Advanced Driving for Heavy Vehicles
Defensive Driving With a Load
Taking an advanced driving course can be highly beneficial for several reasons. It enhances overall driving skills and knowledge. These courses provide participants with in-depth information about defensive driving techniques, hazard perception, and how to handle different road conditions. By learning these skills, drivers become more confident on the road and are better equipped to anticipate and respond to potential dangers. This not only increases their own safety but also that of other road users. An advanced driving course can result in significant financial savings over time.
Requirements
Delegates must possess a valid driver’s license and have at least two years of driving experience. It is important to clarify that this system is not designed for driver “refreshment” or practicing driving on public roads. Instead, the course aims to enhance the skills of experienced drivers by providing additional driving experience and addressing any bad habits acquired over their years of driving.
If your job requires a Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), it is essential to ensure that your PrDP is up to date. We are unable to evaluate a driver if their PrDP has expired or been revoked. Please be aware that if your PrDP is expired, you will not receive the Defensive and Economical Driving Certificate.
Additionally, please note that we will need to use your business’s heavy vehicle, as we do not have any heavy-loaded vehicles available.
Course Content
The correct driving posture
Why accidents happen
Adjusting to different driving conditions
Vehicle empathy
The braking system of your vehicle
Correct gear use
The use of the 5 keys of the Defensive and Economical Driving system
How to Book
Book Via Email
Should you wish to make a booking via our online registration form:
Click Here
Or alternatively send an email to this address:
info@heandshe.co.za
Book Via Telephone
Should you wish to book by telephone please either click the number or call us at: 021 931 8214
Defensive and Economical Driving with a load
Non-credit bearing
NQF: 3
Course duration: 1day + 1 hr assessment after 4 weeks
Cost pp excl. VAT: R1 800.00 (training ratio 1 candidate :1 instructor)
Cost includes: Advanced driving Manual and competency certificate
Certificate valid: 2 years
Vehicle to be used: Your vehicle with a load.
Operate a rigid heavy vehicle
LEVEL 2
(Code 10,11 / C1, C)
UNIT STANDARD: 123253
NQF: 4
Course duration: 4 days
Cost pp excl. VAT: R3 000.00
Operate a vehicle combination
LEVEL 4
(Code 14 / EC1 and EC)
UNIT STANDARD: 123254
NQF: 4
Course duration: 4 days
Cost pp excl. VAT: R4 000.00
More about advanced driving: Defensive and Economical Driving with a load
Defensive and Economical Driving is a system that has been adopted from the United States of America and adapted for implementation on South African roads. This system focuses on important aspects such as vehicle empathy, fuel consumption, avoiding danger, and effectively communicating with other road users to ensure visibility and awareness of one’s actions.
Effective communication with fellow road users plays a crucial role in your journey to your next destination. The ability to anticipate their actions or communicate your intentions is essential for being a safe road user. Often, accidents occur because drivers did not expect certain actions from other vehicles involved in collisions. By predicting the behavior of surrounding vehicles, drivers can steer clear of potential dangers and position themselves in areas where they have an escape route or alternative direction to exit.
Adapting driving style to changing conditions, including rain, wind, road surface, or visibility, is necessary for safe driving. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to slow down during adverse weather conditions like heavy winds or rainfall, leading to severe accidents. The Defensive and Economical Driving System emphasizes the impact of different driving conditions on visibility and highlights the negative effects on vehicle maneuverability.
Throughout the years, this system has been continually developed, improved, and reviewed to accommodate evolving driving trends and advancements in vehicle technology. The course also covers braking systems such as ABS (Antilock Braking System), Electronic Power Steering System (EPS), and Stability Control System (Electronic Stability Program ESP) so that drivers understand how these systems function and how their vehicles react in specific situations. The course also addresses important concepts like Under-Steer and Over-Steer.
The Defensive and Economical Driving System is organized into five key areas that are easy to remember and apply when making decisions or adjusting one’s driving style. By employing the 5 keys of ADVANCED DRIVING: Defensive and Economical Driving, individuals can ensure their safety at all times and be prepared to respond if driving situations/conditions change. These keys also help maintain a safe driving space and minimize the likelihood of encountering dangerous driving scenarios.
Defensive and Economical Driving Assessment
After completing the Defensive Driving course, delegates are required to return after 4 weeks for their practical assessment. This is done to ensure that the Defensive driving system becomes ingrained in their habits when operating a vehicle.
Defensive Driving can be effectively combined with other courses such as Anti Hijack, Gravel Road Driving, Collision Avoidance, and Driver Rehabilitation Programs (for drivers who have been in a serious accident or have not driven for an extended period of time).
Some clients opt for our combination ‘Advanced Driving Course’, which encompasses multiple courses including Defensive and Economical Driving, Gravel Road Driving, Map Reading, 4×4 training, and K53 Refresher Training. These courses are customized to cover all aspects of the driver’s responsibilities.
Defensive and Economical Driving Re-Certification
The Defensive and Economical Driving course remains valid for a period of 2 years. After the expiration of the certificate, drivers are obligated to participate in a 2-hour re-certification briefing, which is followed by a re-certification assessment. During this briefing, the instructor will provide a brief overview of all necessary topics and subsequently accompany the driver on the road to ensure that they still adhere to the principles of the Defensive and Economical Driving system. In case the driver successfully passes this assessment, they will be awarded a new certificate that remains valid for another 2-year period. However, if the driver fails to meet the required standards during the assessment, they will need to retake the entire Defensive and Economical Driving course.