I was never a natural driver. It took a solid 2 years of lessons and 3 failed attempts before I even came close to passing the practical test, and even the theory test almost derailed me more times than I'd care to admit. I've never been one for retaining information that didn't interest me, and I'm just not the kind of guy to get worked up by stop signs and road regulations. Part of the problem probably lay with how antiquated the methods favoured by traditional driving school are in this technological age. If Publicis Bucharest have anything to say on the matter though, they won't remain that way for much long.
The Automobile Club of Romania’s Driving School has teamed up with Publicis Bucharest to launch “Street View Test”
For decades, traditional driving schools have been relying on stuffy manuals and paper tests to teach students basic road rules and regulations, so it was about time things changed not only for the better, but for the digital age. The Automobile Club of Romania Driving School has teamed up with Publicis Bucharest to launch “Street View Test,” The first ever driving school tests formulated using Google Street View scenarios. The idea is for students to study the actual roads they'll be driving on, whilst learning from real traffic events caught by the all-seeing Google cameras. The platform keeps both the format, and the time needed for solving the test, so people can get the feel of the real license exam.
ACR introduces Street View Test
The website is also a collaborative tool, with people who find traffic mishaps or unusual road events on Google Street View able to report them to the site with deceptive ease. ACR instructors can then turn these events into actual exam questions, meaning that Google Maps essentially has the potential to become a global traffic education tool. Of course, it's early days for the program right now, and it's currently only available for residents of Bucharest, but the video above seems to suggest that the idea could be ported to just about anywhere that's been captured by Google's cameras. Though it's been a while since I passed my own test, I had a run through the Street View Test for shits and giggles, and I have to say, I was amazed just how much easier it was to answer questions when the solutions were right in front on me, instead of visualised through some dodgy graphics. I still failed of course (I SAID it's been a while), but not by much!
Students can study the actual roads they'll be driving on, whilst learning from real traffic events caught by the all-seeing Google cameras
Alexandra Murray, client service director & Jorg Riommi, chief creative officer at Publicis Romania, said: “We are pleased to have been able to give such an innovative solution to a prestigious institution like The Automobile Club, bringing together their expertise over decades in educating hundreds of thousands of drivers in Romania with Publicis' determination to deliver best online/internet communication, this time using one of Google's best known platforms.” Miruna Macri and Dan Frinculescu, creatives heads at Publicis Romania, added: “Street View Tests is the first tool of this kind. We came up with it for the ACR Driving School, as a more relevant approach to road education than the traditional, boring questionnaires. Now, they are already using it to prep their students.”
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK. He still isn't exactly a fantastic driver, but then he never minded public transport that much anyway.
