[1960s AETNA DRIVOTRAINER SYSTEM- HIGHWAY & CITY DRIVING]

Year Published: 1960s

Description: This silent footage is from the Drivotrainer, a driver's education simulator produced by the automobile insurer Aetna. The Drivotrainer dates as far back as 1951, when Aetna introduced the innovative system, which combined an automobile simulator with 16mm motion pictures and a scoring computer, to provide enhanced behind-the-wheel instruction in the classroom. (Note: this film was originally presented in widescreen and will appear slightly distorted on Youtube.) The film presents POV images of highway and city driving, including some "think fast" surprises (such as at :49 where a Mustang makes a sneak turn in front of stopped cars and at 3:29 where a car makes an illegal passing maneuver). At (2:13) the film also contains a fragment of film that show neon signs for various bars and cocktails, followed by a brief bit of night driving footage. The segment at 4:11 shows side view mirrors, attempting to familiarize student drivers with checking them. The film even contains a brief section where crippled cars are shown on the side of the highway at 5:50 with an officer waving cars to slow.