Abstract: A system for simulating the operation of a vehicle, comprising a monitor for displaying a sequence of visual images; a plurality of control devices for the simulated vehicle for manipulation by an operator of the simulated vehicle; a computer, responsive to manipulation of the simulated vehicle control devices, for presenting a temporal sequence of visual images to the operator on the monitor which depicts the operation of the simulated vehicle along a roadway in a simulated environment; a mechanism for dynamically controlling weather effects in the simulated environment; and a mechanism for creating a traffic event in the simulated environment on demand during a simulation session and presenting the traffic event to the operator substantially immediately thereafter.