Driving Safety First
Improving Road Safety For Novice Driver
Goodyear EMEA
This report, published 28th November 2013 by Goodyear, is a bit of a mixed bag. Essentially the report is talking about road safety taking evidence from sources across Europe advocating the Graduated Driving Licence (GDL) scheme. This is a rather reactive scheme placing emphasis on safety after the learner has already received the negative influences.
One thing the DIA is pleased to see is that Goodyear are open to seeing a much better structured road safety message placed in schools and a system of engaging the parents more proactively in the learning through the parents potentially being offered development in road safety. This could certainly help remove what is generally considered as one of the main negative influences – where parents put their out-of –date techniques on show, trying to influence their so called, ‘correct way of driving’ on their young.
The report, quite rightly highlights, that some of the behaviour patterns by young, inexperienced drivers, could be due to influences from the ‘urgency in modern day life’ for this age group. Every thing is at their finger-tips – mobile communication, music, social media – it is all they know. This exasperates their distraction from the road. Perhaps the manufacturers of this equipment may have a responsibility to their safety too.
Howard Redwood, Road Safety Specialist
"Not a True Representation of the UK Driver Instructor Community"
The statistics showing support for GDL from the driving instructor community are somewhat skewed as only a relatively small proportion of UK instructors were ultimately surveyed for this report. Only c.2000 instructors responded to the survey Europe wide with a much smaller response rate from the UK, which is a shame as this would have been a great opportunity to get a wider input from driver trainers. A much more comprehensive survey, designed to gauge understanding and attitudes towards GDL amongst the driver trainer community, has been undertaken by DIA in the past 6 months and includes the responses from over 5000 trainers in the UK alone. Our report, to be published in the next month, will focus on measures which tackle education at a much earlier stage in novice driver's development, a move away from the stable door after the horse has bolted measure that GDL effectively is.
Carly Brookfield, Head of Marketing
Our findings concluded that the majority of ADIs in the UK were not in favour of GDL
Parent involvement is being suggested by the Goodyear report, however, only in an accompanied practice and post test accompanying capacity as part of a GDL approach (replacing the trainer) before the driver is allowed to go solo, again with no professional trainer intervention. It makes no mention of any upskilling of the accompanying driver, therefore how will this improve the standard of the new driver. The post test accompanying of a parent will probably be seen as a burden by both parent and new driver and as further ferrying around of their children. The likelihood is the new driver will drive to a friends or party and when Mum/Dad return later to collect them, the parent will drive them home. This action will just be a continuation of the parent/taxi partnership!
With no valid additional driver development involving a professional coach/mentor the inevitable outcome (crashing) is likely only to be delayed. This is not a solution to the problem, simply a delaying process.
The report focuses on how training needs to targeted correctly and what aspects of skills development should be included in the package. There is little acknowledgement of attitude and behaviour development being part of the role of the trainer.
My view is that whatever the content of a skills test, candidates will be able to achieve success with or without a trainer. this is clearly not why young drivers are getting it wrong post test and therefore the reasons for their crashes need to be addressed as part of the overall education process. We need to develop a new culture towards the use of the road by all who use it. Peers setting the example to young people (parents and other family members, other drivers, friends) need to be educated and reassessed as well. New drivers are currently being introduced to the road system from an early age in the back of the car and gaining experience from incompetent peers. They are then released when they pass the test into an already broken system.
Mike Frisby, DIAmond Chief Examiner
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