Graduated development training for driving license acquisition (Category B)

Directive 2006/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union details the minimum requirements for driving examiners and the test that needs to be taken before the issue of a driving license in member countries. However, there in no directive concerning the training of learner drivers or of driver trainers/instructors. Consequently, there are different systems of training carried out in every EU country and there is no scientific evidence to show that one training system is more effective than another. This means that training systems are judged depending on the number of lessons students need to pass their driving test in each country and the pass rate for tests in that country. A research project was devised in Italy involving 272 driving instructors. These instructors were provided with a bespoke training course aimed at reducing the pressure on their students and on themselves. The research demonstrated that the adoption of the specially designed training program was more effective in facilitating the learning of practical driving skills and was also less stressful for the driver trainer and the learner driver. The report below details this new and innovative training procedure and the results of this exercise.