Manitoba Public Insurance launches texting and driving simulator

As a part of its anti-distracted driving ‘Your Last Words’ campaign, Manitoba Public Insurance announced Tuesday the release of a simulator designed to encourage people to stop texting while they drive. 

The simulator will be available both online at yourlastwords.ca and as a portalble, event version.

“The simulator is interactive, sending scripted texts to participants who respond via their smartphone, while encountering vehicles, intersections and obstacles,” stated MPI, the compulsory government-run auto insurer for Manitoba, in a press release. “When participants are finished they will see their driving errors and have the option of pledging to not text while driving, and sharing their experience via social media.”

The online simulator is designed to be like a typical driving experience with the user controlling an onscreen vehicle with their keyboard. The “event” version of the simulator is meant to be used at community events, and allows people to get behind a steering wheel, along with multiple screens and pedals.

“The objective is to provide an experience that will hopefully encourage drivers to stop this risky behaviour in real life driving,” stated MaryAnn Kempe, MPI’s vice president of business development, communications and chief product officer, in a release. “This multi-media campaign, the texting and driving simulator will help ensure our primary target demographic of teens and young adults get the message that it is not possible to drive safely while texting.”

The online simulator will also be added to Manitoba Public Insurance’s Driver Education curriculum. Nearly 12,000 students take the program yearly in Manitoba.