New drivers in BC have a new resource to learn about potential hazards while driving.
In partnership with the provincial government, Telus, and Project Whitecard Inc., ICBC is launching a new app, called Street Sense.
“It was built upon the idea that it’s useful to practice something potentially dangerous behind the wheel,” said Road Safety Program Manager John Nepomuceno.
“We’ve built a tool that will allow you to practice recognizing hazardous situations, and potentially dangerous driving situations, and do it in a way that’s safe and repeatable.”
The app works by presenting the user with potentially dangerous situations, and asks the user to do the things they would do to prepare for that situation.
“What this app does is it shows you what you’ve done wrong, tells you what you should be doing, and allows you to correct that behaviour before you go on to the next scenario,” Nepomuceno said.
Some of the examples of situations that may be included in the app are:
- Left and right turns
- Behaving around school buses letting pedestrians off
- Being passed on a two-lane country road
- Driving in heavy traffic
- Roundabout safety
Nepomuceno said this app while isn’t a good substitute for actually being behind the wheel, it’s a good compliment to it.
“We’ll never be able to replace the feel of the steering wheel or the pedals underneath your feet on a mobile phone, that was not the intent,” Nepomuceno said.
“The intent was to help you train your eyes, to get that muscle memory about where to look, and when to look in the context of that drive.”
The app is available on multiple platforms, such as iOS, Android, and Windows PC.
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