During a meeting with his line-manager Derek put forward this argument and it was agreed that, providing he could find the right company and who would provide good value, service within the stipulated budget, he would be allowed to develop his driving skills; counting it as part of his personal development plan.
Early on in the year 2001 Derek approached Ride Drive Ltd, having found the company on the Internet. Working with the budget perimeters, Ride Drive built a package for Derek’s company that kept well within the quoted amount. Derek would be getting a three and half day advanced driving experience, which included a comprehensive and concise four-page written assessment, all for less than a grand.
In the following May, and at 9 o’clock in the morning, Derek arrived at the agreed meeting point for his first day, feeling perhaps a little apprehensive as to what was going to happen. He had, whilst working for a previous employer some years before, been given a little input with regard to defensive driving techniques, some features of which he found he had retained and still used them to good effect.
The first two days were solely road-based programmes of intense practical driving work followed on day-three by a period of handling techniques on a disused aerodrome. Here Derek had the opportunity, not only to explore the limits of his car’s handling characteristics, but also understand the factors that caused the vehicle to become unstable and which could cause control loss. Not only was he to explore the limits of his car, but to also find his own limitations as well.
Following the first 3-day phase, Derek was invited to comment on his experience with Ride Drive.
RD – “Did the written material you received from Ride Drive Ltd. contain sufficient information?”
DW – “It was very informative and well presented. The thing that struck me most was that if I emailed their office I would get a very prompt reply. There was never any hanging around waiting for things.”
RD – “Did the description of the session make you feel that your driving ability was being questioned?”
DW – “No not at all. The way Ride Drive talk about their sessions makes it all sound as though what they are offering is something that is fun to do - which they are.”
RD - “During the session itself, were you made to feel inadequate or that your ability as a driver was being undermined in any way?”
DW – “No, not at all. The emphasis is always on building on your existing strengths and enhancing your overall driving ability. Any comment was always constructive and aimed at removing factors that can detract from the quality of a drive.
RD - “Do you feel that this experience has boosted your ability?”
DW - “Oh yes, without doubt. Driving is something that we can all take for granted and is something we all like to think we are good at but when you are given the techniques these guys give you, you realise that beforehand you really knew very little.”
RD - “Did the session represent good value for money?”
DW – “Excellent value for money. When I think what companies normally charge for consultancy work, even within my own organisation, this really is very cost effective.”
RD - “Is there any way in which you believe the session could have been changed or improved?”
DW – “The session was well structured, giving a solid foundation of the individual elements before putting it all together in longer, more challenging drives. I found it was ideal for what I wanted.”
RD - “Which particular element of the session did you find most useful?”
DW – “It is difficult to pinpoint one particular element that was most beneficial, as it is the application of all the elements together that produces the improvements. Having said that, the areas where I feel I made the biggest improvement were:
- Speed management
- Overtaking
- Road positioning; making full use of the available road.”
RD – “Is there any subject matter you would like covered in the session that wasn’t included?”
DW – “I do a lot of motorway driving. This is less challenging and perhaps less interesting the ‘A’ and ‘B’ class roads. I feel that a short period of motorway driving techniques would have helped.”
RD – “That’s a fair comment, and if we were not prepared to accept criticism we would not be having this conversation. The most important areas that need to be covered are ones that require the most intense input. Due to the amount that needed to be covered it is difficult to determine whether to sacrifice some of this time for motorway work. There were a number of occasions when the route of the day covered dual carriageways, some of which were three lanes wide, but nonetheless not a motorway as such. Maybe this is something that can be covered in the remaining half-day later in the year.”
RD – “If asked to sum up your whole experience with a few frank and honest words, what would you have to say?”
DW – “I would say I gained a great deal from the three days and learned an awful lot, whilst enjoying it at the same time. All comments made to me were constructive and helpful, with an emphasis on gaining real-life experience. I found this to be an intense experience, being constantly encouraged to incorporate all the new skills into my drive. This is tiring over a full day, but very rewarding when all comes together – a real buzz when you get it just right. It will be interesting when I come back later in the year for the remaining half a day to see how much of it I have retained.”
“I was pleased to find that the session was not conducted as a test – there were no Highway Code quizzes. Also, the attitude taken was one of enjoying driving and enjoying the performance and capabilities of the car, rather than a preaching session.”
“Lastly, the handling session, which is completed on a disused aerodrome, really gets the adrenaline flowing and provides an opportunity to learn very quickly all about your car and its behaviour under stress whilst in a controlled environment.”
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