DVSA Part 3, Standards Check, Part 2 Driving Tests with Graham Hooper, ORDIT trainer, Coach & Mentor

Making Sense of the Goals for Driver Education · Part 14 of 14 · The whole series on one page

Over thirteen articles this series has worked through the GDE matrix level by level and column by column, linking it to HERMES, the CIECA RUE report, my book Coaching for Driver Development and everyday lessons. This final part brings it together.

The matrix in one paragraph

Driving happens on four levels at once: the car, the traffic, the journey and the person. At each level a driver needs knowledge and skills, an awareness of what raises their risk, and an accurate picture of themselves. The higher levels shape the lower ones, and self-evaluation runs through them all.

Five ideas from the series

1. The higher levels shape the lower ones. A harsh brake often starts with a late start and a particular kind of personality. Fixing the symptom misses the cause.
2. Most training and testing sits low. Levels 1 and 2 are necessary, but the factors most closely linked to new driver crashes sit higher up.
3. Self-evaluation is the heart. After the test, the driver’s judgement of themselves decides what they take on.
4. Coaching is the way in. HERMES concluded that coaching is how instructors reach the higher levels, because self-awareness cannot be taught by telling.
5. Client-centred learning is the bridge, and learning is lifelong. RUE places the matrix at the link between education and responsible behaviour, and the test is a milestone, not the destination.

Where each part connects

Part	Topic	Book	Live session
1 and 2	The gap, and where the matrix came from	Ch 4, 5	Module 2
3	Reading the matrix	Ch 7	Module 3
4	Level 1: vehicle manoeuvring	Ch 4	Module 2
5	Level 2: traffic situations	Ch 9, 11	Module 3
6	Level 3: the journey	Ch 16, 19	Module 5
7	Level 4: goals for life	Ch 6	Module 2
8	Knowledge and skills	Ch 7	Module 3
9	Risk-increasing factors	Ch 6, 13	Modules 2, 4
10	Self-evaluation	Ch 10, 17, 18	Modules 3, 5
11	Coaching the higher levels	Ch 8, 15	Modules 3, 4
12	RUE and the client-centred bridge	Ch 2, 3	Module 1
13	After the test	Ch 19	Module 5

An honest note on the evidence

Throughout this series I have been clear that HERMES and RUE represent expert consensus rather than proof from controlled trials. The GDE matrix itself is a framework, not a proven intervention. I think that is exactly how it should be used: as a way of seeing, tested against your own experience in your own car. If it helps you notice things you were missing, it has earned its place.

Where to go next

If this series has been useful, the five Coaching for Driver Development modules take each of these ideas further:

• Module 1, The Foundations of ADI Coaching: coaching confidence, ethics and the instructor–learner relationship.
• Module 2, Coaching vs Teaching: when to teach, coach or mentor, why coaching works and the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
• Module 3, Essential Coaching Skills in the Car: the coaching goal, the five skills, powerful questions and listening.
• Module 4, Emotional Intelligence and Lesson Management: rapport, emotions, feedback and GROW.
• Module 5, The ADI Coach in Practice: the inner game, coaching tools, reflection and coaching for independence.

On your next lesson

Three small things to try this week.

1. Map a week. For one week, note roughly how much of each lesson sat at each level of the matrix.
2. Choose one level to develop. Pick the level you visit least and plan one way to bring it into every lesson next week.
3. Find your own coach. Experiencing coaching yourself is one of the best ways to understand what it offers your learners.

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Go deeper

In the book: Coaching for Driver Development, every chapter, from Chapter 1 to Chapter 20.

Live sessions: All five Coaching for Driver Development modules. Each one builds on the ideas in this series, and together they form a complete programme.

I deliver the five Coaching for Driver Development modules live on Zoom, one module a week. You can book any module on its own or join the complete series. Contact me at grahamhooperadi@hotmail.com or visit grahamhooper.blog.

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Previous: Part 13: After the Test
Read the full series

Sources

• Hatakka, M., Keskinen, E., Gregersen, N.P., Glad, A. and Hernetkoski, K. (2002). From control of the vehicle to personal self-control: broadening the perspectives to driver education. Transportation Research Part F, 5(3), 201–215.
• EU HERMES Project (2010). High impact approach for Enhancing Road safety through More Effective communication Skills. Final report and executive summary.
• CIECA (2015). CIECA-RUE Road User Education Project: Final Report.
• Hooper, G.J. (2025). Coaching for Driver Development: A Complete Framework for the ADI Coach. GJH Consultancy.