DVSA National Driving Syllabus, Unit 2: Guide and control a vehicle

DVSA National Driving Syllabus, Unit 2: Guide and control a vehicle
This short article has been prompted by one or two Facebook posts from a few driving instructors, saying driving is not rocket science and, whilst this maybe true from a skills development point of view, I believe there is an aspect to learning to drive that is hugely complex.
Driving is complex because it involves taking in loads of information and acting on that information appropriately. To do this, the driver must be able to scan the environment; constantly and immediately sift through the information while travelling at various speeds; and then interpret the information to decide how to act, whilst understanding the possible risks and hazards the whole time they are driving. This requires lots of concentration and drivers are bombarded with distractions, which make this task all the more difficult.
We driving instructors often become one of those very distractions to our learner drivers. In our quest to help, we sometimes overload the client with too much information and treat the whole lesson as one long hazard perception task. This is fine if that is the goal of the lesson but if you are an inexperienced driver just imagine the information overload that is going on.
We need to understand that new drivers will learn in spite of us so we need to know clearly what information and help we are giving on each lesson. Dividing up your lessons into smaller, goal-focused sections and using the DVSA Syllabus to create an ongoing learning experience is also beneficial to your own development as an ADI.
Unit 2 of the DVSA Driver Training Syllabus 'Guide and control a vehicle' provides the information for you to cover on your driving lessons.
As ADIs, it is imperative that we keep our skills and knowledge up to date and make sure that we offer a comprehensive training package that is about safe driving for life and not just passing a test. Making the lessons real in focusing on post-test potential experiences can help bring your training to life.
If you are interested in how to enhance your skills and put yourself ahead of your competition then we can help you with a whole series of courses and products designed to make you an even better ADI than you are now.
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