Co Driver Instruction Tips
Effective Practicing
Planning is the best way to get the most out of the practice time you have with your new driver. Start with the material you believe should be covered.
For those taking a Young Drivers of Canada program, the student in-car report will help you figure out what needs the most work. Once you have a clear idea of what skills need the most practice, you should plan the time of day you go out. Heading out at 5:00 pm on the Friday of a long weekend would be a very poor choice if your new driver is just starting to practice.
Early Stages of Practice
In the early stages of your new drivers’ journey, you should practice core skills such as right and left turns.
Try to find a quiet area where you can use two city blocks to drive in a figure 8 route. This will allow for 4 rights followed by 4 lefts in a repeating pattern. The repetition is necessary to help the new driver perfect the use of their eyes, hands and feet. The simplicity of this practice session will help keep everyone’s stress level to a minimum. Important considerations are where and when you practice and that instructions are best given in a positive format.
If you want the new driver to keep their foot off the brake you should always use a positive statement such as “keep your speed steady.” This way you are telling the new driver what to do, rather than what not to do, which is also easier on both of you.
Proper Instruction
New drivers benefit when instructions are provided early, since knowing what is expected is less stressful than finding out at the last moment.
Let the new driver know what you are approaching and what is going to happen when you get there. With plenty of time to process these instructions, the new driver stays more relaxed and is more likely to be correct the first time. The language that you choose is also important, saying “correct” to indicate a positive response is better than saying “right”. In the context of teaching driving, the word right would have 2 meanings; correct and turn right, the meaning the new driver chooses might not be the meaning you intended.
Staying In Control
As Co-Driver, you will assist your new driver throughout the driving practice sessions.
Sometimes this will be done through verbal cues and sometimes it might have to be through physical assistance. You must use your eyes exactly as you would if you were driving the car. Establish a target for your new driver. If that target begins to move in your windshield, you know that the driver is not moving the car in the direction it is supposed to be going.
Consider this scenario, you notice your car is wandering toward the curb or towards oncoming traffic, what should you do? First, you should instruct your driver to correct their course by giving them the correct target verbally, “greenhouse ahead” and then relax. If the new driver does not correct their course, it is time to take control. Say “off the gas”, look at the target and take the wheel yourself. Get to a safe spot then you can relax a little and review what happened with your new driver.
Considering how much focus is needed as co-driver, it is important to note that although you are not driving the car physically, you are driving the car mentally. It is just as important to stay focused as a co-driver and to eliminate texting, phone calls, and other cognitive distractions as it is when you are the driver. You are not only doing this for the safety of yourself and your new driver but also to set a good example and encourage good habits.
Running Commentary
During your practice sessions with your new driver, you may find yourself wondering if the driver is aware of everything going on around them.
There is a simple way to find out: have the driver give you a running commentary. To understand what a running commentary is, think of what a sports-caster does if you watch an event on television you hear an announcer giving a play-by-play. In the car, you ask the new driver to do something similar. A running commentary should be a description of everything the new driver sees that is relevant to the drive and a description of what they are doing about it. Use a short interval of about 2 minutes to give the driver a break, and allow you some time to comment on the last 2 minutes if there is something that they missed. This video is an example of running commentary.
By having the driver comment in this manner, you will both find the driving less stressful and more productive.