Pursuit simulator vs. closed-course training for law enforcement drivers

Driver training for law enforcement focuses on multitasking safely - especially while pursuing a person of interest. In addition to driving, an officer must know how to weave through traffic, speak to other officers on a radio, observe the person of interest’s vehicle and more.

Often, officers are trained for this situation through a police pursuit simulator, a closed course or a combination of both.

However, it is important to acknowledge the difference between a simulator and a closed course. One offers virtual simulations for training purposes, while the other puts officers in control of a physical vehicle. Both are designed to train officers in a safe environment and allow them to practice various maneuvers and responses.

Explore how both options can enhance your current police officer driver training program.

What a police pursuit simulator means in law enforcement training

With a pursuit simulator, a trainer can create numerous scenarios that let officers practice pursuit driving. Pursuit driving is not just about controlling the vehicle; it is about making the right decision at the right time.

A law enforcement pursuit simulator allows officers to repeatedly practice their decision-making skills in a controlled training environment through scenario-based training. 

PatrolSim™ simulates the real feel of a law enforcement vehicle through physical pedals and mirrors, force feedback in the steering column, a Mobile Data Computer (MCD), and light and siren controls. Together, these features create an immersive experience and allow the driver to build muscle memory to ease the transition to a physical vehicle. 

Officers can use a pursuit simulator to:

• Changing lanes through moving traffic scenarios
• Weaving around vehicles while maintaining pursuit awareness
• Balancing speed, distance and safety during a pursuit
• Multitasking driving tasks with radio traffic and visual tracking
• Reacting to dangerous situations without putting officers or equipment at risk
• Defensive driving in various weather and lighting conditions

Once officers are comfortable handling the simulated vehicle, they can focus on higher-level judgment. This includes:

• Risk evaluation
• Stress management
• Split-second decision making
• Siren and light use
• Overall pursuit management

What closed-course training does well

Closed-course training is the safest way to practice pursuit driving inside a physical vehicle. It is a semi-controlled training space, closed off to the public, that has a variety of obstacles to drive around. These obstacles can be traffic cones, barrels, cardboard cutouts or other obstacle stand-ins.

Officers will drive the course with an instructor watching from afar or within the vehicle. The officers must operate the brakes, steering wheel, lights/siren - all while operating MCR and avoiding obstacles. Situations like this train officers to sharpen their spatial awareness.

Where closed-course training has limits in pursuit preparation

Closed-course training is only semi-controlled. Police officers can still get injured during the training session - especially when attempting to recreate dangerous situations. There are other limitations, too.

Limited by resources

The amount of resources or staff can limit training sessions. For example, the obstacles do not move in real time, which weakens the realism of the experience on the road.

This makes the transition from pursuit training to the road difficult. Compare weaving around stationary traffic cones to weaving through moving traffic while following a person of interest.

Incomplete instructor feedback

Instructor feedback is limited by how much can be gleaned from real-time observation, whether in or out of the vehicle. If there is a staff shortage, it can affect the training schedule - taking too long to set and reset obstacles, for example. 

Difficult to repeat training scenarios 

It can be difficult to repeat training sessions in a semi-controlled environment, which makes measuring growth or correcting previous mistakes difficult. For example, a simple weaving exercise can change drastically depending on the weather. For one driver, it was sunny, for another, it was raining. That produces two very different results. 

So, while a closed-course training is the safest way to train using a physical vehicle, it should not be the only method of instruction for police driver training. 

How a pursuit training simulator adds something different to officer driver training

Police pursuit simulation training offers instructor-led review, scenario playback, lesson-plan control, and replay. Trainers teach the theories of pursuit driving through customized courses. 

Drivers can then put those theories into practice. Our PatrolSim™ allows for repeatable scenarios for skill refinement. It also allows dangerous scenarios to be experienced safely, providing better preparation if the potential event occurs.

PatrolSim™ also offers individualized instructor support. Through the Replay Studio™ and the Instructor Operation System (IOS), trainers can zoom in on performance gaps and correct them. By showing the exact moment when a mistake is made, it is easier for the driver to correct it in the next scenario. 

It also ensures consistent instruction across different training sessions with numerous officers - essential when training across multiple precincts. 

Enhance your pursuit training program

Investing in PatrolSim™ adds both classroom and experiential learning to your training program. Officers can practice dangerous road situations in a safe environment, and they can repeat scenarios to sharpen specific skills. Trainers can zero in on mistakes and better address performance gaps across multiple drivers.