Driving Simulator from Honda
You know what I think is really hysterical? We have these flight simulators to help out would-be pilots, but when it comes to teenage drivers, we just put them behind the wheel with a driver’s permit.
Why can we not put them in a simulator? After all, pilots who land airplanes for the first time often say: “it was just like the simulator”. If we can give this amount of realism to pilots in training, then why not make a realistic driving simulator?
I am guessing that this is what Honda was trying to do with this driving simulator. If you put your fifteen-and-a-half-year-old behind the wheel, then it’s probably as close to driving on the road as it can be.
It has three LCD displays to give the realistic feeling of a windshield view. The software includes programs that can make night driving, driving in fog, and highway driving. I wonder how it can do with traffic. I’m not certain what happens if the driver crashes, but I’m guessing there will be some virtual cracks on the screen with the word “CRASH”. Oh, wait, that’s what they did on the old-school version of Flight Simulator.
I’m sure a lot of you have probably realized that this driving simulator “just can’t be as good as getting behind the real wheel deal” which any pre-16 teenager wants to do anyway. Granted, you should make a rear window display or something if you want future drivers to practice parallel parking and backing around a corner.
Well, the device itself is $66,000, which is hardly worth paying for, no matter how many drivers that you will have in our family.
Join 7 reviews or comments
Mikey Says: March 5, 2010 at 5:31 am
Kinda expensive, considering that you can Buy a top of the line Honda for less and have money left over for the video game version of the simulator!
Mikey Says: March 5, 2010 at 3:45 pm
What’s going on here? That’s three posts of mine that got deleted!
Mikey Says: March 5, 2010 at 3:49 pm
I take back my last comment. My posts mysteriously reappeared!
My PC must be haunted! 
katrina kaif Says: July 25, 2010 at 12:12 pm
I am a game lover and always like to drive such heavy vehicles but never had a chance. But this simulator is simply awesome for all game lovers. Collest gadget.
cigarettes Says: August 25, 2010 at 1:43 am
I need that!!! I’m learning how to drive and have done only 56 hours out of 120. in Sydney, Australia the maximum number of hours is 120. my Learner licence runs out in 2013!
HONDA HELP ME!!!
adalberto @ cheap used cars Says: November 27, 2010 at 1:28 am
Wow that driving simulator from Honda really looks awesome. I am a hard core gamer who loves racing games and wishes he had this. If I was rich and had $66,000 laying around I would definitely pick this bad boy up.
greenlants Says: March 4, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Mark,
A driving simulator might have made me more relaxed when I went to take my driving test years ago. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that my Drivers Ed teacher was also my chemistry teacher, and let’s just say we didn’t have the best teacher-student relationship!
I have actually never heard of a driving simulator before, but after reading your article, I think it would be a really good idea to at least try out. You are correct though that the student might not get the full effect, but maybe soon enough cars will just park themselves and back up themselves anyways.
I wonder what the cost difference would be between renting/buying the Drivers Ed cars compared to buying one of these simulators. And who knows, maybe if a school district buys 10, they can get them for $500,000 a piece instead!