Also known as the Traffic Theory Course, the awareness course aims to make future drivers aware of the dangers of traffic. It enables drivers to adopt a defensive driving style to learn how to get around safely and prevent road accidents.
In addition, the main task of these awareness courses is to “educate drivers on how to AVOID road risks ” supported by modern techniques to inspire the development of driving skills. Through driver improvement training at our center, every driver will receive professional knowledge about the importance of the driver’s duties and responsibilities towards other “traffic partners”.
More details will be provided in the following sections of the article.
Why is the awareness course important?
It’s important to remember that in the automotive world, technology is constantly evolving, as is the complexity of traffic itself. Traffic rules can be interpreted relatively easily, whereas steering technique and driving strategy are more problematic.
There are many ways to drive a car, although we know from experience that not all of them are in line with safety and ergonomic principles. The biggest problem is that drivers often have established beliefs, habits and stubbornness that don’t help them to drive safely and correctly.
The most credible rules and guidelines must always be backed up by arguments and safety considerations, so it’s worth checking your beliefs, which are often based on nothing more than your own experiences. On public roads, there’s no room or time for vehicle control errors. That’s why awareness courses, in which we educate drivers about the dangers of the road, are so important.
What does the driver awareness course include?
In addition to theory, practice is important, and we place the main emphasis on it. Only in a place like our Auto-école Lémanique Genève (AEL) center and under the supervision of a professional driving instructor can the driver “afford” to safely try to control the car in difficult conditions.
Thanks to the infrastructure we have at our disposal, we can carry out emergency tests that every driver may encounter on a daily basis, under “laboratory” conditions and, above all, with the safety of each trainee in mind. Gaining speed in a car is not an art. The trick is to choose the right speed for the right conditions, as well as the shape and possibilities of the road. This is what we’ve been teaching at our center for several years.
The training conditions created at Auto-école Lémanique Genève give us the opportunity to experience the “problem” directly and indirectly. This method enables participants to draw their own conclusions and begin to see the mechanisms of good conduct in emergency situations. Training does not consist in “teaching” participants ideology; it is the experienced instructors, and therefore the way of driving the course, that the driver, under the effect of exercises, comes to reflect and opens his mind to the right direction to improve road safety.
What specifically do I learn during the awareness course?
Training to improve driving technique can have a different scope and focus on different aspects. We offer a wide range of training courses. Each of these offers takes several pages to describe here. The training we offer companies includes various program options, for example, depending on the customer’s requirements and the types of vehicle to which the training is to be dedicated.
So let’s concentrate on training courses for private individuals in the B category. Indeed, this category includes the most popular among individual drivers, during which we aim to impart the necessary ABC techniques of safe driving, which are :
Safe driving position
According to our observations, almost ¾ of the drivers taking part in our course have bad habits in this respect. It’s important to understand that position is the basis of safe, confident driving. Many people don’t even realize how much the right driving position affects driving safety, visibility and therefore the starting point for more effective reaction.
During the training, we logically show you how to properly adjust the steering wheel, seat, headrest, mirrors and seatbelts before you hit the road. All this will translate into better maneuvers already during lessons on the training track.
Good handwork on the steering wheel
Such a seemingly simple exercise, the slalom, is capable of showing our “lack” of knowledge about how the steering wheel works at the very beginning. During the course, trainees will notice and appreciate how correct handwork affects the feel of the car and the precision of its handling.
Emergency braking
The ability to brake effectively in emergency situations is extremely valuable. That’s why most of the world’s training courses today indicate that emergency braking is the first action when something bad starts to happen on our driving track. During our training sessions, participants observe a significant extension of braking distance in relation to even small speed differences. In addition, they understand how speed affects the length of distance covered during their reaction time.
The exercises also include a comparison of emergency braking on a slippery, sticky surface, and correct obstacle avoidance during braking. In these exercises, we show how we can use the existing systems that our cars are equipped with, i.e. ABS or ESC.
Oversteer and understeer skidding
These are the most common phenomena we encounter when we lose control of the vehicle. So when this happens, even a small mistake can be costly. During our training, using an irrigated skid circle, as well as a sequence of slippery turns and a special oversteer skidding device such as a jerker, we are able to train these types of skids to occur safely under all conditions.
When we talk about loss of vehicle grip, we focus mainly on the causes of skidding. In addition, we focus on the causes of loss of car control and on actions to minimize the effects of this phenomenon. The exercises in these training modules show how easy it is to lose grip, even at low speeds.
Conclusion
The main aim is for all drivers to acquire the skills they need to anticipate threats, drive safely, adopt good driving techniques, or simply participate safely in road traffic.
If you’d like to receive even more information on safe driving, and would like to be kept informed of our promotions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
