Teaching driving - dangerous profession

Driving instructors always face danger on the road. In the photo: Mr. Tran Van Hoan, Lap Phuong Thanh Vocational Training and Driving Test Center, teaches students to drive on the road.

"Death" lurks

"This profession does not allow for redoes. Just a split-second mistake can endanger anyone's life," said Tran The Thai, a long-time driving instructor at the Provincial Employment Service Center.

Mr. Thai recalls the most dangerous situation when he taught a tall male student. During a road driving lesson, when passing through a crowded urban area, the student mistakenly stepped on the brake pedal instead of the accelerator. The student panicked, his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, the car suddenly accelerated, the gas roared. In the "life-threatening" situation, Mr. Thai quickly leaned forward, used his left hand to firmly hold the steering wheel and pushed the student's hand away, while simultaneously using his right hand to shift the gear lever to neutral and his foot to step on the auxiliary brake to bring the car to a safe state. "Both hands and feet must be coordinated at the same time to successfully handle this situation. If you lack concentration and do not handle it quickly and accurately, who knows what the consequences will be," said Mr. Thai.

Having been in this "dangerous" job for more than ten years, Mr. Nguyen Duy Cong of Lap Phuong Thanh Vocational Training and Driving Test Center (Hai Duong City) still cannot forget the heart-stopping situation. He said that one time he was teaching a female student, while driving on a highway without a median strip, with a constant stream of cars going back and forth. Despite being warned in advance, instead of turning to the right to avoid oncoming traffic, the student turned to the left. As quick as lightning, he grabbed the steering wheel and turned to the right, his foot pressed the auxiliary brake to adjust the car to safety. "This situation made both the teacher and the student in the car scream," said Mr. Cong.

Mr. Tran Van Hoan, also from Lap Phuong Thanh Vocational Training and Driving Test Center, said that in his 6 years of teaching driving, the most dangerous time was when a student was driving on the highway and suddenly a person driving an electric bicycle sped out from the alley. "At that time, the student was a bit flustered, but I was able to handle it in time so there was only a slight collision. If I had not been proactive and acted quickly, the incident could have been worse," said Mr. Hoan.

When participating in traffic, any situation can arise immediately. Mistakingly stepping on the gas pedal, overtaking, avoiding, reversing, crossing the street... are all dangerous situations. If the driving instructor is subjective and not focused, "death" can call at any time.

In addition to the hardship of working in hot weather conditions or having to talk a lot and sit a lot, which affects health, driving instructors also have to leave early and come home late because they depend on the students' schedules. Many people are frustrated and tired when they encounter students who teach one thing and do another. "This job is like serving a hundred families because we come into contact with all classes in society. We have to grasp the psychology and personality of each student to adjust the teaching method accordingly. If we cannot control our emotions, it will be difficult to continue this career," said Mr. Thai.

Teachers need to be proactive

The recent series of accidents involving driving practice vehicles further demonstrates the danger of teaching driving. For example, on September 15, a collision between a driving practice vehicle and an electric motorbike in Hoa Binh resulted in the death of an electric motorbike driver. On September 14, in Bac Giang, a driving practice vehicle lost control and crashed into a house on the side of the road, nearly taking the lives of two students. On August 11, in Nam Dinh, a driving practice vehicle also crashed into the back of a bicycle, killing a 3-year-old child...

To minimize the danger on the road, driving instructors need experience. According to driving instructors, experience here is the ability to make judgments in advance and always be proactive in all situations. Instructors must always put themselves in the position of the driver. When teaching students to drive on the road, instructors must always concentrate and not leave the car until it is safe.

Learning to drive a car is a special subject, it must be taught, learned, and tested. If the training is not done properly, students can cheat, and unintentionally create "killing machines". Therefore, to contribute to ensuring safety for everyone, driving instructors need to be trained, tested, and periodically observed in practice. People who want to learn to drive a car need to carefully research reputable training units and teachers to study, to avoid losing money or being in danger for themselves in the future.

THE ANH