The Gary Meggs Way of Doing EDT

Driving Lessons CorkI’m a practical fellow. I like my students to understand the car they drive in, so when they operate the clutch they know why to push it all the way; they can start a car when it’s flooded, and so on. I regard EDT as the official way of stating the obvious, and introduce it to my students as a system to get their minds around because it’s logical.

So it’s definitely worth the paper it’s written on. Youngsters driving with a pint or two of Guinness and not knowing what they are doing are on a straight line towards a disaster and it’s happening far too many times in Clifden, Galway. So yes, we have to hammer common sense into them so they drive safely on our roads.

I don’t believe youngsters mean to drive irresponsibly. They just need to understand the basics and practice them – and that’s where sponsors have a role to play. I like to compare EDT training to an apprenticeship on the bench. You start with a raw recruit and you turn them into an artisan.

What EDT Actually Is

Let’s talk next what EDT is about, after you strip away the advertising hype that’s splashed all over the internet and to my mind can be confusing.

  • ESSENTIAL – You must have EDT if you want a driving licence and a car that keeps on going. Other words that spring to mind are VITAL, REALLY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL. So EDT is not a walk in the park. It’s a journey of a lifetime.
  • DRIVER – The EDT rulebook is entirely driver-focussed. To my mind this is far too limited. I like my students to have a good grounding on road design theory too. A driver is an OPERATOR. You need to understand the system.
  • TRAINING – My EDT sessions are goal-directed because my students are here to LEARN not tell me what they think is right. I use words like PREPARATION and GROUNDING. I turn out drivers with practical skills who know about safe.

The Fundamentals of EDT

You can visit this link if you like headings and lists. I prefer to explain things in my own words so we get to know each other better while I do.

The First Bit

My training starts with explaining what goes on under the bonnet and how to use the clutch, brakes, mirrors and so on correctly. Then we drive around noticing how you can predict a car’s intentions from its positioning, and why it’s there in the first place. After that, it is time to swap seats, and learn how to change direction and maintain a safe speed.

The Middle Bit

So now we have a youngster who knows how to drive down a quiet suburban road on a Sunday morning. The next four lessons teach them how to cope with having other cars around them. Signalling and correct positioning become practical things to master, as do learning to anticipate and respond to circumstances. The basic training phase completes with sharing the road with other people and driving through heavy traffic safely.

The Final Bit

This part is more innovative (although not what I call advanced driving). We get to change direction and maintain speed allowing for traffic conditions. This follows on nicely to keeping your cool regardless of what other drivers are doing. Finally, we go out at night to complete the EDT course. The next step is the Pre-Test Examination.

Optional Extras

While the above is sufficient knowledge to get past the official driving test, I personally find it peculiar that the government is prepared to dish out driving licences to people who have not proved they know how to behave on a motorway. While the N59 is not exactly a highway, the M18 is a busy motorway that we all get to driving on sometime.

I provide advanced training on motorway driving skills (at an extra cost) and a whole lot more besides. I’m Gary Meggs, I’m in Clifden, Galway and I provide all the driver training that you need.


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