Recognising driver errors - Introduction

Errors versus 'faults'

The DVSA and many training organisations refer to the mistakes that learners make as 'faults'. While the word 'fault' is a reasonable description of mistakes made during driving tests when people are expected to drive t a required standard. However, when people are learning we feel that the work 'fault' is a misnomer.

Learners are not 'faulty'! Mistakes are an essential part of learning,

You might feel that we are being a bit picky about terminology here- however, the language that we use when describing driving behaviour can have a major impact on motivation. Consider this for yourself, would you prefer your trainer to tell you about your faults or the mistakes that you make?

The way that you think about mistakes will also affect the way that you deal with them. The work 'fault' infers blame. Learners are not to blame for their mistakes even though they might be responsible. Inferring blame (even unconsciously) can, as we mention above, affect motivation and progress. With this in mind we suggest that the word 'fault' is reserved for mock-tests.

In this section we look are some of the main root causes of mistakes - the things that can lead to many other issues. By recognising these root causes you can save hours of training time and frustration.

Next: Step 2 - Short observation mistakes.