Learner Driver - Watch Out!

Are you a considerate of learner drivers?

Just recently I had a fairly new student who, admittedly, approached a set of traffic lights a little slow with the result they turned red and we had to stop. The driver directly behind us was obviously a bit peeved.

He proceeded to follow us for about a kilometer up and down roads; first he would gun his engine and then wait until the very last moment before slamming on his brakes. This was done repeatedly until he eventually gave up. Needless to say my student was quite upset. And yes I did get his license plate number.

Obviously this example is not typical of an inconsiderate driver but on rare occasions, situations similar to these do arise.

Just a bit of background information

It always intrigues me when discussing learner drivers with friends and acquaintances. Most are understanding but some can become quite irate and will drone on and on about what a danger they are, how they shouldn't be allowed on the road, how they inconvenience other drivers and so on...

Now I know some of you believe that you came out of the womb driving a car and have conveniently forgotten those first lessons when you were starting out, preferring instead to believe that you could drive adequately from day one. And yes, some [very few] have a natural talent for it, but most don't, it's a very gradual process.

Learning to drive is a multi skilled task and research has shown that it can take up to 120 hours of driving practice before these skills are truly learnt. Brand new drivers have to really concentrate just to master the most basic of tasks, steering, braking etc. In the early stages they can be pretty much oblivious as to what is happening around them and so are particularly vulnerable when other drivers do the wrong thing.

What inconsiderate drivers do

• Speed up rather than give way in a merge situation
• Change lanes and cut directly in front - without signaling
• Tail gate to force the learner to speed up
• Overtake just as a student is about to make a turn
• Jump into a parking spot as the learner is trying to maneuver in
• Blatantly disobey the rules at four way intersections
• Change lanes without head checking their blind spot
• Run a red light even though the learner is in the intersection about to turn
• Refuse to allow them to change lanes
• Make rude gestures and shout abuse

This is by no means a complete list but I'm sure you get the idea. There is often no way a brand new driver will have the necessary skills to quickly adjust their driving in these situations, so it is up to the instructor to respond to avoid potential accidents. It is far more difficult to control the situation when a parent is the instructor without the benefit of dual pedals.

Most inconsiderate drivers do not of course do these things with the intent of harming anyone, they just don't think of the possible outcomes to their thoughtless actions.

Of course it's irritating to be stuck behind a new driver, especially if we are in a hurry and in an ideal world all learners would be relegated to an isolated area until their driving ability was up to standard. But in the real world you are going to find them everywhere you go. So why not take a deep breathe, give them plenty of room, do the right thing because one day it may be your son or daughter being taught to drive.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6286479

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