Honda Begins Sales of All-new Automobile Driving Simulator Developed for Traffic Safety Education

Tokyo, Mar 2, 2010; Honda Motor Co., Ltd. began sales throughout Japan of an all-new automobile driving simulator, which underwent a full model change, developed for the purpose of traffic safety education.

To further enhance the ability of driver trainees to recognize and understand potential risks, a new function was added to provide easy-to-understand graphics and/or written descriptions of conditions where the driver should be cautious. Further, the driver is also provided with advice on how to ensure safe driving in potentially dangerous situations that have a high possibility of occurring in the real world. This new function also helps the trainer provide more detailed and precise instructions. Moreover, the newly adopted high-definition LCD (liquid crystal display) enables trainees to experience a sense of driving that is closer to real-world conditions.

Leveraging the know-how it has accumulated about safe driving, Honda developed the automobile simulator as a traffic safety educational device which provides users a safe environment in which to experience the risks inherent to real-world traffic situations. Since it was first introduced in 2001, Honda has sold approximately 200 units of the automobile driving simulator in Japan and overseas countries. Honda also develops and sells motorcycle simulators globally, and bicycle simulators as well as a PC-based automobile driving simulator in Japan with the goal of improving drivers' ability to predict risks and increase safety awareness for a wider range of people who operate mobility devices.

Major changes made for the all-new automobile driving simulator:

- A new function was added to provide easy-to-understand graphics and/or written descriptions of conditions where the driver should be cautious, as well as how the driver can ensure safe driving in potentially dangerous situations that have a high possibility of occurring in the real world.

- A more affordable 2-axis motion base type was added to the original 6-axis motion base type.

- A high-definition 42-inch LCD display was adopted for the simulator.

- An easy-to-operate touch-panel monitor was adopted.

- The function that displays the driving result after the simulation driving is now a standard setting.

- "Night mode," "Fog mode" and "Highway experience version" are now standard software options for the automobile driving simulator.

About Honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is one of the leading manufacturers of automobiles and power products and the largest manufacture of motorcycles in the world. Honda has always sought to provide genuine satisfaction to people worldwide. The result is more than 120 manufacturing facilities in 30 countries worldwide, producing a wide range of products, including motorcycles, ATVs, generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment and automobiles that bring the company into contact with over 19 million customers annually. For more information, please visit http://world.honda.com .