Driving anxiety and test nerves are major hurdles for learner drivers. With long waiting times for tests and pass rates below 50%, they can feel under immense pressure to succeed.

But now there's a qualification at SCQF level 7 that teaches driving instructors how to support their students' mental health and well-being, and put them on the road to success.

Delivered by Confident Drivers, 'Drive with Confidence: Stress Management, Anxiety Reduction and Confidence Building in Driver Training' has 15 credit points, which equates to 150 hours' learning.

Confident Drivers has been helping nervous drivers since 2018. It provides a membership website and online training platform for anxious drivers, as well as for driving instructors and trainee driving instructors who want to better support their nervous students.

Online support

The website offers online courses and effective techniques to help drivers manage driving stress, nerves and anxiety. It also has The Driving Confidence podcast, which shares tips, advice, and real-life stories about overcoming driving fears, with a library of over 100 episodes to provide support.

Confident Drivers has been conducting training courses for driving instructors for two years and sought to formalise the training through the SQA credit rating service. The goal is for instructors not only to apply what they have learned, but also to submit evidence in the form of assignments that can be assessed.

The programme is suitable for any driving professional. While most participants are likely to be driving instructors and trainee driving instructors, it may also benefit fleet managers or talking therapists dealing with driving anxiety and phobias. The programme consists of four units, each covering different aspects of how stress, nerves, and anxiety may be connected to driving, including:

• Unit 1: Effective questioning techniques in driver training
• Unit 2: The brain and anxiety
• Unit 3: Neurodiversity and driver training
• Unit 4: Confidence building in driver training

Quality assurance

The credit rating provides participants with confidence that the training and assignments will help them achieve the course's learning outcomes, rather than just receiving a certificate of attendance.

Participants understand that they will need to put effort into using their new knowledge and can proudly celebrate their achievements upon completing the course.

This also gives their future learner drivers confidence that their instructors have undergone a rigorous quality assurance process regarding training for nerves and anxiety.

For more information on the programme, visit www.confidentdrivers.co.uk/drive-with-confidence