[mel0710]

Has anyone done a DAC before could you please tell me what to expect and what i need to do to prepare myself please?

[Snowball]

In what context are you enquiring? Is it your wish to go on such a course, or are you required to attend a course for some reason?
Alertness involves every aspect of driving a motor vehicle. Are you seeking a list of situations, because this could be almost endless?

[Beelzebub]

I assume the OP has been given the opportunity to attend one as an alternative to prosecution for careless driving. If so, there is plenty of information online if you Google it. You'll also be sent joining instructions.

No special preparations are needed. Go with an open mind and treat it as a continuation of learning to drive.

[Snowball]

One thing that has always irked me is a driver turning his/her head to look at the passenger whilst talking to them. I long ago developed the habit of keeping my eyes basically to the front whilst driving. Although I do the obvious periodical 180 degree and mirror checks, I never turn my head to look at a passenger.
At 60 mph you cover 88 ft/sec, so in a 2 second glance you would travel 176 feet, and a lot of things ahead can change in that time.
Several nights ago I was scanning the TV channels, and one was showing a police patrol programme. The police driver was repeatedly glancing at his passenger whilst talking, and this to me was all wrong.

[smudger]

You see a lot of events like that on TV programs, and in real life situations. .............. .............I've seen advanced police drivers, along with others, with both hands off the wheel, crossing their hands on the wheel and so on,....... ........... ...but lest face it, we all do it and seem to survive it!.......... ............ .........It didn't take me long to forget all them "safe emergency driving" things we were taught on that intensive two week driving course.......... ........... .......Although there are times when I go back to using them every so often, I suppose we are all guilty of picking up and using bad habits.

[ficklejade]

Never heard of such a course - would someone enlighten me, please? Is this another south of the border course, like the speed awareness course, we don't have in Scotland?

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by ficklejade

Never heard of such a course - would someone enlighten me, please? Is this another south of the border course, like the speed awareness course, we don't have in Scotland?

Yes. Education rather than punishment. There are about six different courses available AFAIK.

[Santa]

I had never heard of it, but it seems that "The driver alertness course may be offered to people who have been blameworthy in a collision or who have committed a motoring offence.

The course involves a mixture of driving theory, utilising the latest researched thinking on ‘low-risk' driving techniques, combined with modern training methods in practical on-road driving."

From the website, it costs about £150 and a manual car is provided. Turn up with your licence, sober and keen to improve. In fact, from reading the description, I think a lot of people would benefit from such a course.

After successfully completing the course, the police report on the motorist’s file will be closed and no further action taken. The date of course completion is recorded. If the motorist is involved an another road traffic incident of a similar type within three years of the date of the offence, then the matter will automatically be considered for prosecution as another offer will not be made.

https://www.cheshire.police.uk/advic...rtness-course/

This is the link to Cheshire. Other forces may offer something similar.

[ficklejade]

Thanks, haven't found anything like that up here yet!