The Instructor

Today I read an article that I would consider quite insulting to the driving instructor fraternity, it starts with 'many instructors', personally I'm quite disappointed by the sweeping generalisation but more worryingly the intention behind the article implies that we are not good at what we do.

Coaching has swept the ADI culture, well CCL has, but many compare the two, and with this has come a disregard for methods that have gone before, however the research I shall be publishing quite soon states that each style has a place and learning by rote should never be dismissed when you consider it's history and success.  Of course, robotic teaching styles may be considered to be out of touch with the modern pupil, they were really always misplaced in the learning arena, but, does that make the student less able, after all these are human beings, thinking people who question the majority of things to satisfy their own curiosity and learning to drive is no different.

So does commanding a routine of MSM mean that the pupil just displays the right amount of technique to be test standard? Only if the ADI explains it in that way, do this to pass a test, rather archaic actually, I meet many instructors in my role and unsurprisingly the educational process, the fact that more ADI's have multiple trainer roles, has improved what is demanded in the environment of the mobile office.

Why, why, why, is heard more now than ever before, schools are encouraging questioning, the teacher is more likely to have a mentor and in many cases the student too, as a life coach I meet many professional people outside of this industry who are questioning the work ethic of their company and seeking change for everyone for the greater good, so why on Earth is it presumed, not proven, that the ADI has stopped somewhere in the 1980's and become fossilised.

I recently spent some time with a professional person, occasional driver, outside of working and travelled in their car as a passenger, naturally I noted their behaviour, useful for my final chapter and saw that their habits were good despite holding a licence for many years, at the end of the journey I questioned their routine and they smiled and said blame my driving instructor I can still hear their voice ringing in my ears after forty years. Refreshing, not unusual and definitely an example to some.

The Pressure is on

So road safety figures have fallen to the lowest they have every been, since records began in 1926. There are around 37m driving licences in the UK that are live, so the right to drive on our roads is quite high, yet the numbers are falling year on year, this means whatever we are doing must be right?

I've had a few discussions the last couple of days with the cynics, massaging of figures, cars are safer, no money for fuel, insurance costs, the list goes on. However are we as a nation safer and more aware than in previous years. A recent survey by Central DT found that out of 300 members of the public questioned more than three quarters believed our roads to be a dangerous place, our position on the EU road safety scale is always in the top three, but only 63% thought we were higher than number five, with 4% saying we were number 27. Is it this startling contrast between reality facts and figures and perception that keeps people safe.

For young drivers we have black box technology which will increase their awareness, by rote learning, however is black box technology the future for us all? It looks as if black boxes in cars will become a compulsory requirement as the Vision Zero date comes closer, with Ecall needing tracking for it to work, and the fatigue policy rolling out tacho requirements for van drivers and company car drivers, to reduce driving hours without a break.  So maybe all drivers will become more conscientious driving by rote as the data is recorded, will this replace the SPECS cameras planned to cover the UK motorway network for 2016.

With consultations having short time spans and legislation coming in to shake up a lot of the system, the RTA reaching it's conclusion for new laws is this the Government making work for itself, is it the back office reaching out for ways to save money, because the ADI looks to be getting a lot more spending out and not any more finance coming in.

Because of the apathy amongst the majority of instructors when it comes to taking part in processes, consultations and meetings, and generally having their say, the majority of the proposals will be pushed through and we will not be able to go back.

Green paper for New Drivers

Whilst the back office sends out yet more surveys, I've had three in the last two days, and one email regarding research data, I also received an email notifying me that the results of the green paper consultation has been delayed until the autumn, no surprise there as this will coincide with the budget, the run up to a general election, and the likelihood of unpopular decisions being stalled until  May 2014.  This also coincides with the ERSC survey regarding amalgamation of driving standards in Europe, the decision to cap EU speed limits at a maximum of 80mph and the slowed introduction of kerbsafe.

Tackling seat belt law, where uptake across the World amongst drivers is at an all time low, the UK enforcement is weak, with civil liberty groups complaining that it restricts their human rights, yet there seems to be no reference to the right of the innocent party killed by a passenger leaving a vehicle at point of impact and killing someone else. Roads are shared space and shared space is shared responsibility, so if a conscious decision is made to ignore the research and advice and of course the law of the land, then that individual should be expected to deal with the consequence. Unfortunately this is not always the way, my studies show that any driver may not accept they are wrong, even when the evidence is clearly pointing a finger at them.

Across the member states, lack of seat belt use comes in second only to speed as the cause of road fatality, hence the decision to change the law with regard to child seats. We do of course have the lowest fatality rate ever recorded for 2012, despite this flouting of the law. Yet the UK Government has stepped away a little from road safety and road safety budgets, while declaring that they are dedicated to road safety the information I have read shows that is because this is being tackled by the EU and we have been reluctant to encourage targets, with the London Mayor appearing to be the only one who wants to make serious inroads into protecting the vulnerable road user.  Road safety will not be able to sustain looking after itself.

Driver trainers were heavily targeted in the mid 2000's and steps to overhaul education and monitoring has been slow to come to the forefront, however silence does not mean the cogs have stopped turning it means they are being fine tuned.  There seems to be a shift towards recognised QCF awards which again will support the private sector and will show a more even knowledge base than the current system allows.  However having a qualification is not a guarantee of anything, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, being part of a tick box system as an ADI is surely not going to have a big red standards check stamp as a seal of approval.

Where is the future of road safety heading, well I have a very good idea, and a little knowledge too, if you read between the lines it will be crystal clear. The meeting on the 1st July will definitely throw up few answers but lots of questions.  The transcript will make interesting reading, much more than before, I'm certain.

Client Centred Quality

There is a lot of predicted change in the world of driving instruction, it is making the news in the trade magazines and has generated a lot of surveys through different medias, for those who are involved in training outside of the green badge system, classroom presentations and fleet presentations the proposed changes are likely to make a difference there too.  Fleet clients are much more aware of their business needs and actively seek value for money and quality assurance. So how can quality be assured by a provider who is a sole trader?

The plans behind the streamlining of Government services, the introduction of changes to legislation which will see the phasing out of the pink badge completely as it does not fit in with quality control and will be difficult to monitor under new guidelines, will see more regular checks across the board in all departments not just driver training.  Drink drive rehabilitation courses, instructor training courses, new driver training courses will all be subject to spot checks. So will the spot light shine on the on road courses delivered by trainers, well it is believed, or may be sought, for CPC to come under deeper scrutiny, this will be achieved with the help of independent testing.

Then we come to driving instruction, the standards check, are you up to standard or does your service fall below par. Data collected from a recent survey found the majority of ADI's against radical change, with just 22% saying they thought that learning to drive needed a shake up. if that is the case then how will the 85th percentile be reached.  Well the easy way around that is for it to be 85% of those who respond to surveys or consultations, from past experience those who respond are clearly the associations representing members although not necessarily the majority view, and those who are really interested in the future of their career, voting apathy has spread across all sectors, even voting within the private sector for board members has fallen to an all time low.

Can the instructor be heard, it is possible it really is if you want it, would you like your career to be the same one it was when you qualified, would you like your career to have prospects and be a respected profession, or do you want to just have a say about how you would like change for everyone else.  A PDI survey, again difficult to encourage participation across the UK, muted that ADI's want harder qualifying exams for new entrants when they should be concentrating their efforts elsewhere. The longer someone is qualified the easier it is to see flaws in an entrance procedure, however that applies to everything, experience is key, or is it?

The favourite subject at the moment is client centred learning, and I have come across a few blogs relating to this, I was amazed to find that not one had grasped the concept. Clients do not want more or different questions, our phone is ringing more frequently with pupils complaining that they need a new instructor as their old one keeps asking at the beginning of each lesson, what do you want to do today. That most definitely is not client centred, as the instructor has a responsibility and they are being paid to fulfil a role, the clients expectations, client centred.

A life coach would never sit in front of a client and say what do you want to do today, does your dentist say what would you like me to do, the expert guides and encourages and waits for feedback. Then the client makes a choice, client centred.  Trust has to come about in a learning environment, between both parties, which is where a formal agreement is essential, signed by both parties. A client does not lose trust in their tutor a client is led like a child learning to walk and then let go to make their own footsteps. When they stumble there is someone there to reach out and stop the fall, and when those hands are no longer needed the client begins a path of their own. Client centred equals client responsibility.