Professional Training.

By Malcolm Hornsby

Professional Training How many lessons will I need? I have to say that in my many years of experience as a driver trainer, this question was rarely ever asked of me. This was largely due to the fact that parents were paying for the client's sessions, and by far most parents understand the need for effective driver training. For those who have a concern for training costs however, I propose the following solutions.

A. Teach your child yourself. Now this implies you have the time and skills necessary. Teaching your child how to drive can be very hazardous to all concerned and does not come free of costs. I have been told by some of my clients they have practiced driving for more than 300 hours before coming to me for the licence test. This is a long time and is rarely needed, the fuel cost alone must run over a thousand dollars. If you believe the current skills of your child is sufficient to pass the licence test, then simply employ an instructor for an assessment of your child's skills and report their findings to you personally. You could then take your child for the licence test yourself or user the instructor's services.

B. Employ a trainer from the time your child turns old enough to obtain a learners permit. Have the trainer teach your child the basic skills, this will generally take around 15 hours 10 * 90 minute sessions, give or take a few sessions. You will need to make allowances for the physical disposition and anxiety levels of your child especially anxiety. It has been my experience that anxiety is the greatest hindrance to learning. Once you are satisfied your child is safe enough to drive the family car then take on the role of tutor to allow your child to gain experience up until they are old enough to sit for the licence test. At this point employ your professional trainer to complete the job. In my opinion this is by far the best solution as it spreads costs and maximises driving experience.

There is another reason why I was rarely asked the question how many lessons will I need, total preparation. It come down to how professional you are as a trainer and the design of a training program came top of my list. I designed each lesson plan to exercise specific tasks always introducing a new task with an increase in difficulty. My aim was to take the client beyond the level of assessment and experience as many different aspect of driving as it were possible to devise, by this the challenge of the license test became easy. With this tool I was able to show the client the course of their program and as I dealt with the issue on the first lesson the question was rarely raised again.