Driving Instructors Association DIA

Smart Training John offers some important advice on fully preparing candidates for all aspects of the test Anti-Shock Tactics! John Farlam If you've spent any period of time in another country you may have experienced the modern phenomenon known as 'culture shock'; typically this manifests itself as homesickness or mild anxiety. People are most at ease with things they are familiar with. When faced with unfamiliar behaviour and customs we can become stressed and uncomfortable. Culture shock is not dissimilar to 'driving test shock' (my terminology), a condition that might, at least partly, account for the test nerves reported by some candidates. While most instructors will ensure their pupils' driving is up to the required standard before allowing them to take the test, it's possible that other aspects of test-readiness may be unwittingly overlooked. Consider, for a moment, the differences between the way examiners conduct their business during the test and the way you conduct your business during lessons. The chances are that, if your terminology and procedure differs significantly from that of the examiners, your pupils are at risk of driving test shock. In this article I identify some of the areas where differences between your behaviour and that of the examiners might cause problems. Waiting room shock Shock can often begin in the test-centre. How often have you shared the waiting room with a bunch of people who would look happier at the dentists? Would it be too much to ask for instructors to get their pupils chatting with other test hopefuls ­ or dare I say ­ even crack a few jokes to ease the tension? However, you choose to lighten the atmosphere,it's certainly a good idea to visit the test centre (i.e. go inside) at least once before the big day; perhaps starting your mock tests like the real thing! Language shock My guess is that most driving lessons begin with a brief 'settling in' chat to establish rapport, followed by a review of progress to date and a look forward to the lesson. So far so good! But how do you brief your pupils about route directions? At the start of the driving test the examiner will offer the following advice (or similar): "I would like you to follow the road ahead as directed by road signs or markings unless I ask you to turn to the left or right which I will do in good time . . ." This formal instruction can wobble the tummies of the hardiest waiting room survivors! If you never deliver anything similar to the examiner's introduction during your lessons, the formality and totally new information can reinforce any test nerves. At its worst it could leave the candidate wondering what the examiner is on about! Of course, if you always conduct mock-tests, your pupil will have heard the words before and perhaps have experienced the formality with which they are delivered. However, the potential for worry will still be there because the test is marked out as something significantly different from normal lessons. To eliminate this risk, at least in part, include something similar to the test jargon in all of your lessons: "OK Fred, I'll tell you when to turn, otherwise just go straight on . . . but please, not the wrong way up one-way streets like last week!" If you do this on every lesson, the only difference between the examiner's spiel and your own will be the formality ­ this will not be a major shock as your pupils will probably be expecting the examiner to be a bit starchy (as demonstrated by you during a mock test). It's not only the language at the start of the test that can cause problems. How do you deliver your route directions and your instructions to start set manoeuvres? Again, you need not be as formal as the examiner, but you should follow similar patterns. You could even try a bit of 'reverse psychology' . . . When your pupils are proficient with set manoeuvres and are simply practising, you can mimic the examiner's formal style in a satirical way. Doing this in a formal voice, exaggerating the formality, you may even raise a giggle, thereby associating relaxation with the instruction. On test, the examiner's words will trigger the relaxation (although examiners might wonder why all of your pupils laugh when they are asked to turn the car around!). Perhaps the final point on language should be the fact that it is absent for most of the test period. Do your pupils get plenty of practice driving in absolute silence? Silence during a mock test means no encouragement and certainly no prompting ­ otherwise your pupils will not experience the feelings of uncertainty typically encountered during a test. Experiencing and coping with these feelings is an important part of test preparation. Observation shock For years I used an instructor's eye-mirror and up to about five years ago, anyone who came to me for training without such a mirror was briskly whisked off to the local car accessory shop. However, these days I generally advise against their use for a few good reasons. In the context of this article, the problem with using eye-mirrors is that your pupils will not be prepared for the way that the examiner will watch them during the test. When accompanying pupils on test, you will notice that there are times when the examiner stares at the candidate. If your pupils have never been watched in this way they may feel intimidated or under scrutiny ­ not the best frame of mind for a relaxed test experience! Even if you use examiner type observation during mock tests, it will still disturb many pupils. The only sure way to overcome this problem is to watch your pupils directly right from the first lesson so that it becomes the norm. Of course, there will be some pupils who don't like being watched. However, by offering a simple 'inoculation' you can easily overcome this problem. Do this by explaining that some people are a little uncomfortable when being watched, but that after a couple of lessons they will "easily learn to relax and be better prepared for the examiner when it comes to test time". Manoeuvre shock What is your procedure when pulling up to practise manoeuvres? For example, when reversing around a corner to the left or right, do you always pull up before the turn and explain that "the opening ahead is the one we are going to reverse into"? Or do you just tell your pupils to "pull up after the junction ahead". Remember, the more you follow test procedure, the less potential there will be for confusion or misunderstanding during the actual test. In the case of reversing around a corner there is another good reason for always pulling up before the junction when starting a practice session ­ pupils who are not used to doing this will be more likely to forget the shoulder check when moving off (because they are focused on the manoeuvre). They may also neglect to check whether the target road is clear. How busy are the roads that you use for the turn-in-the-road, parallel park and emergency stop manoeuvres? Are they as busy as those typically used in your local test area? Even if you use test routes (being careful not to upset residents or examiners!), the roads may well be a lot busier during the working day than they are during evening or weekend lessons. When prompting the emergency stop, do you use the same method as your local examiners or do you use one of the older methods such as tapping the dashboard or windscreen? The difference might be just enough to cause a momentary hesitation that will make the stop less than prompt. Finally, do you teach all the manoeuvres? For example, some instructors neglect to teach the angle start as a specific test manoeuvre. This provides further room for uncertainty when the pupil goes for test ("I wonder why he pulled me up and asked me to move off again?"). The list of 'differences' covered in this article is not exhaustive, but hopefully it will have raised your awareness just a little and set you on the road to presenting better prepared test candidates. You can contact John Farlam by: email: John@smartdriving.co.uk and/or get free driving, training and business advice by visiting: www.smartdriving.co.uk