simulatorThe Simulator isn't hard to use, but if you're having trouble the answers you need are here.
You might also find the FAQ helpful if you're wondering what on earth the Simulator is.
The best place to start is the homepage which offers you links to a whole range of places where you can begin a journey around the Simulator's road network.
You can select “current” or “classic” routes by clicking one of the tabs. You'll then see the list of links and the map change to show the routes in that category. If you're completely new to the Simulator, the current routes are the place to begin.
Typically you can start at either end of a simulated road. You'll see a list of the main roads in the Simulator, the two directions you can travel, and then a link telling you where you'll join the road. For example, the first one in the list is the M1, where you can start travelling northbound by clicking “J1 Staples Corner” - the starting point of the northbound carriageway - or southbound by clicking “A1(M) J43 Hook Moor” which is where the southbound carriageway starts.
When you click the link the Simulator loads up the place you selected, and you're away.
When you select a starting point from the homepage you can choose from “current” and “classic” routes. Current routes are the main attraction - they simulate the road network as it appears today and are kept roughly up to date. If you’re new to the Simulator, start there.
“Classic” routes are from the previous version of the Simulator, which was online between 2004 and 2010. They use the original graphics from that era and are unchanged from the date they were first published, which tends to be between 2004 and 2006. They're online mostly for the benefit of people who remember the old version of the Simulator.
Once you're in the Simulator, the main part of your view is a sky-blue background and is where you'll see the signs you pass as you travel along the road.
Below the sign is the narrative text describing where you are. Then you'll see the various navigation options, the most important of which is the red Continue button that will move you forward to the next step on the route.
To make a journey, just click Continue.
Sometimes you'll come across another simulated road. When this happens you'll get some extra options above the narrative text that let you turn off and join the other route. Click one if you want to do this, or click Continue to stay on the route you're on.
There's no “save” button in the Simulator (not yet, anyway - it's something we'd like to add in the future). But you can save your place if you want to break off a journey and come back later.
One way is to just bookmark your location. The address in your browser's address bar is unique to your location, so saving the page as a bookmark will let you come straight back. You can also share specific signs and locations using the page address.
The other way is using a location code. Clicking “location” in the navigation bar will pop up a window that tells you the location code for the sign you're looking at - it will be something like m6n-15 or a23s-44.
If you make a note of the location code, you can use it to go straight back there later - see below.
If you know the location code for the place you want to go (maybe because you saved it on a previous journey, as described above) you can use the jump to location page to go directly there.
Simply enter the location code and press “start”. You'll be taken to the location.
To see the Simulator's signs properly, you just need a modern web browser - they are rendered using standard HTML elements and CSS styling.
If you're not seeing them correctly the most likely problem is with web fonts. The Simulator uses two specific fonts to render signs correctly and your browser should download these when the Simulator is first accessed. It's possible to disable web font download, either through your browser options or because a security tool is blocking them.
You can try looking in your browser's settings (you can search for “font” once you're in the settings page) to make sure they aren't disabled.
If you're accessing the Simulator through a corporate or academic network it's possible the network administrator has applied settings that prevent web fonts being used - if so, you may need to try accessing the site another way to see the signs as they are supposed to appear.