VR Road Safety Programme Expands Across Capricornia
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) and Transport and Main Roads (TMR) have unveiled ‘Drive to Thrive’, a virtual reality tool created to boost road safety awareness among young people across the Capricornia District.
The 360-degree virtual reality experience immerses participants in simulated environments where they must respond to a variety of road safety challenges, with realistic visuals and sounds. The resource is intended to provide genuine decision-making situations in a safe setting.
During the session, participants observe a group of young adults attending a social event and must decide on driving behaviour. The scenarios showcase the Fatal Five risk factors, which are the main contributors to major crashes and road deaths.
After completing the simulation, young people join discussions with police officers to review decisions made during the scenarios and consider how alternative choices affect outcomes. This programme is to be delivered in the coming months across participating schools, community organisations, and workplaces throughout the District.
Drive to Thrive was first developed in the Mackay District in 2023 and has since emphasised the challenges road users face and the pressures upon emergency services responding to incidents. Inspector Shaune English said the initiative constitutes part of current efforts to engage young drivers and strengthen the value of safe decisions behind the wheel. The resource allows participants to evaluate their actions in lifelike scenarios without real-world risks and supports broader strategies to reduce serious injuries and deaths on Queensland roads.
Early sessions have already been delivered in Gladstone, where preliminary responses were positive, and further rollouts are planned across additional locations within the Capricornia District.
Funding for this initiative is provided through the iTMR Community Road Safety Education Grants. These grants support local projects that address specific road safety risks and encourage safer behaviour on the road while driving. Robinson said the grants enable community partners to deliver targeted education initiatives based on local conditions and priorities. The use of virtual reality technology supports direct learning and helps encourage engagement with key safety messages related to the Fatal Five and responsible road use.
The grants programme is designed to support community-led solutions, using local experience to guide road safety education for young people and other vulnerable road users.
