Overview of the Crash-free program
A short training course alone is unlikely to shift the powerful cognitive and emotional habits that guide a driver's behaviour.
The learning program has three parts that efficiently distribute learning over several weeks.
This course bears little resemblance to a conventional driver training program. The course is mentally and emotionally engaging.
Participants first reflect deeply on their safety needs. Unless they value safety they have no reason to learn more about safe driving. Nor will they be motivated to sustain safe behaviour when other needs present themselves.
Most people want to be safe. But research has shown that most drivers believe their current driving already keeps them safe: indeed, safer than most. In reality, this cannot be the case.
Another activity helps participants judge their driving objectively. They see that they have more to learn than they thought. They now recognise their learning gap. A learning gap is the gap between two types of behaviour - the safest most reasonably possible behaviour and the person's present behaviour. For most people, this gap is large.
The remainder of the course trains participants to close their learning gaps using a process of critically reflective thinking. This powerful thinking skill uses the metaphor of an imaginary personal coach.
Behaviour changes after training, not during it. On the six-hour course participants did not learn the thinking skills they need to shift their own behaviour. They only began to learn them.
For training 'to work' we have to help participants learn after training. For driving, this can be very difficult because driving is a self-directed activity. Participants receive a self-coaching guide, or can choose an on-line option that provides direction. The guide contains ten days of succinct on-road learning activities.
The self-coaching guide:
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Guides participants through a structured ten-day self-coaching program.
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Presents critical course content in ways not presented on the course, making sure that everyone understands it.
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Develops participants' critical thinking skills so they can change their habits of thinking and feeling and form new ones. (This is necessary because habits of thought and feeling direct driver behaviour. If these do not change, driving behaviour will not change.)
The review plays an important role in the learning process. When people know that their learning is going to be reviewed, they tend to put more effort into learning. Further, they will probably engage in the self-coaching process and keep crash-free driving at the front of their mind.
Now that people have had a go at crash-free driving, they have much to consider. They are forming new opinions about crash-free driving.
The review:
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Checks and considers the views participants are forming about crash-free driving
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Helps participants ask and answer the questions that will reduce the learning gaps that remain.
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Helps people feel good about their learning.
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Helps them recognise a need to continue their learning.
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Provides a forum for feedback to the organisation.
In the crash-free program the organisation commits to listening to participants' ideas and concerns. The organisation has said it expects people to drive crash-free and has to show that it wants to help people.
