There are skills that are not taught in driving schools. Despite having obtained a driving license, new drivers are still inexperienced by definition. The lack of hours of practice means that young people (or not so young people) lack certain skills behind the wheel to prevent a wide variety of dangerous situations that can arise while driving and lead to a traffic accident. It is even common for these drivers to have a lessened perception of risk regarding certain behaviors or situations.
To improve safety, there are specific courses that give drivers the guidelines to understand the most challenging traffic situations. Whether you are new or experienced, these trainings adapted to each level equip users with the necessary skills to respond with confidence to all types of risks they may face behind the wheel.
Some of the reference safe driving courses are those offered by the Royal Automobile Club of Spain (RACE). This historic entity combines theoretical and practical training to raise awareness through the analysis of driving risks and apply the main prevention techniques on the asphalt of its school facilities in the Jarama Circuit.
RACE teaches its preventive driving courses at three levels, so that they adapt to the needs of drivers to perfect their technique and help improve their safety when they have to face complicated situations on the road. The initial one is aimed at beginners or people who do not get behind the wheel regularly and want to know or reinforce the basic concepts. The intermediate is recommended for those who drive daily and want to improve their technique. Finally, the advanced is intended for the most demanding drivers, who seek to perfect their technique to face any situation that forces them, for example, to swerve or perform emergency braking.
This institution also offers efficient driving courses aimed at workers in delivery companies or any other company that has personnel hired for driving duties. These are short theoretical-practical courses that aim to teach drivers efficient driving techniques that not only help them prevent the most common risk situations on the road, but also reduce the costs associated with fuel, as well as polluting emissions.
RACE provides these training courses at the driving centers in Moraleja de Enmedio (Madrid) and Montmeló (Barcelona). These have straight tracks to practice emergency braking, oversteering and reaction capacity. Likewise, in the curve area, prevention techniques associated with understeer, traction control and slalom can be known and applied.
The first part of these courses consists of an initial practical test to test the driver’s skills, limitations and bad habits. Secondly, the tutors explain the main techniques to control the vehicle, improve the ability to react to an unforeseen situation such as loss of grip and the principles of ergonomics behind the wheel to reduce the severity of injuries.
Other lessons have to do with the use of driving assistance systems (ADAS) and other active safety systems in vehicles, the concepts that pertain to preventive driving (roundabouts and lanes, tires, safety distance, lights, PAS protocol, etc) or the influence of the human factor on driving. Having explained the above, the students carry out a new driving practice that allows them to pass the course.