Over the past
twenty years, I have been commissioned to write more than forty-three books,,
all of which relate to driver education in some form or other. Now you
know that every delegate at the ADI-NJ- COUNCIL’s Annual Conference is to be
given a copy as attend at Walsall on Sunday 2nd October.
The Title, to avoid confusion, is the second edition of the USE & ABUSE
of Dual Controls - Just like the 2001 version; except it isn’t.
A
Personal Behaviour Assessment
Are you really Anxious or Aggressive? Or are you just
Average? How can you become well a “Well Above Average”
driver instead?
How can you find out? How can you change your
attitudes towards other road users to make you safer, and become an ‘Advanced -
or better still - Defensive’ Driver?
There
are two parallel paths of training to be followed. Initially we need to think
in terms of Vehicle Control,
which itself has three stages; and also of
Situation
Control, which is achieved through the application of Forward
Planning to ensure full Hazard Perception.
The
three stages of Vehicle Control are:-
·
Smoothness of the transmission chain, which is effected
through the accelerator to the engine, clutch, gears, transmission to the
driving wheels;
· Maintenance of equal grip by all
four tyres throughout bends and any change of direction; and
· Correct positioning and adjustment of
speed of the vehicle through opening and closing bends.
Situation Control appears to be a little more difficult to
pin down in stages. It is really dependent upon your abilities to look as far
ahead as possible and take note of all that is happening, is likely to happen
and that which might conceivably happen; and at the same time make
contingency plans for each option. This can only be done by applying a
consistent driving plan. If the plan is used consistently the driver can
rely on quick reactions and excellent observational skills to maintain total
control over any potential situation change. Skilful drivers often
believe their reactions will always get them out of problems created by their
lack of observation. Others hope they can rely on excellent observation to make
up for weak reactions. Foolish drivers are those who rely on the
safe actions of all other road users to keep them from danger. This is
what Situation Control is all about - making sure that your own vehicle and its
occupants remain perfectly safe regardless of what any other road user may do.
This is why the DSA system of driving test marking is so
successful. Dangerous and serious errors are automatic causes of failure at any
stage of testing. Minor errors are only acceptable, (to the driving test.DSA),
for those drivers who are taking their initial Advanced driving
assessments cannot allow even minor errors to be ignored. Uncorrected and
repeated, minor errors are the real cause of most road traffic accidents.
Advanced and defensive driver training courses are aimed at identifying and
removing or reducing all minor errors. Repeated minor errors eventually
kill.
Aggressive and anxious drivers consistently make more
errors. Minor errors make drivers vulnerable. Repeated minor errors
inevitably lead into a confrontation. Unresolved confrontations rapidly
turn into a crisis. At this stage vehicle control skills might help;
provided everyone involved uses them. Unless the crisis is averted it
becomes another road traffic incident. To everyone else it may be a
statistic; to those involved it is often a matter of life or
death.
INSTRUCTORS
NOTES ON THE PERSONAL BEHAVIOUR TEST:
This two part test is obviously more of a fun one than any
of the others. All drivers need to show just a little bit of aggression
in their driving. Equally they also need to be slightly anxious in other
circumstances. So a good score in the first test would be to get 1a, 8
b’s and 1 c. The thing to remember is that most course students will
discover that the “b” answer is the one they ought to be putting down half way
through the test. For this reason it is essential to remind them,
at the end of the training session, that the real benefit of the scoring system
depends upon the opinions of their spouses, friend or in the passenger
seat. At least it will let them know if other road users think they
are too anxious or aggressive.
The real benefit of this particular pair of quizzes lies in
the two additional pages between the tests. The first of the two pages
explains in detail the principle behind the DSA marking system, and shows how
we can demonstrate how it works in our day-to-day driving. It also
explains how we use the marking system in our driving assessments
too.
The second page draws attention to the need for all drivers
to develop full vehicle control before they can think of calling themselves
advanced drivers. It also points out the three stages of vehicle control
which need to be improved each before the next can be started. Drivers
usually need quite a lot of practice before they can achieve the state of
coping perfectly with opening and closing bends.
It is by getting them to look for and then cope with
opening and closing bends that you can also get them to want to look as far
ahead as possible and through this plan their driving effectively.
Remember that most drivers will never reach the standard of
being able to cope effectively with every bend. Nor will they be able to
drive correctly around every corner; but wanting to do so is the
beginning.
At the end of this training session drivers should be
convinced that there is so much more to learn about advanced and defensive
driving they will never want to stop learning. They will continue to
learn long after you have gone.
This is the beginning of being a good safe defensive
driver.
Could Psychometric Testing of New Drivers Reduce Car
Crash Deaths amongst the Young?
Readers
will have seen earlier this summer on the BBC and other media that the Parliamentary
Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) suggests that all young and new
drivers should to be psychometrically tested before being allowed to learn to
drive. Incidentally PACTS didn’t ask if anyone at the sharp end of driver
training had any knowledge of the subject. As ever!
What
PACTS and their allies probably didn’t remember is that until 1980 the German
Government Driver Testing system historically included their own versions of
psycho-metric and psycho-mechanical testing systems before their new drivers
were allowed to commence their training. That ended with the 1980 Treaty
of Rome which was the initial European ruling that began the harmonisation
route for all drivers in Europe. First of all with driving licences;
then by about 2000 driver testing and finally the harmonisation of driver
training. This is when our old red licences were sent for
re-cycling. Unfortunately in 2002 the Danes, supported by the UK, vetoed
the idea of standardised driver training so, for the time being, that has
become a non-starter.
The
pre-1980 German system was a relatively simple psycho-mechanical test which was
very similar to that given to teach co-ordination to young babies: similar to a
wooden tray with a series of shaped holes. The critical thing about the test
was that if you failed it three times in a row, you were deemed not “suited to
driver training”. However Rome, Brussels and the rest of the EU all said
that it was much too difficult a requirement for Spaniards, Dutch, Portuguese and
Italians etc, and it was dropped in the interests of harmonisation.
In
post-war Germany the four occupying powers (France, USA, USSR and Britain)
required German driving schools and instructors to be controlled even more
precisely than they had been before the war. 1957 had seen the foundation
of the International Association for Driver Education (I.V.V.) with membership
stretched across the world, and encouraging a first international attempt to
standardise driver training systems. The I.V.V. was the result of a joint
German and British enterprise, with the Germans having most success, because
they had both national and Government support, whereas the British involvement
was purely voluntary and sourced from the private sector only. Consequently
the German driver training system became one of the most formalised in Europe,
even if their crash statistics were not as good as those of the UK. To
become a driving school proprietor not only did potential school owners have to
qualify through lengthy Technical College courses, but they had to serve
a minimum number of three years as an instructor first. No wonder most
German driving school proprietors drove the latest Mercedes cars for their own
social and pleasure use.
As
British instructors strove in vain for any signs of professional educational
recognition, I remember well at an I.V.V. Conference having the German system
of “Psycho-Mechanical Testing” explained and demonstrated to me. All
applicants for a driving licence had to pass a psycho-mechanical coordination
test requiring candidates to fit a series of small shaped squares, circles,
triangles and other shapes into matching holes correctly against the
clock. Anyone who could not pass after three attempts was refused a
licence even though they may have been able to demonstrate a safe(ish)
practical test. Naturally passing an accredited classroom theory course
and test was also a requirement to gain a full driving licence.
So,
if we are to believe some of the rumours and buzz words fluttering around
Nottingham and from ADI association gatherings, could we soon have to offer
psycho-metric and psycho-mechanical training and testing for our own students
if they are to pass a much stiffer driving test in the future? I think
that much of what is being done is quite effective. Certainly I have
found that most efficient trainers are already teaching the psychological
approach to driving, without ‘jargon’ taking over from the practical
application?
The
challenge (we are not even allowed to think of them as problems these days) is
that so many killed and serious injuries happening on the roads today are
disproportionately caused by new, young and inexperienced drivers. These
are the same young drivers who find it so much easier to pass their driving
tests than their elders. And more often than not the drivers tend to be
boys rather than girls although the death rate is equally spread because quite
often the driver is saved from death by an air-bag whereas passengers are often
hurled straight through windscreens. So what exactly do these “Road
Safety Saviours” want testing? I wonder if they know what good
instructors actually do when teaching.
I
must admit a bias in my reporting; I find many academics and other theoretical
pontificators, naturally assume the sole purpose of driver training is for an
instructor to sit in the car teaching how to move off, change gear, steer and
stop. They believe that ADIs are merely artisans with no mental capacity
to establish safe driving habits for life as an essential part of their
students’ behaviour training. I can even quote one “academic” saying that
ADIs teach the bones and muscles to work; whilst it takes a qualified
psychologist to condition a driver’s brain to cope with the driving task.
Whenever
I make presentations at conferences and meetings for “Ed-Psychos”, I often
quote that the most proficient Educational Psychologists they will ever meet
are ADIs who, instead of having their clients relaxed on a couch, are
negotiating Fulham High Street at rush hour dodging oncoming buses and taxis
whilst also driving at 25 mph.
Just
for interest I have attached three simple behaviour training items as examples
of those I have prepared for instructors to use, for more than forty
years. I can look back to the days when we trained grammar school girls
to drive in school classrooms and practised their controls lessons in the
playground before setting out on the road. Of more than 600 students we
trained at Winchester County High School and similar establishments I cannot
recall any one of them being involved in a fault crash in subsequent
years. There is a simple reason for this: we conditioned them, not just
to learn to operate a motor vehicle, but to behave on the roads as they did
when representing the school in any other capacity. Road Safety Rules are
similar to Polite Behaviour in Public rules we taught them throughout the
school.
I
met one of those former schoolgirl students from those days just a few weeks
ago. She is now a mother of teenagers and she only wished her current
school could give them the same grounding in attitudinal behaviour on the road
that she had received. I reminded her that because of her own safe
attitudes fixed in her, I had no doubts that her own children would be as safe
as she has always been.
So what sort of tests did we carry out?
For
example in one particular test we tried to find out if they would become
aggressive, average or anxious drivers.
This quiz is aimed at new and learner drivers
A Personal Assessment (Some personal questions)
Quiz No 4a
What sort of driver are
you?
Name..................……………….
Please
select the answer closest to your normal attitude towards driving
Circle a,
b or c below
1 a I
hate large vehicles around me whilst I am driving
b I don’t mind other large vehicles around me at any
time
c I enjoy jockeying for position with LGVs and others.
2 a I
worry about my route when I’m on strange roads.
b If I get lost it doesn’t matter very much at all
c If I get lost, I will stop anywhere to look at the
map.
3 a I
often imagine an accident happening whilst I’m driving
b I actively plan my driving to avoid accident and
risks
c I know my driving is good; I control my road
situation.
4 a If
others wish to overtake I slow down immediately
b I am quite happy to allow others vehicles to overtake
- always
c I hate being overtaken by other cars similar to my own.
5 a I
worry in case my brakes or any part of my car might fail
b I always have an escape route in mind when driving
c I know my car has been well serviced and I trust it.
6 a I
usually end a long drive feeling exhausted
b At the end of a long drive I like to relax
c Driving long distances keeps the adrenalin flowing
7 a If I
hear a horn sound I get self conscious
b I would wonder who was being hooted
c I sound my horn back at them even louder.
8 a I get
nervous when I am following lots of other vehicles
b I am quite happy to stay behind and follow a good
driver
c I try to make maximum headway at all times.
9 a I
hate driving at night or in very bad weather
b I have to concentrate much harder at night or in bad
weather
c I can drive much faster at night in the dark or in
the rain.
10 a I try to
approach green traffic lights slowing down
b I try to adjust my speed to arrive as the lights
change to green
c I know that the amber light always gives you a safety
margin.
This is not a competition of course, but
giving honest answers enables us to be more aware of ourselves as drivers - and
people!
Score
______
As
______ Bs
______ Cs
Am I an Anxious
driver?
Average ? or Aggressive ?
RESULTS
- A client who scores mostly Bs indicates an average sort of driver.
- Too many As and the driver is probably a nervous person who will need specific coaching in boosting their confidence.
- Too many Cs and you have a potentially “aggressive” driver who may well need coaching to change eagerness and aggression into positive talents.
However
there was a slight ‘cheat’ in this particular quiz; in that we also encouraged
the students to complete the quiz and then take a similar one home to allow a
friend, passenger or colleague to complete it for them: the results
were often quite different and telling.
This
particular test was aimed at corporate drivers using company vehicles; those on
the course were not just Fleet drivers, but included Chairmen and Directors as
well.
Driver's
Psychometric Personality Test
Quiz
No 12
Take
this test to see what sort of driver you really are.
Are you suited to the driving lifestyle that you
presently have, or would you be happier in different circumstances? The
following series of questions requires you to give instinctive answers, and not
spend time pondering about what you think is the best answer to give. The more
honest you are with your answers, the easier it is to determine exactly what
will improve your driving skills.
Place a tick under one
of these three
options
Agree Not Sure Disagree
Section
A
1 I am a sociable, outgoing sort of
person
2 I enjoy meeting new
people
3 I like driving to new towns and
places
4 I am normally a happy
individual
5 I don't like my own
company
6 I enjoy showing off in my
car
Section
B
7 I am nervous when driving
alone
8 I hate heavy and strange
traffic
9 My moods change when I am
driving
10 I worry about breaking
down
11 I don't enjoy driving
abroad
12 I am not considered very
cheerful
Section C
13 I hate driving strange or new
vehicles
14 I get irritated when I have to
queue
15 I get angry with dangerous
over-takers
16 I can't relax on long
journeys
17 I hate letting other traffic
emerge
18 I occasionally crunch the
gears
Agree Not Sure Disagree
Section D
19 I get bored very
easily
20 I get annoyed with slow
drivers
21 I think about work when I am
driving
22 Driving is not usually much
fun
23 I hate change and new
things
24 I worry about time when I am
driving
Section E
25 I am thoughtful of
others
26 I prefer to cooperate than
compete
27 People like working with
me
28 I rarely ever argue a lot at
work
29 I hate it when I'm doing
nothing
30 I can easily cope with more than
one thing
at a
time
Agree Not Sure Disagree
Score as
under: Agree +1 Not Sure 0
Disagree -1
Scores:
A … B … C …
D …
E …
RESULTS:
What
sort of driver are you and what should you do about it?
There
are no correct answers, just your own opinions.
Section
A Introvert or Extrovert
More than 3
points
Take skid and high-performance courses
Between 3 and
0
Take an advanced driving test
Between 0 and
-3
Take a defensive driving course
Less than -3
points
Take a basic refresher course
Section
B Stable or Nervous
More than 3
points
Take a basic refresher course
Between +3 and
0
Take a defensive driving course
Between 0 and
-3
Take an advanced driving test
Total
Scores:
A … B …
C … D …
E …
RESULTS:
Why not try to write a few of these types of “DRIVER
PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS for yourself; when you feel sufficiently comfortable
with what is needed?
Professor
Peter Russell,
President
INSTITUTE OF DRIVER EDUCATION & RESEARCH;
Director
OF DRIVER EDUCATION & RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Sample
Training and Assessment Material from a Degree Programme in Driver Education
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