What do I need to do to do well here:
- Consider the human factors of your pupil
How well do they normally manage themselves whilst learning? How do they cope with human factors such as a focus on a task, overload and perhaps anxiety? Remember this is a different situation for them too. When dividing up responsibilities discuss with them how their thoughts and feelings could be impacted by having a driving examiner in the back,
How might those thoughts and feelings impact their driving today? Listen to their responses and help them come up with strategies to cope. it’s quite common for the driver on the standards checks to be affected by nerves and pressure. Ensure that they are aware that they are being assessed but don’t undermine or overlook their feelings in doing so. We don’t choose to be emotional and our emotional responses don’t necessarily switch off because we are told ‘the examiner is here to assess me, not you’.
So will they need any extra help to cope with their feelings or to help keep the car safe whilst focused on the task and are there any issues around the goal of the session where anxieties or multitasking could impact their abilities? Are there any junctions or carriageways along the route where they might need additional support?
The DVSA NSDRT unit 6.4 states:
Manage risk to the instructor, learner and third parties
It assumes that learners will always be expected to take their share of responsibility for the management of risk while recognising that their competence to take that responsibility will change over the period of their training. It also recognises that correctly understanding the nature of the risks that arise during a training session is central to a learner’s ability to assess and respond to risk when they drive/ride independently.