Activity Three Facilitator's Notes : Establish beliefs, attitudes and knowledge
The aim of this activity is to get the delegates to reflect upon their experiences as a driver and the importance of experience when it comes to dealing with new situations on the road.
This helps delegates consider that learning to drive cannot provide all the experience they will ever need for driving, and to identify their own perceived limitations by promoting reflection on their own experiences.
This activity also helps to form the group by establishing discussion and encourages delegates to contribute their views.
Facilitator's Notes
We used the following quotes, and a typical discussion about each of the quotes is described.
Quote 1
"Because of driving in an area that we're not really familiar with, it's a lot harder. I drive in London when I'm used to driving in Stafford. It's a lot different, getting in the correct lane and stuff, it's a lot different driving in the city."
Often, the examples of Stafford and London were replaced with a small town and large city local to the workshop to ensure that the delegates could better visualise the comparison. London is the clearest example of a large city though.
Most delegates agreed with this quote, and quite often gave examples of times when they drove in new or unfamiliar areas.
During this discussion, we also raised examples of different environments to highlight relative inexperience in a wider range of circumstances. Examples were motorway driving, or when first driving on rural roads. The contrast of driving in a smaller town with London traffic was also useful if any of the delegates have had experience driving in London.
Try to steer the young drivers to understand that learning to drive does not adequately prepare you for driving for work due to different environments and conditions which work driving requires. However, it is important that they work it out for themselves through the questioning and the tasks. It has to be active reflection on their part through the group work.
Quote 2
"The test; they try to take you round as many different places as they can and try to show you all these different situations but because the test is only there at that time, it could be when there's no traffic around, it's completely different to when you're out there driving in real life."
Most delegates agreed with this quote. A common supporting view was that 'first you pass your test, then you learn to drive' and we found that many delegates gave examples of driving practices that they'd dropped since the test (such as the positioning of hands on the steering wheel) or of habits they'd picked up since (such as exceeding the speed limit).
Many of the examples which delegates give led to the conclusion that there is only a certain amount you can learn from learner training, and that learning is an ongoing process which the delegates, and in fact any driver on the road, is constantly doing.
In the pilot workshops we found some delegates stated that there is no difference and that you would not have passed if you were not safe. When this was raised in discussion, we asked the smaller groups to talk about their own experiences of driving solo for the first time, or the first time they drove on a motorway. This helps illustrate the difference between driving as a learner and driving on your own as a new licensed driver.
If participants understand the difference between when they were a new driver and how they are now, then they should also start to realise the difference that experience can make and how learning is an ongoing process.
Quote 3
"It's all chance, it's all pot-chance for driving, whether you've got the knowledge to drive good or not, what personality you are and other road users as well. There's loads of different things that cause accidents, it's not just drivers it could be anything."
Delegates gave mixed responses to this quote, often disagreeing with the first sentence and agreeing with the second.
The important conclusion from this quote is that driving isn't pot chance and that decisions and actions which the delegates make can influence their chance of them being involved in an accident.
As well as technical mastery of the vehicle, ask delegates to discuss how things like individual personality or assumptions influence the risk of being involved in an accident. This should help delegates towards the conclusion that although 'anything' might happen, the 'anything' can be avoided or managed as best as possible, thus taking the 'pot-chance' out of driving.
Where delegates agreed with driving being pot chance, we found some common themes emerging, which can be questioned. Although it is best to let other delegates cite examples, there are some examples which you can put to the group if necessary.
Occasionally, delegates will put forward vehicle or highway-related issues that can contribute to an accident. Delegates can be encouraged to describe a situation where such a factor led to an accident, but then discuss what they could do to prevent it. Asking the delegates what percentage of accidents involve some form of human error can also highlight the influence they have.
One delegate gave an example in relation to an earlier quote that they were driving fast down a country lane because the road was clear and therefore 'safe to drive at the national speed limit. They were taken by surprise by a bus coming around the corner which would not normally be using the road, and reported a near-miss. By referring back to this earlier example we could explain that by driving at a more appropriate speed and by thinking ahead to what might be around the corner, he would not have been surprised by the bus. Hence the 'pot chance' of the bus could have been prepared for, and safely negotiated.
The other main example of pot chance often cited by delegates involves the actions of 'other road users'. Some groups cited examples of other road users driving in a dangerous or unpredictable manner.
We found one response was to put forward examples of where a road user had reacted to the uncertainty about another's actions. Although mistakes do happen on the road, all parties can try and do things to avoid an accident.
Examples we used were a motorcyclist who was uncertain about whether a car waiting in a side road had seen them, or a driver on a roundabout who suspects that another car is going to pull across. To encourage a participant to put forward their views, a description of one of these scenarios was presented and the delegates asked what they would do if they found themselves in one of these positions. This helps delegates to start to think about the road from other users' view points.
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