rec.autos.simulators

See "An ethical Auto Driving Simulator simular to Microsoft's FS2004"-thread
above (or below depending on how you sort your messages).

Jan.
=---

  Hm... the German simulator looks interesting... too bad no American roads
though.

  I may want to find Driver's Education 99.  Harder to find, I know

  Driver's Ed 98 runs Ok on my computer, just I cannot find a Glide wrapper
for it.  Software works fine, but it's not great looking and draw distance
could be much better.  I haven't spent much time with it... the driving
lessons are a bit frustrating because it's very picky.

  My situation is I have been trying to really drive a car for years, but I
lack the confidence and the experience in dealing with traffic and road
rules.  I'm going on 28 years old.  I have 20/60 vision in one eye, and
20/40 in the other.. that's with glasses on.  I go to an eye doctor yearly
and the perscription doesn't change.  I have nystagmus and starbismus and
they always have a hard time fitting my eyes with glasses, also there are
some defects in my vision beyond just the Snelling eye chart.  Sometimes my
eyes just feel tired.

  I have been driving around on a learner's permit with my dad or mom.  My
eyes felt tired and I was driving about 5 miles to the mall.  I come to this
intersection and there's this car with a turn signal blinking, and it really
didn't click that I had the right-of-way, so I stopped even though I had a
green light. My dad starts screaming "Go! Go Go!", but I'm worried the car
is going to turn right into my driving path, so I stopped.

  Oh yeah, and I can't read most of the signs until I'm right on top of
them.

  Well, I cannot drive a real car on my own in real life but I really enjoy
racing games, especially rally and dirt track racing.

It's a question of teaching style. Some people feel instructors should be
more strict than your average examiner. When I learned to drive, I landed
the instructor from hell. She was high strung, treated me as an
irresponsible little brat and I could nothing right for her. Then, due to a
scheduling conflict I was moved to an utterly relaxed guy, who spent 15
minutes with me in traffic, then broke off the lesson and made an
appointment for an exam the next day. I passed without any problem
whatsoever. The examiner even remarked I was holding things up with my
"over-polite" style of driving.

I've since become a lot more assertive (15 years of Belgian traffic will do
that to you), but, touch wood, I'm still accident free (once you get the
knack of driving you realise it's other people's carelesness that'll get you
into trouble).

Like I said in the other thread... this is an area where sims can really
help.

That's a good age... still young enough to easily aquire a new skill, but,
in some ways, unfortunately, old enough to have lost a bit of youthfull
bravado.

I don't know what that means in seeing terms. If it means you see better in
the sim than out on the road, you have to watch out for overconfidence.

*Big* no-no... you need to seek out professional instruction which
understands your disabilities. Mom and dad care to much about you to really
expose you to what is required. Likewise, you're too comfortable with them
to really push your limits. We have a saying in Dutch: "Unfamiliar eyes
command".

On the plus side, you can't be flunked for not exercising your right of way
(the "go-go-go" 2nd guesing by your dad is just another reason why you
should get specific professional tuition). On the down side, other road
users expect you to behave in a certain way. They don't know you're unsure
and expect a reaction from you within a certain timeframe. Therefore they
might "go" when, finally, you decide you had the right of way. It's all
about being clear. Even if you have the right of way, it's important to send
a clear signal as to whether you intend to act on it or not. Regardless of
your dad/instructor 2nd guessing you. If you act in a consistent manner your
tutor should pick up on that and work on it with you in order to integrate
you in modern traffic.

That shouldn't stop you from driving. There is a certain logic to the
placement of "traffic furniture" (as it's called over here). Familiarity
with the sort of environment certain signs are placed in, should really give
you an idea as to what to expect and that aids recognition... even from a
distance. Normal sighted drivers rely on these things when visibility is
poor, so, under normal conditions, you should do fine.
I take it you're viewing getting a licence as a personal acchievement rather
than a nescessity and would pass on driving in potentially dangerous
conditions.

Even for those who can, it's an escape from the drudgeries of every day
driving. That said, I have personally witnessed what it means in terms of
independance, so I hope you get there. You can't be more blind than the
20/20 vision idiots who are blind to everyone else in their Volkswagen Bora
TDis which infest the roads over here.

Jan.
=---

http://3d-fahrschule.de/uk_shop.htm

  Nystagmus is back and forth eye motion.  Everybody has it, but they
usually only use the term when it is pronounced.  Somebody under the
influence of ***, ie, drunk, usually has it.. and it can also be
indicative of brain damage or a head injury.  In my case it's a reaction to
the small optic nerves, ie, the eyes move faster back and forth to increase
the stimulation to the optic nerve (if your eye stayed perfectly still, the
image you see would fade).  Pathological nystagmus is a very, very rare
condition, affecting a fraction of a percent of the population.  In my case,
when I am tired, it feels like sometimes my eyes just won't look in certain
directions, won't focus easily.

 Strabismus is just an outward on inward turning of the eye- sometimes
called "cross-eyed" or "wall-eyed".  In my case, one or both eyes tend to
turn outward, alternatively (not both at the same time).  This happens often
when I'm tired.  I don't think it effects vision in itself, but it's usually
a symptom caused by an underlying condition.  It's not a rare condition, but
neither is it common- it affects about 2 percent of the population (one
famous person I can think of with strabismus would be Barbra Streisand).

  I'm also myopic, I have a family history for moderate myopia.  Add onto
the nystagmus and it becomes difficult to fit glasses.  Many optometrists
have basicly given up, and I have been to a few experts that have been
polite about it, but basicly can do very little.

  No... it's pretty much a necessity in many parts of the US to drive.  The
US is not like Europe, especially in the suburban and rural areas... if you
want to get anywhere, you have to drive.  Our mass transit systems are
usually not good compared to Europe, not unless you live in one of the big
cities (I don't).

  Disability is handled on a state-by-state basis in the US and they make it
difficult to actually receive assistance from the government, whereas in
Europe they would be alot more permissive.   I'm basicly living at home and
making a little money selling and refurbishing antiques. I do cleaning
house, and cooking... but not much money.  Very little.  If I want something
I usually mail order it.