If you're a driving instructor looking to improve your pass rate, you should consider switching from a teaching style of instruction to coaching. Find out how to get started and why it's important on ADI Network.

Coaching vs Instructing

You've probably heard of the latest trend in the driving tuition industry: coaching rather than instructing. It might sound confusing given that you're a driving instructor, but it's more than just a buzz word that will disappear faster than it arrived.

The word 'instruct' usually means the act of telling someone else what to do. Think back to your time in education, and you'll remember your teachers telling you what you need to know. All you had to do was take notes and remember what you were being told.

Now you're no longer in school, do you know what equation to use to work out the radius of a circle? For most people, the answer will be no. One of the core reasons for that is because everyone has a different learning style, and instruction doesn't really take that into consideration.

It's easy to zone out or struggle to pick up skills that are just being told to you, and a lot of people struggle with learning something new until they apply it themselves.

Coaching is more of a collaborative effort between yourself and the learner. You're still sharing your knowledge and taking on a mentor position, but there are a few key differences.

To be an effective coach, you should focus on asking questions to allow the learner to reach the answer themselves. It's also important to listen, reflect and paraphrase to show you understand and to make sure you're on the same page with the learner.

A regular contributor to ADI Network, Ray Seagrave is a national award winning driving instructor, who has since moved on to ADI training.

He has 25 years of experience in of working in senior business marketing management positions, which has developed his skills around building rapport with clients. He is also qualified as a Fleet Driver Metrics Coach and accelerate instructor trainer and teaching ADIs 'Coaching for Driver Development' all over the Midlands.

Ray has a passion for personal development, improving driver safety and the development of the driver training industry, which shines through in the work that he does with Intelligent Instructor & ADI Network.

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Coaching vs Instructing: The Difference

A good driving instructor doesn't just help their learner pass their driving test. It's important to teach good habits to ensure they're a safe driver for life. Find out how with ADI Network!

How Driving Instructors Can Create Responsible Drivers

Driving instructors know better than anybody that young drivers are the most likely to be involved in a road accident. But did you know an 18-year-old is six times more likely to crash than their parents?

Ability comes with experience, so it’s logical to assume that somebody driving for 1 year is more at risk than those with 10+ years of experience behind the wheel. However, when you zoom out and look at the wider stats, only 20% of new drivers aged between 35-44 and 16% over 55 are involved in an accident during their first year of driving.

In comparison, a whopping 26% of new drivers aged between 18 and 24 are involved in a crash in their year as a driving ‘fresher’, so it’s clear to see that age isn’t just a number when it comes to road safety.

In this article, we’ll look at why young drivers are more likely to find themselves in an accident, and what you can do as an instructor to help them stay safe.

Why are young drivers more likely to crash?

Road safety charity Brake found that people aged 17-19 are involved in nearly a tenth of all serious and fatal crashes in the UK, despite only making up 1.5% of driving licence holders. This amounts to an average of 1,500 young drivers being killed or seriously injured in the UK each year. These figures are seriously worrying but help to shed some light on why car insurance is so high for teenaged drivers.

So why are younger drivers most likely to be in a crash? It can be boiled down to 3 main reasons:

After passing their test, a lot of young drivers are pumped full of adrenaline and excitement to get out on the open road. In other words, they’re on top of the world and feel like they can take on any challenge.

This isn't a wise attitude to have when driving. Over-confidence is one of the biggest factors that lead to young people being involved in a disproportionate number of accidents.

You can hardly blame somebody who’s recently passed for lacking experience. After all, they’ve probably only spent around 50 hours behind the wheel before taking the test. And, according to the ROSPA, it takes around 1000 hours to experience most challenges that the road offers and be considered ‘experienced’ — so most young drivers have a way to go before hitting those numbers.

The first thing many in their late teens-slash-twenties do with their new pink licence is take their mates out for a spin. This is all harmless fun — if the driver concentrates on the road and doesn’t let things going on inside the car distract them.

And then there are mobile phones. Young people, as we all know, are glued to their smartphones, and this habit can easily creep in while driving. They might think “it’ll only take a second” to skip a song or check their notifications, but that second can be the difference between life and death.

Distraction combined with inexperience and a dash of over-confidence = a recipe for disaster.

So now we know why young drivers are more likely to be involved in a bump than other age groups, let’s look at how we as ADIs can help to impart sensible driving habits on them.

We’ll start with the most obvious, but something still worth saying — being a positive example to our learners is crucial. As their instructor, you’re probably the most authoritative driver in their life. Most teens will let what their parents say go in one ear and straight out the other (I’m sure you’ve experienced this, one way or another!) — but you’ve got the advantage of being a fresh voice of influence.

Speak to your students about the dangers of speeding. Tell them stories of drink or drug drivers who ended up in jail, or worse, dead. Never let your emotions get the better of you during lessons, so they learn to stay cool in every situation.

One factoid that can really hit home with young men is that more young women die as passengers than drivers. Nobody wants to put their girlfriend’s life in danger by showing off and driving carelessly.

Arrange lessons in as many conditions as possible

This is easier said than done, especially when students are eager to pass or are taking an intensive course. However, it’s usually possible to arrange at least a few hours of driving in the dark and/or rainy conditions (this is the UK, after all!).

Extra care needs to be taken when driving in adverse conditions, and you’re the best-placed person to teach learners exactly what they need to do.

They might not like to hear it. They might even see it as stunting their newfound freedom. But black box (a.k.a telematics) insurance can be a real lifesaver while also helping to save a bit of cash.

Most young drivers dread taking out their first policy, and many will ask you for your advice on how to limit the costs. Try to encourage a black box insurance policy — your learner will drive with more care in their first year of driving, helping to build vital experience in the meantime.

Most recent passers will be glad that they don’t have to pay for driving lessons anymore (no offence to us ADIs, I’m sure!), so many young drivers could turn their noses up at advanced or PassPlus training. However, it’s worth the discussion, especially as PassPlus can also help to drive insurance costs down.

If the learner isn’t thrilled with the idea of post-pass driving tuition, see if their parent/guardian is more open to the idea. If that still gets you nowhere, you could try to incorporate motorway tuition into their regular driving lessons. This way, the learner gets important motorway and high-speed driving practice without feeling as though they’re paying extra or being treated like a baby.

How about sharing these tips with your learners? You can help to keep them safe and, eventually, save a few pennies on their insurance! Share this article on how young drivers can stay safe with your learners and recent passers.

How Driving Instructors Can Help Learners Become Responsible Drivers

Are you a driving instructor looking to build your local reputation? Find out what qualities you need to have everyone talking about you.

9 Qualities Driving Instructors Need

When someone starts learning to drive, selecting the right instructor can be a make or break decision. You'll be guiding this person through a tricky process that requires patience, determination and good communication from everyone involved. So, to be a successful instructor, you need to make sure you showcase the best qualities.

Want to make things a bit easier? Below we've listed 9 qualities that all good driving instructors should possess. Consider these points when teaching and your business will be off to the best possible start!

It goes without saying that learners want an instructor who has already helped a lot of people earn their licence. This indicates that they possess all of the necessary skills and know how to work with learners who have a variety of different needs.

People who have been in the job for a long time are also likely to have a thorough understanding of local test routes and examiners. Learners will respect your experience, utilise your knowledge and you'll be on to a winner with your reputation.

With that being said, everyone has to start somewhere, so don't worry if you're a PDI or a new ADI. You still have a lot to offer. All of your training will be up to date and fresh in your mind, and you've still got a wealth of experience to draw from.

When learning to drive you're unlikely to get everything (if anything!) right first time. It's really important for a learner's progress, therefore, that they have an instructor who is understanding and patient. Someone who gets frustrated or annoyed when a learner doesn't master skills straight away is only going to knock their confidence and make things worse. 

Practice makes perfect, and a good instructor will give their learners enough space and encouragement to learn and grow until they are ready for the test. 

You don't exactly need to be best mates with your learners, but it certainly helps if you get along! That's why it's important that whoever you're teaching, you're always friendly and approachable. Being in a car with a person you don't know very well can feel a bit awkward at first, so being able to put someone at ease is a great quality to have.

Sure, you're only spending time with this person to teach them a valuable skill, but never underestimate the power of small talk. Being able to chat to your learner in a relaxed manner will reduce their nerves and enable both of you to enjoy the lessons.

Some people are visual learners, some people are verbal learners and some people simply like to get stuck in and learn by experience. The point is, everyone responds differently to certain teaching methods and you need to adapt to this or find students that that match your preferred teaching style.

When selecting an instructor, it's about finding what works for the learner. One learner might have positive feedback for you, while another doesn't get along with you.

Think about how you take in new information yourself. Do you find a  no-nonsense, tough love teacher gets the best out of you? Or maybe a softly, softly approach is more effective. Try to adapt your teaching style to fit the needs of different learners, and you're on the right track.

Make sure you're a great communicator, so learners know exactly what they're doing and how well they're doing it. Years of experience is all well and good, but it's no use having that driving knowledge if you can't explain it in a way that learners can understand.

The process of learning to drive involves trying new things, acknowledging weaknesses and learning from mistakes. All of this is nearly impossible for a learner to achieve if their instructor cannot accurately (and kindly) describe your progress (or lack thereof!).

Especially on the occasions where feedback may be negative, you need to be able to get this across without being too harsh. If communication between you and your learner is even a little off, it can leave them feeling confused and maybe even disheartened. Be someone who can walk the walk and talk the talk!

To do things right by the DVSA you need to be fairly organised and punctual—they have very little sympathy for lost licences or late learners. As you're most likely going to be the one taking your learners to the test centre and preparing them for the examiner, you need to make sure you are reliable.

Cancelling too many lessons or, God forbid, showing up to the test centre late, will really hamper your learner's chances of passing. This can affect your reputation, pass rate, and may even lead to you being called for a standards check test.

Driving is stressful, particularly when you're a newbie. The best instructors are ready for the unexpected and won't fly off the handle when a learner makes a mistake. Dual controls are in place so that you can take over control of the car should anything go wrong. There's no reason, then, for you to be anything other than cool as a cucumber.

When someone in the car is on edge, it can be very off putting for the person behind the wheel. Thankfully, the opposite is also true—if you're calm and laid-back, you should help your learners feel nice and relaxed in the driver's seat.

This trait is not absolutely necessary (comedy is a gift!), but can make a big difference. If you're able to see the funny side of things and crack a few jokes here and there, it should put learners at ease and make your lessons more enjoyable.

Of course, you shouldn't let having a good time get in the way of a learner actually learning the skills they need to pass the test. If earning a driving licence is their main aim, experience and a solid knowledge of the road trumps comedy gold.

Having the odd chuckle along the way, though, will reduce stress levels and lighten the mood.

Along with gut instincts and proven qualifications, a great way to get the measure of an instructor is to find out how their previous learners rate them. These days the internet acts as the fountain of all knowledge, so check out sites like Trustpilot and Facebook to get the lowdown on how you're doing, if you're getting any reviews at all. Or, if you'd rather go old school, spread the word around your local area.

A driving instructor that comes with a range of glowing reviews is likely to possess all of the qualities listed above—and you don't just have to take their word for it!

There's no such thing as the perfect driving instructor, but you can't go far wrong if you try to incorporate the 10 qualities we've listed above. You're going to be integral to the success of your learner's driving journey, so a lot of learners put some thought into their decision.

Coaching Skills

Coaching vs Instructing: The Difference

How Driving Instructors Can Help Learners Become Responsible Drivers

9 Qualities Driving Instructors Need