What does a driving assessment involve?
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- Introduction and eyesight check
Before entering the vehicle, drivers must read (with glasses or contact lenses, if necessary) a car number plate made after 1 September 2001 from 20 metres. If they fail, the driver should be advised not to drive any vehicle until they have seen an optician or a doctor. The assessment will not continue.
- Walk-round check and vehicle familiarisation
The first step will be ensuring that all drivers are aware of what they should check when completing a walk-round check and know where to find everything they need to drive in a safe and legal manner.
- Demonstration and commentary drive by trainer
In most cases it is recommended that the trainer carries out a demonstration drive and commentary to show the standard which is expected.
- Driving familiarisation
Before beginning the assessment drivers should be given time to familiarise themselves with driving the vehicle. The amount of time allocated for this will depend on the driver’s experience and whether they are driven the vehicle previously. The trainer can make the driver aware of any faults in this section. If after 20 minutes a trainer feels that the driver will not reach the required standard, they may choose to defer the assessment and provide additional training instead.
- Assessment (Minimum of 30 minutes)
The driver should be informed when the trainer begins the assessment. The trainer may continue to offer some prompts, if required. The assessment should include two reversing manoeuvres. A minimum of one reversing manoeuvre is required to pass the assessment. The driver must be assessed for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- De-brief and verdict
Following the assessment, drivers should be informed of the outcome of the assessment and offered feedback.
The duration of the assessment will depend on the length of time allocated to demonstrations and familiarisation, however, it must include a minimum of 30 minutes assessed driving per driver.
A driving observation for the MiDAS Car & MPV course, largely follows the same format. The key difference is that the driver is being observed, rather than assessed. The Observer will not provide any demonstrations, training or prompts, other than giving directions.
If completing a driving assessment as part of a trainer course, you will be required to demonstrate a higher driving standard. DATs will also be assessed on their ability to provide an effective driving commentary.