By Andrew Rasch
Published: Tuesday, August 23, 2022
With a good driving record and years of experience on the road, you probably think you’re an ideal candidate to help your learner get their P plates. You just need them to listen, and do exactly as you tell them, right?
When we’re young, we usually avoid danger by listening to an older, wiser person: ‘keep away from the fireplace’ or ‘hold my hand while we cross the road.’
Advice like this teaches us that actions have consequences. But is that the right approach when it comes to teaching someone to drive?
Statistics show learner drivers are safest when there’s a supervising driver in the passenger seat.
Too often novice drivers struggle to deal with the responsibilities and decisions of solo driving because they’re not always shown how to think for themselves.
Crash risk skyrockets
Learner drivers are this times more likely to crash when they start driving solo.
Do as I say
Of course, there are times when, for safety’s sake, you’ll need to step in and have the learner listen to your instructions. But, if you find yourself constantly telling them what to do, you’re likely using (and possibly overusing) the ‘do as I say’ approach.
According to Keys2drive’s National Project Manager Aaron Wilson, there needs to be some balance between telling learners what to do and teaching them how to take responsibility.
“Safety is paramount and there’ll always be times when you might need to take control of a situation,” Mr Wilson says.
It’s important learners don’t become conditioned to sit behind the wheel and wait for the next instruction.
“In such cases, learners aren’t doing much thinking for themselves, and their brains can go into autopilot. Think about what happens though when you’re not there and the decisions are up to them.”
Find your own way
Handing over more control to the learner is the other way to show new drivers the ropes. Rather than say ‘you messed up that lane change back there’, you might ask, ‘which part of that lane change didn’t quite work?’ This approach can improve the learner’s ability to work things out and make safer choices on the road.
Coach more and instruct less
Good coaches use open-ended questions effectively. They know that they, like new drivers, always have more to learn.
That’s why when you’re teaching a learner to drive, think of yourself as a driving coach who does more asking than telling.
“The learner will develop ways to become responsible for their own decisions behind the wheel rather than rely on you,” Mr Wilson says.