Our bespoke training is what separates us from other training providers. The thought of a rigid tick box, one size fits all driving course fills us with dread. They’re uninspiring, boring and rarely get the most from a driver. So when we talk about “bespoke training” what do we actually mean?
The way we look at training is the same way we look at our customers, whether business or private. Each one is unique. Every driver is different with regards driving, based on internal and external elements.
Internal elements:
- Personality type
- Attitudes
- Spatial awareness
- Eyesight
- Concentration
- Reaction times
- Coordination
- Stress levels
- Mental health
- Physical health (including mobility)
External elements:
- Years of driving experience
- Type of driving experience (vehicle power/type)
- Mileage covered
- Positive driving experiences (training/enjoyable experiences/positive driving memories)
- Negative driving experiences (road traffic accidents, convictions, driving frustrations)
.
The sum of these elements above, is what makes up a drivers profile. By talking with the driver we get a good understanding of what they are like when they drive. This means we can tailor a course to their needs. To offer bespoke training.
Types of drivers:
Below are just a few examples of drivers, and how we help them.
Anxious about motorways – People who come to us with a fear of motorways, for example may have had one or repeated negative experiences, and a personality that is more cautious and reflective. These drivers tend to really benefit from training, which looks at their past experience, and hints and tips to help them deal with anxiety provoking situations. So not only will they become more confident, they will also learn how better anticipate and deal with situations. Through safer driving they increase their confidence. People aren’t just “scared” of using motorways. They are scared of a specific element of driving, which happens to occur on motorways. It’s our job to focus in and deal with the root cause.
Refresher driving course – People who come to us needing a refresher course tend to have specific issues, which they want to address. These almost exclusively include limited driving experience, and almost always a personality type that has a thoughtful and responsible side. A refresher course is not just longer driving lessons, but a carefully bespoke set of sessions or session, which looks at them as a driver and how best we can get them safely driving again.
Younger driver training – This course is almost always booked by parents. They are keen to help their child after either passing their test, or provide assistance after a collision. There are elements, which work against a younger driver unfortunately, such as limited experience and limited exposure of driving different vehicles. However, they often they have a lot of positive things working for them, such as quicker reaction times, good health, and generally they are more open to change and learning. The training is bespoke with this in mind. Training is much more advanced than driving lessons, and less work on ironing out bad habits takes place, which is usually an issue for more experienced drivers. This means positive learning and change happens quickly with younger drivers.
Post RTC driving course – This course is taken by customers that have suffered an RTC (Road Traffic Collision). Obviously a significant trauma has taken place – the collision. The internal elements and character of a person will often dictate how they bounce back after such an event. For example, someone who encounters mental health challenges at times, such as anxiety may (but not always) find they need more training to help rebuild their confidence levels. Our training will acknowledge and cater for this. Equally if someone has developed a phobia of driving on specific roads, such as motorways after an RTC, we will bespoke the training on these roads, and more specifically, what part of motorways they don’t like. Often this is related to the RTC they were involved in. If they were hit from behind, for example, we tend to find these drivers dislike others driving too close, and so avoid using motorways all together.
What about business clients?
Business clients form a large part of our client base, and while the end customer (i.e the driver) may not have initiated the course, we do still spend time on offering a bespoke service for them.
Below are a few example of fleet/company drivers we help.
Van drivers – Business customers come to us if one or a number of drivers are having to drive a van as part of their job. It maybe they already drive a van, or are new to driving a van. Our bespoke training will look at them as individuals.
Most are fearful of the size of vans, especially so if they have come from only driving a car, and so we spend time working on the use of mirrors, observation and reversing – this is where most collisions in vans occur. If there are any internal elements, which need addressing, such as anxiety at the thought of driving a van, or maybe they are not anxious but appear to have significant barriers to take advice and training (I don’t need to be told how to drive a van), we can identify this and customise the training accordingly. One session we can train a very nervous van driver, the other we can train a driver with a serious attitude. It works so well as we adjust the training to the driver.
Car drivers – Car driver training with business customers come from a very wide background. Some may cover high miles, others not so much. Like with all courses, the training is based around them as individuals, looking at both their internal and external elements to their driving. Some drivers just need a straightforward bespoke course, while others may need more customised help.
On the driving report for each driver, which is sent on email after training, their occupational road risk will be identified so you can be made aware the standard of driving your fleet are at, right down to a very personalised level. Any more “at-risk” drivers can be bought to your attention and dealt with accordingly.
Regardless of your reasons for the training. Regardless of you being a private or business customer, you can rest assured our courses are designed to make positive, lasting change.