The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Cocoa Police Department recently cooperated with UCF’s Student Government Association to participate in “Put Down Ur Cell Fone” (UCF–get it?) at the UCF Cocoa Campus.
The half-day event included distracted driving simulations, videos and a drive on the tractor trailer desktop simulator through construction and accident zones while texting. IST’s study—the work is being done by its Research in Advanced Performance Technology and Educational Readiness (RAPTER) group headed by Ronald Tarr—focuses primarily on commercial vehicle drivers.
FDoT awarded the contract based on the RAPTER group’s use of driving simulators to simulate distracted driver scenarios in a safe environment and to quantify never-before-measured distraction levels.
Representatives from AT&T and the UCF Criminal Justice Program also attended.
The Student Government Association at UCF’s main Orlando campus also sponsors the “Put Down Ur Cell Fone” initiative. For more information about SGA’s Orlando Campus initiative see this related UCF Today story.
IST is an internationally recognized research institute that focuses on advancing modeling and simulation technology and increasing understanding of simulation’s role in training and education. One of several research laboratories at the institute, RAPTER’s goal is to enhance human performance through the use of appropriate technologies and strategies.