Private Practice : On the Road - Do's and Don'ts
Discuss What You Want To Do
Before you set off, discuss with the learner what you want to achieve during the drive. It may be that you want to consolidate existing skills or work on new skills. Discuss with the instructor the skills that your learner needs to work on and construct the practice sessions on their advice. The logbook is another good way of identifying what skills need to be focused on.
Instructions and Directions
Always give the learner plenty of warning when giving them directions or instructions. Be clear and specific. Instructors will tell the learner that they should go straight on unless told otherwise, you should adopt the same system to help the learner.
If you take a wrong turn, suggest ways back to the route which you had planned, but don't suggest sudden changes of direction or contradict yourself.
Speed
Speed is an important issue for learners to get to grips with. It is one of the major contributory factors in accidents involving young drivers.
Encourage positive attitudes to speed limits. They exist to protect everyone, especially pedestrians, cyclists and children. Lead by example, if the learner sees you breaking the speed limit frequently then they are more likely to do it themselves.
Inexperienced drivers are less likely to be aware of their exact speed. Remind the learner to check their speedometer regularly so they get into the habit of checking their speed.
It is important that learners know the speed limit of the roads they are using, as well as the speed of the car. Periodically ask the learner what the speed limit is to encourage them to make frequent observations.
Observation
Encourage the learner to use their mirrors regularly and to develop the habit of :
Mirrors - Signal - Manoeuvre
Help The Learner
Learners are less experienced and not used to managing the differing workloads and stresses of driving in different situations. Use your experience to look for hazards on the road ahead and help the learner, for example, by pointing out road signs that give the information about the road ahead.
Ask questions to find out what the learner is ‘seeing’ on the road ahead, and if they can spot something that will turn into a hazard.
Do not contradict the driving techniques taught by the instructor, even if you disagree with them. If you are concerned about something, make a note of it and ask the instructor for the reasoning behind it at a later date.
Always stay calm and positive. One of the worst things you can do is to shout (except in a genuine emergency) or be sarcastic, as this will only cause stress and reduce the learner’s confidence. Remember, the learner does not have your driving experience and will make mistakes. Things that may be obvious to you will not be obvious to the learner.
If the learner does something dangerous during the drive, find somewhere safe to stop and discuss what happened - calmly!
Offer advice and tips, and praise where it's due. One of the best training methods is to offer praise, then constructive criticism, and then praise again.
Above all, be patient.
Keep Notes
You may find it useful to make notes during the drive about situations that you encountered and how the learner dealt with them. This will make it easier to structure your conversation after the drive (see Talking To Your Learner).
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