Ford Mobility is offering delivery drivers a virtual reality (VR) experience that allows users to see the world from either a cyclist’s or a driver’s point of view.
The aim of the WheelSwap VR experience – part of Ford’s Share The Road campaign – is to encourage people to make small changes to the way they drive or cycle to enhance road safety for all users.
More than 35 drivers from consumer delivery firm Hermes recently participated in the training at one of the firm’s London depots.
According to Ford, the exercise provided a useful opportunity for drivers to see the road from a different perspective, with 88% agreeing that the experience would encourage them to change their behaviour.
Tom Thompson, project lead, Ford Mobility, said: “It is important to Ford that all road users are able to reach their destination safely.
“We fully support greater diversity in last-mile delivery solutions and are actively working to stimulate more cargo bike deliveries in urban areas.
“Working with companies like Hermes in this way helps keep the roads as safe as possible for all.”
WheelSwap was developed with London-based agency Happy Finish. A reported 91% of the initial 1,200 participants said they intended to change their behaviour, 70% said they displayed greater empathy to their driving and cycling counterparts after watching the VR experience, and 60% of participating driver and cyclists said they changed their on-road habits within two weeks of taking part.
According to a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research titled Economics of Commercial Van Usage Across Europe, the number of vans on the road in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and the UK increased by more than 10% between 2013 and 2018, from 23,250,000 to 25,690,000.
Most growth occurred in Turkey (31%), Germany (24%) and UK (20%).
Martin Allwood, network contractor manager, Hermes, added: “We were pleased to partner with Ford on the WheelSwap virtual reality experience, which gave our drivers a real insight into the perspective of other road users.
“Feedback from all our drivers was very positive. At Hermes, we are committed to ensuring our staff receive the best training possible and so this supports their continual development.”
