Online resources for instructors

Note: If you have a resource to suggest, a question about this page, or notice a broken link, please contact [email protected].

Statistics

• ICBC Traffic Collision Statistics

• Transport Canada, Motor Vehicle Safety — Statistics and data

B.C. and Canadian government websites

• B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit — An overview of the provincial ministry responsible for the transportation systems and standards that help shape road safety and support driver training in B.C.

• Natural Resources Canada — Energy‑Efficient and Alternative‑Fuel Transportation Resources — A federal resource offering guidance on fuel‑efficient driving, alternative fuels, and tools that support safer, cleaner, and more efficient vehicle operation in Canada.

• Natural Resources Canada — Auto$mart Driver Training Program — A ready‑to‑use set of five instructional modules that help instructors teach fuel‑efficient, environmentally responsible driving habits to new drivers.

• RoadSafetyBC — The RoadSafetyBC site provides links to the Motor Vehicle Act, the Criminal Code of Canada, and key road‑safety legislation, along with essential information on driver fitness, prohibitions, and safety programs.

• WorksafeBC — The WorkSafeBC site offers guidance and resources that driving schools can use to meet workplace safety requirements, including tools for managing risk, training workers, and maintaining a safe instructional environment.

Traffic safety organizations

• American Driver and Traffic Safety Association (ADTSEA) — ADTSEA supports high‑quality driver education by providing national standards, teaching resources, and downloadable materials that help instructors deliver consistent, evidence‑based training for novice drivers.

• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) — The IIHS provides high‑quality research, vehicle safety ratings, and crash‑test data, along with clear information on road‑safety issues and emerging vehicle technologies.

• International Commission for Driver Testing (CIECA) — This organization sponsors various traffic safety research and development projects in the European Union such as the HERMES Coaching Project.

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — Road Safety — NHTSA offers evidence‑based road‑safety resources and teaching tools that support instructors in helping young drivers build safe driving habits.

Instructor manuals

The New Zealand Transport Agency has produced a comprehensive instructor manual, Learning systems for driving instructors, which offers detailed guidance on teaching and learning, light-vehicle fundamentals, and complete in-car lesson plans. Because New Zealand drives on the left, some techniques differ from B.C. practice, so instructors should adapt the material accordingly.

Online discussion groups

If you’d like to connect with driver educators from around the world, platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook host active discussion groups for instructors, trainers, and safety professionals. Communities on Reddit, Discord, and X (formerly Twitter) can also be useful for sharing ideas, discussing training challenges, and staying current on road‑safety trends.

Coaching

• HERMES EU Coaching Project — The HERMES EU Coaching Project provides a comprehensive set of manuals, videos, and training materials designed to help driving instructors deliver learner‑centred, coaching‑based driver education. Developed by a multinational team of experts, HERMES offers practical guidance on communication, self‑evaluation, and higher‑order driving skills, supported by detailed coaching scenarios and structured training‑of‑trainer resources. This is a recipe for student learning in a full and complete way.

  • State-of-the-art report on coaching and optimal communication skills for driving instructors

  • HERMES coaching manual 1 for course leaders

  • HERMES coaching manual 2 for course participants

  • Coaching scenarios manual

  • HERMES video — An excellent introduction to coaching skills for instructors.

Working with students with barriers to learning

Learning disabilities

• Learning Disabilities — LD OnLine offers a wide range of evidence‑informed strategies and resources to help instructors understand and support learners of all ages with learning disabilities.

Dyslexia/perceptual problems

• Dyslexia and driving an automobile — Dale Brown’s LD OnLine article provides a clear look at how dyslexia and perceptual problems can affect the process of learning to drive, along with practical suggestions to help instructors adapt their teaching for these learners.

ADHD/ADD

• ADHD behind the wheel: teaching attention deficit teens to drive — Valuable information on working with teens and adults who are living with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

Difficult learners

• ​Dealing with “difficult” learner drivers — This ADDitude article offers practical guidance for supporting teens and adults with ADHD or ADD as they learn to drive, including strategies to address distractibility, impulsivity, and other challenges that affect safe driving.

Teaching concepts

• Communicating cross-culturally: what teachers should know — This article outlines five key cultural differences that can influence how students learn and communicate, offering practical insights to help instructors teach more effectively in culturally diverse settings.

• The Power of Empathy (video) — A short film that helps illustrate what empathy is and how to nurture it.

  • From WIMP.com (may not work in all browsers)

  • YouTube (recommended)

• Open-minded inquiry: Helping Students Assess Their Thinking — An in‑depth guide by William Hare that helps instructors and learners assess their thinking through the lens of open‑minded inquiry, offering practical insights into habits, assumptions, and attitudes that support stronger critical thinking.

• Open-ended questioning - This article explains why open‑ended questions matter and offers clear, research‑based tips to help instructors turn yes/no questions into more thoughtful, reflective ones.

• Mindful listening - Become more aware of your own listening skills and help other instructors become aware of theirs. “Many common symptoms of poor listening, such as interrupting other speakers, come from a deeper cause: communication anxiety. Techniques for developing mindful awareness can improve listening effectiveness by helping to manage communication anxiety.”

Teenage brain

• Sarah-Jayne Blakemore: The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain (14:26) — A TED Talk explaining why teenagers often appear more impulsive or less self‑aware than adults, highlighting how ongoing development in the prefrontal cortex shapes decision‑making, risk‑taking, and behaviour.

Driving while impaired

​B.C. Government

• Driving While Affected by Drugs or Alcohol— A B.C. government resource outlining the laws, roadside screening processes, and consequences related to alcohol‑ and drug‑impaired driving, including information on Criminal Code provisions, provincial sanctions, and impacts for drivers in the Graduated Licensing Program.

• Get Cannabis Clarity— A B.C. government resource offering facts and clear information about cannabis laws, regulations, and responsible use, including rules that help keep people, communities, and roads safe.

Government of Canada​

• ​Don't Drive High — A Government of Canada campaign with videos and factual information about the risks, laws, and consequences of drug‑impaired driving, highlighting how cannabis and other drugs impair focus, reaction time, and safe decision‑making.