Mindfulness means being fully present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Despite gaining much popularity in recent years, it is not a new concept. It is an age-old practice based on philosophical and religious traditions. Hence, the concept and practices of mindfulness can be applied almost everywhere, including driving education. In driving, mindfulness is staying aware of thoughts and feelings, the road environment, and the surroundings while on the road. This awareness is crucial in staying alert, anticipating hazards, responding appropriately, and making better decisions in challenging situations. Whether it’s a driving school for novice drivers or an academy teaching driving instructor courses, mindfulness is an important part of all curriculums in driving education. Let us understand the benefits of teaching mindfulness to learner drivers and how to integrate it into driving instruction.
Why is Mindfulness Important in Driving Instruction?
It Helps Increase Focus
Mindfulness practices help an individual to focus better and maintain concentration for a longer time. For drivers, these practices help them develop better judgment and improve their focus. Drivers can learn to keep their focus on driving and reduce other distractions like texting, listening to music, or daydreaming.
It Promoting Calmness
Driving can sometimes be frustrating and mentally taxing for the drivers. With regular practice of mindfulness, drivers can learn to manage their stress effectively, control their anger and frustration, and stay calm when driving.
It Increases Awareness
Mindfulness emphasizes the need to stay aware of our surroundings making individuals more attuned to their surroundings. This awareness is essential for drivers too. Drivers should always be aware of the road environment and their surroundings. They should keep an eye on the road signs, the pedestrians, and the road signals. Plus, they should also stay alert to anticipate potential hazards and respond to them appropriately. All of this requires staying constantly aware of the surroundings while driving.
It Helps in Effective Decision-Making
Driving is a thrilling yet challenging activity. Drivers can sometimes face situations that require critical thinking and quick responses. They also need to take responsibility for their driving behavior in case of committing an offense. Mindfulness helps develop patience, focus, awareness, and critical thinking so that drivers can react responsibly in tough situations.
Integration into Driving Instruction
Driving instructors can help their students develop the right approach and habits while driving. Teaching mindfulness can enable learners to improve their driving skills and behavior significantly. Here’s how driving instructors can integrate mindfulness practices into their lessons in driving instructor courses:
Teach Breathing Exercises
One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is to start breathing exercises. Deep breathing exercises can slow heart rate, improve concentration, and help you focus on the present. It lets you stay calm and centered despite chaotic and testing scenarios.
Develop Visual Awareness
Visual awareness is as much a part of mindfulness as mental awareness. Driving instructors should encourage drivers to develop visual awareness by checking their surroundings for visual clues. For example, drivers should keep checking the roads for road signs and signals, but they should also keep their eyes open for pedestrians, animals, etc. on the side of the road. Such visual scanning methods can help them stay aware of their surroundings.
Teach Mindful Driving Exercises
Mindful driving exercises help drivers to become more attuned to their immediate surroundings. This does not mean a surface-level visual awareness. It also encompasses the awareness of other things like the sound of the engine, the feel of the steering wheel, etc. Developing an awareness of such sensations can increase the driver’s awareness of the present and help them stay focused on the task of driving.
Driving instructor courses like TLI41222 by institutions like the Academy of Road Safety Australia, focus on teaching the instructors new and innovative techniques to cultivate mental and visual awareness in the students through mindfulness. Mindfulness does play an important role in enhancing a driver’s skills and abilities. The inclusion of such practices in driving instruction is essential to promote safer and more responsible driving behavior among the new learners.