Ford is going further to continuously improve the safe driving habits across the Asia Pacific and Africa region, conducting refresher training courses for its award-winning Driving Skills for Life programme instructors across the region.
"As an automotive leader, it is our obligation to help improve road safety, especially in markets that have unique traffic and safety challenges, as well as high numbers of new drivers." said Trevor Hale, Ford Motor Company, Asia Pacific and Africa’s Corporate Communications Director. "In the spirit of Going Further, we are offering advanced training to ensure that our trainers not only deliver safe and eco-driving skills, but are also able to influence participants to change their driving behavior, making the roads safer for all."
DSFL, which has been operating in the region for five years, is not only important so drivers learn the importance of safe and defensive driving, but also because the programme has a marked effect on fuel savings. The programme has shown to have a 20-25 percent short-term effect on fuel savings and 6-15 percent long term fuel savings on passenger cars with the potential to reduce carbon dioxide.
Critical to the programme's success is ensuring the trainers are of a high standard, which is why Ford is rolling out the Train-the-Trainer (TTT) programme. TTT presents an opportunity for DSFL trainers to get together with top calibre instructors, who ensure that they are fully prepared when they present the programme in their local markets.
In 2008, 2009 and 2010, professional instructors from the German Road Safety Council (DVR) executed DSFL Train-the-Trainer courses for Ford DSFL instructors in ASEAN, China, India, South Africa and Australia. This year, a refresher TTT course will be held for the Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Philippines and China markets by RAC Driving Solutions from South Africa. RAC specialises in, and has a proven track record in, transport risk management, fleet management, vehicle inspection and driver training across a range of disciplines in Africa and the United States.
Notably, South Africa has one of the highest defensive driving standards in the world, ensuring that trainers will be elevating their skills when they attend the meeting. In a special two-day TTT session with RAC, not only will instructors have their knowledge refreshed, but they will also be given new information that will help them plan, design and deliver more effective DSFL programmes.
The training will include a defensive driving skills audio presentation covering the system of car control, distracted driving, I.P.D.E awareness, driving under the influence of alcohol, the importance of safety belts and six positions of a two car crash. A Ford DSFL presentation covering the three important components of safety, fuel economy and cost savings, and the ten tips which Ford DSFL is based on, will also be a part of the training.
Instructors will also present a lesson plan for their local DSFL programme to the RAC trainers and receive feedback on it. An in-car practical driving session, which will require each person to instruct and drive, will follow. Trainers will also be tested using the Dashboard reporting system, which will be used to ensure that all the safety and eco-driving skills are applied in actual driving.
DSFL has been in operation in the Asia Pacific and Africa region since 2008 and has now been bringing safe and economical driving to drivers in China, India, Taiwan, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia. So far, 50,000 people have participated across the region and it's expected that in 2012 a further 12,000 people will take part in the programme, which last year won a regional CSR prize at the Holmes Report's first-ever Asia Pacific SABRE Awards.
The refresher trainer courses will take place on the following dates:
Thailand and Taiwan in Bangkok: March 14-16.
Vietnam in Hanoi: March 19-21.
India in Chennai: April 17-19.
Indonesia and Philippines in Jakarta: April 11-13.
China in Shanghai: May 7-9.
Besides the 2-day TTT program, the RAC instructors will also do a one-day session for Ford employees and dealers.
