What is EDT?:
The EDT means ‘Essential Driving Training’. The EDT is relatively new and has been a topic of confusion for a lot of people in the past few years. Gone are the easy days that your parents or friends could teach you to drive. It may seem really daunting but believe us when we say that it is not that complicated. We at RSA School of Motoring are here to explain everything to you and give you the information you need to successfully complete your EDT training.
Why was the EDT was introduced?:
The EDT was introduced by the Government back in 2011 due to stats at the time that clearly showed that inexperienced young drivers were more at risk to themselves and others on the road. The EDT was designed to help young drivers become safer and more competent drivers. Each lesson focuses on each aspect of driving from correct positioning on the road to speed management. On completion of the EDT all new drivers will have the skills required to ensure the road is a safer place for everyone.
EDT Lesson breakdown
The 12 EDT lessons are set out like this:
- Lesson 1: Car Controls and Safety Checks
- Lesson 2: Correct Positioning
- Lesson 3: Changing Direction
- Lesson 4: Progression Management
- Lesson 5: Correct Positioning (advanced)
- Lesson 6: Anticipation and Reaction
- Lesson 7: Sharing the Road
- Lesson 8: Driving Safely Through Traffic
- Lesson 9: Changing Direction (advanced)
- Lesson 10: Speed Management
- Lesson 11: Driving Calmly
- Lesson 12: Night Driving
Lessons 1-8 must be taken in the order shown above. Lessons 9-12 can be taken in any order. In order to complete your EDT taining and be eligible to apply for the driving test, all 12 lessons have to be completed with a filled in logbook as your proof.
The logbook is given you when you take your first lesson with your approved driving instructor or ADI. The logbook must be kept safe at all times as it is an important document. Each lesson taken with your ADI will be logged in your logbook and also logged manually on the RSA portal website. Only an approved driving instructor can complete the logbook.
There is space for your ADI to write comments after each lesson and pointers can be made on what you may need to work on to improve. This is an invaluable tool when furthering your practice and is also extremely helpful for your selected sponsor. Your sponsor is also encouraged to write in comments after each filler lesson. This way everyone will know what level the student is at.
The logbook is used as proof of completion of each lesson of the EDT.
What is a sponsor?:
A sponsor is someone the learner driver can choose themselves like a parent, Aunt/Uncle or it can even be an approved driving instructor. The chosen sponsor must be an experienced driver and hold a full driver's license for at least 2 years.
The role of the sponsor is to take the learner driver out on filler lessons. These filler lessons should be taken after each EDT lesson with your ADI. The purpose of the practice lesson is to practice what you have learnt and see if you have made any progress. Your sponsor should base your filler lessons around what comments your instructor has left in your logbook. This way the learner driver gets the most out of the lesson and focuses on what they need to improve on.
If you have been asked to be a sponsor, it may be an advantage to look over the rules of the road ahead of the filler lessons to ensure you are more beneficial to your learner driver. This role should be taken seriously and if you feel you cannot commit your time or energy into it, just say no! At the end of the day if you are not committed to being a sponsor it will only stop the learner driver improving their driving skills and make the whole process longer than needed to be.
Choosing a sponsor:
A sponsor is someone the learner driver can choose themselves like a parent, Aunt/Uncle or it can even be your ADI. Whoever you choose it is purely your choice. The main thing you must ask yourself is, ‘Can i trust this person?’, ‘Will this person keep me calm or stress me out?’, ‘Will this person make time for me to practice with them?’. If the answer is no to any of these questions, ask someone else. Picking the right sponsor is really important so take some time to choose. If at any stage this person is not working for you, don't worry, you can always change to someone else.
So you’ve completed all 12 EDT lessons with your ADI and completed filler lessons with your sponsor and having held your drivers permit for a minimum of 6 months you can finally apply for your drivers test. After you receive your test date, it is advised that you have some pretest lessons with your ADI. These lessons help you pass the test and give you an idea of the potential route you may be taken on. They really are invaluable lessons.
Learning to drive is quite a daunting process but it doesn't have to be with the right school. At the RSA School of Motoring we are here to help you in any stage you are in, whether you are a complete beginner or just need some pointers on how to pass the test.
Please feel free to look through our website for more information, some great deals and some real testimonials from our past students. Or us a ring and one of our friendly staff member will be happy to help.