As a driver, you need to display competence in all aspects of driving. The 5 key driving skills can be applied to any aspect of your driving.  These skills will often overlap. They are: 

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• 1 - Car Control & Coordination

• 2 - Effective Observation

• 3 - Awareness and Planning

• 4 - Judgment

• 5 - Self Evaluation

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A brief outline of what these skills are is outlined below. Your instructor will cover these in much more detail. 

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Car Control and Coordination

You, as the driver, are expected to be in full control of the car and its controls at all times. Is this just about holding the wheel correctly, or using the controls, or changing gear?  No.  It involves more. 

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The purpose of Car Control is to prevent road collisions by providing a way of controlling your vehicle that is methodical, safe, and leaves nothing to chance, using all the controls of the car properly. 

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It is applicable in all circumstances and provides the most effective way of dealing with an unpredictable environment.Therefore, you need to fully understand all the controls of the car, how and when to use them effectively whilst making decisions. 

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Effective Observation

Those who use the safest driving techniques will be concentrating on effective observation. 

Effective observation is about not just looking, but taking in the information of what is happening around them, processing that information and using it to make a decision that is safe. 

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Observation is not just looking, but 'seeing' and processing what you are looking at/for

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Awareness and Planning

To anticipate, is to take action when you expect something will or might happen. The way you anticipate what might happen is to make early use of all the information available to you. To do this effectively you need to be constantly aware of what is happening around you. 

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Always expect the unexpected.  Click HERE for more information on this skill. 

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Judgment 

As well as being able to anticipate and deal with hazards, you will need to demonstrate good forward planning and judgement skills. These skills require you to effectively read the road ahead by doing the following:

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* Take in information about what is happening/about to happen

* Use that information - Decide what you are going to do and make a decision in plenty of time.

* Act on that Information making the safest decision possible. 

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Self Evaluation 

A good driver will always analyse their driving so that they can understand what they are doing well, where they need to improve/do things different, and then apply that learning to all aspects of their driving. 

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