"There was an interesting post on Facebook this morning. I regret seeing it because it’s going to take over my morning as I now have to write this piece. (Incidentally, I recently discovered that I was spending almost 4 hours per day on my phone. 25% of the time I spend awake. I had to make some changes.)

Anyway. I was on Facebook. And the DITC asked what I would do if I was CEO of the DVSA.

Now, the DVSA is in a mess which means that it was no surprise to see ADIs calling them out on the current shambles of test waiting times, lack of examiners, lack of budget from the DfT etc. 

Gareth Marchant got me thinking, though. He suggested separating vehicle testing from training and moving the training side out of the Department of Transport and into the Department of Education. Wise man. Great start.

The first thing that came to mind for me when I looked at the post was how would I overhaul the ADI training system. How would I change things for a better future, as opposed...

At Bright Coaching, we recognise and understand the importance of behaviour on road safety. Drivers do not crash because of a lack of skill - they crash because of decisions made internally, and these decisions are often sub-conscious and based on desired outcomes.

 For example, a young driver may choose to speed to impress his friends. Or a delivery driver may attempt a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre so she avoids getting into trouble from her boss for being late. Or a son driving on the motorway chooses to answer a call from his mother on his hand-held mobile because she’s rang once already - it could be urgent.

As driving instructors, our responsibility is to keep up to date with the latest research on the evidence-based methods which have been shown to have an effect on behavioural decisions.

 Why?

 Because informing young people of potential consequences of risky driving behaviour is no longer enough. 

 Why not?

 Because young people are...

Why do we behave the way that we do?

And more annoyingly, why do we not follow through on what we thought were desired behaviours?

What influences young people when it comes to behaviour?

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Azjen, 1991) is a model which attempts to explain. 

This short webinar is part of the Pre-Work for the Bright Coaching Professional Diploma in Coaching, Behavioural Change, and Driver Psychology. 

(Picture: After being knocked out of the 2022 European Transplant Games in Oxford to Italy's Enrico Pitzalis. I am angrier here than I look.)

A week into 2024, I've still not fully settled on my goals for the year. Today, I'm going to develop a goal using the  SMART model. 

Away from business, my goals are usually focused on my health and fitness. Unfortunately, I've brought a hip injury obtained in November into the new year - one final nail into my five-a-side career. The football boots have now officially been hung up for good. (Donated to these guys, to be more literal).

Tennis is now my main way of keeping fit. It's actually a lot more than that from a mental health perspective, but I'll explore that another time. As a kidney transplant patient (2021), I'll be heading to Lisbon this Summer to compete in the European Transplant and Dialysis Games, representing Team GB.

It's a tough tournament. Getting (and keeping) fit enough, while trying to get my game to a level...

As we look back on 2023, we wanted to recognise the support that’s come our way since the launch of our new training company.

So here, in descending order, is The 2023 Bright Coaching Gratitude List.

In 5th place, thank you to the academics. In particular, Lisa Dorn, Liz Box, and Ian Edwards. All three are consistently happy to engage with the ADI community, recognising the limitations of the DVSA system within which we operate. The work they do is the backbone of the PDA Level 7 in Coaching, Behavioural Change, and Driver Development.

In 4th place, thank you to the ADINJC and Intelligent Instructor for providing the conference platforms which have provided so much value and inspiration to so many PDIs, ADIs, and Trainers over the past few years. These events remain the biggest “bang for your buck” CPD around.

In 3rd place, thank you to Lou Walsh. Lou died during preparations for a three-day Bright Coaching/Lou Walsh Training Event in Scotland. Her...

Gordon Latto is a Scottish ADI, Fleet Trainer, and Instructor Trainer based in Edinburgh who was one of the very first people to show interest in the Bright Coaching project when we went public in the summer of 2023. He was kind enough to share his thoughts with Stewart on CPD and his professional goals. 

We're incredibly grateful to Gordon for his early support and look forward to accompanying him on his qualification journey in 2024. 

1.Welcome to Bright. Can you tell us who you are, and a little bit about your background, please? 

a) What are your general thoughts on...