The hardest thing to see is whatis in front of your

By improving your focus whendriving, you can become more alertand aware. If you practise how tospot, understand and anticipatedangers, you can become not just agood driver, but an outstanding one.

This booklet tells you how.

This booklet is about FOCUS.

There are three levels tohaving good FOCUSNoticeThis involves using all yoursenses to gather as muchrelevant information about yoursituation as possible. You needto know where to look, whilekeeping your senses openso that you can spot anythingpotentially hazardous.

ThinkYou then need to make senseof what you see, hear and feel.You do this by weighing up the

significance of everything aroundyou. But sometimes we decidewhat something means too earlyor we ignore something that wecan’t make sense of.

AnticipateThis is the highest level of FOCUSand takes the most practice.Predicting what might happenhelps us make the right decisions.Drivers who are good atanticipating often have more timeto act when things go wrong.

Putting it all togetherWhen you put the three levelstogether, your driving becomesmore focused – you will feelsharper and find it easier to stay‘switched on’.

Many things can bluryour FOCUS.

Here are some tips forstaying sharp.

If you’re distracted by thingsaround you…

– keep your desk clear of clutter, eg loose papersand other distractions

– mentally ‘shut out’ passenger noise from theadjoining carriage

– with other incidents involving the public (eg kidsthrowing stones, abusive passengers), plan to reportthe incident, compose yourself, then move on

– talk to yourself about the previous signal aspect,where you are, what’s going to happen next(risk-triggered commentary).

If you’re distractedby thoughts…

– ‘park’ the thought – file it away to deal with AFTER thejourney and don’t let it back into your mind until then

– get advice about ongoing sources of stress,whether at work or at home – your manager can help

– use ‘risk-triggered commentary’. Talk aloud about yoursignal aspects and what’s coming up.

When your focus blurs:

– look ahead, then all around

– change your focus from close-up to wide-angleand back again

– scan across the track in steps

– use your peripheral vision

– look out for items that you recognise (the houseyou’ll buy when you win the Lottery!)

– know your route – practise it in your head

– use sounds and feeling to identify your location

– watch out for anything out of the ordinary.

When you can’t rememberthe last signal…

– use the ‘feeling drowsy’ techniques below

– remember how and when you lost FOCUS – watch outfor it happening again in the same conditions

– use all your senses to help you stay aware of yoursurroundings. Listen to the train, feel the bumps on thetrack – even smell the air around you.

When there’s lots tofocus on…

– practise dual focus – keepingtabs on one thing while stillscanning the track forother information

– avoid giving too muchattention to one task at theexpense of another task(eg in a difficult shuntmanoeuvre, take carenot to miss a stop aspect)

– acknowledge, but don’t bedistracted by, track workers

– watch out for anything outof the ordinary

– expect the unexpected.

When you noticesomething puzzling…

– don’t dismiss it!

– be prepared for the worst-case scenario

– look for ALL the possible explanations– there may be several

– be systematic; check and check again

– if in doubt, contact the signaller.

When you think you knowwhat’s going to happen next…

– you might be wrong

– think the worst

– be prepared to takealternative action

– allow time to stop –you might expect asignal to clear, but whatif it doesn’t?

– know your route – where areyou stopping? Are you sure?Check off your stations

– highlight relevant itemsin the Weekly Operating Notice.

When you feel drowsy…

– talk or sing aloud

– drink some water

– eat something

– open a window

– take deep breaths

– move about

– move your eyes – focus onclose then distant objects.

XIIXIXX

VI VII VII VI V

IVIII

II

I

VI

XIIXIXIIIXII

IXV IXVVIII VII VI V

IVIIIIII

III

VIIIIIIIIIIVVVII VII

IIIVI VVI

When you’re undertime pressure…

– keep a clear head

– time is secondary to safety

– stay alert – good FOCUS leads to more flowing driving.

Don’t let it happen to you!

– We all let our FOCUSdrop occasionally.

– Most of the time we get awaywith it.

– But just once could be onetime too many. Always thinkthe worst.

– Find ways of staying inFOCUS that work for you.

– Then USE THEM!

– Talk to your manager if youwant to know more.

The hardest thing to see is whatis in front of your