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Now you can assess drivers by computer
Page 74
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Switch on and boot up. Peter Lamer looks at how IT can revolutionise the way we train our drivers.
My wife is employed in administration at a College of Further -..ducation. The introduction of mline testing has revolutionised he admissions procedure. Every tudent is assessed using online esting software to establish her iteracy and numeracy levels. leachers can then ensure they .eceive appropriate tuition.
I was interested to learn vhether this could be applied to pur industry to assess driver skills ind was very pleased to find out .hat an old friend of mine, Dr Will Vlurray, had produced such a programme. RoadRisk is a Virtual Fleet Risk Management system produced by Interactive Driving systems and it provides an online iystem to manage road safety itrategy. It is simple to use and was developed over the past 10 years through research and practical experience in the UK,Europe. Australia and the USA.
Motor fleet risk management is an essential element in our industry sector. Distributing fuel in road tankers requires a high level of skill and we need to continually assess those skills and provide refresher training where appropriate.
At present we rely entirely on a physical driving test which requires us to employ our own driver instructors who themselves need to he trained by external trainers. We then conduct refresher training every two-anda-half years, because there is no way to determine whether they need the training other than by reference to their accident record.
Online testing changes all that. By simply setting an online test, which lasts about 40 minutes, we can assess each driver's attitude, behaviour, hazard perception and knowledge.The assessment is far more objective and controlled than a physical driving test can be, as this relies entirely on the judgement and skill of the assessor.The results of the assessment are then sent, almost immediately, by e-mail to the company's designated manager.
While there are online tutorials available which are designed to rectify any problems identified by the test, we have chosen to make any such corrections using our driver trainers.
After a pilot scheme in which 10 of our existing drivers took part. Will's company was able to customise the package to our specific requirements.
We had some concerns regarding the advantage some more computer-literate employees might have but the company has experience of more than 10,000 drivers taking the test and these showed that IT skills and dexterity did not make a significant difference to the scores.
We now intend to use an abridged version of the online test when interviewing prospective drivers.This will last about 15 minutes and will provide a useful tool in the selection process.
It represents an excellent indicator of potential risks and presents an opportunity for us to improve further our safety performance in an industry sector where safety is the key issue. •