WegWijsVR

In order to test the effectiveness of WegWijsVR, the SWOV was commissioned by Interpolis to conduct a first scientific experiment among primary school students in the Netherlands. Based on the recommendations that followed from this study, WegWijsVR has been adjusted and improved. A second effectiveness study was conducted at the beginning of 2018. In it, SWOV investigated whether (virtual) training of road traffic situations with WegWijsVR significantly improved the knowledge and insight, skills, attitude, and awareness of its users in the context of road safety. The experiment was conducted among more than 400 primary school students (groups 5 to 8, ages 8 to 12). This study showed that the road safety competencies of children that used WegWijsVR significantly improved. Children that practised with WegWijsVR tested significantly better and safer at performing road traffic tasks compared to the control group. In the experiment’s pre-test, only 16% of the road traffic situations were, on average, performed safely. Furthermore, not a single child managed to complete all of the tasks successfully in the pre-test. In the experiment itself, all the children were trained with WegWijsVR for 20 minutes a week for 6 weeks. The post-test results saw an increase of safely performed road traffic tasks to 49%.The results also show a significant increase in both the basic and more complex road safety skills. Skills Pre-test Post-testAwareness of other road users 72% 89%Crossing the road safely 69% 89%Awareness of traffic signs 96% 97%Viewing behaviour right 54% 80%Viewing behaviour left 44% 80%Viewing behaviour over shoulder 35% 73%This makes WegWijsVR the first road safety training programme in the Netherlands that has been tested on behavioural effects within a virtual environment and that has demonstrated the positive results of such training (SWOV: Twisk, Vlakveld & Commandeur 2006; Twisk et al 2014). In addition, we can see that children and parents are enthusiastic about WegWijsVR:• Children grade WegWijsVR with an average score of 8• 80% of children experience WegWijsVR as instructive and fun • 64% of the parents experienced WegWijsVR as being instructive

It is the ambition of Interpolis and Veilig Verkeer Nederland that WegWijsVR is available for all primary school students in the Netherlands. WegWijsVR is rolled out by the provinces and local municipalities. <br>In addition, mass-media campaigns have been set up to draw the attention of target groups to the problem of increasing numbers of casualties of under school-aged children and the importance of properly preparing children to safely take part in actual road traffic situations.<br>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYDpRH05hns&feature=youtu.be<br>