Back to school - motoring qualification

“So Mr Rix, if you’d like to make any necessary checks and pull away in your own time,” said the instructor. I glanced in my mirrors, indicated right and rolled smoothly out of the parking space. “OK Jack, if this was a real driving test you would have just failed in the first five seconds. You didn’t check your blindspot, did you?” This wasn’t going well.

I thought my days of staying up all night, cramming facts and figures before an exam, were over. But I was wrong! Auto Express had signed up to a new course: a BTEC in Driving Science.

Run by a company called a2om, based in Guildford, Surrey, it’s the equivalent of a motoring GCSE. It’s designed to run alongside your normal driving lessons, theory test and practical exam.

“The idea is to take a totally different approach to passing your driving test,” explained a2om director Neil Beeson. “It’s not about teaching pupils just enough skills to scrape through their practical exam. It aims to make them think about what they’re doing, and to take pride and responsibility in how they drive.

“Plus, anyone who completes the course will not only be able to drive legally, but has a qualification to put on their CV. They can even get discounts of between 37 and 60 per cent on their insurance premium with Royal and Sun Alliance.”
To achieve the BTEC qualification, pupils are assessed via discussions with their instructor, practical driving exercises and online multiple-choice tests. So, Auto Express decided it was time to put its driving skills and general knowledge to the test. Reluctantly, we were going back to school.

Due to time constraints, we chose to be examined on only one module out of a possible five. And it had to be one that incorporated all the different assessment techniques, to leave no stone unturned. Then it was just a case of booking an a2om instructor, and waiting for the test.

You’d assume that after seven years of accident-free driving, my confidence levels would have been sky high. But all I kept thinking about was how many bad habits I must have picked up over the years. Crossing your hands on the steering wheel, coasting on the clutch and not checking the mirrors every two seconds were definite no-nos the last time I was in a car with an instructor.

Yet all of the above have now become commonplace in my driving style – so how would I fare under the microscope?

Unexpectedly nervous was the best way to describe my feelings moments before the instructor rang my doorbell – would I be found out? If I didn’t perform well, would my job be in jeopardy? Deep breaths, here we go.

Instructor Shafiq Bhatti began by explaining the programme for the day: “We’ll start with a 10-minute drive for you to familiarise yourself with the car, and then head into the assessment,” he said. It was on this familiarisation drive that I forgot to check my blindspot when pulling out, and overstepped the mark at a set of traffic lights – resulting in my front wheels entering the green box reserved for cyclists. If there were any doubts about whether I’d pass before setting off, then they’d just been reaffirmed inside 10 minutes. And now it was time to start my real evaluation.

Bhatti started with a discussion about the factors that can affect your driving performance – such as alcohol, drugs, stress and boredom. Thankfully, I was able to reel off each danger on his list and explain why it might hinder driving. So far so good, then. But next up was the part I’d been dreading most – commentating while driving along.

The skill here is to look into the distance and anticipate what cars, pedestrians, bikes and other hazards are about to do – and then relay this information to your instructor, while remembering to drive safely and properly. And believe me, it’s not as easy as it sounds. We were conducting the assessment in a busy part of south-west London, close to the notorious Wandsworth roundabout, and at one point there were too many hazards for me to talk about at the same time!

Last but not least, we had to engage in another discussion – this time about peer pressure and the negative effect it can have on your driving. “This is an extremely important part of the course,” revealed Bhatti. “Not many people recognise the safety implications of the pressure that young drivers feel from their friends – whether it’s staying late at a party, or simply driving faster than they feel comfortable.”

Once I’d successfully negotiated the verbal test, all that was left was to complete two multiple-choice online exams on my office computer. In order to pass, you need to answer all of the questions correctly, but you can have as many attempts as you like.

The first was entitled Dealing With Emergency Vehicles Safely, which I sailed through first time without any hiccups. However, the next, called Responsibilities Of Owning A Car, proved a little more tricky. The question that tripped me up was: “What is the one situation when it’s legal to drive without an MoT certificate?” After several attempts, I discovered the answer was when you’re taking it to a test centre for a pre-booked MoT appointment. So, with my online results logged and the instructor’s report on the way in the post, all I could do was wait.

As soon as the envelope hit the door mat, I ripped it open and breathed a huge sigh of relief – I had passed the module!

But the instructor still had plenty of pointers for me. Not only did I fail to check my blindspot when I first pulled away, he recommended I use my rear view and side mirrors more often – especially when driving around an obstacle in the road. I’ve also developed a habit over the years of coasting the last few metres before coming to a halt, which is seen as bad practice.

At one point, we drove alongside a bus lane that was only in operation between 7am and 10am, and 4pm to 7pm. It was midday when we passed it, and I missed the sign, omitting to move over into the bus lane – something that could count as a major fault in a genuine practical test, on the grounds of bad lane discipline.

Lastly, I hesitated to enter a yellow box as I didn’t want to be left waiting in the middle of the junction. But as I now know, it’s acceptable to wait in the box, as long as you’re intending to turn right.

So why should you sign up for the BTEC, if you’re already in the process of learning? Bhatti told us: “The standard of driving is getting worse and worse, and with the increase in traffic, drivers are becoming more aggressive. So there’s never been a better time to take your driver training to the next level.”

Beeson added: “The course is primarily targeted at under-25s. This group makes up 11 per cent of all drivers, but they are involved in 22 per cent of road accidents – so better training is clearly needed.

“Also, it’s not only Royal and Sun Alliance with which you can save on your premiums. Plenty of other insurers are showing an interest in the scheme.”

The experience has proved to me that no matter how accomplished you think your driving is, there’s always time to tidy up your skills and increase awareness. If the BTEC in Driving Science was made compulsory for all new drivers, UK roads would undoubtedly be a safer place.