Traffic accident simulation in Chile: an innovative experience

Santo Tomás University is leading an innovative traffic accident simulation in Chile, combining extreme realism and inter-institutional collaboration. More than 600 participants experienced immersive emergency situations, strengthening their clinical skills and raising awareness about road safety. The activity has established itself as a high-impact educational strategy with national reach.

What happens when health education leaves the classroom and faces the harsh reality of the road?

In Chile, an unprecedented academic initiative has tested the limits of clinical simulation, bringing students and professionals to the center of emergency scenes inspired by real events. More than an academic exercise, it was a living laboratory for learning, prevention, and social transformation.

Introduction

Moved by the tragic figure of 1,635 lives lost in traffic accidents in Chile in 2023, a group of simulation coordinators from Santo Tomás University (UST) sought a more effective way to prepare future health professionals. Thus, they decided to take academic training to the streets, simulating real-life traffic accidents. This ambitious project not only sought to put students’ skills into practice in emergency situations, but also aligned with the institutional strategic plan, fostering community engagement and providing a transformative experience for students.

The idea began as a pilot program and was initially developed in the city of La Serena, Chile. The project consisted of a high-fidelity interprofessional simulation workshop in an out-of-hospital setting, where students, professionals, and collaborators actively participated in a traffic accident scenario. This strategy strengthened the participants’ technical and non-technical skills in the context of rescuing victims of a vehicle collision. During the activity, participants immersed themselves in intensive training preparing them to act in crisis resource management.

Behind the simulation: engineering realism and extreme coordination

Recreating a traffic accident with surgical precision is no small task. The organization of these simulations required high-caliber logistics, in which nothing was left to chance. From wrecked cars and fallen power poles to victims with realistic injuries designed using advanced moulage techniques, everything was conceived to provoke total immersion. Added to this was meticulous coordination with real emergency services: firefighters, police, ambulances, the Forensic Medical Service, the SIAT, and other state entities collaborated to bring to life a scenario that, at times, seemed more like a news event than a simulation.

The impact was such that the organizers quickly decided to take it a step further. They decided to scale up the project and, taking advantage of International Clinical Simulation Week 2024, coordinated 13 simultaneous drills in different cities across the country. The goal: to amplify the educational and community reach of the experience.

In this second version, creativity and commitment went even further. New variables were incorporated, such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers in dogs, paving the way for veterinary simulation, and scenarios with multiple victims, vehicle rollovers, and electrical hazards. The result: 609 participants nationwide, including students, professionals, emergency services, and community members, all united by a common cause: learning to save lives in extreme situations.

Measuring the impact: beyond student satisfaction

Those involved said they “strongly agreed” or “agreed” with the activity, reaching an 87% overall satisfaction rate. Similarly, 81% of students said the drill significantly contributed to their interprofessional skills, highlighting the importance of post-drill debriefing as a valuable reflective tool for learning. In the item “realism of the scenarios and usefulness of the knowledge acquired,” 81% of participants praised the great staging and production, which included advanced moulage techniques for wounds, crashed cars, fallen power lines, among others. An overwhelming 95% agreed that these activities are essential for promoting a culture of road safety and preventing accidents, as well as increasing awareness of the risks of drinking and driving and using illegal substances while driving. The evaluation of the activity took into account the participants’ perceptions through open-ended questions, resulting in a word cloud highlighting: “teamwork,” “responsibility,” “awareness,” and “learning,” summarizing the benefits perceived by those involved. It should be noted that the inter-institutional sector expressed its commitment to continue creating simulations with a high community impact and mutual benefit.

Lessons that transcend the classroom: from practice to social transformation

In summary, the full-scale traffic accident simulation initiative of the Simulation Unit – Santo Tomás University represents an innovative and effective approach to training health professionals and promoting road safety. The positive results of the satisfaction surveys, the high level of participation, and the impact on the development of technical and non-technical skills underscore the value of this methodology. Inter-institutional collaboration, the realism of the scenarios, and the inclusion of new modalities, such as veterinary simulation, demonstrate the commitment of the university and its community partners to continuous improvement and the search for transformative pedagogical strategies. This initiative not only prepares students to deal with emergency situations, but also fosters a culture of road safety and social awareness in the community.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates how clinical simulation, when integrated with high-fidelity scenarios and real-life environments, not only optimizes students’ technical and human learning, but also constitutes a strategic tool for public health. The combination of interprofessional education, community cooperation, and simulation technology allows for the articulation of educational responses that address both curricular needs and contemporary social challenges. In a context where prevention and field training are key, initiatives such as this consolidate the role of academia as an active agent in the construction of a safer and more resilient society.

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