akirk wrote:That is really interesting, and I appreciate that pace forces mistakes / requires more focus / etc. - but if you take that out of the equation for the moment, is that the only differentiator? I have seen some police drivers who while undoubtedly competent would scare the life out of me and some civilian drivers who (if legal
) could undoubtedly maintain that pace with considerable skill etc.
I suspect that an 8 week course is make or break - by the end of it, the rider / driver is undoubtedly honed beautifully - but 2 years later? or even a month later, does the average police driver maintain such a high level of focus? I presume that you need the course to take you beyond what is neccesary day to day so that when you drop off a bit you are stil at the right level?
Alasdair
My friend the instructor on his Advanced car course got a 2 whilst on the bikes he got a 1. He went back for a refresher a good few years later and got a 1 in the cars aswell. It was a prerequisite then to be a driving instructor, you had to be a 1.
Driving is a tool of the job. Most join the Police because they want to be a police officer, not an advanced driver.
We do self defence but we're not all Karate enthusiasts, we're not all Ham radio enthusiasts either, just because we get to use state of the art radio equipment.
So to assume any officer is going to be enthusiastic about driving or riding is false. Some of course will be and their driving will improve. For me enthusiasm and skill are closely related because the more you practice your skill level will increase.
On my department of circa 70 advanced drivers, there are 3 x 1's. There are plenty of, could have been if it wasn't raining, or I got 84% so I was nearly a 1, but true 1's, there are 3. Driving seems at times to be our main function. We do more driving than anyone else in the Force. We cover greater distances on blue lights than anyone. 90% of our calls are blue light. 200 miles in a night shift is not unusual. Vehicles averaging 85000 miles a year is common. So you would think that there would be enthusiasm for driving, but there isn't.
The 3 1's are the type who would just go out for a drive for the sake of it. Practice in their downtime, seeking out roads for that purpose whilst at work. Of those 3, one is now an ADI with a view to doing it full time when he retires, the other wants to be a driving instructor when he reaches his twilight years and the third is a member on here.
If this forum was Police only, they'd be hardly any members, whilst if the regular members here were all police officers, they'd either be instructors or aspiring to be one.
Enthusiasm doesn't come because some one has done an advanced driving course at work, your either interested, or your not, and most aren't.
Now to you guys that's a crying shame because you have the enthusiasm for driving. But driving is not the job, Policing is the job.
So in answer, of course officers get worse when the leave the test because they don't practice and slide back to their old ways. The day you come off your course will be for most officers the peak of their driving or riding ability. For some enthusiasts, they will improve and return as better drivers, but for the majority they won't.
Let's put it into context. If a driver can have 3 observed runs with an non instructor, read roadcraft a few times and watch some videos with some self practice can get an IAM FIRST compared to a even a standard Police driving course of circa 50hrs training with an instructor 1-1, aswell as another 100hrs observing the other 2 students, how can they possibly be of a similar standard?
Then add on the Advanced Police course of another 50 hrs 1-1 with a qualified instructor, all the practice in between the Standard course and the Advanced, observing the other 2 students for a further 100hrs of their instruction unless their on bikes in which case they have to keep up.
So by the end the student has had a minimum of 100hrs 1-1 with another 200hrs observing other students drives and instruction. We all know the value of watching others drive, especially if their having professional instruction at the time.
Enthusiasm can make up for some of it, but unless your a driving God then how can 3 hours guidance match 50 or even 100 hours of 1-1 professional training?
Last edited by playtent on Mon Aug 17, 2015 5:29 pm, edited 5 times in total.