Learning to think like a driver
This activity encourages learners to pay close attention to what
is happening in the situation around them and prepares them to make
quick decisions.
Activity: Thinking like a driver
Before driving
- Talk about where you’re going and what route you will take. Ask
your learner to picture the streets and intersections in their mind
from start to finish.
- If you learner doesn’t know the way, let them use a street
directory to map the route. (If you have a navigation aid in your
car, don't use it for this activity.)
- Ask your learner if they think you have lots of time to get
there, just enough time, or not enough time. Ask how they think
this might affect your driving.
On the road
- When your trip starts, your learner should look well ahead.
Encourage them to decide in their mind when they would slow down,
speed up, merge with traffic, change lanes, and turn – just as if
they were driving.
- See how long your learner can think about nothing other than
driving. You could encourage them to time how long they can attend
before their mind wanders off; it won’t be very long because it’s
actually very hard to do. Practice will increase their
concentration time.
- When you arrive, talk about your trip. Can your learner
remember noticing how feelings may have affected how someone
drove?
Next activity: How to judge
distance
