Beginner Driver Education (BDE) Program Curriculum Standards
1. Rules of the Road
- Traffic laws and regulations
- Reasons for traffic laws and regulations
- Current road safety issues
- Speed
- Impaired driving
- Distracted driving
- Emergency vehicles
- Licensing requirements
- Vehicle insurance
- Differences in traffic laws across jurisdictions
- Traffic control devices: signs, signals, markings
2. The Vehicle and Its Components
- Basic vehicle components
- Control devices
- Instruments and warning indicators
- Devices that aid visibility
- Safety devices
- Comfort devices
- Anti-theft devices
- Communication devices
- Pre-trip checks: external and internal
3. Vehicle Handling
- Vehicle control: visual tracking, steering, seating, acceleration, braking
- Parking and changing direction
- Right-of-way manoeuvres and turns
- Highway and freeway driving
- Urban and rural driving
- Handling under various conditions
- Traction, time and space management
- Stopping and braking distances
- Friction and speed for conditions
- Road surface effects and seasonal changes
- Tire types and inflation
- Collision avoidance and evasive manoeuvres
- Skid and slide recovery
4. Driver Behaviour
- Adjusting driving behaviour for different conditions
- Emotional control and its impact on driving
- Personal and social influences
- Driving values, beliefs, motives, peer pressure
- Advertising and media influence
- Resisting negative pressures
- Positive driving attitudes
- Impact on other road-users
- Responsible decision-making
- Formal rules, safe practices, consequences
5. Respect and Responsibility
- Emergency response: collisions, police stops, malfunctions
- Leadership in safe driving
- Safety restraint use and fitness to drive
- Empathy, conflict avoidance, road rage prevention
- Environmental responsibility
- Fuel efficiency and emissions testing
- Proper disposal of vehicle materials
- Littering and efficient route planning
- Lifelong learning
- Driver skill changes, technology and law updates
- Aging population
6. Sharing the Road
- Cooperative driving
- Respecting other road-users
- Passing safely and space management
- Communication: signals and habits
- Adjusting communication based on environment
7. Attention
- Impaired driving: types, effects, myths, consequences
- Distractions: inside and outside the vehicle
- Division of attention: switching, focusing, sustaining
8. Perception and Risk Management
- Observation skills
- Visual scanning and hazard detection
- Personal limits and risk tolerance
- Driver types and dangerous driving
- Risk perception and overconfidence
- Reaction times and expectations
- Safe margins and influencing factors
- Collision recognition and avoidance
- Hazard identification and response
- Decision-making and post-incident actions
- Minimizing risk through safe driving actions
Curriculum Examples
Rules of the Road
- Discuss the importance of obeying speed limits and the consequences of speeding.
- Analyze the impact of impaired and distracted driving through case studies.
- Review traffic signs and signals using interactive quizzes.
- Explore licensing requirements and insurance responsibilities through role-play scenarios.
The Vehicle and Its Components
- Demonstrate pre-trip checks using a real or simulated vehicle.
- Identify dashboard warning lights and explain their meanings.
- Practice the use of mirrors, seatbelts, and other safety devices.
- Explore anti-theft and communication devices through hands-on activities.
Vehicle Handling
- Practice steering techniques and visual tracking in a controlled environment.
- Simulate braking distances under different conditions (e.g., wet vs. dry roads).
- Perform parking manoeuvres in various settings.
- Demonstrate evasive actions and skid recovery using driving simulators.
- Discuss the effects of seasonal changes on vehicle control.
Driver Behaviour
- Reflect on personal driving values and beliefs through journaling.
- Role-play peer pressure scenarios and discuss strategies to resist unsafe behaviour.
- Analyze media messages about driving and identify biases.
- Explore the consequences of poor decision-making through group discussions.
Respect and Responsibility
- Create emergency response plans for different driving situations.
- Discuss the importance of empathy and conflict avoidance on the road.
- Explore environmental impacts of driving and ways to reduce one’s footprint.
- Plan for lifelong learning by researching new vehicle technologies and laws.
Sharing the Road
- Simulate interactions with pedestrians, cyclists, and commercial vehicles.
- Practice safe passing techniques and space management.
- Use case studies to explore cooperative driving and communication strategies.
Attention
- Identify common in-vehicle and external distractions.
- Discuss myths and facts about impaired driving.
- Practice attention-switching exercises to improve focus.
Perception and Risk Management
- Conduct hazard perception drills using video scenarios.
- Evaluate personal risk tolerance through self-assessment tools.
- Analyze collision reports to identify contributing factors.
- Practice decision-making in simulated high-risk situations.
Our driving instructors
Your driving learning depends on the skills of our driving instructors.
Our instructors are fully licensed and must pass our strict set of guidelines so you should receive proper driving education that keeps you safe and confident on the road.
Canada Safe Drivers -Waterloo
(519) 998-0051 (Call or Text)
496 Albert Street, Waterloo, ON N2L 6J8
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