Training Tip of the Week – Predictive Behaviour

This week is a little more advanced in taking your student or driver to the next level. We are talking about Predictive Behaviour.
When driving Over the Road it will become apparent that the other drivers around you will do sudden moves that will impair your ability to maintain safety.

This is a crucial fact to expect the unexpected. However, often the driver that creates a problem will give a tell-tale signal that they are about to make a sudden change that impacts your space and safety. When you start to recognize these tell-tale details, you are acquiring Predictive Behaviour.

Take a look at a possible scenario. Your student is driving on a 3 lane highway. As is the normal rule, they are in the far right lane. But there is an exit coming up, and the road is busy. A car is in the far left lane (hammer lane) and starts to move to its right, closer to the center lane. Then, without signalling it moves into the centre lane and speeds up ahead of your student. Why is it trying to get ahead of your truck?

With the exit ramp coming up there may be a reason. Will the car stay in that lane, or will it move again? If it slows even a tad, that may indicate that it is going to make another move, and if it does it is going to cut off your truck and take your lane to the exit.

The art of Predictive Behaviour can prevent a problem here when you, or your student, prepares for a move that will cut off your truck and are prepared to make alternative moves to avoid a problem. A non-aggressive move is to slow down, open a hole, and allow that vehicle to take a space and enter the deceleration lane.

When honing your skills for Predictive Behaviour watch for “tells” by other drivers as they prepare to make a move. Simple things like speeding up, slowing down, moving over in a lane, looking lost, etc can all trigger an alert from your student or
driver.

Be on the Lookout for “Tells”, and prepare to react!