A new online course has been launched in an effort to educate and motivate drivers to adopt safer behaviours behind the wheel.
Developed by eDriving, One More Second reinforces the core principles of ‘defensive driving’, including anticipating other drivers’ actions, identifying threats before they become problems and avoiding risk-taking behaviour.
Tailored for the UK fleet industry, the two-hour course provides training for newly employed drivers, refresher training for experienced drivers and targeted training for high-risk drivers.
eDriving says the course, which was initially launched in the US, provides organisations with ‘flexible and highly interactive content’ that appeals to multiple learning styles.
The course features interactive exercises, including full-motion video ‘journeys’ designed to help drivers explore the types of hazards they are likely to encounter in city, motorway and suburban settings.
The course also includes regular knowledge checks and learning checklists to ensure safety-critical information is understood and retained.
Ed Dubens, from eDriving’s fleet division, said: “All drivers are going to experience frustration, impatience, lack of focus, and even occasional anger while driving.
“The goal is to equip drivers with tools to manage their emotions, challenges, and choices before they lead to destructive actions.
“The course name underscores our focus on activating meaningful awareness that motivates lasting behavioural change – adding one more second to a driver’s safe following distance literally reduces the chance of collision by up to two thirds.”
Picking up on Bob’s point about space. This is the key element; space and time are your friend. It’s already a ticketing thing to be driving too close. Question is why don’t the police enforce this as a primary safety element. Two thirds of crashes are front to rear end shunts, and the reasons for that are (1) Not having enough time (i.e space) to be able to respond and (2) Not paying sufficient attention. Police driving schools certainly used to teach a following position of 3-4 seconds. Most drivers are less than the HC recommends 2 seconds and many are in the suicide zone of 1 second, or even less. The space thing is such a fundamental aspect and yet so many RS strategists have not cottoned on to it yet.
In my view any rear end shunt should be prosecuted under 126 of the HC. If this happened in principle you would have a quantum shift in RS in no time.
Nigel ALBRIGHT
0
Basic lack of understand, I think, Hugh. I have seen it so many times on RS committees and in RS seminars.
Unfortunately, the academics are often not much better in reat terms. I recall one not long ago who created a driving simulator to examine overtaking behaviour. He placed a mini in front of a big screen. The interesting bit is that there was nothing there about rear view! As you know that’s sometimes equally as important as assessing what’s going on in front. What a waste of effort (and presumably money) and I fear to think what results they came up with. That’s quite apart from the fact that unless drivers have been through something like a police driving course the probability of them knowing how to properly set up and complete an overtake is extremely low.
Nigel ALBRIGHT
0
Fully agree with your last paragraph Nigel – I am equally disappointed that more readers do not appear to understand or recognize the importance of this sort of driver education and show their support for it whenever it comes up on the news feed. In fact, bearing in mind the large readership of this forum by people who are tasked with collision reduction in some way, I do sometimes despair of what I can only presume to be a lack of interest, understanding or commitment to this shared task …(hope I’m wrong about that).
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
0
Good points by both Bob and Hugh and I think the video is excellent – certainly to see the Americans on board with the need for space, observation and anticipation. In the clip including the driver steering, he clearly struggled a bit with the technique: it was not coming naturally to him – needs more practice – but at least that is a step above what the DVLA allow on the standard driving test. Few people realise that an arm across the steering wheel leaves them vulnerable to potentially serious injury from airbag deployment.
If this is, at least in part, a product of your work on YouTube, Bob, then goodie for you.
The only other observation I would make is the sparcity of comments on this topic, which is probably far more important than many others, some of which, in my view, generate a disproportionate response in relation to their real value in road safety. Let’s see more of this stuff – and get the road safety policy makers properly on board with it, then we will start to see safer roads.
Nigel ALBRIGHT
0
I am somewhat gladened that a large training body such as the American eDriving has recognised the need for one second more space and that that means a safer drive/ride and a more peaceful one with less stress, aggression, road rage etc.
I would like to believe that in some way all my efforts and contributions over the last 3/4 years on You tube contributing about safe following on distance and safe space has helped in some way to a recognition that safe following on or stopping distances is not just about tailgating but about a complete defensive attitude that in the short term and the long run benefits all road user from pedestrians to HGV drivers.
I cannot take credit for this initiative, that is just supposition on my part, but believe that it is the way forward for a greater understanding of safe practices, defensive driving attitude and a better future for all.
I hope that other organisations advocating safer driving and riding skills can also consider the use of safer space to encourage safer driving.
Bob Craven Lancs
0
“…the core principles of ‘defensive driving’, including anticipating other drivers’ actions, identifying threats before they become problems and avoiding risk-taking behaviour”. Well said..that’s the secret of collision free motoring right there. I would add “..and always be ready to stop” but that is implicit in ‘defensive driving’ anyway. If the driving test, Highway Code and subsequent education and enforcement programmes always had this as the core message AND drivers adhered to it, the number of collisions will reduce – no question.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
0