CENTRAL FLORIDA — Lynx bus drivers will need a new level of training before they can take passengers on the road.
The company bought a new simulator for $400,000.
Lynx officials said they want to cut down on the number of crashes in which its buses are involved.
"We've had this simulation system since about June of last year," said Lynx trainer Zerry Hogan.
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The company's 700 drivers will use the simulation machine, which includes different elements and scenarios.
"We can go in and recreate the scene, whether it's a right turn or a left turn accident, or if we rear-ended someone or someone rear-ended us," said Hogan.
Drivers will get a 360-degree view. From the side-view mirrors to the rear-view mirror, the driver can see everything.
Eyewitness News traffic reporter Racquel Asa discovered firsthand how difficult it is to maneuver the virtual bus.
At first try, she crashed into a light pole, before hitting a curb. On her second try, she hit a person crossing the street.
The recorded training session allows trainers to rewind the video and show the trainees what they did wrong and how to fix the error.
"It's a little easier to total a bus than it is to total a simulator. So, we can take that risk out of it and, again, it's all about safety," said Lynx representative Matthew Friedman.
WFTV
