A new learner driver app has been produced by Young Driver to counter lockdown lows in lessons.

Lockdowns have meant that 1.4 million teenagers have potentially had their driving tuition put on hold. The figure comes from the number of people turning 17 during 2020/21.

The number of driving tests lost to lockdowns hit nearly 800,000 (64%) in the nine months from April to December 2020 compared to the year before. No driving lessons, tests or even practicing with a family members, lessons and tests face long wait times.

Sitting comfortably

Young Driver have developed an app that aims to help ease the frustrations for learners. Covering the process from first lesson to driving test, it provides repeatable, lesson practice via 360° videos filmed with ADIs. These can be viewed remotely from home and also provide theory test information, practice modules and hazard perception videos.

Viewable on phones or VR headsets, the 360° view can be rotated to see manoeuvres from every angle. The videos are written and narrated by driver’s champion, Quentin Willson. The initial series of 12 videos attempt to replicate real-life lessons.

Quentin comments: “This is game-changing with ADIs driving cars on real-life roads so learners can practice and repeat lessons remotely at home. This will be an invaluable resource for learners to become more familiar with road situations through constant repetition at home.” The videos cover everything from tackling junctions and roundabouts, to perfecting manoeuvres such as parking or reversing.

Time efficient learning

Young Driver’s head of marketing, Sue Waterfield, says: “There are lots of learn-to-drive apps that focus on the theory test, but the 360° in cockpit view helps animate remote learning because it’s so immersive.

“Waiting list for learners in 2021 will be considerable and the number of available instructors in Britain had already dropped 17% in the last 10 years. While nothing replaces practical lessons, the app will help teens keep practicing even if they can’t physically get out in a car.”

Award-winning adolescent development and wellbeing specialist, Nicola Morgan, is backing the idea. She believes learning ‘virtually’ could help teens retain information better. “Many teenagers enjoy virtual reality and enjoying the learning process does help the learning. We also know that watching someone do something is often a useful way to begin to learn. There’s a theory that mirror neurons in our brain fire when we watch someone do something and that this may help us later perform that action ourselves. So, watching an instructor perform an action in a 360° video might well improve speed and efficacy of acquiring driving expertise. Every time we try or practise, we grow and strengthen neural connections. This allows us gradually to become better at the action or to retain memories better. It’s a scientific basis to the ‘practice makes perfect’ adage.”

The Young Driver App is availabel from the App Store or Google Play.

For more information go to www.youngdriver.com

Picture by Young Driver