Unit 37: Partly Trained/Trained – Emerging at T-Junctions.

Research Material:
The Driving Instructor’s Handbook – Chapter 5
Driving: The Essential Skills – Part 8
Lesson Presenter
PST sheets
PST 8 – T-Junctions – Emerging/Meet, Cross and overtake, adequate clearance, anticipation
PST 4 – Reversing/T-Junctions – Emerging
Examiner’s Part 3 Guidelines

Be aware of the distinct differences of teaching this to someone for the first time (phase 1), and providing extra training to someone who has already received training in the subject, but needs help with their knowledge, skills or attitude to the subject. Be aware that although the route will necessarily include left and right turns off major roads, this is not the focus of the lesson. On phase 1 be on the move after 10 minutes, on phase 2, 5 minutes.

Recap:
Phase 1: (1-2 minutes)
Work out whether your customer can drive away from their pick up point. And try to discover as much as possible about what they already know about emerging. Keep an eye on their cockpit drill and safety checks.

Phase 2: (3-5 minutes)
Your customer will have tackled these before, but as the purpose of the lesson is to help develop their ability you must discover the extent of their knowledge, skill and attitude to emerging. With a phase 2 customer you will need to be prepared to deal with busier junctions paying particular attention to closed junctions and emerging right and left into heavier traffic. Use the main points from the phase 1 briefing as a starting point for your questions.

Objective: (30 seconds)
Phase 1:
To understand how to emerge from minor roads, and to be able to do this under guidance (specific, measurable and realistic). How do you feel about being able to emerge safely from some junctions over the next 15 minutes? (agreed and timed)

Phase 2:
To enable independent emerging (specific, measurable and realistic). How do you feel about aiming for that over the next 20 minutes? (agreed & timed).

Main Points: (5-8 Minutes)
Phase 1:
Remember this is the first time they will have attempted this properly, so cover everything necessary.

Practise:
Phase 1:
Once explained and agreed – full talk through will be necessary, and you will need to be ready for strange reactions – emerging for the first time can be stressful, and inertia often makes early learners want to continue when they shouldn‘t. Be ahead of the potential problems, positive instruction (ahead of the game) is essential at early stages to avoid danger and loss of confidence in your learner. Once things seem under control encourage your customer to start to take the initiative (move to prompted from guided).

Phase 2:
Watch your customer carefully to determine the level of instruction to be used. Implement core competencies in the event of any faults, and use these to determine changes to the level of instruction. Once something is being done correctly, attempt to transfer responsibility to an independent driver.

Summary:
Feedback at this point is hugely important – carefully question your customer for their knowledge and attitude. Be enthusiastic about how it all went, but ensure that you put into place an action plan to deal with any problems with control or observations which you couldn’t fix during the time you had in the lesson. Remember to acknowledge any mistakes, but to keep very positive about both your ability and your customer’s. Give your customer ownership of what they have done by asking them where their weak and strong points are. Fill out their track record.

On your part 3 examination, the phase 1 will usually over-run leaving little or no time for a summary. If possible on phase 2 you should aim to call a halt a couple of minutes before the end in order to summarise.

Discussion Points:
The differences in Phase 1 and Phase 2 customers
Potential hazards and dangers in both
Watching your customer like a hawk
Enforcing the MSM/PSL Routine
Avoiding the tuition car being rear ended