Alexandria, Va.-based digital services agency Brightline Interactive made a splash at the recent New York Auto Show, where they presented an innovative virtual-reality user experience for Toyota, reports DCInno. The promotion was part of Toyota’s Teen Drive 365 initiative, a nationwide campaign to curb distracted driving among teenage drivers.

According to the DCInno report, Brightline’s Teen Drive 365 partnership activation will be presented at the eight largest auto shows in the U.S., highlighted by the Chicago, D.C. and New York auto shows. Most recently, the project was on display for user participation in Austin at SXSW.

The driving simulator puts participants behind the wheel of a real Corolla LE ECO. In the experience, users sit in an idle Corolla connected to an Oculus Rift headset. The car’s steering wheel and brakes are used as controls to operate actions in the virtual experience. A pair of headphones with voice commands and also the instruction of a nearby attendant help virtual drivers understand the context of their environment, continued DCInno.

Once the simulation begins, the user is placed on a busy city street and challenged to drive while a cohort of distractions may throw them off course. The in-game objective is to accurately illustrate the dangers of distracted driving, commonly caused by cell phone usage and other activities, the report stated.

(Photo courtesy of Brightline Interactive.)