Bringing a Learner into the Modern World

You would of course assume that the learner if they are in the 17 - 24 age bracket would be firmly in the 21st century but that is so obviously not the case when you look at the expectations of many when learning to drive a car.  They are often led by the adult driver in the family who learned to drive in a different traffic environment.

Eco driving, within the school syllabus good ecological behaviour is actively encouraged planning continuous education in respect of university or college and the years ahead, yet when it comes to driving pupils are in a past generation held back by the beliefs of their parents, however the parental viewpoint must have changed because for many leaving school was common place as soon as the year 11 exams were over, now it's just part of the school pathway towards A levels, compulsory now but not then, and not for the 17 year olds currently learning to drive. So how did perception of the education system change, it wasn't an overnight change at all, it was a slow build.

Ten years ago a sixteen year old could leave school they could claim unemployment benefit, they could secure a Saturday job, there was EMA and going to work at sixteen starting at the bottom and working up was not considered to be the wrong thing to do.  If society can see that as a bad thing, even though it had been that way for many years surely attitude can change.

Wanting a driving licence is a good thing, but modernisation of the test is worthless if the process to become a driver hasn't been modernised too. How does the instructor reform the process, it's probably harder than you think, there are a lot of instructors set in their ways, pupils passing their test, recommendations, full diary if it's not broke why fix it, well the suggestion is it is not broke at all, but it is out of date.  How many instructors ask an ADI they do not know to look at their lesson with a pupil or full licence holder being trained and ask for constructive criticism?  Could we count the number on one hand?

The other problem is that there is a lot of competitiveness in this industry amongst those that want to be seen to be making their best effort to evoke change, but there is also a far greater number who do not want change that are happy with their career, their reputation and their income, does this mean they provide a poor service, of course not otherwise they would be looking for another career, as the minority are batting at the top end, and road fatality rates are falling then as a profession we must be doing well.

However, if the learning to drive path is set to change, and it seems that the changes will be minor in the long term and the test runs along the GDE matrix, as the standards check marking will, then those that haven't embraced it will be left behind and they will be part of a culling process that we appear not to be privvy to.

Is your learner up to date with the learning to drive practice, or do we indulge their perceptions to secure the work?

AI Solutions: Coaching the Instructor

AI Solutions: Coaching the Instructor: There have been a lot of articles regarding coaching the learner, the mis-interpretation of coaching and it's meaning and worth is incre...

Coaching the Instructor

There have been a lot of articles regarding coaching the learner, the mis-interpretation of coaching and it's meaning and worth is incredible, the most interesting one that caught my eye was the question to a learner, what would you like to do today, that's like asking a teenager which chore they want to do. Coaching has to have boundaries to promote success, it still needs structure otherwise there can be no specific target, each learner is an individual and will have very different goals, however the driving test has a syllabus to be achieved and to do that some subjects that a learner would choose to reject have to be adhered to.

Instructor: What would you like to do today?
Learner: Not emergency stop

or

Instructor: Today we will be covering the emergency stop exercise what do you think this will involve?
Learner: Braking really quickly

The second question encourages engagement and it is from this point that the learning process can take place and be structured with the aid of the learner to achieve the target set from the learning to drive syllabus.

Positive encouragement empowers the learner, it is also the first step towards pride in achievement, learning to drive has for some become an uphill climb, with peers putting their pressure on the novice and family reminiscing about how quickly they learned to drive, the novice driver then feels pressured to run before they can walk.  Although this is not the same in all cases it is in some and that is too many.

So who encourages the ADI, fills them with enthusiasm and helps them, well in the life coaching fraternity we would have a mentor, spend time discussing with them basic client details while remaining in the confines of confidentiality. So why have the bigger organisations embraced a mentor system for employees and franchisees, because it is known to work, the mentor doesn't need to be another coach.

The mentor scheme for learner drivers has been very successful in other countries, but would it work in the UK, the majority group of learner drivers, based on research shows that learning to drive isn't taken as seriously as passing the test, the school system carries some responsibility for this as they use the test as the carrot for study, are we guilty of the same?

In one country in particularly the learner has to accrue 120 hours mandatory learner practice, the supervising driver would have taken part in a training programme themselves at their own cost, for those who do not have this aid within the family network there are volunteer programmes where someone would sit with a learner driver. For those with no opportunity to take part in either option they would be expected to have those 120 hours with a qualified instructor.  All of this supports the mentor system.

So if we are moving into client centered scenarios why are we not enforcing this type of support for the trainer and the trainee, the growth of chat rooms and forums for professional trainers, suggests a need for this face to face a question, genuinely asked would receive a better more helpful response than a query posed on a social networking site, where some would ridicule lack of knowledge.

Choosing a mentor is more difficult, it is better to be someone you are not close to, or even know well so a respectful relationship can be formed. Mentor groups for novice drivers who are looking for support outside their own personal network tend to have a more serious view when talking about driving and responsibility.

Other EU countries use a mentor system, one which I have written about before, and still fail to see how it could benefit a learner with horror stories and scare tactics. They haven't embraced the mentor for the tutor, which works well in other walks of life and in some non European countries. Of course a mentor is a chosen path but the results in areas where mentors are accepted shows greater strength in the tutor.

Mentoring systems in a classroom environment drew in level 4 of the GDE matrix, however in the UK because we have moved away from the traditional school which companies such as BSM were known for this becomes harder, the EU wish is for driving schools as opposed to individuals to become the norm is likely to be a long way off as the parliamentary process in the UK is a very slow process, with road safety figures falling to a statistically attractive figure it seems this is not so high on the agenda.

Pass Vs Grade

I read a strange idea today, grading the driving test. Would that be in a pass plus way, or a what mood is the examiner in kind of way or would that be strict rules because the insurance premium depends on it.  It is a fact that those who score the least driver faults on their marking sheet are the ones who are most likely to take a Pass Plus course and the ones who are least likely to have an accident.

Matthew Hancock obviously isn't au fait with the discussions that have gone before, otherwise he would know this has been mentioned, many times in the UK amongst insurance companies and driving associations. In theory it's a good idea, but in practice surely it would be considered to be discriminatory, we have just seen female drivers, the safest group, have their premiums hiked up to the male equivalent because of unfair discrimination, so surely this would be the same.  An insurance broker never asks an ADI their grade yet the ADI with the higher grade is less likely to have an accident during a lesson or on their own.

Of course the insurance companies want to offer better premiums to the group considered to be more able as drivers, protecting their huge profit margins along the way, when did you last meet a poor insurance broker? However this would be so difficult to introduce into our already changing system, each examiner marks a test in a different way, there is no consistency, one examiner can mark two tests with different standards, after all they are only human.

Because each examiner has their own style they become known by the instructors just as well as instructors become known to the examiner, in particular the box tickers, some just have an over eager pen, where others only commit pen to paper when deemed completely necessary.  In the industry we know this, but would we be so tolerant of this if the system changed, would the pupil be so tolerant of it?

It is of course quite amusing that a minister, for skills, which must be the all encompassing role that covers road safety since that position was removed, is looking at grading a driving test when the DVSA are looking to remove grading and replacing with the simple pass or fail, which the majority seemed to favour.

Could your pupils be more prepared on test day, will this make any difference to the nerves some suffer under test conditions, or are we going to slip into the other proposal of testing in simulated conditions.

Cycling Ahead

Or are we behind? The review board are leaving the way open for public comments on cyclists, based on the poor cycling statistics we have in the UK, are those who promote cycling doing enough. I heard a statement from an avid cyclist who suggested that car drivers are the problem, they do not look out for cyclists and when they do see them it's either a very close call or a nudge.

So how right is that statement? because learner drivers have a perfect opportunity to find out how to deal with a cyclist and regard them as the vulnerable road user, are we doing enough as educators?

You have until 14th January to submit your views to the inquiry, the questions being - is cycling safe in towns and cities? What can central and local Government do to improve safety for cyclists, could they improve law enforcement for drivers and cyclists. Should cyclists be segregated from other road users during peak times, which may see HGV's prevented from travelling in town centres at this time.

The last inquiry was 2012, where cycling safety was investigated, however the figures for cyclist fatality and serious injury for 2012 point to the fact that something other than talking about it has to be done. Unfortunately there is an amount of dislike for cyclists using the road network due to the fact they pay no road tax or insurance, and although a cyclist can now be held accountable for causing death by dangerous cycling, there really hasn't been enough enforcement or control of reckless cyclists, who once on the road have a duty to play by the rules.

In these green times, when the car is frowned upon as it eats through resources should we all take the bike to work, or more importantly are we missing a great training opportunity during a driving lesson, or better still, to teach cyclists how to understand the road particularly for the non drivers.

The Government report suggests that we are far short of our vision for road safety in Britain if we are to maintain our position as the European leader for road safety, former Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said if we have simplistic targets we will get simplistic answers, he said that the public will always take the easy option - hmm, thanks for that.  Of course the role of Road safety Minister is now defunct due to the DFT shake up as it becomes the DFT and F.

We do of course have European targets to meet, that fall under the banner of road safety, this includes the four year MOT, of course there is speculation that road safety will not become the responsibility of the DFT as departments become smaller and the determination of responsibility comes from the back office.

Road safety partnerships came under fire and a casualty of financial trimming, which leaves a gap where experienced road safety officers had a key role, local authorities refer to this when looking at their own individual targets. As part of the need to improve services in local authorities the driving instructor has come under the spotlight to provide a higher standard of education to the novice driver to meet all of their needs and to be able to take their client into a vocational post test qualification, this includes motorcycle trainers.

In Sweden early education in driver education has had a positive impact, the UK view on this is it breeds complacency and over confidence, yet these two countries are always in the top three for road safety performance, can they both be right or is it just due to a different environment and a lack of Government commitment to recognising the role of the driving instructor.

The RHA feels that not enough awareness is made by the retailers of cycles when selling to the public that they have a responsibility, knowing your bicycle, but if that filtered through to car drivers would the retailers see it as their responsibility. With £11m available for bikeability training, but no funding for adult cycle training then perhaps that is the gap that needs to be filled.

Chipped Revolution, the history

Chip and pin driving licences, how many times have I mentioned this over the last few years ... I've been following very carefully the process amongst the European community and the step into this technology since 2005, as it averages 9 years for the technology to be trialed and the needs identified and agreed, it is no surprise that we are standing on the edge of 2014 and still no formal announcement, only a press release that we will see the end of the counterpart in 2015.

I nearly fell over laughing during the cut the red tape campaign, I would seriously like to know how many people were involved in the live online debate surrounding the paper counterpart, figures which are 'currently unavailable', because this was the greatest spin of all time, if you were asked what red tape you would like cut, I doubt that outside of the DVLA the first thing that springs to mind would be the driving licence counterpart.

The Driving Licence Committee have been huffing and puffing over a secure data card since 1999, this led to a meeting of seven EU countries and the UK in Wales, the aim was to discuss the future of technology, it's advances and the fact that the UK had a serious fraud problem surrounding driving licences, which open the pathway to identity fraud and access to securing bank accounts for money laundering among other things., in one year 2500 fraudulent applications were received by the DVLA.

The smart card licence was originally intended to cut out the DVLA input so that points and bans would be electronically registered by the court service and update would take place immediately, under trial this proved to be unreliable but leaves potential for an effective international database.  The commission initially refused the complete introduction of the smart card licence, with contactless features, as they felt the UK was the only country with a problem regarding fraud, however Sweden disputed this, and now Latvia has led the way with a contactless chip licence, initially technology meant the chip had just five years as a life span, however, technology has now improved and ten years is possible, each member state would be responsible for regulations regarding the replacement of defective or faulty cards.

The DVLA is currently running a customer survey https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=138424830018 which closes on 7th December, this is a result of the May meeting regarding licensing services across the European Union. The suggestion is that all electronic services will match the smart card introduction, CPC records, dangerous goods licence, vehicle registration etc. The next meeting is June 2014, where in roads for the 2020 road safety targets will be discussed as well as mileage registration for vehicles and a smart registration.  The chip needs to be a minimum of 8kb, with the potential for 16kb, the biggest concern being larger memory equals more cost.

So chip and pin, as part of the contactless technological revolution are on their way, baring in mind that the writing has been on the wall since the mid nineties, not only has it taken a long time and a lot of informal workshops and trials to come to fruition, but it seems as usual we are the last to know, as a business that needs to see driving licences as a matter of course, should we not have been in on the act?

Cutting the Cost

Now that sounds like a good idea, cut back on expenses and have more money in the bank, yet really our expenses are pretty much consistent, so how about the learner, they are looking to cut costs, save money and end up with a driving licence, before they join one of the more expensive pass times, motoring.  Driving is a luxury, it was always only the wealthy that drove a car, only a boom time promotes us living outside of our means but what do we do when the crash happens, as it invariably does, once you have a car key it is very hard to hang it back up again, and a car seems to now indicate a step on the ladder of personal success, starting with the banger and leading to the top of the range vehicle.

I was an eager learner, I loved to drive and I loved to drive fast, looking back too fast in some situations I'm sure, with the eye of an ADI trainer I know it wasn't peer pressure, it wasn't inexperience that made me push the pedal to the metal it was the thrill of speed, and as any fairground attendant will tell you, that feeling is perfectly natural.  Did anyone think of driving and road safety in the 1980's not in my group of friends or work colleagues, it was all about the car, the wheels the seats and the shine.  I remember crowding around an RS2000 with friends thinking wow shiny, then we would pile in and go for a ride, it was mainly for the show value, as in the group were a few Ford Mexico's and RS turbo's and of course the XR3i, I don't remember any reckless speeding because if you were going too fast nobody could admire the paintwork. There were of course moments of fast driving on country lanes but never in town, yet fatality rates amongst young drivers at that time were far higher than now.

So is the pride in driving disappearing under a haze of finance, has crippling insurance costs added to the reduction in fatal accidents amongst young drivers, because it is something regularly mentioned by pupils, they think about not being able to afford insurance in the event of an accident that is their fault, as finance is always a consideration, surely matching the approach of other countries would make the driving education a more serious subject too.

Educating young people in driving as a responsibility during the school process will switch off as many as it switches on, having to work through a theory based programme that costs money, and this is serious finance, using the Netherlands as an example, also a sunflower country, the cost of theory based tuition is 95e for 90 minutes, all paid in advance, a lesson is 60e for one hour, and from the school finishing at the school if you want to be collected from somewhere else it is another 12.95e with a fee of 25e for collection and return to a different site, everything is advance paid, what a great idea, it also means they take it very seriously, money does talk.

As the research suggests that those who can least afford to drive are the ones most likely to be involved in a serious or fatal collision, that surely ticks the road safety box. I was browsing some driving forums in different EU countries and they all recommend coming to the UK to learn to drive, the test itself is considered harder but the cost is minimal in comparison, now surely someone must sit up and smell the coffee here.

AI Solutions: The Driverless Revolution

AI Solutions: The Driverless Revolution: Driverless cars, the future, I can remember Tomorrow's World showing the image of driverless cars, and now the travel pods are c...

The Driverless Revolution

Driverless cars, the future, I can remember Tomorrow's World showing the image of driverless cars, and now the travel pods are coming to MK, supposedly, lets not hold our breath just yet, but the reality is companies such as Google are investing huge amounts of money into this technological revolution to be the first on the market which in turn will greatly increase their share value.

How will the AV improve things for the driving instructor though, will we need driving licences or a machine licence? If the advent of these vehicles is expected to be all encompassing making our roads a safe and secure environment, and eliminate the potential for the type of accident reported recently where a 21 year old woman kills a pedestrian borne out of impatience, then why have we until 2030 to have a chip and pin driving licence across all EU states as surely they won't be needed? What will happen to speed cameras, fines for poor driving behaviour and bans for joy riding? I guess it still leaves the door open for vehicle theft unless you have an inbuilt retina scan, log in and drive, which currently isn't in the mix.

The goal is to have a driverless vehicle on the road by 2020, of course America is leading the way, with some states now having made provision for AV's, lets hope the sat nav is good after all we have had a few teething problems with those over the years.

From a driver point of view is it an attractive proposition, letting the computer do the work, we have slowly become used to an amount of computer generated control over the years, with satellite navigation systems, parking sensors, low brake pad warnings, cruise control and ESP to name a few, so it had to be the natural progression for the car to do the work.  However the next move from cars will of course be trucks, do you fancy 44 tonne or 88 tonne of truck driving towards you with a Johnny Five lookalike behind the wheel, ready to off load at it's destination, or am I taking this too far in the future.

It would definitely eliminate accidents such as a recent Essex fatal collision where two elderly people were killed on a crossing by a double decker bus travelling too fast in a 30 limit, to stop. Can it really eliminate all fatalities though, it would be difficult for that to be a reality, if a cyclist wobbles in your direction on a bend on a country road, or appears from the woods to your left, even if uber technology picked it up that doesn't stop the person in charge of the cycle having a collision.

You are in a traffic queue, the last vehicle and coming along behind is a regular car and the driver is texting you can see them approaching and your vehicle screams impact alert, impact alert, would you have a total heart failure prior to collision, is that a possibility.

The question for driver trainers is will someone have to be trained to drive the vehicle, that seems to be a suggestion that manufacturers have avoided as the vehicle has to be seen to be an easy evolution not one that requires a rocket scientist and a thousand page manual to run through a controls familiarisation.

For those of you, who like me, that actually enjoy driving will that pleasure be a distant memory, or is the advent of driverless vehicles just an experiment, an expensive one at that, as just because you can do something does it mean you should.

AI Solutions: Privatisation of Our Roads

AI Solutions: Privatisation of Our Roads: Well it seems selling out the tax payer is on the horizon, at what point are we actually going to be in a position where the UK has an...

Privatisation of Our Roads

Well it seems selling out the tax payer is on the horizon, at what point are we actually going to be in a position where the UK has any assets at all. For the driver, and I don't mean driver trainers I mean road users, we are, after all, adding to the driving population by a way of career, things are about to get worse. So with the post test training still hot around the edges as far as the ERSC are concerned and on the table for the UK until at least May 2014, are we really helping by preparing these people for an uncertain future of driving.

The current Government consultation, which I thought carefully about before participating, defines the future of the roads, yet how many out of 64 million plus people, will get involved, and why would they, because as previous consultations show, the publicity surrounding these matters is always weak. Will more than 1,000 respond, hmm, we shall see.  Should our national associations be taking part, of course they could, we produce drivers, they use the roads, many are happy to defend the young driver and complain about insurance costs, so surely getting involved in this is important too, or it's half a job.

The Highways Agency is about to become a company in it's own right, if this goes unchallenged, the road network is worth £107.4bn so a hefty asset.  So HA a private company, Government owned, a share holding company, with the Secretary of State as the only shareholder, yet with the asset still showing as part of the DFT, is that legal?  I have to guess so.  If the Secretary of State then chooses to sell shares in the HA then the roads are privately owned, so not quite the huge railway error, but not far short.

So have you taken part in the consultation? Will you? Do you think privatisation is a good idea? because from where I am sitting it hasn't helped us so far. Maybe I am thinking too far ahead, but if the money we are spending now on changing the driving test and making sure our drivers of the future, despite the not too distant future of driverless cars, are competent and responsible, then why are we not covering the next level.

Many pieces of the trainee driving instructor training jigsaw are in the mix, with the spotlight highlighting a change would be beneficial and that wannabe ADI's are unprepared under the new system, yet the new driver is unprepared for all of the major changes on our roads.

http://www.aicoachingsolutions@aol.co.uk

Multi Tasking and Driving

How many times does a pupil say, I can't multi-task or I have no coordination skills at all.  Well if they do say this then they are likely to be more in touch with their own personal limitations than the majority are according to a new study.

Most of us believe we can do more than one thing at a time, this is particularly true when it comes to driving a vehicle, yet this study suggests it is our own personal belief that gets us into trouble when faced with a dangerous situation, because we believe we can continue to go through the motions of driving and add another complication to the mix and cope.  The study suggests that road fatalities are falling year on year across the World for many reasons, but the least likely is increased skill.

Top of the list as always is finance, the cost of crude oil and the Government taxes, but road safety campaigners who are fighting for more training and post test skills, along with improved tutoring and the dreaded words driver centred learning could be barking up the wrong tree.

The study backs up some previous research that says we believe we are better than we actually are at all things, including driving of course, it confirms the fact we learn by example, so people are going to be more careful in a room that is spotlessly clean than one that isn't so.  On the roads we copy other drivers, but with 38 million live driving licences in the UK changing the habits of all these people is an unrealistic task.

In the first third of the 1900's roads were very basic, with little road sign information or obvious rules, the fatality statistics were very high compared to today, as engineering and speed enforcement improved so has that figure.  On a road that has clear road markings, preferably with reflective coating, it is less likely that someone will disobey the rules, however if one person steps out of the line it is more likely that someone who had not considered breaking a rule will do so.

Is this learned behaviour? Well yes and no, some have a desire to copy and others carry a risk gene which affects all of their behaviour, so within coaching we talk about limiting beliefs, yet the research suggests we stretch those self limiting beliefs depending on the environment we are currently in. One person stops on a double yellow line and walks away from their vehicle ignoring the stares and obvious displeasure from others, will within a few moments see someone else copy this behaviour, although if they had not previously seen someone park there they would be unlikely to 'take a chance'.

When a driver displays risky behaviour, other drivers are quick to criticise, yet the driver sees it as not being risky behaviour as they feel in control of their vehicle and actions, so self justification. When we view our physical appearance we see above average to well above average, in terms of driving it is the same, a driver considers their driving to be above average.  In a classroom environment if you ask a group of experienced drivers they will rate their driving a minimum of 6 out of ten with majority choosing 8 or 9, research tells us that they often rate themselves higher than that maybe 9 or 10, but may be uncomfortable doing so in a large group.

The study is quite indepth as it challenges the merits of post test training, conforming to rules plays a strong part, we do operate in a sheep style when driving because we view ourselves as a community on the roads, hence the thank you when someone gives way similar to the back slapping of a goal scorer. One person runs a red light, the majority will not and stay in the confines because boundaries and rules promote fairness. The lone few will push the boundary but that group will grow if the behaviour remains unchallenged, giving weight to the prosecution theory as the right way to reduce road fatality.  Increased Police presence creates a halo effect and reduces crime and rule breaking, good clear road rules and markings create a similar scenario, education is a powerful tool and the cheapest route but the process is lengthy in comparison.  So to reduce fatalities which will actually be cost effective long term requires a clear socially acceptable plan.

In the UK it would be unlikely that we will take the hard line suggested, purely from a financial aspect, so education, reaching the most amount of people for the least amount of money but with the longest time span for success, will still be the way forward, but as the study says we think too highly of our own skill, correctly or not to be led completely in the direction campaigners desire.

AI Solutions: It's all about the money?

AI Solutions: It's all about the money?: Now that bought a few tuneful lines to mind, thanks Meja, but it seems that is the motivation behind everything, finance, chasing the dollar...

It's all about the money?

Now that bought a few tuneful lines to mind, thanks Meja, but it seems that is the motivation behind everything, finance, chasing the dollar, pound, euro, of course we do not want to fall backwards into dependency and financial crutches drifting into depression and austerity measures determined by others, but for some reason the human side is missing from the research and reports that follow any investigation into road safety.  Are you practicing your career as a driver educator to save lives, or to save public money, or just because it's what you do for a living?

Graduated driving licences, have a solid background in road safety, yet that isn't strictly speaking true, in Australia the system is under review and when you take into account that in Australia there are 2 people per square kilometre of land compared to the UK which has 256 people per square kilometre of land, you would expect these restrictions to have some impact. When an area is more densely populated GDL systems are less effective according to the EU. So could this extreme shake up which is going to cost the tax payer far more than they save be worth it.

Although the EU refer to the implementation of the GDE matrix in Norway it is also noted that the studies will not be conclusive for some time to come, if ever, as in an evolving world anything can change, this is clear when we have a quickly advancing introduction to the driverless car. Although post test training compulsory or otherwise is shown to have an influence on risky behaviour, there is scientific evidence to suggest that the maturing mind and storage of information in the brain would result in this outcome anyway, hence practice makes perfect.

Night time restriction is one of the more popular points amongst road safety professionals, but, this carries a risk in itself, GDL requires night time driver training to be part of the learning process, yet as time passes without practice this skill will diminish and in some be forgotten, if the novice new driver is to have the training and then be denied night time driving for a probationary period that skill will be lost.

As far as land mass goes, the UK has exceptional figures for road fatalities amongst the under 25's, being the 22nd largest population in the world we are clearly doing something right, whereas for a country like Australia that has been using the GDL system for sometime to revise the probationary period with a view to extending it, then that points to it being less effective than they had wished. With road fatalities falling across the world, this is more about economy than it is about education, particularly as in some of those countries you can buy a driving licence at the corner shop.

Public information films have a proven track record for being effective when tackling various behaviour, this applies to all EU countries, the young girl who was reconstructed after hitting a tree is one that many people remember and had a very positive effect on speed in built up areas for sometime, however the generation now to be guided with good education are of an age that hasn't seen this.  Advertising is expensive, and a hearty campaign would be likely to see the cost exceed the saving, which again begs the question is this about the preservation of life, or money.

The root of the problem frequently sees a finger pointed towards the trainer, and in countries outside of the EU that have effective train the trainer courses in place, road death and education has improved.  So are we starting at the bottom and working up or should we be at the top working down. The test for all new drivers is the ultimate point, where they are then able to have an easier life in terms of mobility, the UK driving test was deemed fit for purpose by the EURSC and covers more bases in the time frame than many other countries, with Sweden having a similar testing process. With these two countries always vying for top spot in the road safety charts then surely we should be looking to other countries to find what element there system presents. Interestingly if we were outside of the EU looking in, we would still be doing well, research says figures would continue to fall as the UK becomes more heavily populated and road space a greater premium. So are we taking part in a compulsory task or is it a necessary one.

AI Solutions: Client Centered Finger Crossing

AI Solutions: Client Centered Finger Crossing: Well, I'm a little confused by the CCL debate, what is Client Centered Learning and why has it caused such defensiveness amongst...

Client Centered Finger Crossing

Well, I'm a little confused by the CCL debate, what is Client Centered Learning and why has it caused such defensiveness amongst trainers, after all hymn sheet and all surely springs to mind.  My concerns are that everyone is so wrapped up in defending how they deliver CCL that the actual reasoning behind it is lost. You only have to browse half a dozen forums to see that it is a battle of wills, my interpretation of CCL is better than the next person? How can that be? CCL has nothing to do with coaching and everything to do with value for money and equality.

So lets break it down, client, be it learner or full licence holder, the person paying for a professional service. In 2007 I attended a DSA conference which covered the subject of raising the profile of the driving instructor, and along with this the carrot or is that stick, was that the ADI would see a raise in income as the profession generated better respect amongst members of the public. So why is the instructor not viewed highly by the public?

The client, the paying customer, who is always right, demands more for their money than ever before. I read somewhere that CCL is being described as quality control, well in this case yes it is, the minister says we have to provide value for money.

Which leads to centered, a place of activity or influence, to focus or bring together, so really it depends if it is a verb which the title implies or a noun. Mentally or emotionally balanced. So by allowing the client to be the centre of the session it reduces the dictatorial methods that some employ, which in an ideal world is a good move, but what about the real world, it is impossible to monitor output, so it can be do as I say not as I do, surely.

Learning, knowledge acquired by systematic study, so following a syllabus, which is where the standards document comes in and the TRL report which describes the syllabus released by the DSA as 'no justification for rolling out the new syllabus in terms of road safety'.

So why is post test training not encouraged by the DSA when the DFTand F have commissioned an expensive report using tax payers money.  Research and trials in these scenarios are an expensive way of trying to show justification for money spent preparing a document for common guidance.  Recently an examiner encouraged my pupil to take up Pass Plus singing the praises of a confidence booster recommended in their own car, a remark I wholly approved of, yet my following test passes elsewhere did not mention it.

The research behind the learning to drive process clearly points out that if students could not drive until the age of 24 then the road safety figures would be greatly improved, but there has not been a single government brave enough to adopt this.  The greater amount of fatalities on our roads as a group are cyclists would that surely be a better starting point, as many cyclists are drivers or become one, yet there is no compulsory road safety procedure aimed at this group.  If road safety is really the key why are we not tackling the UK problem as opposed to the EU one?

When you look at the tiny study group used for the research, all with willing volunteers, about half of the pupils dropped out of the study, was that because the process was just too client centered for comfort? With pupils asking to be taught as per the school curriculum process rather than feeling uncomfortable with answering questions that they consider themselves to be ignorant about, even in the intimate environment of a car with no friends present, at an age when the pupil is self conscious and acutely aware of their areas of ignorance. We moved away from bullying at the school gate yet we are prepared to put these teenagers on the spot, regardless of how you view your questioning technique, be it soft, encouraging or demanding.

As every instructor has a differing view on CCL, and employs different methods of instruction, how can ADI's as a group unite on common ground, because having a couple of expensive documents published isn't enough to save lives.

AI Solutions: Speed of the Future

AI Solutions: Speed of the Future: I thought I'd squeeze a quick blog in before I take a break from work to recharge my batteries, after having my hands tied by an...

Speed of the Future

I thought I'd squeeze a quick blog in before I take a break from work to recharge my batteries, after having my hands tied by an ailing laptop and with so much going on in the world of driver training. Having rescued my book from the abyss of cyber space, it's time to knuckle down and do my best for my new deadline, which I plan to do in the sun.

I was surprised to find that the document relating to compulsory speed limiters hasn't been published in it's entirety yet as this is something motor manufacturers surely will have doubts about.  When you buy your next Ferrari would you like to have the potential to travel at excess speed and hear the roar or are you content with your 70 MPH maximum speed.  This does however bow to the EU request for all countries to not exceed 80 MPH as a top speed on their motorway network, particularly in Germany where it is believed the autobahn will be limited to eighty, and will be a step towards the reduction of road fatality that keeps them far out of the running for top slot in safer roads.

From an driving instructor point of view it will make little impact on me in my day to day instruction and general driving, but it does raise a question as far as the lower limits are concerned, the urban roads attracts the most speeding so how will that be tackled? Is it a possibility that black box technology will be compulsory.  ISA, Intelligent Speed Adaption, is definitely an EU baby, with heavy goods vehicles having speed limiters and now automatic distance separators, with their maximum speed now being limited to 52 as opposed to the former 56 MPH supposedly to fall in line with the new limit on motorways for lorries, buses and coaches which was supposed to see the light of day earlier this year.

The UK have decided that it is too much of an imposition at the moment, but maybe that is because we have a general election coming, is it because we may leave Europe, or is it because it will become compulsory anyway and that way the UK can hold their hands up high and say it was against their wishes? Who knows, it is very difficult to second guess politics.

The news reporting that a minimum driving age of 18 is likely, is hardly new news, yet as NI have reduced theirs to 16 and a half for beginning the process and some American states allowing drivers on the road at just 15, is it likely the UK will place the age at a higher level. I have to say that when the minimum compulsory school leaving age was introduced with the current year ten being the first in this grouping, a conference headed by the DSA announced that this was a real possibility for the two to coincide.

Of course this leads to the DSA and test centre managers, one of our local DTAM's has decided to give a talk at a local association meeting regarding the standards check, this is because a member approached  them regarding their advice on taking a standards check course for £390, I mean wow, that's an expensive course regardless of the subject, so it seems some political decisions make sense after all, when the ADI is being protected by their governing body.

There is a lot of shuffling behind closed doors and we just see the fluttering papers that make it through the gap.

AI Solutions: Creating a Coaching Persona

AI Solutions: Creating a Coaching Persona: Coaching again, it seems driving instructors are being fed a diet of take my course, and with it we will give you an excellent lesson...

Creating a Coaching Persona

Coaching again, it seems driving instructors are being fed a diet of take my course, and with it we will give you an excellent lesson in how to be self righteous and rude. Today I find myself ashamed to have been a member of the Tri Coaching group on Facebook, they are pack hunters on the social network, and as with most packs find solace in their association with each other. Fortunately their membership represents a tiny group of instructors who appear to have bought an expensive course in bad manners.

I challenge everyone who was involved in that 'debate' to meet with me and repeat their comments to my face, because for me, although it has identified that Mr Hooper and his cronies approve of bullying on line and therefore only reiterated the blog that was published, I see not a coach of any description meaning the BTEC didn't actually teach a thing. Moving on.

So what is the role of a coach? When coaching for life it helps many who are looking for direction in their future, how they wish to be portrayed within the workplace or their social circles.  Although I specialise as a bereavement coach I also help those who have reached a plateau in their everyday. Financial coaching is where it all began and expanded into other areas. Interestingly it became an experiment for driver training, although there is now a study comparing the difference between the countries that have a sterile group who are being taught as a syllabus only, and those who are taking part in an experiment that involves no teacher involvement, only a safety net.

In the 1970's a similar piece of research was carried out in a field with the keys in the hand of a novice driver, they pursued trial and error to the end and had better understanding of the foot hand control coordination, but, the taught learner who developed from never having driven to competence had more respect for the vehicle and the risk.

So based on this why do we have coaching in driver training? We don't. The novice starts at the beginning with tutoring, as a profession we have to provide value for money, their is no representation of this in a self taught environment. Also the consumer has an expectation and as a service provider that is what is expected, having spoken to trading standards there is a requirement within law to do what it says on the tin, although I am not sure how we would do that as everyone delivers something different. The changes to the grading system will of course mean that we will comply with the legalities associated with trading as a business and product or sale.

Government departments are all expected to comply with the changes that took place in 2011, VOSA/DSA etc provide a service paid for by the public, so anyone falling under their remit will have to provide good value for money, with so many services being privatised this will make monitoring much easier.

AI Solutions: How do we Compare?

AI Solutions: How do we Compare?: The desire to reduce the figure where young drivers are concerned has picked up momentum significantly in the years since the millenni...

How do we Compare?

The desire to reduce the figure where young drivers are concerned has picked up momentum significantly in the years since the millennium, in the UK we are just starting to dip our toes into unknown territory as far as training is concerned, which means we lag behind some EU countries, Germany in particular.  So how can it be with their rigorous training the roads in Germany are not as safe as ours?

Theory test training has been viewed as a positive move, yet it appears drivers prior to 1996 studied the Highway Code in greater depth, and were more rigorous when learning road signs, Germany has taken this information on board with compulsory in class training and a steer away from multi choice practice, which we have lazily slipped into. Twelve double periods in class are a requirement, for a cat B licence.

Country roads or trunk roads training is carried out for a minimum distance of 50km in any one session and a minimum driving time of 225 minutes, with motorway driving attracting at least 135 minutes with a single journey being no shorter than 45 minutes. A minimum 90 minutes should be spent driving in the dark with half of that time on a country road. This demonstrates that there is
a good positive move towards dealing with the risk, in the UK it is country roads, an area that an instructor can choose to use for training as opposed to a compulsory requirement.

The driving test must be taken within twelve months of passing a theory test, you are required to have an eye sight certificate and have completed a first aid course. So much more rigorous than our requirements. Similar to Belgium, the pupil must enrol with a driving school, so no concerns over unpaid cancellations, there are approximately 28,000 driving schools, instructors are employed by the school this is after passing an eight month training course at a recognised training establishment, they need to be licenced to drive all classifications of vehicles regardless of the classification they plan to teach.

Training school for potential driving instructors involves a state testing system for written, oral and practical skills as well as a test of classroom and on road teaching skills, so a far reach from our system which highlights the potential for change and identifies where some of the proposals come from within the consultation document.  The EURSC consider a more formal approach to training and a serious commitment from the student to register with a school and to be bound by their terms and conditions, shows how much change could be effected in coming years.

So why have we not adopted a complete overhaul to coincide with similar training in other EU countries, cost is a major factor, we also have a high number of instructors this would mean a cull of the list, and how would that be possible when we are self employed, who would go and who would stay. The evidence is that research to date sees no dramatic improvement in road safety figures, with the UK being in the top three of best performing countries with regard to road safety and fatality figures year on year, without rigorous training, so the powers that be would struggle to justify the expense.  Change will obviously become apparent, but it will take a lot of years of input and a political party that rises above the expected to deliver serious results and keep a clear sight of the real target, zero vision borne out of zero tolerance.

The Standards Check - What's Next

Well, it's no surprise there has been a fair amount of scare mongering relating to the standards check, the clock is ticking and ADI's as usual are left in the dark by their regulating body, but don't worry help is at hand - from the psychic trainers and those who profess to be in the know, of course in the name of making a quick buck.

It's almost competitive when something new is announced, yet really it is baby steps for everyone, the current check test system still concerns many instructors, and rightly so, it should be taken seriously the outcome can range from a huge sigh of relief to tears, why dice with your livelihood. Yet this change isn't being taken seriously, I have lost count of how many emails have come into the office offering to save me from making a mistake on the day, or is it an invitation to stroke an ego.

I admit to an amount of surprise when I read exactly how this is supposed to affect us, an even greater surprise was how much is known already by the super guessers out there.  The standards check is a check test with a different marking system, it is not something new, remember marathons? Who became snickers, this attracted a ripple (no pun intended) of mistrust amongst chocolate eaters, but under the wrapper the sweet was the same.  Of course it did encourage a marketing campaign to raise public awareness and the price went up, feel a pattern?

Interestingly the examiners guide to marking has a few points that refer to CCL and a more focused approach to client pro action, which at least recognises a lax approach previously unrecognised by the rigid requirements of marking, but how will the ADI be able to ascertain the difference between the old style examiner and the examiner of old in a different hat, will it be worn efficiently or will there be a tilt towards habitual marking.  This could be a very confusing mix for all.

So how do we view change, well that question is easy to answer, few embrace change even when it is for the good, unsurprisingly we approach any political input with trepidation, even with the freedom of information act the law envelopes secrecy until the last fence. With surveys still filtering through about the predicted change to the check test of standards system it shows the ink is not dry.

While I am an advocate of a fresh pair of eyes from another trainer, and am a believer in taking additional training, falling into the trap of worry and embracing someone else's take on the future will surely need the safety net of a crystal ball.

The check test has confines that a modernised system wishes to shake up, this is not a change of style or a new test of ability, it just allows a freedom previously unseen and with a period of transition over the next few years it's not going to be the hard hit effect some would have us believe. To fall in line with EU requirements we will have to expect to up our game, but why would we part with our hard earned cash until we know what we should expect to spend it on.

AI Solutions: Is UK road safety suffering?

AI Solutions: Is UK road safety suffering?: During the last twelve months we have seen a couple of questionnaires reaching out to the learner driver, trying to find out what the...

Is UK road safety suffering?

During the last twelve months we have seen a couple of questionnaires reaching out to the learner driver, trying to find out what they want and the driver trainer too. Driving during restricted hours was quite unpopular, as you would expect along with a restriction regarding carrying passengers. So why was this survey carried out, because although it predates the green paper for young drivers, the responses are not reflected in the proposals, so this appears to just be an exercise rather than a serious piece of research.

Usually when time and finance is invested in research the conclusions are discussed, chewed over and debated, but this was a politically motivated attempt to give the impression that someone is listening not just to the road safety proposals from various groups but also to the young driver, who these proposals affect. In reality, this appears to not be the case.

All of the proposals have been trialled and researched outside of the UK, and conclusions have been reached, we were not one of the chosen 14 member states and involved in 30 months of study, but the resulting evidence means that we would be pushing forward with the results of this trial.  Therefore the green paper results have already been decided pre publication of the results in October.

Interestingly the learner driver, predominantly male who has a laid back demeanour, is not threatened by the potential of an accident and is prepared to demonstrate risky behaviour with an understanding of potential threat to life or liberty, does not show any evidence of wishing to change post test or post the age most associated with risk. So temperament and personality is a definite factor not changed by maturity. This research did demonstrate that the young driver in the risky group was the smallest group, with drivers from Bulgaria being over represented in this group, closely followed by Cyprus and Latvia.

Over confident drivers were the second largest group, with rage and anger becoming obvious when faced with an obstacle or traffic queue, they were more aggressive and most likely to be relaxed towards alcohol, mobile phones and driving, considering themselves to be suitably skilled and therefore unlikely to crash. This group were most likely to make a mistake.

Group three were the safe drivers, who still peaked with aggressive driving, they were however less likely to speed, commit violations, make mistakes but were the most anxious group, which in this research does not support the nervous driver as being a high risk. The safe group, when questioned, were most concerned about having a accident as a real possibility, compared to the other two.

Across the three groups the participants, which were 1000 from each of the 14 countries, so a significant group, the gender and age range was the same, showing that it is not so much an age related or gender problem as a personality, or genetic one.

Those who rode a scooter but not a car found the risky group considered themselves more likely to have an accident, risky behaviour was greater amongst the scooter rider group compared to the car driver, with their behaviour being more aggressive. The risky group stated their peers approved of their risk taking behaviour.

However, all groups, scooter drivers and car drivers or drivers of both, the majority had never had a drink and then driven with a reassuring 84%, which is a better figure than previously thought, all groups had however demonstrated they were most likely to have committed a speeding violation.

The research is many pages long and I will decipher more and blog the interesting parts, but the conclusion is the part that interested me, this research and data gathering took place prior to the green paper in the UK, the results of the findings were put forward for all EU countries to incorporate for the new driver, so it seems to me the writing is on the wall and this exercise is just a box ticker, not a real enquiry, hence the short consultation periods we have seen.

AI Solutions: Trusting the Learner

AI Solutions: Trusting the Learner: Over the last few decades there has been much research into the learner driver and their errors, their inexperience and what can be d...

Trusting the Learner

Over the last few decades there has been much research into the learner driver and their errors, their inexperience and what can be done to change their accident figures. However some recent research has identified some areas that are going to be difficult to change, which is their reaction in event of a danger.

Putting a young driver in an accident scenario in a simulator showed they may close their eyes, turn away from the risk but they do not include in their reaction the vehicle they are driving. This wasn't all drivers, but the majority, those who had to make a decision which involved the whole picture, vehicle and driver resulted in a much more lengthy reaction time. With a small time frame of just a couple of seconds to respond to an incident unfolding ahead, they were more likely to collide than avoid.

Is this a result of poor teaching, as some would have us believe, well vehicle handling and control can find some responsibility at the foot of the tutor, but inbuilt reaction is harder to control. You cannot make someone respond in a particular way in a moment of trauma. The shock and disbelief that someone else had got it wrong in the scenarios which were not the young drivers fault slowed the reaction time considerably, almost as if they were watching from a higher view point.

There is some research, not much as it has just begun, that questions young people who have been involved in a collision, either slight or with considerable vehicle damage, but not where anyone had severe injury. Their responses although varied in the description pointed to a handful of similarities. The time it took to assess and decide, the lack of natural desire to protect themselves inclusive of the vehicle and the pause for help.  So are young drivers spoon fed too much help from their tutor? Well the team behind this investigation are still questioning and searching data, as well as interviewing and following a group of new drivers who fall into specific category risk groups. This includes their class, finance and area they live, things that have previously been identified as increased risk.

In one of the groups a student was travelling in a car with their instructor when a vehicle was travelling towards them at speed on the wrong side of the road, over taking, the driver continued towards the risk, assuming the other car would move away from their path, the instructor reacted and moved the car away from the danger. Parked up afterwards the following conversation took place.

Tutor: Did you see the oncoming car?
Student: Yes
Tutor: Why did you not react, we could have been killed?
Student: But it was my right of way
Tutor: Do you believe the car that was driving towards us considered that?
Student: I don't know
Tutor: What would have happened if I hadn't moved the car away from the risk?
Student: Do you think he would have hit us?
Tutor: I don't believe we would be here for this conversation
Student: Oh

So a strange captured conversation, the student believing their priority would over ride the poor decision by the on coming driver, although the learner could see danger, they also truly thought the other driver would be the one to evade the risk rather than collide, yet for some faced with such danger a reaction to the extreme could have taken place.

The study group, which is an EU study, are trying to discover why the reactions of young drivers differ so greatly to new drivers over the age of 30. The older group, of which there are fewer participants, all responded earlier and were protective of not just themselves but the vehicle too when faced with a situation that had the potential to cause harm. The researchers do not believe this is related to tuition at all but related directly to the understanding of consequences.

A small sterile group of young drivers, who were particularly trained for ten hours dealing with consequence and risk against a group who were not still had the same reaction. This confirms some previous research carried out and published in the BMJ, where a young person is physically unable to distinguish between risk, speed and consequence, but which improves vastly over the age of 24. The variances in the group age 24 to 30 has not yet been explored.

So it seems with all the preparation and training, when faced with a real situation, not created by the young driver their responses are slower, despite in most cases the identification of risk was early. The data being accumulated from these studies is likely to continue for some time, whether it can help the future of road safety is yet to be seen. For me the most interesting study group is going to be cyclists and their behaviour.

AI Solutions: Preaching to the Converted

AI Solutions: Preaching to the Converted: Is it any wonder that less than 1% of ADI's take an active interest in the future of driving instruction or their career path, th...

Preaching to the Converted

Is it any wonder that less than 1% of ADI's take an active interest in the future of driving instruction or their career path, that CPD is a nasty word along with the equally unpopular business skills. The majority of driving instructors currently on the register have no up to date information or comprehension of the changes taking place.

National membership of associations is not representative of the majority, which suits the ministers because if every ADI became actively involved their hands would be tied and bowing to the majority would become a reality not a threat. Power is addictive, we all know that, human nature not nurture, adrenaline fuelled pleasure. So who is the real voice.

There is no voice, I have just been reading through a programme of an up and coming conference, which shall remain nameless. Every speaker in that list knows each other, the list of attendees, passed on is a list of familiar names, and as I know the majority I am comfortable that they also know each other. So is a conference about informing the ADI, getting the information out there and helping the World to be a better place, or is it about back slapping and secret hand shakes.

The EURSC are moving in to great change, the UK is hanging on the tails of this major upheaval, we have left it to the last gate to make changes in the UK, where other countries have embraced these moves sooner, the ultimate goal is to save lives, yet that has become diluted in a potential opportunity to market new qualifications to the ADI.  The shake up of the qualifying process, or maybe the shake down.  If the response to the consultation is as confirmed by the DFT to be a majority group of Government employees and members of the public, then the final word is out of the hands of those affected by it.

Should those who spend the majority of their time taking part in streamlining the future of the ADI and purporting to be representative be actively out there spreading the word, or is it just a case of if you're not in then close the door behind you.

When the DSA ran meetings around the country, which ADI's who have been in the industry post 2007 will know nothing of, the information was up to date, there were no fees to pay, and forecasts for the next ten years was common place, the conferences stopped because of the cost, yet the instructor who was not a member of any association could go, by invitation, and it cost nothing but time. Why are there no moves to reinstate this, particularly in this time of change? I shall tell you the answer to that in due course as the minister will be getting back to me on that one.

As tax payers, before we are ADI's, what do we get for our money, with potential charges for ADI errors, a fee for a standards check that we have to have anyway (hmm), the potential to have all elements of our qualification scrutinised and then of course there is the grading for the elite, pass or fail should be enough, then there is no need for the DSAVOSA group to publish anything, as self-employed people we are surely capable of advertising ourselves.

The converted do not need the preaching, the information or the time, the ones on the outside with their noses pressed against the glass who have no idea what the writing on the wall says, need our help more.

AI Solutions: Do You Give Way?

AI Solutions: Do You Give Way?: I've have been carrying out extensive research for my book, which means I have missed my deadline but no change there then, the...

Do You Give Way?

I've have been carrying out extensive research for my book, which means I have missed my deadline but no change there then, the problem of course is getting too indepth. Although my book itself is not for the driving instructor market, there are two chapters which relate to the young driver and the complacent one, so mid sifting through the reams of material sent to me from various resources I was pointed towards some medical research about mood swings and driver patterns.

Our brain rewards us depending on behaviour, so a rush of pleasure because someone thanks us when we let them pull out of a junction gives us a greater high than when someone lets us go, the brain sees that information as approval of our behaviour and in turn transmits happy endorphins. The happier the driver the less instances of road rage, the shared space environment then becomes a safer one, as the driver relaxes the likelihood of tailgating reduces, thereby allowing a more acceptable safety margin.

So does a reward system work for the learner driver? Apparently not. A novice driver finds that someone allowing them the opportunity to pull out when at the earlier stages of their learning cycle, to be stressful, however the tutor sees the invitation to proceed as a reward, thereby increasing the chance to demand the novice joins a traffic flow that they do not feel themselves to be personally in charge of.

We then have a conflict of interests, the happy endorphins flood the brain of the tutor the depressed endorphins flood the brain of the learner and a mistake is more likely to happen. In this research it was found, when questioned, that a tutor feels pressured to respond to the driver giving way as they see this as holding up the other traffic if they fail to react, some admitted to helping control the situation by either encouraging the learner to proceed against the novice's better judgement, or to take control by moving the car themselves while the pupil steers.  Both actions reduce the positive mood in the brain for the novice but increase the happy mood in the brain for the tutor as they have achieved their goal.

So should we be taking more of a back seat when it comes to decision making, the research suggests a resounding yes, ignoring the chemical make up of our brain is difficult, but a good tutor would quash the urge and make no comment, this allows responsibility to be placed solely at the hands of the learner.

Being thanked by the other driver when a novice gives way has a positive affect on them and the learning experience, this triggers their internal reward process and encourages them to be courteous in a shared space environment. Sadly the research amongst the learners surveyed told a story less encouraging, with the majority feeling pressure from their tutor to push on and take ultimate road space in the name of progress, whereas the majority of learners preferred to stop. There was however a different response from the early novice, uncomfortable with stopping and starting wanted to press on and hope for the best, disappointed that their tutor in some instances wanted them to give way, being thanked didn't reward the learner enough because their fears of moving away again and feeling under pressure squashed any elation they may have otherwise felt.

This therefore indicates that not enough time is spent on core skills, and the learners own desires and wishes are over ridden by the tutor. The surveyed group all had a maximum of twenty hours tuition. The brain activity research was taken from a paper not yet published, but due for release and ultimately for sale in November 2013.

Are You Putting Your Licence at Risk?

Identity theft has been in the news on and off for many years, theory test fraud in particular not easy to detect until centre staff begin to recognise a face, selling pass certificates, a little underhand dealing for a test pass, instructors selling pass plus certificates, and yes that does still happen but what about the test itself? How many fraudulent untraceable cases are there.

Of course then we have social net working sites, how often do you see personal information uploaded, have you ever sent your licence image by email or fax, how safe is it. Today the Government warned motorists about protecting the personal data that is available on the driving licence photocard, a nice quick way for a fraudster to build a profile, a driving licence isn't just about illegal drivers, to gain credit of any description identity proof is needed, what is accepted readily ? Photo bearing licences. The one licence for 28 member states was supposed to reduce fraud, with the steering wheel symbol identifying where the chip will be located once a common licence is held by all, target date 2030. However that is only the case if you protect this valuable information.

Could you be held partly responsible if it goes wrong? ID theft is one of the fastest growing crimes, can we really be unwitting victims? The most likely victims are young drivers who have just received their first licence, but at what point can we be protected, if you have scanned and mailed your photo card and info are you at risk?

Are we as instructors telling our pupils the risk of publishing a copy of their pass certificate, are ADI's putting pupils at risk with a photo of test day pass with a pupil holding their certificate as the information is easily recycled for someone else.

https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/safeguarding-identity/

AI Solutions: Consultation - Ministers reply

AI Solutions: Consultation - Ministers reply: So, as usual I was on a mission to support the ADI, I don't believe in elitism and I do believe in fair play, so to find that the ...

Consultation - Ministers reply

So, as usual I was on a mission to support the ADI, I don't believe in elitism and I do believe in fair play, so to find that the consultation extension was refused, when twelve weeks would have been more reasonable, I wrote to the Transport Minister, my MP and a couple of other ministers for good measure.

The replies were in dribs and drabs, sadly the TM didn't reply until post consultation, however the writing was on the wall for that, we just pay their wages we don't actually have any say. It was a light weight response which carefully side stepped my concerns and was the best attempt at avoiding a straight answer yet, it also confirmed the fact that they don't actually read any correspondence, someone else skim reads it and jots down some notes because at the end it suggests I reply to the consultation - arrggghh!!!

They have had 400 replies, many being from Government staff and members of the public, they have spoken to the national organisations and accepted their views, which count as one! So less than 1% of instructors have actually taken part in this. I wish I was shocked but I'm not. I am however disappointed that our TM has little interest in making sure that all ADI's were made aware of the consultation by sending the good old fashioned letter.

The results of the green paper for new drivers is due to be released in October apparently, I guess we are going to see some rushing through of the preferred ConDem route before the general election, with the driving instructor community being such a small group compared to other professions, it is a poor show that we aren't better represented in Parliament but used as sacrificial lambs for the EU charter.

To say that they are listening to the ADI associations is not as accurate as we would like to believe, if they were the extension would have been granted, as with one hand they say the associations are a voice with the other they say the voice is wrong - confused? Yep, me too.

AI Solutions: Putting Yourself out of the Market

AI Solutions: Putting Yourself out of the Market: Marketing the second dirtiest word after CPD, if you have ever read anything driving instructor industry related, the majority say w...

Putting Yourself out of the Market

Marketing the second dirtiest word after CPD, if you have ever read anything driving instructor industry related, the majority say we are busy we do not need marketing hints and tips, but if that is the case why are there companies out there actively seeking to take your hard earned cash. For a serious marketing campaign you need lots of cash and a solid product, not a fistful of dollars and some lesson slots.

Why are there so many involved in marketing who are looking for a niche market to offer their services? A good marketing executive will cover all areas, yet for some the ADI is seen as an easy target, with many having no previous business experience or training in advertising or growth. If the phone isn't ringing then the only way to get noticed is to get out there and be visible, expecting someone else to take your cash on a promise is not the way forward.

When Mr Nice Guy offers to promote your business, as a salesperson they are better placed with inner knowledge of the arena, so are you being offered 'hints and tips' or has your marketing agent sat down with you and explored the statistical evidence for the product that you offer.  For example, you would expect the sales of ice to rise in the summer and slow in the winter, so the marketing agent would therefore encourage sales growth in the time when seasonal sales are higher, but promote why your ice is better than the next person. As with most things, ice sells itself, when demand is high. With driving lessons, during high season, generally January, April and September, they will sell themselves.

With lots of opportunities at the current time, with media highs and lots of news stories, isn't this a great time for your PR team, or individual, to be raising demand and earning their keep. Is your hashtag lacking or hasn't it been born. It seems from the 2013 research that agents think they know what their client needs, yet when questioned, the client had different ideas, yet chose to follow the agent because they assumed inner knowledge.

Sadly marketing agents in this research uncovered the fact that they may know their market but they do not understand their client. 17% of agents believed they had a relationship with their client, whereas only 6% of clients believed this to be the case. Pointing to the fact that the company had a greater business perspective of the transactions than the agent.

Research from earlier this year also showed that clients want results, and that marketing agents are plumping up their services with lots of fluff and clever terminology but are not cutting the mustard. 38% of clients want good value for money whereas only 27% of agents thought this to be important.

So making money without the conversation, the agent says, let me do this for you, the client bows to the salesperson, the client gets caught up in a contract that doesn't deliver, they then go from recommending their agent to advising against them, word of mouth in all industries is important.

Driving instructors are in the firing line for agent approaches, along with vets and hairdressers, yet all of these services are self promoting, given the opportunity. Marketing strategies are for bigger campaigns, a national company would definitely benefit from enhanced promotion, but a sole trader would not ever be able to justify the expense. The best promotion of your business is through Google, this can be done for free and Google will tell you how.

AI Solutions: Coaching the learner Driver

AI Solutions: Coaching the learner Driver: A new learner, completely open to suggestion sits beside an ADI and stares blankly at the dashboard, the ADI, experienced, asks the ...

Coaching the learner Driver

A new learner, completely open to suggestion sits beside an ADI and stares blankly at the dashboard, the ADI, experienced, asks the novice to move the car, after a short silence the pupil says - how. The instructor responds with a volley of questions about when the pupil has been a passenger, have they watched someone else drive, do they know what the levers and pedals do. An uncomfortable silence follows when the pupil whispers quietly, I just want you to teach me to drive.

Good for business, good for self esteem, or poor practice.

Just lately we have been approached, as a company, by students asking us to just teach them to drive, please don't ask what I want to do this week, please do not tell me I know all this from being in my parents car, to one in particular, I am currently studying to be a doctor, in my life I have been ill but I do not want trial and error of my past experiences to lead the way, it could cost a life and so can this silly idea that, as my previous instructor told me, I can drive already I just do not know how yet but I can find out based on my experience.

So has the coaching concept been taken one step too far. Seven years ago a report was published that favoured coaching for learner drivers, and from that point on the business people in this arena have taken the baton and run with it. Good for them, taking the manageable income of a tutor and turn it into their own, for some an improvement in skills is a good thing, for others it is patronising and unprofessional.

Yet as educators, we know there is room within the field of coaching to make the learning environment a better place, for some.  We can build rapport with all of our clients, develop a fun informative learning place, but when we start to let the learner do all of the work while we sit smugly and observe, then it becomes taking advantage of the students time and money. That is not coaching.

Pure coaching does not have a place within the driving industry, but a method that encourages thinking outside of the box does, however, study and research into the mind is an essential element, but then as it becomes indepth it becomes a sledge hammer to crack a nut.

Coaching is fascinating to study, and coaching in practice is a strong reliable tool, it does however involve commitment and a contract. It also is known to be ineffective when dealing with a novice. If the driving test is to mark a standard that is average or minimal, then those whose experience is derived from uneducated experience or belief of another then that process would be suffocated by it's own inability to deliver the required outcome..

As a nation we are being steered away from oppressive schooling, however this is not a new concept and dates back about one hundred years.  Coaching tries to manipulate the student into creating belief systems so that the student does not feel isolated in their understanding, particularly if the student feels lost in the educational process, therefore anti-oppressive schooling allows the use of multi factored approach thereby freeing the learner.  Within the learning to drive scenario this would be difficult to achieve as the goal is a single factor.


Copyright A Green 2013

AI Solutions: Do we have the right to drive?

AI Solutions: Do we have the right to drive?: I've read an awful lot of opinion about the right to drive over the past few months, road safety experts seem to think not, yet ...

Do we have the right to drive?

I've read an awful lot of opinion about the right to drive over the past few months, road safety experts seem to think not, yet this is surely their trade. To enable safe driving as a natural progression of social behaviour and shared space.

I asked this question on Facebook too and the general response was that people had the right to follow the process, so why does it feel as if driving is become elitist. I have been helping a young lady with learning difficulties to practise for the theory test, her inability to take on information means she is unlikely to ever be given the opportunity to drive, the few I have discussed this with firmly believe if she is unable to pass a theory test then she gives up any right. I fail to see that as a move forwards, more like a dozen steps back.

A relative of mine has Aspergers syndrome, she understands responsibility and driving, an automatic, has provided unquestionable freedom and an improved life, enabling her to work and visit her family, she lives in the village where she grew up with little or no public transport. Not driving would lead to a solitary and depressing life, however she took her driving test in the early 1990's prior to the theory test. Now she would be isolated because the test wouldn't be representative of her ability as a road user.

The EU have a broader interpretation, the theory test to understand road user law is a consideration along with a hazard perception test, but is not compulsory, they view the road as shared space with everyone having the right to drive, and the right to use the roads freely without fear of intimidation from other road users, to be safe. So surely the theory test for those with a proven learning difficulty that makes the theory test an impossibility and therefore licence acquisition an impossibility contravenes that directive?

I've studied the EURSC data in detail, and although some of it is contradictory there are allowances and exceptions that are obviously too time consuming or expensive to implement, as road user requirements tighten up and the availability of driving tuition becomes an academic path. Elitism.

Road signs are meant to be self explanatory, so since signage first began to make an appearance in the 1880's they appear to have been fit for purpose. I'm not trying to over simplify here but if you are polite and courteous and know the rules then you can surely begin the process. If you are unsafe then the process will not be completed.

Traffic volumes have risen and then for some years fell, engineering has improved so much that the path you drive is dictated by white paint and traffic islands, so although the driving test has been slow in terms of evolution the general environment is self explanatory, and lets face it, those who flout the law will do so regardless of the entry process.