wanted to improve their driving skills using computer games, Ford decided to use the skills of racing drivers Team Fordzilla virtual services to help young drivers.
Thus, the new initiative leads Team Fordzilla drivers to use the mechanisms of computer games to show driving scenarios, then apply real skills in order to help young drivers learn how to react in certain situations they may encounter in the real world.
The videos appear in multiplayer format to allow Team Fordzilla drivers to choreograph the different scenarios on a single screen. Contrary to what is usual in eSports, realistic speed levels are used.
How it works?
This initiative is the virtual response to Ford's “Driving Skills for Life” physical program, which was suspended in 2020. Since its start in 2013, practical driving training has been attended by around 45 thousand young drivers from 16 European countries.
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In total, the project has six training modules (in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish), all of which will be available on Ford Europe's Youtube channel.
The topics covered are:
- Introduction / Position at the wheel
- Braking with and without ABS / Safe braking
- Hazard Recognition / Safety Distance
- Speed management / Adhesion loss control
- Feeling the vehicle and driving the vehicle
- live show
In the last event, a live streaming, participants will be able to ask their questions to the Team Fordzilla drivers.
For Debbie Chennells, Director of Ford Fund of Ford of Europe, “the visual and driving dynamics used in computer games are incredibly realistic, making it a really effective way to safely demonstrate to young drivers the consequences (...) driving errors”.
José Iglesias, captain of Team Fordzilla – Spain, said: “as players, people think that we live in an imaginary world, but the skills we develop in games have a real translation”.