Drivers put safety to the test.

By paul james 

BUS drivers are being retrained to cope with the North-East's gridlocked roads ( using computer games that recreate the jams.

Arriva staff are being sent to the company's Luton offices to try their hand at a bus driving simulator.

Devised by behavioural expert Dr Lisa Dorn, the machine is made up of a replica driver's cab, complete with steering wheel and controls, and a 6ft screen showing the roads.

The drivers are given the same view they would have in a real bus and can test out heavily congested roads and react to children running into the street.

Dr Dorn has also launched psychometric behaviour tests for Arriva drivers and a separate training programme to boost safety.

As a result of her work, the company were this week awarded the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.

Richard Bowler, the bus firm's finance director, said: "We are grateful for this recognition of all the hard work we have put into ensuring we continue to improve our safety record.

"Bus drivers can face difficult situations over which they have little control, for example heavily congested traffic, and by assessing the ways in which different personality types react to different circumstances we can devise training that helps all our drivers to competently meet the increasing number of safety challenges they face."