Welcome to SKILLDriver

There are critical life-saving skills
that drivers are not taught.

But they could be . . .

• Expert drivers use a lot more than conventional
  driving skills. And the key is in how they think.
• This is the most vital part of safe driving.
• But no one had explained how this thinking works,
  so it was difficult to develop the skills.

1. Defining the skills(up to 2005 and ongoing)

Objective:Define the untaught thinking skills of safe driving, and make
them available.

The approach and skills were formally documented following very positive reactions to the initial concepts from driver trainers and road safety organisations.

In 2005, this site was created as an 'online book' to get the material out quickly. The untaught skills show drivers how to gain far more control over danger on the road, and greatly reduce crash risk.

2. The Mind Driving book(2005-06 and ongoing)

Objective:Update the online content and publish as a printed book.

Among the very enthusiastic feedback from the website, a recurring theme was the request for the material to be available in print.

At the same time, a publisher had already shown an interest, and the Mind Driving book was published in 2006. The trade-off, though, was suspension of the original online book.

Ongoing work includes helping driver trainers to roll these skills into their training. Customised courses for trainers, drivers and managers are available. Please contact us to make an enquiry.

3. Novice driver crash risk and "Essential Thinking Skills" (2007 and ongoing)

Objective:Explore how these skills could reduce young driver crash rates.

Young drivers have notoriously high crash rates, which have stubbornly resisted many past measures to reduce them.

This part of the project was triggered by strong reaction to Mind Driving from driving instructors, who said the approach should be used to teach people when they first learn to drive - especially youngsters.

In September 2007, an outline proposal called Essential Thinking Skills was sent to the Driving Standards Agency. It begins to show how thinking skills and better safety could be introduced into Learner training.

A programme of trials is being conducted with a group of driving instructors to help develop the best way to include these skills into driving lessons.

4. Pre-driving mindset(2008 and ongoing)

Objective:Examine how the mindset of youngsters at pre-driving age
can be engaged to help make them safer drivers.

A necessary part of looking at novice drivers is to also address the pre-conceptions that youngsters have about driving before they start.

They already have years of experience as passengers, pedestrians and perhaps as cyclists or bikers. Driving will also have been discussed frequently in the family and in their peer group. But many of the beliefs and attitudes this puts in place will hinder their ability to drive safely.

The best time for young drivers to resolve such mindset conflicts is at pre-driving age.

Initial focus is on the mechanisms of growing up, which includes taking input from people such as teachers and youth workers, who help youngsters develop and grow towards the adult world.

A series of articles, with the theme "How to make novice drivers crash", begins to explore how youngsters are given specific beliefs that cause problems when they start to drive:

1. Young Drivers - Adult Responsibility
2. Learning to Drive - the Stubborn Truth
3. Peer Pressure - Driving Under the Influence