‘Virtual reality’ road safety film has real impact

A virtual reality (VR) 360-degree film has been released to “communicate a life-saving road safety message to a digital generation”. It was prompted by an alarming increase in road traffic incidents and aims to educate children and their parents about the dangers of crossing the road while using a mobile. Impact 360 is a hard-hitting, immersive film, which puts the viewer right at the centre of an emergency situation to discover how the emergency services handle a road traffic incident. The video was filmed in Birmingham and has been launched on the West Midlands Fire Service Facebook page. A fully interactive version, which includes questions about road safety, has also been produced for use at schools, colleges and events. It was the idea of Watch Commander Paul Bayliss, who is based at Bournbrook Community Fire Station. “Impact 360 is designed to bring home the very real dangers that pedestrians can face, particularly if they’re wearing headphones, using mobile devices or are otherwise distracted as they’re walking and crossing roads,” he explained “We’re always looking to find new and engaging ways of sharing road safety advice. We’re hoping that 360-degree virtual reality will really grab people’s imagination and hammer home the importance of giving road safety your full attention. “Sadly, we see the consequences of being distracted on roads and pavements on a daily basis. If Impact 360 stops just one person being injured or killed, it will have helped us in making the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier.” The interactive experience was filmed and produced by Spark Media, based in Birmingham city centre, with input and support from Birmingham City Council and the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund charity. On a desktop computer users can drag the cursor around the video to view the action from all angles. On a mobile device, they simply use their finger to move within the action, tilt and turn the device, or slot the smartphone into a VR viewer. Scott Barnett of Spark Media said: “Our film allows the viewer to experience a challenging situation like never before and hit home the real dangers. “The film takes the viewer on a journey to discover how the emergency services handle a traffic collision – 360 VR is the ideal platform to communicate a life-saving road safety message to a digital generation.”