Checking for understanding of risks to safety

The DVSA are keen to tell driving instructors that the “value” they bring is in the “learning” that is created for pupils.  What this blog does is put that “learning” under the microscope and look at what this REALLY means.

“To move off at pace from a standstill, the gas must be set in order to accommodate the faster raising of the clutch and therefore not stalling.”

“To move off from a standstill on the left side of the road, there will be a “blindspot” to the side over your right shoulder where you cannot see when viewing through the right side mirror and can only be checked to be safe by physically turning your head and looking over your right shoulder.”

Both of these are statements of fact. 

Let’s consider for a couple of minutes at how meaningful the above COULD be to a pupil. 

With the first statement of fact, should the pupil not understand the meaning of what you have said then inevitably they will stall the car.  With the second they will not check the blindspot and you absolutely must to maintain safety for the two of you. 

My point is that it is not enough just to say things to pupils.  It might work in a classroom, but in order to maintain safety on our roads, they must actually understand the points you make.  But how do they understand?

Daniel Willingham said “Memory is the residue of thought”.

If a pupil does not really get your statement regarding the clutch, they will continue to stall the car, you will continue to make the point, and through a process of trial and error i.e. after hammering dozens of stalls out of your driving school car, they will eventually appreciate the importance of setting the gas. 

If a pupil does not really get your statement regarding the blind spot, they wont do it, you will keep reminding them, and when they realise they will not pass the driving test if they do not do it, they will do it on the driving test. 

So the first bit of learning is gained through preventing a stall, and the second is gained in order to pass the driving test. 

As a driving instructor you have choices about how you BACK UP those statements of fact, in order to make them meaningful to a pupil.  You can physically get out the car and ask a pupil to literally see how much of the blindspot stops them from seeing you approach the vehicle from the right.  In addition you can find quiet areas to allow them to practise the raising of the clutch with and without gas and see how the car responds.  You can show graphics from books, animations from apps, videos from YouTube.  You can drive and demonstrate or they can drive.  You can ask them questions to test understanding.  Taking Daniels point above, you can invite them to write/draw/doodle what these points mean to them.

If the pupil eventually perfects the technique of foot control to accommodate the brisk moving off (by whatever means), then their confidence will be dramatically increased with the absence of stalls.  If a pupil turns “on” blindspot checks nearing the end of a learning process when they appreciate that otherwise it will not pass the driving test then they are extremely unlikely to continue with those observations.  This blog from February this year is a perfect example of this very fact. 

As professionals it is essential that there is integrity to the learning process, otherwise safety is being compromised.

Tom Ingram provides payg driving training for trainee driving instructors 0775 607 1464    http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/