AnnieslandCollege
The Safe Road User award is a new innovative programme. What this programme is looking at is trying to instill a sense of being a safe road user whether you have an aspiration to drive, whether you are a cyclist or whether you are a pedestrian.
Safe Road User award is a course that has been put together jointly by SQA and the Driving Standards Agency. It is specifically designed to educate people towards road safety and that’s drivers, pedestrians and motorcyclists, so it’s actually good for everybody.
Our particular college was interested in using it for the special programme students who do an independent living course. We were very very interested in the provision of transport and aspiring to actually have their own vehicle etc.
The thinking behind offering the course was to develop a curriculum which was relevant and appropriate for learners in modern day society.It’s not just for people learning to drive it’s for everybody who uses the road, pedestrians, cyclists, everyone.
The course came about because our staff were really, really interested in it and providing a kind of articulation route, the next step for their students. It was the next step because the two 40 hour units actually developed further thinking and further aspects of road safety and road awareness so it was the next positive step.
Classes involve students participating in two 40 hour units. One unit focusing on developing a safe road user attitude and the other unit is developing an understanding of how to use the road safely.
The course is delivered with a mixture of practical activities and theoretical lessons. We try as much to contextualise the lessons for the young learner to make it as interesting and as relevant as possible for them.
What we also need to be very very responsible with schools and with school children is that, yes to let them in to see cars and vehicles and how you can be a mechanic, but its about the responsible use of that vehicle on the road, so we’ve got realistic work environments that involves cars and car ownership so what we are saying is we should join up our thinking on this and provide two sides of the equation.
I tend to think that sitting in the classroom and speaking to young people isn’t as successful, as looking for ways to deliver it that is realistic to them, and you can get as close as you can to the real situation. There is a lot of opportunities on the course to actually get involved in a practical way, we’re quite fortunate that that opportunity is there.
I enjoyed the beer goggles, that was really quite fun, and also seeing how the measurements of alcohol, you don’t think about it, you just pour and you just drink, but you don’t think that could be over the limit or under the limit.
What I have learned on the Safe Road Users course is to be understanding of other drivers and be patient and considerate to road users and also pedestrians, and be considerateif someone needs to cross the road give them time to cross. Also not to be irresponsible, there is no excuse for drinking and driving and also if passengers are carrying on or distracting you from the job, you’ve got to be a safe driver.
I think students really enjoy the course, initially when they come they think that they are going to be driving and it takes some time to explain to them that it is a pre-driver course, we do go down to the car, learn some things about the car, safety things but we don’t actually, it doesn’t involve turning an engine on or moving the car. Once they have accepted that they realise that yeah, it is good and it does relate to driving and they do enjoy the activities.
I think it will help me a lot because it will make me more aware of the surroundings, it will make me a safe driver because I wouldn’t want to be a dangerous driver and put people in hospital or destroy their lives, as I wouldn’t want to be in their situation aswell so it will keep me out of harms way and keep everybody else out of harms way.
I think this course helps to change young people’s attitudes towards safe road use. I think once they realise the consequences of certain behaviours they then understand how important it is to change.
They will understand that they don’t operate themselves in isolation, they are part of a bigger group, and they will be much better responsible better citizens through learning the skills on this course.
For our young people they need all that they can get to make them employable, or have the ability to leave school to go into a positive destination. This allows them to get into the world of work ethos, turning up on time, reporting to somebody, meeting new people, learning new skills and putting them into practice.