Heavy workload for driving instructors

 

The DVSA have just released the latest driving instructor statistics for the industry in the UK.  The register has declined by just shy of 1000 from March 2020 to June 2020.  The actual numbers are 39,531 registered ADI's in March compared to 38,690 in June.  

In times like these (not that we've had times like these before), perhaps it would be better to say, in times of economic downturn, perhaps there will be a natural decline of instructors who were thinking of retiring and this slump has 'sealed the deal' for them.  It is tricky because there is a great opportunity for earning right now, the earnings potential is extremely high.  But the concern for all is the potential for a future lockdown.  How much of this talk relates to social restraint as opposed to work restraint?  There has been introduced fines for the lack of mask wearing in taxi's by passengers but not the taxi drivers, so it might be the case that mask wearing on driving lessons becomes mandatory.  This is especially relevant to us as examiners are conducting driving tests with the use of seat covers, masks, plastic shields, gloves and plenty of disinfectant.  It should be said, the ladies and gents conducting these tests are doing a fine job and are a great credit to their organisation.  

The ultimate decider for us will inevitably be the announcements from the DVSA.  The threat of being struck off the register should driving training be taking place without masks being worn, is simply too great for many ADI's to risk.  

BIG TOM Driving School has had no issues to date (long may it continue).  We have adopted a thorough set of protocols and our customers are complying with them 100%.  There has not been a single cancelled session since the re-opening from lockdown on 04/07/2020; almost three months now.  But this is no time to be complacent, and our covid-safe practices remain in place.

Crossroads

A natural development from emerging and turning at T junctions is to show your pupil some crossroads.  They come in all types of sizes and complexity.  Sometimes the crossroads that an instructor will naturally identify immediately, for a pupil, it may not be quite so straight forward if the roads concerned don't strictly follow the 'symbol' of a plus sign.  Is it obvious to a pupil that there is a major road with two opposing minors?  Would a pupil realise the traffic light phases and what that means to them while they wait at a red light?  What to do if there are no white lines or perhaps the traffic lights are temporarily out?  How to position the vehicles when our car and the opposing vehicle are both wanting to turn right?   One of the beauties about the BIG TOM courses is that pupils do get the opportunity to travel to other towns and cities, so they get a chance to see a variety of different crossroads.  The KFC crossroads in Grantham, for example.  The Job Centre crossroads in the city centre of Peterborough, or the British Sugar crossroads in Peterborough.  The humped bridge crossroads in Boston.  

Whether your pupil likes to see you demonstrate things prior to having a go is something that is worth asking.  There are the extra observations needed as well as the positional aspect to consider.  You will also need to explain to them about priority - who goes first from a technical point of view.  This subject is a good opportunity to refer to theory resources, emphasise to your pupil the necessity of theory knowledge and applying it in real-life examples.  They need to appreciate the nuance of theory vs practical situations: the Little London crossroads in Spalding being a case in point.  Attempt to develop in your pupils the subtleties of knowing the knowledge about who goes first, but being able to read the intentions of other road users, and how they might make decisions that sometimes bear no relation to theory knowledge e.g. using flashing headlights, waving other drivers across, the incorrect sequence of priority, poor position.  This is an opportunity to broaden the mind of our pupil, to think beyond technical theory, and appreciate the complexity of human behaviour.  Pupils are often sorely disappointed, for example, when drivers don't put on a left signal to exit a roundabout.  It's probably best they develop a sense of tolerance for such things, or they might end up being bitterly disappointed drivers for years to come.   We want to instil upon them the technically correct way of doing things (pg 221 of DES) but also help them to still read situations when a driver is doing something unorthodox.  Our pupils' attitudes to other road users are important to pay attention to, signs of anger in these early days can increase post-training and may well affect their emotional state and driving actions for a long time afterwards (pg 37 of Better Driving).  Equally, faded road markings and obstructed signs can hamper the efforts of our learners, and we need to develop tolerance and perhaps, more importantly, the ability to accommodate these issues and still keep things safe.

When pupils are coming on with their crossroads, it is then time to introduce them to some of the more technically challenging.  The inclined approach to turn right at the Stamford crossroads shown here is a great example:

See 3m30s-5m30s on this video of turning right at that junction.

Take care with setting goals that are realistic.  One of the most common mistakes I see driving instructors make is putting a pupil in the wrong location for their ability.  In other words, the G in GROW is not being thought through properly; it must be achievable.  Effective learning occurs when we encourage our pupils to take responsibility for their development and sometimes our help in facilitating that is key.  Give them timely, accurate feedback, allow them to reflect on their experiences and offer them options of what to do next.  But do take care because if you allow them to practice in the wrong place at the wrong time, it can harm not just their confidence levels but also your working relationship with them.