Driver ‘Coaching’ is seen as a dirty word by some driving instructors, not surprising with some of the industry media attention it’s attracted. But can all instructors embrace the benefits of coaching? Do you think you use coaching already? Read on and decide for yourself!
Effective Driver Coaching
To illustrate effective coaching in action, let’s take one example of a risk increasing factor – passengers. Any distraction can increase the risk of a driver crashing, we all know that. But the distraction of carrying passengers and the effects of peer pressure are quite often a contributory factor as to why young drivers crash, especially young male drivers. How do you address this issue with your learners?
As driving instructors, we’re in a unique position to deal with this issue before it results in your learner becoming just another statistic once they pass their test. You may deal with this issue with your learners already, e.g. you may advise them not to be distracted by passengers, to ask the passengers to be quiet, or perhaps even to avoid carrying passengers, where possible. And young people have this uncanny ability to let things go in one ear… and out of the other. In actual fact, some have the determination to do exactly the opposite of what they are told (‘advised’). I know I did at that age! Not surprising then that this approach to dealing with crash causation factors, although meant with good intention, will not have a great deal of effect.
Driver Coaching enables the coachee to experience and to learn, to make errors and to find solutions.
Imagine for a moment offering the suggestion to your learner to pick up some of their mates during one of their driving lessons. The ultimate decision to do so should be their choice and they need to feel ready for it (of course you wouldn’t even suggest this to a learner who hasn’t attained a suitable level of driving ability yet).
Imagine this Driver Coaching Scenario
Next, imagine encouraging their mates to talk freely in the car while your learner is driving. Now we have a real driving situation, one where real learning can take place. After dropping off their mates, imagine the learning you can both explore. For example, you could ask questions such as:
- How did you feel when you had your mates in the car?
- How did this affect your driving style?
- What else did you notice about your driving?
- Where was your attention while your mates were in the car?
- How aware were you of other road users while your mates were talking to you?
- What did you notice about your reactions and decisions?
- How aware were you of your speed?
- What did you notice about the car’s handling, for example when braking and moving off?
Effective Driving Instructor Coaching Questions for the Learner Driver
The following questions are essential if you really want to make a difference. Make sure you allow time for reflection from your learner and don’t be afraid of silences. It’s essential that the learner gets in touch with their true thoughts and emotions for an effective outcome.
- What are the potential consequences of being distracted by your mates?
- What would physically happen to the car if you were involved in a head on crash, for example?
- What injuries would you be likely to sustain in that crash?
- (OK, so let’s say your legs were shattered, leaving you unable to walk unaided, or maybe you were paralysed…) How would these injuries affect your day to day life?
- If you were convicted of driving without due care and attention, how would this affect your life, your university chances and your future job prospects?
- What if one of your mates died in the crash, how would that affect your life?
- How would that affect your relationship with your mates and your family?
Now to some, this is quite heavy and very sombre. But it is also a chance of recognition and realisation that this could happen to them. They are there in the moment, this is happening in their head. It is extremely powerful. They can believe it could happen to them. It may have happened to someone they know (be sure to check and recognise any potential distress, only go as far as the learner is comfortable with).
So now they’ve explored and mentally experienced the reality and possible consequences of carrying their mates, what options do they have available to them? How will they cope with the extra pressure of having their mates in the car which could result in the ‘vision’ they imagined? What options do they have?
- How will you deal with your mates if they’re being a bit loud whilst you’re driving?
- What if asking them to shut up provokes them further and they take the micky?
- What other options do you have?
- What are the possible outcomes of that option?
- When or with who will that option work best with?
- When will that option be unlikely to work?
- What other options do you have?
Asking ‘what other options do you have?’ after exploring each option helps the learner develop a whole bank of coping strategies, which they have created – not impersonal strategies pushed upon them by driving instructors, parents or teachers.
This form of mental rehearsal enables the learner to start working out which option may be the best in certain circumstances and also provide a backup plan if the first option doesn’t work. Additionally, you can help them decide what choices they will make when they’re a passenger…
- If you were a passenger in your mate’s car, how would you recognise when he/she is being distracted?
- What could you do to help your mate concentrate when he/she is driving?
- How effective would that be?
- When would that not work?
- What other options do you have?
With all the options considered, the learner can now decide what action they can take. Now the learner has a way forward, a coping strategy or strategies, a plan or plans, both as a driver and a passenger.
Now together you can look forward to some new goals.
- So if we drove with your mates in the car again, what would you do differently?
- What do you want your mates to think of your driving?
- What sort of a driver do you want to be?
- How will you become that driver?
- When would you like to achieve that?
- How will you know when you’ve become that driver?
You could suggest additional challenges while driving with their mates as passengers. Maybe they would like to drive somewhere that they would normally go with their mates after they’ve passed (to the cinema, shops, etc). Where possible, allow them to drive there themselves, without your direction. They may like to have the radio or some of their own music on. Allow them to experience, allow them reflect on their performance, allow them to explore their options and allow them to find their ways that work.
Yes, it goes against the grain. Yes, you may initially be extremely uncomfortable doing this. Yes, you may have some learners that you think it would not make a difference with.
But let’s say it does make a difference, let’s say you become comfortable with it, how much learning can take place? And before you say it, yes it may take a chunk of time out of their lesson, but you can’t put a price on a life… right?
