The prime purpose of the Group is to prepare Associates to pass the Advanced Driving Test through coaching during observed drives, mostly on the second Sunday morning of the month.
For those Associates who cannot attend regularly on a Sunday, the Group offers non-Sunday observed drives, but the capacity for these is less than on a Sunday as some of our Observers are in full-time employment.
New Associates receive an induction through being sent a video to watch and then answering questions regarding the induction video. If the Associate answers the questions correctly, they will be placed on either the Sunday Run observed drives or on the list for non-Sunday Run drives (noting that there is less capacity for these). The Associate will be given a demonstration drive at the beginning of their first run. The Induction presentation gives a taster of the video content.
The Group also provides:
(i) refresher drives for current Members who think their skills have faded over the years;
(ii) free taster drives for those who are thinking about taking the ADT before they commit to paying for it;
(iii) assessments of drivers who drive for organisations such as the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and the Woking/Sam Beare Hospice. These assessment drives have been requested by both Hospices’ Managements; the assessment drive considers safety and smoothness, but to a slightly lower standard than that required to pass the ADT;
(iv) training for those who wish to help achieve the Group’s aim by becoming Observers.