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Dealing with aggressive tailgaters!

Dealing with aggressive tailgaters - Angry driverAnother great question was sent in to us this week – this time about dealing with aggressive drivers.  Find more information about what to do and how to deal with aggressive tailgaters and angry drivers during a driving lesson.

“Hi Ged & Claire, I love reading all of your articles and love the long detailed answers you give.  Any advice on dealing with other crazy people on the road?

I had a few moments recently when I thought I was going to get my head kicked in! For doing the speed limit!  Doing 30 mph in a 30 zone, this person comes flying up behind, driving an inch from my bumper.  We are doing the speed limit, so what can I do? I asked my learner to pull up on the left, but then the other driver pulls up alongside us and gives a mouthful about nothing! People turn into ‘gangsters’ when they get behind the wheel.

I had another incident the other day.  My learner was giving way to oncoming traffic at a meeting point in the road where a sign indicates oncoming traffic has priority. Then this woman comes up behind staring into my mirror screaming the words “F***ING GO THEN!” several times! I pointed to the sign, but then she overtakes, bouncing up the island and nearly smashing into the car that we were giving way to!

And they say it’s young drivers that causes crashes.  No.  It’s other peoples stinking attitude. The ‘always in a hurry’ kind of attitude.

I know the best thing to do is just try to ignore it, but it really gets my adrenaline going.  It’s that kind of feeling when somebody starts on you – fight or flight.

I’m sure I’m not the only ADI getting stick for not breaking the law?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance”

When people find out you’re a driving instructor, do you often hear them say, “Wow, you must have lots of patience”? It’s true.  We do.  And we probably all have a lot of patience when teaching our learners – after all, they’re not getting things wrong on purpose!

Our patience really gets tested, however, when dealing with impatience and aggression from other road users, and I totally understand your frustration. I think most driving instructors have the same frustrations too. Here are some ideas on how to minimise and deal with aggressive actions from others on the road.

Tips for Dealing with Aggressive Tailgaters and Angry Drivers!

Fit some in-car cameras

Photo courtesy of Mark Oliver's Driving School

Photo courtesy of Mark Oliver’s Driving School

An increasing number of driving instructors are choosing to install forward- and rear-facing cameras in their training vehicle.  These serve their purpose if you’re ever involved in a crash, as video footage can be invaluable for proving who was at fault. However, having a sign in the rear of your car stating that you have CCTV fitted can act as a great deterrent to aggressive tailgaters and angry drivers. A local instructor has the above “You’re on CCTV” sign on the rear of his car and we think it’s a great way of letting others know that their actions are being caught on camera.  He says he has definitely noticed a reduction in the number of drivers being aggressive or displaying impatience and that fewer drivers follow too closely.  In-car cameras range from inexpensive £15 models to all-singing-and-dancing High Definition, GPS & WiFi models costing around £350 – £400.

Not interested in getting an in-car camera?  Well, even if you don’t have CCTV, a sticker stating that you do may be just as effective! 🙂

Add a sign or message to the rear of your car

A well thought-out sign or written message on the back of your car can help encourage good behaviour. The level of effectiveness may depend on the language used, and of course the temperament of the driver behind!  More tips about prevention and dealing with aggressive tailgaters.

  • If I stop, can you? Some following drivers may see this as more of a challenge to their ability, “Of course I can!”
  • Keep your distance – This should encourage people to keep back, but with it being phrased as an order, some drivers may rebel against you telling them how to drive.
  • You were a learner once – Most drivers can empathise with this, but this message alone may be a little too subliminal. “Yes I was” they may think while they drive 10cm from your bumper!
  • DANGER! Sudden braking! – Whilst it might keep people off your bumper, this message may not be not as encouraging for potential pupils or your current learners who see it every time they come out to the car for their lesson.
  • Please be patient – This is better for encouraging drivers behind to be courteous and patient if it is read as a question rather than an order.  However, some people reading it might just think, “No, I won’t be b***dy patient!” 😉
  • Thanks for being patient 🙂 – This is our personal favourite.  We all like thanks and there is a presupposition here that the following driver has been patient, meaning that they are more likely to be.  A smiley face confirms the tone in which it is meant.
  • Muay-Thai-loveBlack Dragon Kick Boxing – I always wonder if drivers who advertise their local martial art club experience less aggression on the roads?! Some drivers become intimidating once they get behind the wheel, I wonder if they would do the same if they realise the driver in front could be a black belt! I always remember one of my instructors telling me of one of his experiences… During a lesson, he asked the pupil to pull over to have a polite word with the driver behind who was being aggressively impatient and quite verbal in the safety of his own car. The other driver couldn’t say “sorry” enough when he saw the massive body builder physique of the instructor that climbed out of the little Vauxhall Corsa!

Ditch the roof sign and try just L-plates

l plateFor some reason, many instructors report that using a roof sign can attract a greater number of other drivers ‘making poor decisions’ than when just displaying L plates alone.  We’re not entirely sure if this is actually true or just a false perception. If it is true, it may be that others may:

a)      Perceive that a learner driver will almost certainly be behind the wheel of the driving school car.  In the case of a car with L-plates on, it could be being driven by a full licence holder who normally accompanies their son or daughter for private practice;

b)      Consider that a driving school car is under more control due to a driving instructor being present.  Parents with their son or daughter at the wheel have less ability to stop or control the car is something goes wrong.  Therefore the risky or aggressive driver takes more chances around the driving school car;

c)       Have been conditioned by parents, friends and peers to HATE learner drivers – the bright decals and roof sign are like a red rag to a bull for some people, and they will do ANYTHING to get past ‘that damn learner’.

Whatever the reason, we’d be interested to hear your views on this.  Have you tried removing your roof sign and just using L-plates instead?  Did it make any noticeable difference to the way other drivers behaved around you?  Let us know your thoughts and experiences!

Route planning

If your learners feel they are being pushed into situations that they find difficult to deal with (or are not yet confident with), they are more likely to be hesitant and slow on the road.  This will inevitably lead to following drivers trying their hardest to get past. The more your learner gets overtaken, or experiences aggression from other road users, the more it can affect their confidence and ability.  This is a vicious circle. I had a few rear-end shunts in my first few years as an instructor and looking back, I know I was too tough pushing learners into situations they weren’t ready for. It’s an easy trap to fall into!

A polite gesture

A clear (and polite!) gesture to the driver behind may encourage a bit more patience. A raise of the hand to apologise or thank a driver after making a mistake (e.g. stalling) will often be appreciated and can very quickly eradicate any frustration or aggression on the part of the other driver(s). Be warned though, if the following driver is a bit further away, the exact meaning of the gesture may be misinterpreted!

Pull over

When driving myself, I will often pull over if I think a driver behind is becoming excessively agitated by my adherence to the speed limit. As professional drivers and instructors, we have to accept that other drivers don’t always like keeping to the speed limit.  It’s not our job to police, and by stopping the following driver from overtaking, we could actually encourage a much more dangerous situation to develop.

So, if someone is following dangerously close behind on a driving lesson, there’s always the option to pull over to allow let them pass. If the learner comes to accept this as a perfectly normal thing to do under certain circumstances, they will feel more in control and have a good coping strategy.  Better that than to have them constantly looking in the rear view mirror and worrying about the thoughts and feelings of the driver behind.

Reason it out

Putting yourself or your learner ‘in the shoes’ of the driver behind may help you and your learner empathise with the other driver’s thoughts and feelings. Could it be that the driver behind is late for work and has already been threatened with the sack if they turn up late one more time? Maybe he’s just got a call to say that his wife has been rushed into hospital? Maybe her child has had a nasty accident at school? Maybe they’re just desperate for the loo? The fact is, we’re not mind-readers, so we don’t know what is going on in the world of the other driver.

One day it may be us in a desperate rush to get somewhere and we might just drive a bit too close or take a risk we wouldn’t normally take. We’re not perfect, and neither is everyone else.  Recognise and accept it.

Make a choice

You can’t necessarily control aggressive tailgaters and the other driver’s behaviour, but you can control your own. If you choose to retaliate and show anger or aggression in return, you’ll suffer from palpitations and increased blood pressure.  You’ll be demonstrating exactly the type of behaviour that upset you in the first place.  And worse still, frowning encourages wrinkles! 😉

choiceOr, you can choose to be calm, not rise to it, remain neutral and enjoy the rest of your day… and suffer no extra wrinkles! The choice is yours.

Remember, if you have a pupil driving, you are a role model.  You have an invaluable opportunity to lead by example.  By remonstrating with other drivers and calling them ‘idiots’, ‘crap drivers’ (or worse), you are teaching them how to behave negatively behind the wheel.  That’s certainly not going to do them any favours once they pass their driving test and are driving independently.

down arrowAngry Drivers and Aggressive Tailgaters – So how do you cope when other drivers follow too closely, display aggression or do daft things? How do you encourage your pupil to deal with it? What are you going to try to minimise aggression from other drivers?  Please share your experiences and strategies in the comments box below so we can all learn from each other.  We LOVE hearing from you!
Finally, if you liked this article, please share it on Facebook and Twitter – simply hit one of the social media buttons below.  Thanks!

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Motivating the Unmotivated

Motivating the Unmotivated - Leaner drivers - lad smoking leaning on car “Hi Ged & Claire.  What do I do about a pupil that doesn’t seem to want to learn?  He keeps paying me for lessons, but pulls up and demands to get out for a smoke when things aren’t going so well.  I think he spends more time smoking than he does driving.  I really feel like I’m wasting my time with him and I hate feeling like this.  I love my job and I just want to teach!  But how can I motivate him to want to learn?”

Motivating the Unmotivated Learner Driver

This is a great question, and is an issue that I’m sure many ADIs have encountered, myself included. Let me first share my story of ‘Marc’ (not his real name) – a pupil I taught to drive about 13 years ago – and then I will offer a few suggestions on how to address this problem.

Marc had been learning to drive with me for about 6 months.  I had always been very proactive in encouraging my pupils to study towards their theory test, and Marc had scored really well on all the mock tests that I had given to him after each lesson.  But actually getting him to book his theory test was another matter.  “I know, I know, I’ll book it tomorrow” was Marc’s usual response.

image descriptionDuring his lessons, Marc seemed quite disinterested.  He seemed to ‘plateau’ for a few lessons, and I was struggling to help him to improve.  At the end of one particular driving lesson in which Marc hadn’t really shown much improvement, we pulled up outside his house.  He wasn’t forthcoming with his feedback when I encouraged him to self-reflect on his progress.  So I chose to ask him, “Why is it you want to learn to drive, Marc?” “I don’t”, came his reply.  “So why are you having driving lessons?” I asked him.  “Cos my dad wants me to”.  Marc’s dad ran a successful Italian restaurant and a takeaway pizza parlour.  It turned out that Marc’s dad had him lined up to do the pizza deliveries, hence was financing Marc’s driving lessons.

Marc didn’t want to learn.  And neither I nor his dad could make him learn.

Tips about Motivating the Unmotivated Learner Driver or Anyone!

Instinctively, I took out my A4 notepad, removed a page, and wrote at the top, “What passing my driving test will mean to ME” and then wrote the numbers 1 to 5 down the left-hand side.  “Marc, I want you to take this home and think about five opportunities that passing your driving test will open up for you.  Think about the benefits to YOU – what positive changes will it bring?”  Marc grimaced at my request but took the piece of paper, folded it up untidily and pushed it into his pocket.  “OK, see you next week” he said, as he walked down the driveway to his house.

energy-vampireTo be quite frank, I didn’t enjoy teaching Marc.  He was the perfect definition of what I would term a ‘mood hoover’ or ‘energy vampire’ – over the course of a 1 hour driving lesson, he had this amazing ability to suck every piece of enthusiasm out of me and turn me from a happy, inspiring, smiley driving instructor to a sullen-faced, unmotivated instructor, who felt like packing it all in and getting a ‘proper’ job.

On the morning of his next lesson the following week, my heart sunk when I saw Marc’s name pencilled in from 3.30pm – 4.30pm, straight after he finished college.  Whilst I waited for him in my usual parking spot, I rehearsed my end-of-lesson advice – to stop his driving lessons and save his dad’s money.  After all, if his heart wasn’t in it, then he was unlikely ever to succeed.

But as Marc appeared from the college gates, there was something different about him.  He had a spring in his step and a smile on his face.  This wasn’t the Marc that I knew… As he opened the door, the first words of his mouth were, “I did that thing you asked me to do”.  “What thing?” I asked (I had forgotten all about it).  “The thing about why I want to drive.  I did it.”  He took the folded sheet of paper from his trouser pocket and proudly passed it to me.  I prepared myself to read the 5 things that Marc would gain from passing his driving test.  But instead of just 5 things, Marc had FILLED the sheet of paper with positive outcomes.  I was absolutely GOBSMACKED.

I’ll be able to drive to my girlfriend’s house
I’ll be able to drive to college and back
I won’t get piss wet through in the rain waiting for the bus
I won’t have to listen to Radio 2 on the way to college ever again
I’ll be free to get out of the house whenever I want
My mates will respect me more
It will give me my confidence back
I’ll be able to get a job and earn some money…

This list went on and on, and some of the reasons honestly brought a lump to my throat.  “I’m ready” he said.  “And I booked my theory test – it’s on Monday after college”.

I have to admit, this was a real moment in my life as an ADI.  Through one simple exercise, Marc TRANSFORMED.  And that’s no exaggeration.  He finally had his own reasons for wanting to pass his driving test, and none of them involved his dad.  He passed his theory test the following Monday, then passed his driving test at the first attempt a couple of months later.

I am fairly convinced that had I not encouraged Marc to find his own motivation, he would still be having lessons today.  And his dad would probably have sold the restaurant and pizzeria by now in order to pay for his driving lessons!

You CANNOT motivate others!

This has been a well-researched theory, and I believe it to be true.  We cannot make people change.  All we can do is help open them up to change.  We cannot directly motivate our pupils to want to drive, in the same way that their parents cannot make them want to drive.  I have been to see a fair few motivational speakers in my time – last year I spent a week in the USA in the presence of several wealthy motivational speakers.  The fired-up, ‘I can do anything’ beliefs that we leave such events with are only short-lived.  Before too long, we return to the way we were.

What motivational speakers do succeed in though, is in encouraging us to take the next step.  The next baby step.  And sometimes this is all it takes to start the ball rolling.  In effect, this is what I did with Marc.  I started the ball rolling.  Don’t get me wrong – Marc wasn’t magically ‘fixed’ by this single exercise – we worked hard together over the following few weeks and I regularly had to help him to re-focus on his main motivational ‘drivers’.  But the exercise was the catalyst that sparked the change.

Motivation versus Inspiration

Whilst working with my personal coach, she helped me recognise that our aim should not be to motivate, but instead to inspire.  Which led me to explore the differences between ‘motivation’ and ‘inspiration’.  There are a few different schools of thought on this, but here’s how I would define each:

Motivation is EXTERNAL
– It relates to the things we think we should do or that we’re supposed to do

Inspiration is INTERNAL
– It’s all about the inner desire, our passions, our calling

Motivation is the PUSH
– It is usually only very short-lived

Inspiration is the PULL
– Nothing can stop us from taking action when we’re inspired!

The short exercise I asked Marc to carry out encouraged him to become INSPIRED – to find and act on his inner ‘pull’, not the external ‘push’ from his Dad.

jagoadvisor_inspiringcleints

 

6 Steps to INSPIRE your pupils to move forward

Step 1:  ASK
Help your pupil to get clear about what they want.  I’m not simply talking about ‘passing the driving test’ here – we want the pupil to focus on what it MEANS to them to gain a full driving licence.  What positive outcomes will it bring to THEM.  It’s imperative that they focus on their OWN desires, and not those of their friends, parents, or even us!  Most important of all, get your pupil to write them down.  How will it benefit them to have a full driving licence?  How will it positively affect them as a person?  What opportunities will it open up to them?

Step 2:  LISTEN
Actively listen, pay attention to what your pupils are saying and how they are saying it.  Notice any body language cues.  People feel great when they are truly listened to, especially teenagers – many have strained relationships with their elders, often having been pushed by parents and teachers.  Give them the time and space they need to let you know what drives them.  Most importantly, leave your thoughts and opinions out of it – this isn’t about you!

Step 3:  REMIND
Even though inspiration will drive us for longer than motivation, we often need a reminder from time to time.  If you’ve listened to (and made notes on) your pupil’s innermost reasons for learning to drive and passing the test, then you should be able to use these throughout the pupil’s lessons with you.  Creating empowering pictures, sounds and feelings in relation to these goals will drive the pupil to success much faster.  To use Marc as an example, I could ask, “how will you look, sound and feel once you’ve passed your test and you’ve got your confidence back?” or even, “so when you no longer have to listen to Radio 2 in mum’s car, what will you choose to listen to once you’ve passed your test?”

Step 4:  BELIEVE
chartSome people are naturally negative.  If we’re not careful, these ‘emotional vampires’ can suck out our positivity and belief that they will ever succeed in passing the driving test.  They can even lead us to give up altogether and hope (or suggest!) they go and find another driving instructor to be miserable with.  Don’t let them get you down!  Instead, see them as being successful – able to achieve anything, irrespective of what they may tell themselves.  It’s amazing how your perception of them will come through in your voice, tonality, attitude and body language.  Switch your normally negative perception of them to a positive one, and you will start to notice a huge shift in their confidence.  Try it!

Step 5:  RECORD Earlier on, I talked about baby steps.  And this is important.  When learning something new, we all need to set and recognise ‘mini-milestones’ along our journey to our ultimate destination.  Recording progress of this journey is important. Love them or loathe them, keeping good lesson records is a must (in my opinion).  A written record of progress is so powerful in helping people like Marc keep track of their successes.  It enables them to see their proximity to the end goal.  If (like me) you’ve ever tried to lose weight, taking note of your weight loss progress on a weekly basis is tremendously motivating – it gives us an idea of our chances of reaching the end goal.  Progress is accelerated even further if we ‘track’ or keep a daily record of what we have eaten.  If we just decide one day to lose weight and don’t bother to track our progress, we’ll soon lose interest and never reach our target.  I believe it’s the same with learning to drive and keeping well-structured lesson records.

Step 6:  LEAD
As a driving instructor, you have a much more important role to play than simply teaching someone to drive a car.  You need to lead by example.  Develop, improve, be ambitious, aim to be the best.  Set yourself daily, weekly, monthly and yearly targets.  By being a leader and demonstrating your desire to succeed, your learners will follow.  YOU want to be that person they name when asked in later life, “who inspired you when you were younger?”

down arrowSHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES!  Have you had a pupil that just didn’t want to learn?  How did you overcome it?  What strategies did you try to help inspire them?  What worked?  What didn’t work? Please share your advice and experience – we’d love to hear from you.

Finally, if you liked this article about Motivating the Unmotivated (learner driver) or anyone for that matter, and know someone else that could benefit from it, please hit one of the social sharing buttons below!

 

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ADI Meals – Slow Cooker Chicken Chilli

smashing laptopOK, I know this week’s article is a little bit ‘off the wall’, but bear with me – there’s a serious point to it!

I had spent 2 hours on the computer this morning typing up a blog article on Pupil Lesson Records, when my computer suffered the infamous ‘blue screen of death’.  I lost the lot. Gutted.  Why do I never learn to select the ‘auto-save’ option in Microsoft Word?

ADIs Weight Struggles – Try Healthy ADI Meals – Easy Prep

Anyway, whilst reflecting on something an ADI said to me during a coaching session last week, something dawned on me.  Many ADIs struggle with weight issues and having to eat food ‘on the go’.  And after a long day out on the road, who really wants to spend another half hour in the kitchen preparing something nutritious for the evening meal?  Let’s admit it, for some of us, it’s all too easy to come home and stick a ready meal in the microwave or even phone for a takeaway.  Not good for the waistline!

ADI Meals – A Recipe and Healthy Eating Tips

And now autumn is here, many of us will be digging out our slow cookers from the back of the kitchen cupboard and looking for some inspiration for some healthy meals.

I love my slow cooker.  In fact, I have two of them, and they’re frequently both going at the same time!  Batch cooking means I can stock up the freezer with healthy meals, ready for after a long day out on road training.  Cheap, nutritious, healthy, and best of all – hardly any washing up!

Many of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that I love slow cooking, and some have asked for recipes.  So today, after my awful ‘blue screen of death’ episode, I figured I would offer something a little different this week on the blog.

ADI Meals – Slow Cooker Chicken Chilli Recipe - Ged & ClaireSo here it is – my favourite slow cooker meal: Slow Cooker Chicken Chilli.  And it’s absolutely IDEAL for ADI’s because it’s super-quick and easy to make – simply whack it all in the slow cooker and when you come home 8 hours later, it’s done, perfect for ADI Meals and healthy eating.

The following ingredients are based on using a large 6.5 litre slow cooker, and it will be almost full (as in this photo).  Make sure you adapt the ingredient volume to suit the size of your slow cooker.

016aI make 16 meals from the following, each is only 373 calories per meal!  Some of you may prefer a larger portion – go for it!  You will also need to factor in what you will serve the chili with – I love it served with Ainsley Harriott’s ‘Spice Sensation Cous Cous’.  Also, you may like a grated cheese garnish, but I leave that off to save on calories!

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs (1.3 kg) of chicken breast, diced
  • 2 large onions
  • 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tins of kidney beans
  • 2 tins of cannellini beans
  • 2 tins of chicken broth (I like using ‘Baxters Heathy Chicken & Vegetable soup’)
  • 1 large tin of sweetcorn (260g drained weight)
  • 1 jar (190g / 6oz) of sundried tomato paste (I use the ‘Sacla’ brand)
  • 70g of tomato puree
  • 1 tablespoon of hot chili powder (more if you like it extra hot!)
  • 4 teaspoons of garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (again, add more or less to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt to taste (I usually add around half a teaspoon)

Preparation (5 mins)

  1. Dice the chicken breasts into 1-2cm cubes
  2. Dice the onions
  3. Drain the tins of beans and sweetcorn
  4. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and mix thoroughly
  5. Put the lid on the slow cooker
  6. Cook on LOW for 8 hours

After 8 hours, switch off the slow cooker, stir the chili well and divide into 16 equal portions (or less if you want larger meals).  Cool thoroughly and then freeze.

007aThat’s it.  Easy peasy! At the end of a day out on road, take a portion out of the freezer and defrost thoroughly in the microwave.  Once defrosted, turn the microwave onto full power and cook until piping hot.  Serve with a jacket potato, rice, cous cous, nachos (or some chips!) – whatever takes your fancy.

Enjoy – ADI Meals that tastes GRRRRREAT!

down arrowACTION STEP – Share your healthy eating secrets with us – what do you snack on during the day to keep you going?  Being inactive for most of the day takes its toll on a lot of us (myself definitely included) – so how do you avoid piling on the pounds?

Finally, if you like this recipe for ADI Meals that is delicious and easy to prepare and know someone else that would like it too, please hit one of the social sharing buttons below!

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Overtaking – Are your learners fully equipped?

Overtaking Guidelines - car crashBack when Ged and I were training to become ADIs, the steps for overtaking in ‘The Driving Manual’ were stated as MPSLMSM. This remained the case in seven editions of the updated version of the book (retitled, ‘The Official DSA Guide to Driving: The Essential Skills’). But in the 6th impression (released in 2013), this guidance mysteriously (and without explanation) changed to simply MSPSL

So which method is best, and which routine should we be teaching?

The ‘Old’ Guidance

The following extract is taken from the 6th edition of The Official DSA Guide to Driving: The Essential Skills, released in 2007):

Mirrors – Always check in your mirrors to assess the speed and position of traffic behind.

Position – Be near enough to the vehicle ahead to overtake smoothly when you’re ready, but not so close that you can’t get a good view of the road ahead.

Speed – Be fast enough to keep up with the vehicle in front and with enough reserve power to pass it briskly. You might need to change down to get extra acceleration when you’re ready to start overtaking.

Look – Assess the whole situation

• the state of the road

• what the driver ahead is doing or might be about to do

• any hazards

• the speed and position of oncoming vehicles

• speed difference between you and oncoming vehicles.

Mirrors – Check your mirrors again to reassess the situation. Check especially for motorcyclists as they approach very quickly and may have been hidden from view previously. Be aware of, and check, any blind spots by taking a quick sideways glance if necessary, before deciding to pull out to overtake. Never begin to overtake is another vehicle is overtaking you or is about to do so. Overtake only when you are sure it’s safe to do so.

Signal – Always give a signal. This helps

• drivers behind

• the driver you are overtaking

• drivers coming towards you.

Manoeuvre – Make a final check in front and behind. If it’s safe, pull out on a smooth easy line.

• overtake as quickly as you can

• Check your mirrors to see that you’re clear of the vehicle you’ve overtaken

• Move back to the left again on a smooth easy line, but avoid cutting in.

This is all sound advice, especially when overtaking on a two lane, two way road and to overtake would require the driver to cross onto the opposite side of the road.

The ‘New’ Guidance

drivingThe latest version (6th impression, 2013) of The Official DSA Guide to Driving: The Essential Skills recommends the MSPSL routine:

Mirrors – Check your mirrors to assess the situation behind and look well ahead.

Signal – Give a signal if it will help:

• drivers behind

• the driver you’re overtaking

• drivers coming towards you

Position – Be near enough to the vehicle ahead to overtake smoothly when you’re ready, but not so close that you can’t get a good view of the road ahead.

Speed – Be fast enough to keep up with the vehicle in front and with enough reserve power to pass it briskly. You might need to change down to get extra acceleration when you’re ready to start overtaking.

Look – Assess the whole situation

• the state of the road

• what the driver ahead is doing or might be about to do

• any hazards

• the speed and position of oncoming vehicles

• speed difference between you and oncoming vehicles.

Make a final check in front and behind. Check especially for motorcyclists as they can approach very quickly and may have been hidden from view previously. Be aware of, and check, any blind spots by taking a quick sideways glance if necessary, before deciding to pull out to overtake. Never begin to overtake is another vehicle is overtaking you or is about to do so. Overtake only when you are sure it’s safe to do so.

So why the change of guidelines for Overtaking?

shutterstock_31395766aWe believe that each method has its place. Most overtaking opportunities arise on multi-lane roads. Because there are extra lanes to use, it’s not necessary to have to cross onto the opposite side of the road. For these types of road, the MSPSL routine is perfectly adequate. However, on two lane two-way roads, the MPSLMSM becomes more relevant and effective. It is imperative that the driver plans more thoroughly with the possibility of meeting oncoming traffic, and that they overtake quickly so they can return to their own side of the road safely and in good time.

It’s worth recognising how an overtaking manoeuvre can be different, depending on the type of road and layout, and discussing this with your pupils. Bear in mind that if you are working towards your ADI Part 3 test, or you have a Check Test and are including overtaking as part of the lesson plan (e.g. a Pass Plus module on Motorways, rural roads or dual carriageways), you must know the correct recommended sequence. We have met several DSA examiners who are not aware of the changes, so it’s a good idea to refer to both the old method and the updated method as recommended in The Official DSA Guide to Driving: The Essential Skills, and considering the distinction between them.

Something much more important!

Regardless of which routine is used, what doesn’t change is the importance of selecting a suitable place to overtake and judging a safe gap in approaching traffic, especially on a two lane, two way road.

The DECISION to overtake can be the killer, rather than the routine itself.

shutterstock_121576933aI always remember reading a local news story about a young driver who overtook another vehicle on one of the rural roads near to where we live. He had four of his friends in the car and he hit a single-decker bus coming the other way.  The driver and two of his friends were killed instantly, another two were left in a critical condition. It was a shocking (yet all too common) story. I couldn’t help asking myself if we as  driving instructors are doing all we can in order to reduce the chances of this happening to those we have taught to drive.

How can ADIs help?

When we discuss overtaking with ADIs coming to use for development coaching, many will say that they talk about overtaking with most of their learner drivers, but don’t cover it in much detail because practical opportunities to do so rarely arise.

It might be worthwhile for us all to consider how much depth we go into with regards to overtaking. After all, it’s a far more dangerous manoeuvre than all the reversing ones we spend so much time and focus on!

As an ADI, do you explore safe and unsafe places to overtake while out on the roads and the reasons that would make it unsafe or safe? For example:

“Would you consider it safe to overtake on this road? Why not?”

“Where might be suitable to overtake on this road?” “What makes that a good place to overtake?”

Also, do you explore how much time and distance would be needed to overtake safely?

“If we did need to overtake, which gap in the oncoming traffic do you think would be suitable?”

Once a gap is identified, a hypothetical overtake commentary can establish if it is a safe gap. For example:

“So we’d check our centre mirror and right mirror to look for anything overtaking us, maybe gear down for acceleration, signal right, check for anything overtaking us again, move out….. we’d be overtaking the car about now… oh look that car has reached us now!”

This would help the driver see how quickly the gap would close. You could then go on to explore possible consequences of overtaking without a sufficient gap. Do this often enough and the ‘calibration’ process of what constitutes a safe gap (or preferably a gap with NOTHING approaching!) will be better understood and judged by the driver in any future possible overtake scenarios. What’s really important is that they qualify as drivers with all the information and skills needed to make a safe decision… EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Returning to the tragic local story I mentioned earlier, we can only speculate whether or not the young driver’s instructor fully explored safe overtaking during their lessons together. If the instructor did cover this area sufficiently, then lack of kthinking-brainnowledge and understanding may not have been a factor in the crash. Perhaps the driver just made the DECISION to overtake, regardless of the risks. Maybe he was showing off to his mates, was distracted or thought he was invincible, a lot of young people have the ‘it will never happen to me’ attitude. Perhaps his brain development was a factor – the brain’s pre-frontal cortex, which governs emotion, risk-taking and decision-making, does not fully mature until the age of 25.

However, if the instructor didn’t sufficiently cover safe overtaking, then this could be considered one of the contributory factors. As ADIs, we are all responsible for ensuring our learners pass their driving test equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills to tackle a multitude of real life situations, beyond that which is required to pass the driving test. This includes safe overtaking.

I know it’s hard to cover all aspects of driving in the limited time available, and yes – it can sometimes be challenging to change the pre-formed attitudes and beliefs of the people we are working with. I am sure Ged and I have not always explored overtaking as much as I have mentioned here with our own pupils, particularly in the early years of our career – nobody’s perfect!

But we like to think that all the ADIs we have trained realise the importance of teaching safe overtaking and go out there making sure that all the novice drivers they work with know and understand how to overtake other vehicles.

If you don’t already explore overtaking in depth with your pupils, please start now – you might just save some lives.

down arrowGIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK!  Do you teach your pupils how to overtake safely?  What if no practical opportunities arise?  How does your geographical location affect your ability to teach overtaking effectively? Please share your advice and experiences – we’d love to hear from you.

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20 Top Test Tips for Driving Instructors!

test tips for driving instructorsA newly-qualified instructor recently asked me what they need to do on test day, so I decided to put down some helpful test tips for driving instructors so others can benefit from them too. If you’ve been teaching a while and have any other tips to share, please add them in the comments box at the bottom of this post!

Getting ready for driving test day starts well before the day itself. As an instructor, you want to make sure that everything is in place ready for your pupil’s practical test. Here are some tips so that test day goes as smoothly as can be for both of you.

Helpful Test Tips for Driving Instructors

As soon as the test booking has been made…

TOP TIP 1:  If your pupil has booked the test themselves, ask them to print off and bring confirmation of booking (email or letter) to their next lesson. Double-check that the date, time and test centre they have booked are correct.

2-3 weeks before test day…

TOP TIP 2:  Ask the pupil to bring along both parts of their driving licence to a lesson for you to check. This will make sure they know exactly where they are and won’t be rushing around trying to find them on test day! You might even want to ask them where they will put them and make a note of their ‘safe place’. It’s amazing how many say ‘I put them in safe place… I just can’t remember where!’

15582403_sTOP TIP 3:  Check the pupil’s eyesight – it may have deteriorated since the initial check you did with them on their first lesson.  If in doubt, refer them to an optician.

TOP TIP 4:  Run through the safety check questions, making sure they can open and close the bonnet without your assistance.

TOP TIP 5:  Let the pupil know that you can sit in on their test. You can be there to see exactly what happens on their test and give extra feedback at the end as they probably won’t listen to the examiner properly after hearing they’ve passed! Letting them know about this before test day will allow them to decide if they would like you there or not rather than being put on the spot in the test centre on the day. Also let them know that a supervising examiner will need to sit in on tests from time to time. Reassure them that the supervising examiner will be there to assess the examiner conducting the test only, and they won’t actually be ‘tested’ by two examiners! It may be an idea to practice carrying a passenger on a lesson or two so they get used to having an extra person in the car.

The day before test day…

More test tips for driving instructors.

TOP TIP 6:  Advise the pupil to get an early night, have something to eat on the day of the test, and make sure they’re drinking enough (non-alcoholic!) fluids to keep properly hydrated.

TOP TIP 7:  Check your car over. I know most of this goes without saying, but check all the lights are working, check the tyres have sufficient tread depth, are correctly inflated and free from cuts/bulges, check fluid levels, washers and wipers and make sure you have a valid tax disc displayed. Make sure your car is clean and tidy. Finally, make sure the L-plates are on! Obvious I know, but if you take off your roof sign whilst cleaning the car, it’s easy to forget to put it back on, especially if it’s out of sight! Carry a spare set of L-plates in case one goes AWOL and a spare set of bulbs in case you need to make a last-minute bulb change (assuming your car doesn’t need almost complete dismantling to do so, like some do!).

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe big day!

TOP TIP 8:  Make sure your pupil has:

  • Either both parts of their driving licence (check the issue numbers match), or their old-style paper licence and valid passport;
  • Any recent change of address filled in at the bottom of the counterpart;
  • Theory test pass letter;
  • Booking confirmation (again check test centre, date and time);
  • Glasses or contact lenses, if required;
  • Drink/food (bananas are a great natural energy booster). Dehydration leads to poor levels of focus and concentration, so it’s worthwhile you having a fresh bottle of water to hand in case they’ve not had much to drink that day;
  • Anything that may help them keep calm, e.g. music, childhood teddy, herbal calming remedies, bottle of vodka (only joking!)

TOP TIP 9:  Aside from the necessary paperwork, put all valuables, handbags/man bags/rucksacks in the boot out of sight. You don’t want to be doing this at the test centre in full view of any ‘rogues’! It’s a good idea to encourage pupils to leave their valuables in the boot throughout the test rather than leave them on view on the back seat. Thieves are great opportunists and the car will be stationary several times on test.

TOP TIP 10:  Use the pre-test time wisely. This will depend on the needs and desires of your pupil. Some won’t want a full 1 hour lesson before test as they may get tired. Others may like the full hour as a warm-up and to go over any last-minute concerns. Some may benefit from you giving a demo-drive with commentary, others will benefit from a tea or coffee. Make the decision between you as to what will work best for them.

woman-biting-wheel2TOP TIP 11:  If you do opt for a regular pre-test lesson, keep it simple – mistakes may occur due to pre-test nerves and lacking 100% focus on the driving task. This is absolutely normal, so let your pupil know beforehand that it’s normal too.  It can be a good idea to avoid doing any manoeuvres at this point – if one (or more) goes wrong, the pupil may go into meltdown!  Stay close to the test centre area prior to the test, particularly if it’s not your regular test centre and aren’t familiar with the area or there are lots of road works.

TOP TIP 12:  Be positive with your language. Prepare your pupil’s mindset for success rather than failure. Encourage the pupil to be positive, focussing on WHEN they pass rather than IF they pass. Reassure them that if they make a mistake it doesn’t mean they have failed, so they should forget the mistake and carry on so they can minimise any further errors. Let the pupil know that the examiner will write on the test sheet throughout the test – this doesn’t necessarily mean the pupil is making mistakes – the examiner just needs to mark off what has been covered throughout the test to make sure he has assessed everything required.

toiletTOP TIP 13:  If your test centre doesn’t have toilet facilities, ask the pupil in plenty of time if they need a toilet break so you have time to call at a supermarket or fast-food restaurant. Let the pupil know that the test centre doesn’t have toilet facilities so that they realise the importance of letting you know in advance.  Nervousness can cause all sorts of ‘toilet trouble’, so be sensitive to the fact your pupil may need more than one visit!  Another one of the important test tips for driving instructors.

TOP TIP 14:  Arrive at the test centre 5-10 minutes before the test appointment to make sure you can find somewhere to park in plenty of time, allowing time for other learners’ to bay park if your test centre has a car park. Many test centres request that test candidates arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to test to avoid congestion in the car park, so do take note of any notices in the waiting room to such effect.

TOP TIP 15:  Check if your pupil wants you present on test, if not, ask if you can be present at the end to listen to the examiner’s debrief.

TOP TIP 16:  In the test centre, make sure your pupil has both parts of their driving licence ready for the examiner to inspect (remove it from any plastic wallet or envelope).

TOP TIP 17:  If you are sitting in on test, sit behind the driver or behind the examiner – whichever you prefer (each have their benefits). You must make no attempt to communicate or signal to your pupil and keep movements to a minimum. If the examiner suspects you are trying to help the pupil, the test will be terminated. So no coughing every time a mirror check is needed!

TOP TIP 18:  If you have not sat in on the test, be nearby when your pupil returns. Make sure you’re in view of the examiner. Wait until the examiner signals to you to come over to listen to the debrief – due to data protection laws, they need to first check with your pupil that they would like you present for the debrief.

beccaTOP TIP 19:  The majority of the time, an instructor will drive their pupil home after the test to allow them time to relax after passing (or sob after being unsuccessful). This can also be a time for them to phone friends and relatives to let them know of the result. Bear in mind that it’s a good idea for you to remove your roof sign and/or L-plates if your pupil will be on the phone – it’s amazing how many members of the public will incorrectly assume that “the instructor in that car gives lessons whilst on the phone”.

TOP TIP 20:  Some instructors allow their pupil to drive home after test – this is a great opportunity for newly-qualified drivers to experience driving with extreme emotion, whether that be elation, giddiness, happiness, frustration, anger or sadness. In a safe environment, you can help the pupil become aware of how their emotions affect their driving, what the consequences might be and discuss what they can do to keep safe on the roads when feeling emotional. It might just help them make the right decision about getting behind the wheel when emotionally-charged at some point in the future when you’re not there with them. There should be no insurance issues if the drive home after test is used for driver development – many driving school insurance policies will prohibit under 25’s from driving for social, domestic or pleasure purposes, so make sure the time is used for the correct purpose.

Our test day faux pas!

Read this and use the test tips for driving instructors to avoid costly problems like these below on testing day.

Turning up a day late for a test after trusting the date and time my pupil had told me.  Lesson learned: always ask to see their written confirmation!

Unbeknown to me and my PDI, whilst checking her driving licence on the walk over to my car, the card part fell out of the plastic wallet and it was left in the car park.  Lesson learned: always ask them to show you their licence and let them keep hold of it. An expensive £111 lesson for me!

Finding out that a brake light on the PDI’s car is not working 10 minutes before a Part 2 test.  Lesson learned: Regardless of how new or old a car is, or who owns it, ALWAYS carry out a thorough vehicle check. Also know where the nearest garage is!

Driving off from the car wash without my L-plates!  Lesson learned: always carry a spare pair!

Booking a test at a test centre I have never used before and then wandering too far away from the test centre and getting lost!  Lesson learned: stay close to the test centre area and/or have the address already programmed into the sat nav.

down arrowCONFESSIONS OF A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR! What driving test day blunders have you made or witnessed? Please share so others can learn from them (and perhaps have a chuckle at the same time!)

Finally, if you liked this article and know someone else that could benefit from it, please hit one of the social media sharing buttons!