Critical Incidents

In this blog I will explain the importance of developing the skill within our pupils of identifying “critical incidents”

Providing explicit instruction in order to develop skills is a fundamental activity of a driving instructor.  My driving video channel has dozens of examples of me providing just that over the years to viewers.  But beware, you must do everything that you can to ensure that your explicit instruction is correct.  I have lost count of the number of pupils who come to me from training with other driving instructors, and have been told they MUST NOT cross their hands when steering.  This is I am afraid to say, quite simply wrong.  If you need proof of that fact, I refer you to pg 37 Section 2.44 of ADI 1.

Being able to identify a critical incident is also a skill, as is being able to assess it, work out what options you have in dealing with it, making a decision and then reviewing how it went (accurately) and considering if there was perhaps a better way.  These are all skills.  Pupils need to have their awareness raised that this is a skillset, a skillset that needs developing. 

Personally, I classify a “critical incident” as anything that crops up that absolutely MUST be dealt with by way of change of speed and/or direction.  I am not referring to potential hazards, I am only referring to the incidents that demand action in order to maintain safety.

It is a skill to be able to spot them in advance (I recommend you provide your pupils with a target of 10 seconds PRIOR to them having to take the necessary action).  Only by seeing these critical incidents so far in advance can you reasonably expect a driver to be able to process the other necessary skills as mentioned above.  My point is, that this is a skill, it is deserving of explicit instruction; it is not an option to overlook developing this skill in our pupils in the hope that it wont crop up. 

I think the reason that some driving instructors get a bit confused with this idea of explicit instruction is because they are concerned that they might be robbing their pupils of a learning opportunity which they could discover for themselves OR they fear they may be “over-instructing” which can be incredibly tedious for a pupil to be on the receiving end. 

Continuing with the steering example, it is perfectly valid to allow a pupil to experiment with steering so they can identify independently if they have a preference for how they steer which provides for smooth, controlled steering.  But, when some pupils pause at a turning right filter lane to turn right from major to minor road, and as they pause they instinctively turn the steering wheel to the right this MUST be dealt with by a driving instructor.  It is not good practice to bring that error up to the pupil and in any way allow them to think that keeping the wheels straight or starting to turn right is optional.  They need explaining that they have to keep the front wheels facing forward because if they were to be shunted from the rear while paused, this would prevent their car from automatically travelling into the path of any oncoming traffic.  The necessity of the central mirror observation on the approach is tied in with this fact.  Look what the DVSA tell us about risk management:

At all times the ADI is responsible for their safety, the safety of the pupil and the safety of other road users……. If the ADI fails in this basic responsibility, at any time, they will fail the standards check. 

Bear this in mind when you hear the next “Grade A” driving instructor declaring to you how many accidents they have been present in when their pupils have been driving.  Why this is not a legal compulsory declaration prior to the attainment of any Grade A pass mark has always been a point of wonder to me – an assessment of a driving instructor should be assessing their ability over the long term, not if they managed to prevent an accident occurring in a 1 hour Standards Check every 4 years!

But the DVSA go further in ADI 1 and add to the above:

From a training point of view, the ADI is also responsible for developing the pupil’s awareness of and ability to manage risk (as the driver, the pupil also has responsibilities).  This is the objective that is being assessed in this section.

The considerable benefit to any PDI or newly qualified driving instructor is the ability the DVSA have in being concise and straightforward.  They really do tell all of us how it should be in pretty clear words.  Now this added paragraph is extremely important because it sets the DVSA expectations that as a driving instructor you are required to develop the skill within your pupils of awareness of risk and managing it.  It is not professional for you alone to be preventing accidents throughout all your work with a pupil.  They MUST have this skill developed in them – it is not optional.

The DVSA like to classify these incidents of risk as “Safety critical” or “potentially critical”.  Both are as severe as each other, whatever you do, do not think that “potentially critical” incidents are in any way less important to deal with.  Pupils will not necessarily know the difference between the two, and they will not necessarily be able to understand the severity of the consequences either.  This is what the DVSA continue to say:

If a safety critical, or potentially critical incident does occur it is vital that the pupil fully understands what happened and how they could have avoided or dealt with it better.  Ideally the pupil should be supported to analyse the situation for themselves.  However, it may be necessary for the ADI to provide feedback if, for example, the pupil simply did not see a problem.  That feedback should be given as soon as practical after the incident.

My turning right example and the direction of the front wheels is a case in point.  Many learners wont even be consciously aware that they have turned the steering wheel to the right as they paused.  They need to be told.  AND they need to be told why this is important.  We should not expect pupils to somehow magically discover this point with the passing of time; the feedback should be immediate, thorough and fundamentally helpful in raising their awareness of the need to maintain safety by their behaviours.

Actual behaviours do depend on feelings and beliefs, and beliefs are dictated by emotion rather than the factual information of any driving instructor …… but this last sentence really is worthy of a new blog.

Tom Ingram provides PAYG driving training for trainee driving instructors 0775 607 1464