DriveTech has once again provided driver training support and format advice for the Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme that helps enhance young drivers’ skills.
Now in its seventh year of operation in the UK, the Ford DSFL programme is geared towards helping young drivers feel more confident on the road and safer behind the wheel, and was created originally by Ford Motor Company Fund in 2003 in collaboration with the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
The 2019 programme – held in Manchester in May – saw driver trainers from DriveTech driver once more shape the schedule of activities for the sessions and provide the technical expertise. The programme for each session included:
- Hazard recognition
- Vehicle handling
- Speed and space management
- Distracted and impaired driving
The 2019 programme also included an additional focus on vulnerable road users by car and truck drivers alike and the young delegates were shown the Dutch Reach, a technique to spot cyclists before opening a door, and the importance of a minimum 1.5 metre clearance when overtaking cyclists.
Commenting on the Ford DSFL day, Keith Freeman, driver trainer manager at DriveTech, said: “Our driver trainer team are massively experienced in driver training, and whilst one focus of our training is with fleet business drivers, they always get a real boost out of supporting the Ford Driving Skills for Life Programme as it helps to develop relatively inexperienced younger drivers to be better and safer. We provide practical hands on behind-the-wheel experiences including different scenarios that challenge the drivers to think and act differently helping them, and other road users, to be better protected and responsible.”
Ford of Britain corporate communications manager, Poppy MacKenzie Smith added: “Ford are really committed to the Driving Skills for Life events, and we thoroughly enjoy delivering them. The delegates get a real kick out of the variety of experiences – learning to control a vehicle when it gets into a skid and loses traction is not an experience that everyone gets before it happens for real. We are really appreciative of the patience and expertise of the DriveTech driver training team who always add positively to the whole experience in the planning and the delivery on the day.”
