Ford offers free training programme for young drivers

12.00 | 27 August 2015 | | 6 comments

Ford is once again offering its free young driver training programme, Driving Skills For Life (DSFL), in the run up to Road Safety Week later this year (Diesel Car Magazine).

Ford has teamed up with road safety organisations including RoSPA, Brake and AA DriveTech to offer DSFL at London’s Excel Exhibition Centre on 20-22 November inclusive, ahead of Road Safety Week (23-27 November).

DSFL covers skills including hazard recognition, vehicle handling, and speed and space management. The program also highlights the risks of distractions such as texting and taking ‘selfies’ while driving, and the dangers of drink driving.

The programme covers the factors most commonly associated with young driver crashes, emergency braking techniques and how to scan the road ahead for trouble.

Andy Barratt, chairman and managing director, Ford of Britain, said: “Our Driving Skills for Life programme has been running in the UK for three years now. We’re proud that it helps young drivers gain experience behind the wheel in a safe and fun environment and demonstrates the dangers of things such as inappropriate mobile phone use and drink-driving.”

Established in 2003 by the Ford Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford says DSFL has “provided free comprehensive advanced hands-on driver training to more than half a million youngsters globally”.

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      Looking at the videos it seems that the problem of space, time and stopping distance is still not being taught properly. It seems to be a self perpetuating misconception. Unless it is recognised for what it is drivers will continue to drive far too close to the vehicle in front.

      In the video drivers seem to be indicated when to brake hard at a certain point by bollards and an instructor waving them to stop and therefore they have only the car’s ability to brake to a standstill in terms of distance to appreciate. That guy Clark did the same on TV on his motoring programme and a number of cars braked at a given point. The results showed that a car could brake better than is indicated in the Highway Code.

      As with this training it didn’t take into account the unforeseen and unanticipated situations that have to be viewed, recognised and reacted for. That distance is given as the thinking distance in the Highway Code and can be anything from what is considered a norm of something like 7/10ths of a second to more likely several seconds before any braking action takes place.

      So they are not taught reality as it is and therefore cannot be at all ready for the real world occasion when something in front of them happens and they end up in a collision wondering what they did wrong.


      Bob Craven Lancs……. Space is Safe Campaigner
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      I couldn’t agree more Nigel. But we must forget about the two second rule. The 2 second rule is only applicable up to 40 mph because over that speed the braking distance is greater than the distance travelled in those 2 seconds.

      I am sorry Idris but I can’t support your controlled swerve. If adequate distance was given between vehicles then one would be able to stop in the distance seen to be clear and one one’s own side of the road and not swerve to the offside verge and possibly towards oncoming traffic and cause a head on or greater incident.

      I think that many would agree with you Hugh that too close for the speed going was the issue particularly in the wet conditions.

      Knowing that your 1938 vintage vehicle would be a problem when braking one should have given much more distance, especially in the wet and then one would not have needed to swerve.


      Bob Craven Lancs…Space is Safe Campaigner
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      Too close, too fast Idris! Elementary errors.


      Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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      I agree with Nick but must add that braking to a halt is not always the best way to avoid a crash. Steering away from one can provide faster, better controlled and greater clearance than braking, and it a shame that no driver awareness course I have know of teaches that.

      I was driving my 1938 car to an event on the 23rd of August, on a wet road when the car in front of me braked harder than expected (or necessary) on the approach to a 3 lane roundabout. I swerved towards the offside verge to make sure I would miss him even if I failed to stop, though I did.


      Idris Francis Fight Back With Facts Petersfield
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      Good point Bob. Problem is that many drive around thinking that because they haven’t had an accident (crash) they are a good driver when, in fact, the could be highly vulnerable. It’s just that, so far, the law of averages has somehow played in their favour. If they teach nothing else on this course (and in truth I am not much impressed with all this off the road stuff because it is not reality) make sure they can pull up in time if things go pear shaped in front. And that’s back to the minimum 2 second rule, but better is 3-4 seconds. Now that really would be teaching them a skill for life. If they can’t pull up in time all the other skills come to nothing, in my view. ‘Seemple’, as the meerkat said.


      Nigel Albright
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      Note the comment from the chap in the blue shirt, at 00:06 secs! I wonder what people think being a ‘good’ driver (as we all obviously are) really means?


      Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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