Volkswagen Launches Night Driving Curriculum to Boost Road Safety
Prashirwin Naidu
In partnership with the Advanced Driving Academy, Volkswagen has introduced 'Night School,' an innovative open-source night driving safety course.
This course launched on October 19th, 2023, in Pretoria, where the media were in attendance. It will be accessible to the public starting from November 1st, 2023.
An alarming statistic shows that over 55% of these tragic incidents occur during nighttime.
This course aims to educate drivers about the challenges and risks of driving after dark.
Volkswagen's road safety initiative comprises three key elements: continuous innovation in vehicle safety technologies, driver education and skills enhancement, and widespread public awareness.
While Volkswagen vehicles already boast advanced safety features, they believe road safety goes beyond what's under the hood.
Night School represents a significant step forward, offering a comprehensive open-source online curriculum dedicated to nighttime driving education, complete with learner tests after each chapter.
This curriculum is freely accessible to all road users, making South African roads safer. In addition to the online offering, Volkswagen's Advanced Driving Academy will provide a real-world theoretical and practical course led by experienced defensive driving instructors at Zwartkops Raceway.
In my driving course experience, I walked away feeling more equipped than ever. It allowed me to handle tricky situations; the instructors were knowledgeable and guided us in the right direction. We used Golf 8 GTIs through a few obstacles, some including emergency braking, emergency lane switching and utilising ESC. It gave me knowledge and some skills coupled with practical experience.
The topics explored were understanding your vehicle, visibility and poor vision, driver fatigue, recklessness, personal safety, weather conditions, and factors that affect a driver's ability after dark.
Volkswagen has also partnered with corporations like Spec-Savers and Vida e Caffe, who will offer additional rewards to curriculum graduates as a token of appreciation for completing the course.
Volkswagen's Night School aims to complement existing initiatives led by government agencies and the private sector to save lives.
Interested individuals can enrol in Volkswagen's Night School Curriculum by visiting nightschool.vw.co.za.
Also worth a look: the Volkswagen Golf and the Volkswagen Touareg.
FAQ
Q: What is Volkswagen's Night School driving course and how much does it cost?
Volkswagen's Night School is a free open-source night driving safety curriculum launched in partnership with the Advanced Driving Academy, covering topics like visibility, driver fatigue, and emergency manoeuvres using Golf 8 GTIs at Zwartkops Raceway.
Q: When did Volkswagen launch the Night School course and who can access it?
The course launched on 19 October 2023 in Pretoria and became accessible to the public from 1 November 2023, with both online modules and practical sessions available to all South African road users at no cost.
Q: Why did Volkswagen create a night driving course for South African drivers?
Volkswagen created Night School because over 55% of road fatalities in South Africa occur during nighttime, making specialized night driving education crucial for reducing accidents and improving road safety nationwide.
Q: What practical skills does the Volkswagen Night School course teach drivers?
The course teaches emergency braking techniques, emergency lane switching manoeuvres, ESC utilisation, understanding vehicle systems, managing poor visibility conditions, and handling weather-related driving challenges through hands-on training.
Should You Buy It?
You absolutely should sign up for Volkswagen's Night School course because it's completely free and could save your life on South African roads. With over 55% of fatal accidents happening at night, this comprehensive curriculum covering everything from emergency braking to ESC usage in Golf 8 GTIs is brilliant value at zero rand. The combination of online learning modules and practical sessions at Zwartkops Raceway with experienced defensive driving instructors makes this the best free driving safety course available in South Africa right now.
