D3 - Driver Distraction Demo Grabs Attention

    ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 18 When the world's largest
automaker wanted to educate consumers about the dangers of driving distracted
in a compelling way, it turned to an industry-leading interactive services
company for help.

    In just a few weeks, Enlighten, an Ann-Arbor-based interactive design,
development and consulting firm, created a fun, engaging computer simulation
called "D3 - The Driver Distraction Demonstration" as part of the SenseAble
driving program sponsored by General Motors.  The Flash simulation debuted
this month in a kiosk format at the New York International Auto Show, and will
appear next month on a GM web site.

    The visually rich and humorous three-minute simulation of a distracted
driving experience shows motorists just how much they might miss by using
hand-held cell phones or tuning the radio to a fussy passenger's exacting
standards.  But because it's a virtual experience, nobody gets hurt or needs
to worry about their collision deductible.

    "The simulation presented a variety of competing objectives," said Steve
Glauberman, CEO of Enlighten.  "It had to be serious enough to convey a
critical safety message, but compelling enough to keep users engaged.  It had
to have an array of fun gadgets and rich details, but not be too difficult to
master.  It had to be instructive, but not too long.  Enlighten created a
piece that successfully delivers a distracted driving experience that is both
entertaining and educational.  Our clients at GM agree."

    Enlighten worked closely with GM safety experts at every step of the
process.  Drawing on 18 years of experience in interactive development,
Enlighten's team designed all of the visuals and programmed the entire
simulation.

    "We have been studying the distraction problem and trying to help people
make better choices through GM's 'SenseAble driving' campaign," said William
Kemp, GM executive director, safety communications and strategy.  "We wanted a
compelling way to reach out to people with this message:  Distracted driving
is more than just using a hand-held cellular telephone.  It's also fiddling
with the sound system, eating drive-through food, interacting with your
passengers and a host of other non-driving tasks.  D3 helps us send that
message."

    The D3 user chooses between one of three driving personas: a harried
business executive with his team on the way to an important meeting, a mom
with a van full of kids hurrying to a soccer match, or a Generation Y guy
trying to get to a concert on time with his friends.  Along the way, each
character encounters incoming phone calls, annoying requests from passengers,
radio tuning and other surprising distractions that detract from his or her
ability to keep the vehicle on the road and maintain a safe speed.  There are
no other vehicles to collide with in the simulation, but the point should be
clear.

    D3 drivers receive helpful feedback along the way from Hank, their driving
assistant, and are scored on a 100-point "Sense-O-Meter," depending on the
choices they make and the quality of their driving.  Detailed feedback at the
end of the three-minute driving simulation offers pointers about making better
decisions to avoid distracted driving.