I have heard the following sad story far too many times…
I took driver training many years ago.
I failed the exam multiple times.
They had me on a busy road on my very first drive.
The whole experience was terrifying.
The instructor told me ‘It was easy,’ which was humiliating.
This was all many years ago.
Public transport and family and friends provided me with rides. I was able to avoid getting back to a driver’s license.
Whenever I thought of learning to drive, I am filled with some fear, embarrassment, regret, confusion and mixed emotions.
I kick myself for not getting my license in my teenage years. I am sure it would have been easier then, than now me being older and a bit more anxious.
Overall the experience of learning to drive and failing could have been more enjoyable. Being told it was ‘easy’ as the trainer pushed me out into heavy traffic on my first lesson, It was terrifying, humiliating and confusing.
Having an instructor tell me that their list of activities required we drive on the busy highway was mind-numbingly stupid, and I remained terrified.
I am older now, and this learning-to-drive must be overcome.
It is time for a different approach to overcoming this vital skill.
At 19, I entered the driver education field because my best friend was in a severe crash. I was stunned when the company I started working for gave me a list of activities the new driver needed to perform, which included highway driving in lesson eight. I was stunned that this was listed on a piece of paper and demanded of the trainers. When I enquired about my concern regarding forcing a learner to perform these activities when many of them were not ready, and in fact, the action may terrify them, I was told that if I was a good instructor, I would follow the checklist. COOPER
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