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Guide for community programme providers to the Community Driver Mentor Programme
Guide for community programme providers to the Community Driver Mentor Programme
Who is involved in the Community Driver Mentor ProgrammeThe Community Group we work with identifies learner drivers and mentors from amongst their own networks. They screen and police check all the mentors, roster the 30 hours of driving practise, and undertake all the coordination and tracking of the learner drivers.
The Mentors themselves are not driving instructors but act as coaches supervising a range of practise driving experiences. They talk with the learner drivers to help them learn to think about their driving, how they need to manage the vehicle, and target what they need to practise.
The AA undertakes 3 driving lessons for each learner driver at useful points in each of their programmes, identifying areas the learner needs to focus on, and also delivers a session for the mentors themselves before they start the programme.
Chevron New Zealand, which markets the Caltex brand, is supporting the programmes by sponsoring all of the fuel used in the lessons. In addition they are enthusiastically supporting the programme corporately by encouraging their own staff and Caltex franchise holders to become mentors.
The Transport Agency supports the programme in selected communities around New Zealand via the Community Road Safety Fund and with AA, has an overview role.
But ultimately it is the Learner Drivers who are the most important people in the whole programme. For them, this programme is a life changing event.
Published March 2014
ISBN 978-0-478-40714-3 (print) ISBN 978-0-478-40715-0 (online)
Copyright: March 2014 NZ Transport Agency and Automobile Association
14-067 This publication is available on the NZ Transport Agency’s website at www.nzta.govt.nz
This publication is copyright © NZ Transport Agency and Automobile Association. Material in it may be reproduced for personal or in-house use without formal permission or charge, provided suitable acknowledgement is made to this publication and the NZ Transport Agency and the Automobile Association as the source. Requests and enquiries about the reproduction of material in this publication for any other purpose should be made to: Manager Information, NZ Transport Agency, Private Bag 6995, Wellington 6141.
The permission to reproduce material in this publication does not extend to any material for which the copyright is identified as being held by a third party. Authorisation to reproduce material belonging to a third party must be obtained from the copyright holder(s) concerned.
1 Community Driver Mentor Programme: guide for community programme providers
1 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
This guide is for community programme providers involved in the Community Driver Mentor Programme (the programme).
This guide describes:
• the reasons for setting up the programme• an overview of the programme• how to set up and run the programme• ground rules and resources for the programme.
This programme was specifically developed by the Transport Agency and the AA to run in partnership with selected communities identified with particular needs. This guide is the result of the lessons we have learned in implementing the programme in those communities. The Transport Agency and the AA are unable to run the programme in all communities, but are happy to share this guide with those who may wish to run a driver mentor programme in their region independently of the Transport Agency and the AA.
At a minimum, the following resources are required to implement a programme based on this model:
• A coordinator, based in the community the programme is being run, to manage the programme
• Office space and equipment for the coordinator role
• A car and secure storage for it
• Budget for petrol, professional driving lessons, and mentor training lessons.
2 Community Driver Mentor Programme: guide for community programme providers
2 BACKGROUND: THE REASONS FOR SETTING UP THE COMMUNITY DRIVER MENTOR PROGRAMME
Learner drivers need experience to drive safely and to pass their tests. The purpose of the Community Driver Mentor Programme is two-fold:
• To address issues of disadvantage for learner drivers in the 16–24 age group seeking to get their restricted licences, such as access to suitable vehicles, mentors and practice
• To improve levels of safe driving for these learner drivers.
LEARNER DRIVERS NEED MORE EXPERIENCE TO PASS TOUGHER NEW TESTSNew Zealand recently introduced new driver licence testing standards to improve learner driving and increase road safety.
The restricted driving test has become longer, to assess safe driving skills more thoroughly. The new test involves a wider range of traffic situations than the old test. The test is also more consistent for all drivers – there is less variation between tests, wherever and whenever they happen.
MORE EXPERIENCE MAKES LEARNER DRIVERS SAFEROverseas research suggests that learner drivers should practise driving as much as possible before they start to drive alone. They should also practise driving in a wide range of driving conditions and situations.
The research compared drivers with 120 hours of varied driving practice in a wide range of driving conditions and situations to drivers with 50 hours or fewer of supervised practice. The drivers with more practice had crash rates 40% lower than the drivers with less practice.
SOME LEARNER DRIVERS NEED SUPPORT TO GET THIS EXTRA PRACTICEThe extra practice needed before the new test may be a barrier for some learner drivers, such as:
• learner drivers in rural areas • learner drivers without access to a licensed vehicle for practising• learner drivers without access to an appropriate experienced driver to
supervise their practice.
This means that some learner drivers are not progressing through the driver licensing system. The programme aims to remove this barrier by making it easier for learner drivers to gain driving experience.
3 Community Driver Mentor Programme: guide for community programme providers
3 OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY DRIVER MENTOR PROGRAMME
The NZ Transport Agency and the NZ Automobile Association (AA) have developed a model for local communities to help more young people get the additional supervised driving practice they need. This practice should help learner drivers become better, safer drivers and help them gain their restricted licence.
The programme helps learner drivers to gain driving experience:
• in a wide range of driving situations• with a licensed driving mentor• in a registered and warranted vehicle.
WHAT DOES THE PROGRAMME INVOLVE?Each community programme provider will manage a number of learner drivers. Each driver will be allocated a volunteer mentor. Each mentor will typically look after 1–3 drivers, but there is no strict limit. The mentor will supervise the learner driver while they practise in a car provided for the programme.
Each learner driver will have three driving lessons with a qualified AA Driving Instructor, which their volunteer mentor will also attend.
The first of these lessons will include an expert assessment of the learner driver, identifying their individual development needs.
Following this first lesson, the learner driver will have 30 hours of practice driving, supervised one-to-one by their mentor. At some point during these 30 practice hours, the driving instructor will provide a second lesson to check the learner driver’s progress and advise them on next steps.
In the final stage of the programme, after 30 hours of practice driving, the learner driver will have a third lesson with the instructor. The instructor will reassess the learner driver’s progress. They will advise the learner driver and mentor how to focus further driving practice hours before the restricted driving licence test.
In total, each learner driver should aim to have 120 hours of supervised driving practice before sitting the test. Not all of this practice will be with the mentor – it will include other practice before, during and after the programme. Learner drivers need to arrange some supervised practice of their own to build up to the total of 120 hours.
4 Community Driver Mentor Programme: guide for community programme providers
4 FINDING MENTORS FOR THE PROGRAMME
It is likely that community programme providers may know people who would be appropriate mentors for the programme.
We appreciate the commitment people will make when they volunteer to be a mentor. We expect anyone who will be a mentor to meet some requirements around driving experience and commitment to the programme.
DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND CHECKSMentors must be at least 20 years old and have held a current full car driver licence for at least 2 years. Ideally, they should be over 25 years old.
Mentors must pass a Police ‘fit and proper person’ assessment. The assessment will be against the same criteria currently used for an Instructor (I) licence endorsement. The assessment includes traffic and criminal offence history checks.
AVAILABILITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE PROGRAMMEMentors must be available to supervise their learner drivers for the duration of the programme. This includes attending an initial mentor training session and the three professional driving lessons offered to their learner driver. By sitting in on the professional driving lessons, the mentor will be able to:
• understand the instructor’s approach and priorities • help their learner driver to identify their strengths and weaknesses with
the instructor.
Mentors must commit to providing each learner driver with enough of their personal time to supervise them through at least 30 hours of driving practice.
REMOVING UNSUITABLE MENTORS FROM THE PROGRAMMEIf any of the following problems happen, a mentor may be asked to leave the programme:
• any complaint made about the mentor’s behaviour on the programme – including by the programme driving instructors (we will check any complaints before acting on them)
• any driving offence or infringement, even if outside practice sessions• any relevant criminal offending• any pattern of unavailability for mentor training, for professional driving lessons
or for supervising learner drivers.
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5 WHICH LEARNER DRIVERS CAN QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAMME?
To qualify for the programme, learner drivers need to have a learner licence, some basic driving skills, a good driving record and a commitment to the programme.
READINESS FOR THE PROGRAMMETo qualify for the programme, the learner driver must:
• have a current learner licence to drive a car and bring it to show their programme organiser
• have achieved basic driving skills as described in steps 1–5 on the www.practice.co.nz website: vehicle controls, moving forward, moving in reverse, simple driving, and turning
• commit to the ‘ground rules’ of the programme (see section 11).
The driving skills and commitment are important for the learner driver to be able to make the most of the programme.
DRIVING HISTORYThe learner driver must never have had their driver licence disqualified or suspended. They must not have a history of:
• serious driving offences (such as charges for alcohol or careless or reckless driving)
• multiple speed offences • recent substance abuse or other offending.
The community programme provider will check the background of each learner driver using the Police ‘fit and proper person’ assessment.
COMMITMENT TO PASSING THE TESTThe programme includes 30 hours of practice supervised by the mentor. We expect drivers to arrange some supervised practice of their own to reach the required standard for passing the restricted driving licence test.
6 Community Driver Mentor Programme: guide for community programme providers
6 WHAT THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMME PROVIDER NEEDS TO DO
The community programme provider needs to recruit mentors and learner drivers, coordinate the programme, and manage the programme in line with this guide. The provider should make a specific person ‘programme coordinator’, responsible for planning and managing the programme. The tasks fall into four broad categories:
• setting up facilities for the programme• recruiting mentors and learner drivers• managing the programme day-to-day• being the community’s contact point for the programme.
SETTING UP FACILITIES FOR THE PROGRAMMEThe tasks for the provider in setting up the programme include:
• organising a venue for mentor training with an opportunity to use computers to access the Practice programme online (venues may be supplied by another programme partner or in partnership with them)
• arranging secure storage for the practice vehicle• developing a risk management policy with clear ways of managing each risk
(see section 12) with support from the Transport Agency and the AA.
RECRUITING MENTORS AND LEARNER DRIVERSThe provider will be responsible for recruiting both the mentors and the learner drivers for the programme. The tasks for the provider include:
• checking the background of each mentor and learner driver using the Police ‘fit and proper person’ assessment
• checking that each mentor and learner driver meet the requirements in sections 4 and 5 of this guide
• ensuring the mentors and learner drivers selected are compatible with each other
• setting up a booking system and attendance monitoring system for the driving practice sessions and the driving lessons
• ensuring the mentor and learner driver sign up to the ‘ground rules’ of the programme (see section 11)
• ensuring the learner drivers are aware of the available resources and can access them (see section 10 – explain these during the selection process, at an orientation session the community programme provider may run, and during the driving practice with the mentor and lessons with the AA driving instructor).
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MANAGING THE PROGRAMME DAY-TO-DAYEach community programme provider will manage their programme in accordance with these guidelines so their learner drivers are better prepared to pass their restricted driving test than would otherwise be the case. The tasks for the provider in managing the programme day-to-day include:
• running the booking system for the driving practice sessions and professional AA driving lessons, making appointments for learner drivers and mentors and monitoring their attendance
• being available to answer questions about the programme from learner drivers or the mentors
• working with the Transport Agency and the AA to ensure the learner drivers stick to programme arrangements made on their behalf and the ‘ground rules’ of the programme (see section 11)
• ensuring the leased vehicle provided by the Transport Agency for use in this programme is used only for this purpose and is stored securely.
BEING THE COMMUNITY’S CONTACT POINT FOR THE PROGRAMMEThey will be responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with the wider community, including any communication about the programme and acknowledgement of mentor participation.
The Transport Agency will support the provider with funding and resources to allocate reasonable time for a programme coordinator to carry out these tasks.
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7 WHAT THE TRANSPORT AGENCY AND THE AA WILL PROVIDE FOR THE PROGRAMME
The AA has agreed to provide training for the mentors. A trainer will provide an initial workshop for the mentors. The AA will supply the training materials for this workshop.
The AA will also provide three lessons to each learner driver, accompanied by the driver’s mentor.
The Transport Agency will provide a practice vehicle for the duration of the programme. The Transport Agency will also support the programme coordinator through funding for administration, as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
8 PUBLICITY AND MEDIA GUIDE
The Transport Agency and the AA have developed a number of key messages for community programme providers to draw from when talking about the programme. Any programme communications or publicity must include relevant key messages (and Transport Agency and AA branding) where appropriate.
Any sponsors (organised by the Transport Agency and AA) will also need to be recognised in promotional material and communications in the terms defined in their sponsorship agreement.
MEDIA INTERVIEWS OR PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROGRAMMEThere is quite likely to be media interest in any programme your community develops. It is important that this presents the programme in the correct way.
The recommended actions if you are contacted by the media are:
• Do not make any comments immediately but ask for their contact details, what they want to ask about, what their deadline is, and arrange to get back to them.
• Let your Transport Agency contact person know about the media enquiry and ask for help in responding if you want it
• Your Transport Agency contact person will arrange for an adviser to call you and talk about the best way to respond to the media
• Depending on the nature of the enquiry, either a spokesperson from your group or from the Transport Agency or AA can contact the media
9 Community Driver Mentor Programme: guide for community programme providers
• If someone from your group is talking to the media about the programme, remind them to acknowledge the names of the sponsors who are supporting the programme
• A reporter may ask to talk to one of the drivers involved in the programme. Check that the driver or drivers would be comfortable talking to a reporter. If they are, arrange a time for the reporter to contact them and let them know the types of things the reporter will ask, so they can be prepared.
LIKELY QUESTIONS FROM INTEREST MEDIAAnyone talking to the media or publically about the programme should be prepared to answer the following questions:
• How many drivers are taking part?• When did the programme start?• When will it finish?• Why is your community group involved?• How well is it working?• What benefits will young people get out of the programme?• Is there an issue with young drivers struggling to get their licences in your area?
USEFUL MESSAGES TO USE IF MAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROGRAMMEUse these as a guide for answering the questions most likely to be asked about the programme.
• Far too many young New Zealand drivers die or are hurt on our roads. In 2011, 34% of all fatal crashes involved a 15-24 year old driver.
• Some learner drivers are not progressing through the driver licensing system because they have limited access to suitable supervisors, suitable vehicles and/or suitable driving environments.
• The participants in this programme will gain valuable driving experience as a step to them becoming safe drivers and progressing towards a full licence.
• Achieving a full driver’s licence improves a person’s employment and training opportunities as well as giving them greater ability to contribute to their family and community.
• Learner drivers who complete the programme will receive up to 30 hours of mentored lessons and three professional lessons from an AA driving instructor.
• This programme is a result of the pilot schemes, which helped the Transport Agency and AA work on developing a model that can be successful nationwide.
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9 MENTOR TRAINING AND INDUCTION
The AA will provide the initial mentor workshop. The workshop will:• discuss the programme’s objectives and the value of the commitment
mentors are making• describe the general roles and responsibilities of mentors and learner
drivers on the programme• clarify the role of a ‘mentor’ and how it is different from a professional
‘Driving Instructor’ • suggest ideas for developing a ‘coaching’ approach to raise learner
awareness and personal responsibility• define goals for mentors to maximise the effectiveness of their role • help the mentors understand how to set a series of goals for the 30 hours
with each driver• introduce the Practice website (www.practice.co.nz) and give some
‘hands-on’ experience of using it• explain the support available from the community programme coordinator
and the Transport Agency programme leader • explain how to manage any crashes or other incidents.
10 LEARNING RESOURCES
The programme will access resources that are available to all learner drivers. These include:
• the ‘Going Solo’ brochure www.aa.co.nz/about/safety-on-the-roads/safer-drivers/young-drivers/going-solo/
• the Transport Agency driving skills syllabus www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/driving-skill-syllabus/
• the Practice website www.practice.co.nz
• the Transport Agency factsheet ‘Learning to drive: Getting your car licence’ www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/factsheets/45/learning-to-drive.html
• The official New Zealand road code www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/index.html
• information from the AA on the safety ratings of used cars www.aa.co.nz/about/safety-on-the-roads/safer-vehicles/safety-ratings-of-used-cars/
• information from the AA on ‘Helping your teen buy their first car’ www.aa.co.nz/motoring/aa-torque/motoring-blog/buying-selling/helping-your-teen-buy-their-first-car/
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11 PROGRAMME GROUND RULES
MoUs between the community programme provider and the Transport Agency and the AA will be signed by programme partners. These MoUs will include an outline of the commitment expected of each party. In addition to this, the ground rules for learner drivers and mentors set out below must be followed:
• Consent to relevant checks and the sharing of this information with the Transport Agency, the AA and community programme providers.
• Follow the requirements for contacting other people involved in the programme as specified by the programme coordinator.
• Expect to participate in the programme at appropriate times of day for driving and follow the length of practice sessions arranged by the programme coordinator.
• Be on time for appointments and reliable in following instructions from the coordinator.
• Respect each other’s time – notify the coordinator or learner driver/mentor in good time if unable to make an appointment.
• Respect the vehicle and use it with care, ensuring it is returned to its secure storage at the end of a session.
• Maintain the lease vehicle (the Transport Agency will explain the lease company’s requirements to the coordinator).
• Follow the complaints procedure if there is a problem. The procedure involves always contacting the programme coordinator first. If the matter cannot be resolved, contact the Transport Agency programme leader.
• Protect confidentiality – keep confidential any personal details learned about other people participating in the programme.
• Drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited on any days involving practice sessions or driving lessons. If anyone is in doubt about a prescription medication possibly affecting their driving they should ask their doctor for advice.
• Both the mentor and the learner driver must take responsibility for not participating in lessons if at any time they believe they, or the person they are driving with, is impaired and unable to drive safely, eg the mentor or learner is tired, overwrought or unwell.
• Both mentors and team drivers should sign the ground rules document appendix one to them.
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12 MANAGING RISKS DURING THE PROGRAMME
REPORTING A CRASHOne risk is that the learner driver may be involved in a crash during a lesson or practice session. Providers and mentors must help the learner driver to deal with any crash as required by the Road code:
If you are involved in a crash while driving, and you are not badly injured, the first thing you must do is stop and check to see if anyone is hurt, and provide assistance.
If someone is hurt, you must tell a police officer as soon as possible and no later than 24 hours after the crash.
If no one is hurt, you must give your name, address and vehicle registration (and, if asked, the name and address of the owner of the vehicle you are driving, if it isn’t your vehicle) as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours after the crash to:
• the owner or driver of any other vehicle that has been damaged• the owner of any property that has been damaged.
If you can’t find these people, you must tell a police officer as soon as possible and no later than 60 hours after the crash.
After following this procedure, advise the programme coordinator immediately. The programme coordinator will advise the lease company and follow their instructions.
DEALING WITH A BREAKDOWNIn the event of a breakdown, advise the programme coordinator immediately. The programme coordinator will advise the lease company and follow their instructions.
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13 GRADUATION AND PARTICIPANT RECOGNITION
Taking the opportunity to celebrate at the end of your programme is a good opportunity to formally
• recognise and thank your driver mentors their contribution• acknowledge the achievements of your graduating learner drivers • recognise supporting sponsors
And attract publicity and media attention.
