Ability Overlooked
Learning to drive and getting your driver’s license has been an important rite of passage for adolescents across America and much of the world. It is often the start of becoming an independent adult, gaining employment, and having a full social life. Essentially, outside of major metropolitan areas with extensive public transportation systems, it’s an outright necessity to get around. Unfortunately, this landmark achievement is often out of reach for many people with autism and other disabilities.
Contrary to the expectations of many people, there is nothing about autism that inherently prevents anyone autistic from learning to drive. It is often assumed by caregivers or instructors that an individual would be unable to do so. As a result, only 1 in 3 autistic people without any intellectual disabilities actually obtain a driver’s license. It takes longer to get one because they need more time to practice and get acclimated to driving situations (on average about 30 extra hours). Driver’s ed programs also do not provide lessons designed for the ASD community.
Our company, Auriga Interactive Studios, is developing S.A.F.E. Driving Sim, a driving simulator for drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder who want to practice their driving in a safe environment to gain more confidence behind the wheel. The S.A.F.E. Driving Simulator uses state-of-the-art technology like virtual reality to create a simulator that mimics real-life driving situations. We are specifically designing the simulator to incorporate skills that a new driver with ASD may find difficult. We hope to make S.A.F.E. Driving Simulator widely available for the PC and gaming consoles so that drivers with ASD can practice as much as they need—affordably and effectively.
Driver’s education has been static for decades. After passing a written exam to get a learner’s permit, students take a 5-hour course, practice behind the wheel for a certain number of hours with an instructor or another adult, and take a final road test. More commonly, parents or other family members do most of the instruction as an alternative to expensive private lessons. In the driving school industry, there is no marketing outreach for autistic drivers. ASD drivers are only provided with expensive occupational therapists, and neurodiverse and neurotypical drivers are expected to accept the status quo. Although state governments provide some benefits, they are hard to access and not widely known, and specialized instructors or occupational therapists are not an affordable option for most. So, whether you are diagnosed or have difficulty learning to drive, it’s either you get behind the wheel or you don’t. There has never been an alternative.
The S.A.F.E. Driving Simulator is a supplement to the existing driver’s education program. We provide an affordable and accessible way for customers who need more practice beyond the standard driver’s ed. Customers will save money and time by using our simulator at home. By practicing enough to increase their skills and confidence, we can help increase the number of autistic people capable of driving. This will dramatically improve the independence of individuals with autism, allowing them to further their education more easily, widen their range of employment options, and improve their ability to maintain social relationships.
Although our S.A.F.E. Driving Simulator will initially assist the autistic community, there are opportunities to help a broader population of drivers. Some examples include but are not limited to, those overcoming PTSD following a car accident, nervous drivers who need more time to practice, and drivers without convenient access to a car to practice. The simulator’s unique feature of adapting to the driver's specialized needs allows a broader population to practice their driving skills.
Written By: Jihye Lee, Jonathon Lentine (MBA ‘23)