What is necessary from you, if you want to create a great driver?

Are you aware of your pupils actions?

If you're not looking at them there's a high likelihood you'll never create a great driver.

Your pupil's actions and you being aware of those action will make you create a great driver.

I say this because if you are not watching them and being aware of every little detail of their actions you'll never truly know whether they are a great driver or not.

How many times do you sit in a car as a passenger with a member of your family or a friend and scrutinise how they drive?
Generally, we sit as a passenger and we might do that annoying look left and right at junctions and get in the way of the actual driver, but apart from that, we sit as a passenger, get from A-B with a total lack of attention of the driver and their actions.
Are they a good driver?
Are they a great driver?
Or do they just get from A-B without you really knowing if they are a good driver or not?

Do you consider a driver that gets you from A-B without any events happening is a good driver?
If that's what builds your opinion on how good a driver is, then maybe being an instructor is not for you.

Being a driving instructor, a GOOD driving instructor, you'll always want to be helping every single pupil you teach to become the best driver they can possibly be. If we just create moderate drivers who can pass a test by the skin of their teeth and get from A-B without crashing and consider that's good enough, we really don't have much of an interest in road safety.

These "moderate" drivers are people we share the roads with, do we want to always have to think "I'm a good driver, I only need to worry about everyone else on the road", Or do we want to think "I'm a good driver and so is everyone else I've taught".

If we are creating great drivers, eventually, overtime we end up with much safer roads.

This all starts with US the instructor industry!
We are the grass roots of road safety!

And the only true way of knowing we are creating Great drivers is by watching them throughout their training program.


E.H.F.C
Is literally the order of events that a driver's will implement when using the MSPSGL routine when arriving at a junction whether emerging or approaching.

EYES. If they are slowing down they should be checking their mirrors first! If they are changing direction they should be checking their mirrors first!

HANDS. They will be looking at placing on a signal to notify other road users of their intentions. Watch for hand movement to place on a signal.

FEET. They will need to slow down on approach to the end of a road of if arriving to turn into a junction or arriving at a roundabout.  Have their feet moved ready for the brake and clutch?

CONTROLS. If they are slowing down, it's highly likely they will need to change gear. Are their hands still on the steering wheel or are they getting ready to change gear?

This sequence of events should happen every single time the MSPSGL routine is implemented at junctions.

As an experienced driver, you'll know when you would be implementing these actions, therefore, if your pupil hasn't started any of these action when you would have, then it is very possible they are not going to get all of them in place in time before the junction arrives.

As an instructor, you'll need to have a skill that works just like a snooker player, you're thinking of the next shot before it takes place. In other words you'll always need to be 5-10 seconds ahead of your pupil. This timespan will reduce as their experience grows and they become more fluent with their control skills and motor skills.

You'll then have to build a skill of knowing when you'll need to intervene with prompts if necessary to get actions happening. 

THIS MUST BE PROACTIVE and not REACTIVE.

REACTIVE is too late, any issue that will arise, WILL arise, because you've left it to lat to get involved.

Being proactive will avoid issues arising and also build you pupils skills to know when things need to be implemented.

For a new learner you may need to be fully guiding them through the whole process. As their skills grow, this will reduce to prompting, and as the skills grow further, you'll be able to allow them to carry out these actions fully independently. 

While building these skills with your pupil, they need to understand fully why they are using these routines, why they are carried out in the sequence we recommend, and what the benefits are of carrying them out in this manner.

They need to believe that the reason why these actions need to take place are for the right reasons. Their initial beliefs, thoughts and understanding may be totally different to yours and that's ok, but don't be dismissive of their thoughts, beliefs or understanding. Listen to why they might believe their way is better, you then need to attempt to allow them to see why implementation of the routines and their order will benefit them in the long run. 
Obviously you can't force your beliefs on anyone, but you may need to let them see what may go wrong by not carrying things out in the correct manner to awaken them to believe that the way you are trying to educate them is the better way.


EHFC is for instructors to spot errors happening before they happen, but if you're not watching your pupil and staring out of the windscreen you'll miss every single one of them and will be totally unaware of whether your pupil is carrying them out or not.
This in turn will have you firefighting the whole lesson.

Get used to watching your pupil, but also ensure you explain to your pupil literally on the very first day, why you are watching them. Also explain to them that the sooner they get used to you watching them, they won't be so freaked out when an examiner starts watching them during their driving test.

Some instructors may use eye mirrors. For me personally, I get 100 times more information from my pupils by looking at them when instructions are given.
some of the biggest benefits of you looking at them when you give instructions is that your instructions will be directed at them and not at the windscreen. You also see any reaction that may appear on their face (confusion, panic, stress, fear etc), you may see their skin tone change, they get flushed, sweaty, go pale.
You might see their hands or finger start twitching or their feet or leg start to fidget. Are they uncomfortable with the instruction you have just given them?

Body language will give you so much information about your pupil, as the more lesson you have with them, the more you will naturally know about how they are feeling. You'll pick up on these tiny things that they probably don't even know they are doing.
Having an understanding of your pupils body language will also help build a good rapport with your pupil because they will get to know that you "get them" this builds trust between you and them. That trust inevitably leads to them opening up more to you because they know you have their best interest at heart.

Watch you your pupil and you'll create great drivers!