driver education newsletter - rsa and stakeholders for… · he two biggest distractions for...

The continuing growth in economic activity is reflected in a strong demand for driving tests and CPC courses throughout the country. Preliminary

figures for the first quarter of 2016 show a 12.8% increase in the number of drivers taking CPC courses compared to the same period in 2015, and the demand for driving tests remains strong. With this increased pressure on resources, it is more important than ever for you to maintain training standards and emphasise the road safety message.

The RSA is continuing in its efforts to drive down the numbers of fatalities and serious injuries across our road network. Achieving improvement over previous years is becoming harder as figures are improving, however information campaigns targeted at specific driver behaviour can still deliver the positive results that we need to make our roads amongst the safest in Europe. Our research into the causes of collisions on the road has identified a number of driver behaviours that will help us to improve road safety in the future. In this newsletter, you will find current information to help address these potentially dangerous driver behaviours with your customers.

DRIVER DISTRACTION

Driver distraction is something that all drivers experience at some time or another in their lives behind the wheel. A split second is all it takes to

turn a routine drive into a life-changing event. This fact has been well illustrated in our advertising campaigns “Anatomy of a split second” and “Don’t look back”.

While these campaigns show car drivers distracted by mobile phones and children in the back seat, the clear message is that everyone is at risk. Drivers who may be tempted to take calls or texts while driving or those who attempt to deal with children or organise paperwork whilst driving are not only taking unnecessary risks with their own life but also recklessly endangering the lives of the other road users around them. When driving and your attention is required elsewhere, find a safe place to stop. Don’t Drive Distracted. Ask your customers if they have seen the campaign, or consider showing the ads and have a discussion exploring the causes and consequences of driver distraction.

The RSA has recently produced six videos on Driveway Safety which are available on YouTube. This resource can be used to great effect to communicate the need for driver vigilance at the start and end of their journey. Your efforts in communicating this message clearly to your customers will help to change driver attitudes and make the roads safer for all of us.

TYRES

Our research has identified an issue that has the potential to save 17 lives per year. This factor is sometimes overlooked, even though it has

A MESSAGE FROM MOYAGH MURDOCK, CEO

DRIVER EDUCATION NEWSLETTER AUTUMN ISSUE 2016

2016 IS SHAPING UP TO BE ANOTHER BUSY YEAR FOR THOSE OF US WORKING IN ROAD SAFETY.

the potential to dramatically affect the handling and control of a vehicle. Tyres are the vehicles’ only contact with the road surface giving traction that enables the driver to control the vehicle. Tyres are most likely to put vehicle occupants and other road users at risk of a fatal collision if they are not in a roadworthy condition.

Our research has revealed that vehicle defects were a contributory factor in 12% of collisions between 2008 and 2012. During this period, 71 people were killed and 19 were seriously injured in collisions where vehicles had defective tyres as a contributory factor.

It is the responsibility of all drivers to be aware of tyre safety and to know how to properly check their tyres. On 17 April this year ‘defective tyres’ were added to the list of penalty points and fixed charge notices, incurring a fine of €80 and 2 penalty points (or 4 points on a court conviction).

By routinely having question and answer sessions on tyre safety, road safety professionals will help to keep this important subject uppermost in the minds of their customers, ensuring that their knowledge and understanding is correct and up to date.

FITTNESS TO DRIVE

Earlier this year, in association with the National Programme Office for Traffic Medicine (NPOTM) at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, the

RSA published new information leaflets reflecting the updated Medical Fitness to Drive Guidelines for Group 1 & 2 Drivers.

The patient leaflets aim to educate drivers and to promote mobility by providing them with the information and resources necessary to drive safely. The leaflets inform drivers and enable them to be more aware of any health issues that may impact on driving with Cardiac Conditions, Diabetes and Alcohol. They provide advice on the need to contact the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) to notify them of any medical condition which could impact their ability to drive.

ADIs and CPC trainers need to familiarise themselves with the Medical Fitness to Drive Guidelines so that they can provide information to customers seeking guidance on the topic. They are not expected to be medical experts, but rather just to understand the high level aspects of ‘fitness to drive’ and where to find out more detail when required.

DRINK DRIVING IS STILL A BIG PROBLEM

Our recent pre-crash report has highlighted an alarming statistic where 38% of fatal or serious injury accidents involved the driver having

consumed alcohol. Recent evidence pointed to this being a problem with an older age profile of drivers. However this data shows that drink driving is, in fact, still a big problem with new and novice drivers. As a result, I am asking you to redouble your efforts to alter the attitude of these young drivers to the consumption of alcohol when driving. In particular, the danger rises steeply where peer pressure sets in.

Young drivers need to recognise when they become subject to peer pressure and more importantly, be armed with the knowledge and skills for managing it effectively. This is one of the more important learning objectives from the Learner Driver training syllabus and for that reason is also reflected in the EDT lesson number 11 on the topic of driving calmly.

Finally, I would like to draw your attention to our new Driveway Safety videos. I referred to them above in relation to driver distraction issue, but they have many other important messages too. They are available to view along with all our other road safety promotion campaigns on our website at www.rsa.ie and on the RSA YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/RSAIreland. The six videos cover a range of topics central to child, pedestrian and vehicle safety, and can be used by trainers to underline a key message in this area.

By sharing them with your customers you may help them to be safer and more socially responsible drivers, and even to avoid a most tragic and preventable road safety risk, that of injuring or killing a child where they play and live.

As part of our road safety community I wish you all continued success over the coming months. Stay safe on the road and remember our responsibility to each other.

“Safer Roads, only you can get us there”

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Driving requires good vehicle control as well as concentration. A lack of concentration can lead to a loss of control, particularly if the driver has

to adjust their driving quickly. This can put the driver and other road users in danger. Drivers can also easily get distracted by people or activities inside or outside the vehicle. They can also get tired, especially on long journeys, or be distracted by something playing on their mind.

There are a number of ways that driver distraction is being addressed, including penalty points for holding a mobile phone while driving. The RSA has also developed a number of public information campaigns on driver distraction including TV-led advertising campaigns and a partnership with Applegreen to provide free cups of coffee to drivers on bank holiday weekends in an effort to combat driver fatigue.

As driver trainers, you are ideally placed to positively influence the attitudes and behaviour of your customers in relation to driver distraction so we would encourage you to share the resources on www.rsa.ie with your customers.

DISTRACTION

From our recent road safety campaign ‘Looking Back’ we received some startling information with regards to driver distraction.

What is the connection between 0.5 of a second, 0.75 of a second, mobile phones, adjusting temperature controls, changing radio stations, changing CDs, eating, drinking, grooming, interacting with passengers and using a GPS System?

l 0.5 of a second is the time it takes your brain to realise you need to take immediate action on seeing a hazard.

l 0.75 seconds is your reaction time, the time it takes to move your foot from the accelerator to the brake as soon as your brain realises you are in danger. Our fitness to drive can also impact on these times.

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DRIVER DISTRACTIONAS ROAD SAFETY PROFESSIONALS, WE ALL KNOW THAT DRIVER DISTRACTION HAS BEEN A GROWING PROBLEM IN RECENT YEARS. DRIVER DISTRACTION IS BECOMING A MAJOR CONTRIBUTORY FACTOR IN ROAD CRASHES AND WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF MORE AND MORE ‘IN-CAR’ DEVICES, THE PROBLEM IS LIKELY TO GET WORSE.


These figures, taken from the Rules of the Road, also alert us to the fact that a perception and reaction time of 4 seconds at 100km/h means a vehicle can travel 110 metres before the brakes are applied (longer than a football pitch). Vehicle condition also has a bearing on this distance.

Driver distraction is when a driver’s attention is diverted away from their driving by something else. Distraction can be visual, manual and cognitive.

Based on international evidence it is estimated that driver distraction could play a role in 20-30% of all road collisions in this country. This means that driver distraction could be a contributory factor in over 1,400 fatal and injury collisions annually.

CHILDREN AND DISTRACTION

The two biggest distractions for drivers in Ireland are mobile phones and children. But did you know that child distraction could be the more

lethal? According to researchers at Monash University in Australia they are 12 times more distracting to a driver than talking on a mobile.

The study also found that on average a parent takes their eyes off the road for three minutes and 22 seconds during a 16-minute trip. The most common types of distractions that children cause include the driver turning to look at the child, watching the goings on in the back seat in the rear-view mirror, engaging in conversation with the child, leaning into the back to help or pacify the child, and even playing with the child.

Honk if you love Jesus - Text while driving if you want to meet him.

Author unknown, as seen on a church sign in the USA.

MOBILE PHONES AND DISTRACTION

Would you text as you are walking down a flight of stairs? The mobile phone is still the biggest distraction for drivers. Despite the fact that

using them when driving is killing people on Irish roads, rational, intelligent people continue to text, make phone calls, take selfies or update their social pages while driving.

Your mobile phone makes you four times more likely to crash. And when you consider that driver distraction plays a role in 20-30% of all road collisions, phone use and driving is an issue that we all need to think differently about.

In today’s world, mobile phones demand more and more of our attention. From calls to texting to using the Internet, we spend more time than ever with our entire focus devoted to our phones.

HOW YOU CAN ADDRESS DRIVER DISTRACTION WITH YOUR LEARNERS

When we look at other activities in your vehicle that can cause distraction, for example secondary controls, we realise the importance

of EDT lesson 1. Car controls and safety checks. Being familiar with the location and functions of the secondary controls in your own vehicle or any other vehicle you are driving is critically important. Therefore when the need arises to use these controls, the distraction can be minimised by the driver not taking their eyes of the road. How many times have you got a fright when you looked back to the road after completing a simple task, in your opinion, while driving?

As driver trainers you have the perfect opportunity every day to get this important message about the dangers of distracted driving across to your learners. The RSA urges you to avail of every opportunity to raise this important topic with your customers. Take time to discuss common distractions and the possible consequences. You are in an ideal opportunity to positively influence the attitude of a learner driver who, if sufficiently informed, may well develop a strong and lifelong ‘safety first’ approach to driving.

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As ADI and CPC trainers it is vitally important to share this information with your customers. By sharing the information and availing of

opportunity’s to check their understanding - you are ideally placed to change or correct a poor attitude where the drivers feel that they are not the problem.

It is essential for road safety reasons that drivers and operators are not engaging in unsafe and dangerous behaviour such as tachograph manipulation or driving while fatigued. These behaviours increase the likelihood of an incident that can lead to serious or catastrophic consequences for drivers, operators and other road users. We would encourage you to share this information with your colleagues and customers.

DRIVER FATIGUE

Many drivers are unaware that the use of manip-ulation devices can cause the disengagement of other very important elements of the vehi-

cles management systems.

Everyone in the transport chain can be held responsi-ble if they cause or contribute to breaches of the tach-ograph rules.

It can reasonably be assumed that drivers manipulat-ing tachograph recording devices have the objective to drive on longer than they are permitted to. This de-spite the fact that the rules are there to help protect them and others from the associated dangers of driv-ing whilst fatigued.

Fatigue is the physical and mental impairment brought about by inadequate rest over a period of time. Ideally, people need 7/8 hours of sleep every night. Drivers suffering from a sleep debt are at risk of ‘nodding off’

whilst driving and substantially increasing their risk of being involved in a crash.

It is estimated that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as 1 in 5 driver deaths in Ireland every year. Furthermore, tiredness-related collisions are 3 times more likely to be fatal or result in a serious injury because of the high impact speed and lack of avoiding action.

A survey of drivers’ attitudes to driver fatigue conducted by the RSA in 2014 revealed that over 1 in 10 motorists have fallen asleep at the wheel. The survey also found that motorists who drive as part of their work, and motorists who admit to driving after taking any amount of alcohol, had a higher than average incidence of falling asleep at the wheel (almost 1 in 5 fell asleep at the wheel).

International research shows that at least 20% of collisions are related to fatigue. A tired driver behind the wheel of a bus or a truck can have serious consequences for all road users. Bus and truck drivers don’t have the typical 9-to-5 working day and many are involved in shift or irregular work patterns, can have long days, tight and unreasonable schedules and are required to sleep and take rest when most people are awake. Fighting sleep at the wheel is as dangerous as driving over the legal alcohol limit.

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DRIVER FATIGUE AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF TACHOGRAPH MANIPULATION

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DRIVERS’ HOURS AND TACHOGRAPH MANIPULATION

Drivers’ hours and tachograph rules have been in place Europe-wide since the 1980s. They put in place legal obligations concerning driving time, breaks and rest periods for drivers of trucks and buses. Drivers and operators who do not comply with these rules are not only breaking the law but exposing themselves and other road users to a significant road safety hazard. The purpose of drivers’ hours’ rules is to reduce the risk of driver fatigue for heavy commercial vehicle drivers as well as ensuring fair competition and working conditions.

A tachograph is a calibrated piece of equipment used to record a driver’s activities such as rest and driving time. It is a legal requirement for a tachograph to be fitted to most heavy commercial vehicles. Tachograph manipulation is a deliberate and deceptive action which interferes with the recording process of the tachograph to facilitate the production of falsified records.

A manipulation device, such as a magnet, interferes with the correct operation and functioning of the tachograph system. Some drivers and rogue operators believe that they can fool the system and avoid fines for excessive driving times and inadequate rest by using a magnet or device to put the tachograph to sleep, thus disguising the actual time spent behind the wheel. This is considered to be tachograph fraud.

Unfortunately, many drivers are unaware of the danger to road safety caused by using such a device. Not only can it disable the tachograph, but it can also disable the speed limiter, the speedometer and the gearbox management system. This has the potential to cause jack-knifing and gear box damage if the driver inadvertently moves into a low gear when driving at a high speed. It can also disable the suspension management system allowing the overloading of drive axles on 3 axle trucks.

The use of or intention to interfere with a tachograph gives unscrupulous operators and drivers an unfair commercial advantage. It also creates unacceptable negative social impacts for drivers by allowing, or forcing, them to drive for much longer periods than is legally permissible. Operators and drivers who choose to manipulate the tachograph are not only operating at an unfair commercial advantage in comparison to compliant operators, they are undermining road safety for all road users and putting everyone that comes close to that vehicle at risk of injury and possibly death.

HOW THE RSA MONITORS COMPLIANCE

The Enforcement Unit of the RSA is responsible for checking compliance with EU drivers’ hours and tachograph rules, the road transport Working Time Directive, requirement to hold a road transport operator licence and Driver CPC. They are also responsible for the enforcement of Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness (vehicle repair and maintenance) regulations. Compliance checks are conducted at the roadside (in conjunction with An Garda Síochána) and at operator’s premises.

If a breach is detected, a stepped approach to enforcement is taken, depending on the severity of the findings. This ranges from educational and advisory to a direction notice being issued and ultimately, initiation of a prosecution. In 2015, Transport Officers from the RSA initiated 212 prosecutions. While overall there has been an improvement in driver compliance, worryingly, the RSA is finding that deliberate fraud and manipulation to hide excessive driving is becoming increasingly common.

RSA Transport Officers are trained in detecting such devices and checkpoints are held regularly to target offenders. Heavy commercial vehicle manufacturers are also aware of the practice and it is now possible to detect if a device was used from the vehicle diagnostics with the introduction of new fault codes. This check is now common practice for warranty claims on gearboxes. Transport Officers also use diagnostic equipment to check the fault codes, making detection a simpler process.

The approach of the RSA is to be thorough, fair and reasonable and enforcement efforts are targeted at those who pose the highest risk to safety on our roads. Where non-compliance is found, the RSA will work

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with and give operators the opportunity to address the issues in all but the most serious of cases such as dangerous drivers’ hours, fraud and manipulation.

Aside from the risk of causing a catastrophic collision, there are also very stiff penalties to face if a driver or operator is caught using a manipulation device. Where a deliberate attempt to manipulate a tachograph is detected, these offences will be brought before the courts regardless of the circumstances and the RSA will ask the court to impose the maximum penalty.

This leaflet is available from the RSA website along with in excess of 200 other useful resources and articles dedicated to this important topic.

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NATIONAL DRIVER LICENCE SERVICE Since 2013, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has managed the National Driver Licence Service (NDLS). We have analysed our customers’ experiences in their dealings with the NDLS and have found some recurring problems they face in making their licence / permit application.

ADIs are an important source of information for NDLS and RSA cutomers. The RSA is thankful for the support that ADIs give to our customers and we are grateful that you are continuing this good work. Sharing this information with you about the most common problems will help you to help your customers to have a better experience with NDLS.

Where a customer attends an NDLS office and has all the necessary paper work in order, a licence / permit is issued in over 98% of cases within 5 days of attending the NDLS office. However, where there are errors or omissions, customers will experience delays.

The most common problems customers face are:

They bring incorrect / insufficient documentation. For example, inadequate proof of address, proof of PPSN number, an incomplete application form.

Absence of a valid and correctly completed medical report form.

The NDLS is continually working to improve the experience of its customers and to ensure that licence and permit applications are processed as quickly as possible. Once again, the role played by ADIs in educating customers is greatly appreciated, and further information is available from the NDLS website on www.ndls.ie


Its purpose is to develop a common driving standard for emergency service drivers in Ireland in order to benefit Emergency Services Drivers and other road

users. Creating a culture of safe and responsible driving is essential for reducing deaths and casualties on Irish roads. Emergency services drivers understand that their presence on the roads has an impact on other road users so they need to act responsibly at all times.

As an organisation, the RSA regards the education and training of Emergency Service Drivers as a critical part of road safety. The ESDS initiative is an important contribution to the objectives outlined in the Government Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020.

The aim of this standard is to equip Emergency Service drivers with an excellent standard of driving that acts as an example to other road users.

The ESDS unit is now inviting interested emergency service voluntary organisations to register. This is good news for ESDS trainers as this phase of the project involves the voluntary and private emergency service organisations applying to become registered with the ESDS unit. This will require the training or certification of staff who drive their organisation’s emergency vehicles.

Currently there are 70 trainers who have received their certification as ESDS Trainers, including trainers from the Fire Service, An Garda Síochána, the Prison Service and the Defence Forces. There are also 7 ADIs who are certified as ESDS Trainers at present.

As a professional driver trainer, you may now find some new or existing customers looking for information on becoming registered with the ESDS unit. Therefore you may wish to inform yourself so that you can advise them about the requirements. In addition, if you

are interested in becoming an ESDS trainer, further information on how to register is available here: http://rsa.ie/en/RSA/Professional-Drivers/ESDS/ESDS-ADI-Information-request-form/

ESDS PHASE 2ESDS Phase 1 is now complete and the RSA is ready to invite interested Emergency Service organisations to commit to ESDS Phase 2.

Developing ESDS Phase 2 creates opportunities for Emergency Service organisations from the private and voluntary sector to avail of the opportunity to have their drivers certified to the national Emergency Service Driving Standard and specific vehicle categories, appropriate to organisational requirements.

Emergency Service organisations from the private and voluntary sector can express their interest or register by visiting www.rsa.ie/esds. Once registered, the ESDS unit in the RSA will be in touch with further information. You can register your interest at any time.

Further information and ESDS publications are available at www.rsa.ie/esds

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EMERGENCY SERVICES DRIVING STANDARD (ESDS) ESDS STANDS FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES DRIVING STANDARD, A DRIVING STANDARD FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE DRIVERS IN IRELAND, DEVELOPED UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE ROAD SAFETY AUTHORITY (RSA).


As ADI Instructors and CPC Trainers, you will routinely come across people who wish to learn to drive, and professional drivers who wish to up

skill. As there are different types of learners, trainers must ensure that they have the flexibility to be able to respond to and meet different requirements. Failure to match your approach to a learner’s learning style will result in poor effectiveness and possible loss of motivation by the learner. Ultimately they could lose interest and leave to find another more compatible trainer or worse still, give up.

It may be that you are approached by a learner who has a disability. If so, it is very important to understand their disability and establish what precisely the disability is. Generally speaking, the disability will be either a physical disability or a cognitive disability.

Trainers must take into account the implications of a particular impairment for the learner when learning to drive. For a driver with a physical disability, trainers must ensure they have access to the correct type of vehicle to suit that person’s disability (correct adaptations) and have the correct insurance in place. They must also have the relevant competence and resources to be able to provide the necessary training for that learner. Further useful information on this topic can be found in the Driving Instructor’s Handbook Part 2, Chapter 4, pages 69 to 79.

Learners can also have different intellectual abilities, many think and learn differently. Some learning styles will have been developed as a result of the teacher/school experience where subjects were largely presented in a way that benefited students with linguistic/numeric abilities. As a result, other learning styles may not have been developed and students may need to be encouraged to identify and share their own learning style. Good coaches become very proficient at quickly establishing their client’s preferred learning styles.

There are various ways of classifying differences in learning styles. Many theories and models have been proposed, such as:

l left and right brainl auditory, visual and kinestheticl activists, reflectors, theorists and pragmatists.

Research has revealed that the two sides of the brain perform different functions.

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LEARNING STYLESTHIS ARTICLE IS AIMED AT IMPROVING UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE DIFFERING LEARNING STYLES AMONG YOUR CUSTOMERS.

IMPORTANTIf you are asked to carry out an on-road assessment as part of an individual’s ‘fitness to drive’, make sure you have the necessary skills and experience to carry out the assessment, as well as the correct insurance etc in place.


The left brain specialises in academic aspects of learning - language and mathematical processes, logical thoughts, sequences and analysis. The right part of the brain is principally concerned with creative activities utilising rhyme, rhythm, music, visual impressions, colour and pictures.

Although each side is dominant at certain activities, they are both involved in almost all thinking. Both sides of the brain can reason, but by different strategies, and one side may be dominant. Therefore, this has a major implication for how we learn. Experimentation has shown that the two different sides of the brain are responsible for different manners of thinking.

By adopting a more whole-brained approach, ADIs and CPC Trainers can adopt the delivery of a range of techniques that connect with both sides of the brain. Having an awareness of the many learning styles can help to create a participative learning environment through the use of varied teaching methods as well as creative and focused lesson plans and sponsor practice sessions. Such an approach will undoubtedly yield better results.

Whatever the learning style of the learner, the coaching/teaching methods used should focus on the particular needs of each learner. For example when structuring and developing lesson plans, they should include some time for self-analysis, demonstrations, practice and visual content (diagrams, pictures) to help the learner to understand what is being taught.

Complete understanding can be demonstrated by the learner when the learner is able to apply or transfer

the learning to new problems or situations. First, the learner must have been helped to recognise the routines, procedures or rules relating to the topic or task. Then opportunities must be provided for the learner to apply the routines, procedures or rules to a variety of new, realistic problems or tasks.

Having established the type of learners you may encounter as ADIs or trainers, it is also beneficial to have an awareness of some of the barriers to learning.

A barrier to learning is anything that stands in the way of a learner being able to learn effectively. A learner may experience one or more barriers to learning throughout the learning process. For example, a learner’s age may be an issue for them, they may have attitudes to learning, be hard of hearing, have a different first language, poor reading or writing skills, and these can also be considered barriers to learning. As a result, they will not progress efficiently and may even lose interest in learning. In a training context even a poor training environment such as a dirty or untidy vehicle or training room can become a very powerful barrier to effective learning.

By understanding the various barriers to learning and appreciating an individual customer’s preferred learning style, trainers are able to adjust their training plan for the maximum effect. As a result, each lesson is more likely to be effective with learning objectives achieved.

Further information can be found in the Driving Instructor’s Handbook Part 3, Chapter 5, Pages 91 to 94.

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Of the 89 incidents, 61 involved vehicles and five involved pedestrians. 20 incidents were classified as Category 1, meaning the driver of

the train had to apply the emergency break in order to avoid a more serious outcome. In one incident in Dublin, a lady pushing a pram was hit by the barrier as it closed, narrowly avoiding a more serious injury. In another incident, a pedestrian under the influence of alcohol was spotted on the tracks, having ignored the level crossing warning signs that a train was approaching.

Of particular concern are the incidents of unsafe behaviour at unattended level crossings, which are more likely to end in serious injury or fatality. There

are 149 unattended level crossings on roads around the country, usually found on minor or private roads where there are relatively low levels of traffic. To support the level crossings campaign, an online information video has been produced to advise road users how to use this type of crossing safely. The video provides step-by-step advice on how to approach and cross an unattended level crossing.

We ask that you remind all of your customers that as road users they are solely responsible for opening the gates before crossing the tracks and ensuring the gates are securely shut once they have crossed to the other side. Failure to shut the gates could have serious consequences for another road user of any age.

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LEVEL CROSSINGSFIGURES FROM IARNRÓD ÉIREANN HAVE REVEALED THERE WERE 89 INCIDENTS AT LEVEL CROSSINGS AROUND THE COUNTRY IN 2015 WHICH RESULTED IN A VEHICLE, PERSON OR PROPERTY BEING STRUCK BY A TRAIN OR BARRIER. To mark the 2016 International Level Crossing Awareness Day on 10 June last, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Iarnród Éireann and the Commission for Railway Regulation (CRR) launched a campaign to make road users aware of the importance of safety at level crossings and the dangers of their misuse.

Pictured above from left to right: Superintendent Con O’Donohue, Garda National Traffic Bureau; Gerald Beesley, Commissioner, Commission for Railway Regulation; Moyagh Murdock, CEO, Road Safety Authority; Don Cunningham, Director, Iarnród Éireann Infrastructure.


Modern trains travel at a greater speed and are quieter than older trains, and as such, the dangers are not insignificant and should not be underestimated. In an effort to reduce the risk the RSA and Irish Rail have re published an information booklet in partnership with the Commission for Railway Regulation titled Safety At Level Crossings, we have also jointly produced a safety awareness video detailing the Rail Cross Code.

The video is available to show to your learners or professional drivers via our YouTube channel available from www.rsa.ie as well Irish Rail at www.irishrail.ie.

ADIs will be familiar with the Learning to Drive syllabus and the learning objectives associated with positioning and stopping at rail crossings.

The information contained therein will be helpful when developing your training plan part of which will aim to address this topic. In addition the revised information booklet will be a useful resource in helping you to get the message across. Make sure that at the very least your customers know and understand each of the 5 steps of the Rail Cross code and in particular the Dos and Don’ts.

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RAIL CROSS CODEThe list of Do’s & Don’t’s below are provided

as ‘Key’ messages for road users a short discussion on each point.

Dos Don’ts

Always expect a train Don’t ever think it’s safe to predict when the next train will come

Always switch off music systems and put away mobile phones

Don’t stop on the railway crossing

Always control children and animals in your care Don’t park and leave your vehicle near the railway crossing

Always dismount if you are a cyclist or horse rider

Don’t overtake another vehicle on or when approaching the railway crossing

Always shut and fasten the gates after crossing the railway

Don’t play, or wear hoods or headphones, on or near the railway tracks

Always obey road signs and markings Don’t blindly follow a vehicle across the railway crossing

Always use the Rail Cross Code at unattended railway crossings

Don’t drive onto the railway until you can see enough free space on the other side


The new leaflets have been produced by the RSA and the NPOTM to support the Sláinte agus Tiomáint Medical Fitness to Drive Guidelines, which were

developed to enable the medical assessment of drivers to promote safe driving and prolonged mobility.

Prof Desmond O’Neill, National Programme Director for Traffic Medicine at RCPI welcomed the publication of the leaflets.

“Driving safely with medical conditions places an obligation on drivers, health professionals and the National Driver Licence Service. As a complement to the extensive work undertaken on developing guidelines on medical fitness to drive for doctors and other health professionals, these leaflets are an important part of a wider campaign to ensure that those with conditions that may affect driving safety are aware of current practice. A further range of conditions will be addressed in leaflets currently in progress and supported by a range of public information meetings nationwide.”

Speaking at the launch, Mr Declan Naughton, Director, Driver Testing and Licensing in the RSA said:

“Behind every tragedy there is an event, something that causes a catastrophic incident that changes lives forever. We know in the case of road collisions that small margins can make all the difference, for example, are your tyres properly inflated or do they have the correct tread depth? Today we are focussing on medical factors, whether you drive with alcohol in your system or whether you have heart disease or diabetes; it impacts on your driving. This is about managing these factors appropriately, and the advice

contained in the leaflets will help those affected to drive in a way that keeps us all safe. It’s about each driver understanding that small margins can lead to tragedy and none of us wants to be the person that brings that about.”

Medical fitness to drive is a critical factor in road safety and may have implications for a number of your trainees. Be informed and view the updated Sláinte agus Tiomáint Medical Fitness to Drive Guidelines.

To view the new Driver Information Leaflets or to share them with your trainees; click on images below:

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NEW INFORMATION LEAFLETSON 15 APRIL, THE ROAD SAFETY AUTHORITY (RSA) IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME OFFICE FOR TRAFFIC MEDICINE (NPOTM) AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS OF IRELAND ANNOUNCED THE PUBLICATION OF THE NEW INFORMATION LEAFLETS AT THE 2016 UPDATE OF THE MEDICAL FITNESS TO DRIVE GUIDELINES FOR GROUP 1 & 2 DRIVERS.

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11/04/2016 4:36 p.m.

CardiacConditionsandDrivingThisisanoverviewofdrivingwithcardiology(heart)

conditions.Thecompletestandardsarepublished

inSláinteagusTiomáint:MedicalFitnesstoDriveGuidelinesavailableatwww.ndls.ie

NDLS

4842 RSA Cardiac Conditions & Driving DL leaflet.indd 1

11/04/2016 4:39 p.m.

For more information, please contact:

Yvonne McCahill, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland


https://www.ndls.ie/images/Documents/Forms/Guidelines_Medical_Fitness_toDrive1.pdf



https://www.ndls.ie/images/Documents/Forms/Diabetes-and-Driving.pdf

https://www.ndls.ie/images/Documents/Forms/Alcohol-and-Driving.pdf

https://www.ndls.ie/images/Documents/Forms/Cardiac-Conditions-and-Driving.pdf

Customer satisfaction is an important asset for all trainers, and a satisfied customer will contribute a great deal to your business. Their personal

recommendations to friends and family are the most cost-effective and successful ways of advertising your services and gaining new customers.

Regrettably, our Driver Education Section is receiving a number of complaints from learners about their ADIs. Some of these complaints relate to their ADI not uploading their EDT training records via the RSA Portal in a timely fashion, or at all.

A regular complaint that we receive here at RSA is when an individual has paid for a number of lessons up front and then does not receive a refund when the agreed course of lessons are not then provided. Whilst there may be a number of reasons why the lessons have not been taken, it is important to ensure that dealings with customers are fair and reasonable. Businesses can protect themselves by ensuring all of the dealings are honest and in compliance with a published set of terms and conditions that the customer has been notified about. These terms and conditions are ideally placed on your company’s website, your appointment cards and on other related documentation.

Another common complaint received is where an instructor has not returned a learner’s EDT logbook.

The effectiveness of the logbook as a learning tool is greatly diminished if the learner does not have access to it to record their ‘self-analysis’ or practice sessions with their Sponsor. The logbook is the place where ADIs record their feedback and guidance – without it, the learner is not receiving the benefit of it and he or she is disadvantaged as a result. In addition, as there is a legal requirement to give learners their logbook, failure to do so contravenes regulations associated with the sale of goods and services.

Not only must the learner receive their logbook, they also have an entitlement to receive their written feedback recorded in their logbook at the end of each lesson. This is when it must be returned to them to take away and use to support their learning.

Many cases relating to customers’ difficulties with logbooks have been referred onto the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), and on at least one occasion this has resulted in legal proceedings in the district court.

We also regularly hear about situations where a gift voucher is not honoured or where an online advertised discount is not given. ADIs and trainers should be aware that there are strong regulations aimed at protecting consumers’ rights in this area. Being in breach of these rules can not only lead to negative publicity harming your business, but also to legal proceedings.

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QUALITY CUSTOMER CAREGOOD QUALITY CUSTOMER CARE IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF BEING PROFESSIONAL, REGARDLESS OF THE SECTOR YOU WORK IN, AND IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT FOR DRIVING INSTRUCTORS OR CPC TRAINERS.


Good quality customer care can enhance your reputation, increase sales and boost your profitability.

Learners sometimes complain about the duration of their lesson and how the time is taken up; others complain about their lessons finishing early and that they are not getting value for money. Whilst it is common to pull in and stop and provide feedback or clarification on a topic (where the learner can give you their full attention), if it is necessary to keep doing this (particularly for long periods), it may be beneficial to revisit the lesson plan to ensure it is not targeted incorrectly.Learners naturally may feel short-changed if, having paid for one hour of tuition, they only receive 40-45 minutes. In particular it is important to note that the EDT Training Syllabus provides for one hour lessons. Not complying with these rules may lead to unhappy customers, affect your business reputation, and possibly even lead to legal proceedings.

Some well-informed learners complain of a lack of professionalism whereby their ADI is using a mobile phone during their lesson. They have referred to road safety campaigns when questioning a particular individual ADI’s behaviour. For clarity our position is that the learner driver should have their ADI’s undivided attention at all times when the vehicle is in motion. Taking a call or reading/sending a text message or email during someone’s driving lesson or CPC training event can be seen as rude by some customers.

All of the above complaints are disturbing, and not only reflect poorly on the individual instructor, but also on the profession as a whole. It is also particularly damaging in an industry that trades largely on word-of-mouth recommendations.

Both we at the RSA and your representative forum members ask that all trainers consider carefully any action that reflects poorly on the sector. Apart from any reputational damage done to an ADI or training organisation, there is a considerable amount of effort going into investigating and dealing with these complaints. Many of these issues are not possible to resolve and require external expertise to resolve them such as the CCPC or independent legal advisors and at that stage the cost of dealing with a complaint can rise quite substantially.

In case you are unfortunate enough to receive a written complaint against you, we thought it would be useful to set out here the steps we must then go through in an effort to resolve them.

Firstly, upon receipt of a complaint, the RSA will ask the complainant if they wish to pursue the matter formally. We explain that this will involve all of the details of the complaint (including their name) being provided to the ADI or trainer being complained about.

We then write to the ADI/Trainer informing them of the nature of the complaint and requesting a formal written response. Sometimes it is possible to reach a satisfactory outcome and that can be the end of the matter, but where that is not possible, customers refer onto an external agency such as the CCPC or even their own personal legal advisor for help.

On occasion, the Registrar has referred cases onto our own independent advisory panel to consider. They, in turn, advise the RSA on how to proceed.

The entire process is designed to deal with legitimate concerns, and at the same time, protect the rights of ADIs, CPC trainers and their organisations.

It is important to note that a legal and contractual obligation exists when an ADI or trainer enters into an agreement to provide a service to someone and many of the customer’s rights are enshrined in legislation. This is covered in the Road Traffic Act and Statutory Instrument S.I. No. 203/2009 - Road Traffic (Driving Instructor Licensing) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission who has the statutory responsibility for the enforcement of competition and consumer protection law through legislation as set out in the Consumer Protection Act 2007 (CPA).

The act provides protection to the consumer through a variety of measures: ensuring compliance with consumer legislation, self-regulation (codes of practice) and a set of enforcement measures.

The CPA applies before, during and after a transaction has taken place.

Under the CPA it is a criminal offence for any retailer (in our case the ADI or Trainer) to make a false or misleading claim about goods, services and prices. This section applies equally to CPC Training and Driver Education Training (EDT or IBT).

The CPA also protects learners from misleading, aggressive or prohibited practices including a breach of ‘good faith’. Such a breach occurs where the consumer is denied the reasonable standard of skill and care they are entitled to.

15


One of the aims of the Government Road Safety Strategy is to deliver major improvements in road safety by

effectively mobilising internal resources and working with external stakeholders. This is in an effort to save lives and prevent injuries by reducing the number and severity of collisions on the road.

A large amount of time and effort goes into addressing and resolving each complaint. The resulting distraction is resource demanding and takes time away from other important initiatives. In addition, the public’s perception of the RSA or of their ADI or CPC trainer can be severely diminished. Where this happens it becomes more difficult to maintain their full support or engagement with other initiatives.

The type of business that an ADI or CPC trainer engages in depends on excellent customer care skills and building up a good reputation. This is key to developing business for the future. Ensuring all interactions with customers are positive is just one way in which you can help to develop such a reputation and increase business.

While dealing with the general public can be challenging at times, conducting a business with integrity and fairness will ensure success in terms of reputation. A good reputation can help ensure a business into the future.

We strongly believe that the majority of complaints can be avoided if the customer is provided with all of the related information on price, terms and conditions etc at the initial point of contact.

We are aware that some ADIs are seeking dedicated customer care training which can be found from a wide variety of sources. A small investment of time and effort in this regard may prove invaluable in terms of your company’s reputation and long term profitability.

Further information on this topic can be found in Part 4 of The Driving Instructor’s Handbook (Chapters 8 and 9).

16

CONCLUSION

Working to Save Lives

ISBN 978-1-84717-529-8

RRP €29.95

The Driving Instructor’s H

andbook

Údarás Um Shábháilteacht Ar Bhóithre

Road Safety Authority

The Driving Instructor’s

Handbook

Údarás um Shábháilteacht ar Bhóithre

Road Safety Authority

Páirc Ghnó Ghleann na Muaidhe,Cnoc an tSabhaircín,

Bóthar Bhaile Átha Cliath, Béal an Átha, Co. Mhaigh Eó.

Moy Valley Business Park, Primrose Hill, Dublin Road, Ballina, Co.Mayo

LoCall: 1890 50 60 80 Fax: (096) 25024

Email: [email protected] Website: www.rsa.ie

9 781847 175298

ISBN 978-1-847

17-529-8
