IRTE's Professional approach to Driver training

Although statistics reveal that ninety percent of collisions are attributed to driver error, driver training and testing in India has been one of the most neglected subjects. The reasons could be attributed to insufficient number of driver training schools, or non availability of qualitative tools and systems of training and testing, but the fact remains that the Indian roads can not be safe till the majority of drivers have negligent and irresponsible attitude towards road culture and are not scientifically and psychologically trained to be responsible drivers.

Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), in its endeavour to bring about a change in this scenario, has perhaps made an extremely important contribution, that of development of scientific tools and systems for effective drivers' training and testing.

Researchers at IRTE have identified that in a country like India, with a huge diversity in terms of geographical or cultural conditions, literacy levels, socio economic conditions, facilities available, type of road environment, enforcement culture and political interference, there is a need to develop highly customized training materials and systems to ensure optimum results.

IRTE has, therefore, been successful in developing suitable materials, tools and systems of training for different categories of drivers across different regions of the country. These include drivers of motorized two wheelers, light motor vehicles for public and commercial use, bus drivers, drivers for school transportation, other heavy vehicle drivers in the organized and unorganized sectors as well as drivers of vehicles carrying hazardous goods.

But this is not all; IRTE has also developed courses for cyclists, three wheeler auto rickshaws as well as pullers of cycle rickshaws as these categories of riders also drive on the same roads and under the same conditions and environment as other motorized vehicles.

IRTE's Driver Training Program

Our training sessions are fully interactive and participants are encouraged to ask questions. Relevant films, photographs and animations are projected to make the drivers relate to actual driving conditions which they face regularly while on the roads. Considerable emphasis is laid on personalized interaction with individual participants to ensure that they not only deeply imbibe the concepts of safety and defensive driving but appreciate and practice the same.

Some of our popular courses/modules are:

Driver training initiative - " Safety is my Responsibility "

Our Driver Training Initiative is a comprehensive two day training program which comprises various essential topics including traffic safety devices - road signs and markings, understanding laws of the road, vehicle care and management, handling of difficult and dangerous situations, hazard perception and management, handling driving emergencies, art of defensive driving, impact of alcohol, drugs and medicines, driver passenger relationships and finally the essentials on accident related first aid.

As a part of the exercise we conduct pre and post training tests to assess skill and awareness level of the drivers prior to and after the training. At the end of the program each qualifying driver gets a unique attendance certificate and photo identity Responsible Driver card. The drivers are also given a Road Safety kit including latest traffic signage and Rules of the Road.

Specialized Courses

In addition to the above-mentioned training program, we also undertake specialized sessions for organizations based on an understanding of their risk appetite and key concern/focus areas and accordingly tune the courses to best suit individual/organizational requirements. Specialized and detailed training can be given on specific topics in various difficult situations such as driving in hilly areas, desert areas, areas of excessive rainfall, mining areas, accident-prone routes etc.

Refresher Courses

Refresher courses are conducted on a periodic basis for drivers as well as supervisors who have already undergone the first level training. Subsequent refresher courses further deliberate on micro level problems as well as developments which would enhance their skills, and also for re-capping of essential areas. Refresher courses are conducted to bring weaker drivers to required standards.

Driver audits - On the wheel problem analysis (outdoor)

Our trainers accompany drivers on regular routes to study driver behaviors and understand the problems related to their daily routine. In addition to classroom training, weak drivers are thus identified and additional emphasis placed on their development.

In addition to pre informed driver audits, we also undertake surprise/surveillance tests by following the drivers and observing their behavior and actual implementation of the trainings and standard requirements. Information on these is collated and shared with the management group.

Driver assessment

We test and understand the knowledge and ability of the driver on awareness issues, behavioral pattern as well as a psychological analysis.

On going driver development and data bank maintenance

We maintain a databank of drivers, each identified by a unique number allocated with details including their driver history, violation record, training and medical records and on-going training requirements. Further, driver assessments are also maintained and refresher courses carried out till the drivers reach a predefined standard set in conjunction with logistics/fleet managers. We partner with the logistics team from the organization in obtaining data on these drivers including complaints received, accident and violation history etc. As a result, all the information on drivers could be centrally and securely maintained and managed for ready reference and decision-making.

The objective of IRTE's various driver training programs is to develop educated, aware and safe drivers for Indian roads having positive and responsible attitude towards road culture.

Faculty for the Driver Training Courses

IRTE has a rich faculty comprising of Automobile Engineers, Traffic Engineers, Transport Planners, Accident Analysts, Road Safety Managers, Driving instructors, Medical Doctors and legal experts who with their multi-dimensional approach create the ideal basis of designing courses, developing required tools and systems for training as well as conduct training and driver assessment.