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change back into 1st gear, they are looking down at the gear lever instead of where they are going.


5. It could be that, as they put the clutch down just before stopping, it causes a reaction with the right foot of braking harder.


6. It could be that they have experienced drivers turning right from the main road cutting the corner and so they feel it is safer to stop early, even though they know the correct reference point.


Here I have given six possible causes of the fault and I am sure readers could think of others. Our job as an instructor is to work out which one applies to the pupil. Sometimes this is done simply by observing the pupil such as in 4 above, or you could feel what has happened as in 5 above. For the other examples, it is often a process of elimination using some Q&A. For example, you could start by asking the pupil if he is aware of the consequences of stopping early, then if this is answered correctly, follow this by asking what reference point the pupil uses. If this is answered correctly and you have not observed any other reason why this could have happened, then you have eliminated two possible causes. Your next question would then logically be to ask the pupil why he stopped early and this is when you may discover an answer such as in example 6.


With regards the use of reference points, my own feelings are to use these where appropriate to accelerate the learning process. Once the pupil can ‘feel’ where to position the vehicle etc. then reference points will no longer be needed.


As mentioned earlier, it is a good idea to make a ‘mental checklist’ of key areas for the subject you are teaching. This can then be developed further into a ‘mental database’ of potential causes of faults.


For a beginner or partly trained pupil (someone who is following a course of lessons) where we are teaching a new subject, we use more telling than questioning for the analysis as we are developing the pupil’s knowledge. For a trained pupil or full licence holder where you are reviewing a subject, then we use more Q&A to answer the question why has the pupil done this wrong (where is the gap in their knowledge)?


Remedial Action


This is often known as Fault Rectification. The objective is to give a solution to the fault that will enable the pupil to overcome the error, avoid repeating it and eventually to do this independently of you. This may not be immediate if this would be inappropriate at the time, but it should be given at the first opportunity and may include use of visual aids and or reference points etc. Let us once again take the example of a pupil who approaches a closed T-junction but stops too early before the give way line.


Our rectification could be: ‘Move up a bit - a bit more- right stop there. This is where I want you to stop next time.’ However, this may not cure the fault as the pupil is only in the right place because you have placed him there and has no reference of how to do this on his/her own.


However if the rectification was: ‘I want you to move forward until you can see the give-way lines just appear under your right exterior door mirror.’ Now the pupil has a reference point which he can use next time independently to help position correctly.


A remedy should be precise, clear and concise. Use doing words such as: start; check; keep; select; use; look; turn; straighten; steer; and then qualify these doing words with specific actions. For example, if you are trying to rectify the point where a pupil should steer left when


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turning major to minor: steer left three quarters of a turn, or steer left when the front of your car reaches the last straight kerb stone before the bend, or this can be developed further by using reference points such as ‘steer left when you can see the curved kerbstones are in the bottom left hand corner of your front windscreen.’ For a beginner or partly trained pupil where you are teaching a new subject, use more telling than questioning for the remedial action in the early stages of the lesson.


For a trained pupil or full licence holder, use questioning to establish if the pupil has a rectification such as a reference point and if, in your opinion, it would work. For example, let’s once again take the fault of a pupil who approaches a closed T-junction but stops too early before the give way line. It is established, using Q&A, that the pupil is using a reference point of trying to position the front of the car just behind the give-way line. However you assess that the front of the car is not visible from the driver’s seat so a certain amount of guess work must be involved which is why the pupil’s reference point is not working. Now you can instruct by giving the pupil a more effective reference point: ‘I want you to stop when you see the give-way lines just appear under your right exterior door mirror.’


The “What, Why and How of Instructional Technique for Driving Instructors” is one of the few books that offers a purely practical approach using scenarios between instructor and pupil and contains numerous examples of the practical use of the core competencies.


The What, Why and How of Instructional Technique for Driving Instructors is available to order online at: www.instructordoctors.co.uk Price £27.00 plus £2.00 (postage and packing)


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