EDEXCEL PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT DIPLOMA
IN ROAD TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT AND SAFETY
MANAGEMENT
PRE COURSE INFORMATION
ASM Pre-course information
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Contents
Course information
3
Introduction to The Manchester College
4-5
Course overview
6
Sample submission calendar
7
Year one modules
8 – 11
Year two modules
12 – 14
Residential
15
Study skills
16 – 19
Assignment structure
19 – 20
Professional bodies
21 – 22
Mentoring
22
What happens next?
22
What happens after the course?
22
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COURSE INFORMATION
The Manchester College is leading the battle to reduce deaths on the roads with a unique
professional training course that has been designed for people with a professional involvement
in road safety, accident investigation or accident prevention.
The Professional Development Diploma is currently being amended to incorporate changes to
legislation, policy and practice within the profession and to meet the demands of EDEXCEL as
the programme moves towards an Advanced Professional Development Diploma.
The BTEC Professional Development Diploma in Accident and Safety Management is the
professional qualification for those involved in road traffic and safety issues and is comparable to
an NVQ level 5.
The Manchester College is the only college in the UK to offer the course, which has attracted
many road safety officers, traffic accident investigators, police traffic accident investigation
officers, traffic engineers and driving instructors.
This programme has run successfully for many years and MANCAT has been delighted to work
in partnership with Institute of Road Safety Officers (IRSO) and Institute of Traffic and Accident
Investigators (ITAI) in developing a programme of which we are richly proud.
The course is taught with a combination of distance learning packages, which means that
students undertake their study at times and locations that are convenient to them, and
residentials. There are 4 residentials, each lasting approximately 1-week, where module
workshops and exams take place, the residential will be held within the Northwest.
Tutorial support is provided by letter, telephone and email so the student does not need to
attend college. It usually takes approximately two years to complete the course but this is
flexible because of the modular basis of the programme.
The minimum number of successfully completed modules needed to gain the award is eight,
although individual modules may be studied if preferred. Students receive a Certificate of
Achievement from Edexcel BTEC for each module studied.
The course content is made up of a mixture of mandatory (6 modules) and optional modules,
which extend to
Accident Analysis
Psychological Perceptions of Behaviour & Learning Theory and Development
Roads, Traffic & Transportation Planning
Road Transport & the Environment
General Principals of English Law & Management
Aspects of Accident and Safety Management – research document (Dissertation)
Plus a maximum of three optional units from:
Accident Investigation and Reconstruction
Human Factors Engineering
Public Relations and Advertising
Vehicle Technology
Written assignment and an open book examination or extended assignments must be
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completed for each module to evaluate learning.
To enrol on the course students should be 21 years or over and hold one A Level or equivalent
and ideally GCSE Maths and English. It is preferable that students have a minimum of three
years relevant work experience. Applications are welcomed from potential students who are
able to evidence comparable experience and qualifications.
EDEXCEL Qualifications: The Edexcel qualifications are identified in the following grid by title
and level.
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Introduction to The Manchester College
As a distance learning student you may never actually set foot upon The Manchester College
property but we feel that as you are an active part of the student body you should be aware of
what goes on in both the college and from the college.
The Manchester College is one of the largest further education colleges in Europe. It comprises
five main campuses, which are located in

Openshaw, East Manchester

Nichols Sixth Form Centre, East Manchester

City Centre

Moston, North Manchester

One Central Park, North Manchester
The college is a regional centre and a major provider of professional, vocational and general
education. This ranges across such areas as

Health and Safety

Engineering Technology

Construction

Information Technology

Business & Commerce

Hotel and Catering Studies
Travel and Tourism
 Languages

With courses spanning from foundation level to degree level.
The Manchester College is a national centre for alternative learning strategies and provides
access to open learning facilities on all sites. In addition there is an in house production
department which publishes materials to support the college’s extensive corporate flexible
learning programmes. The college is associated with many education and training
establishments throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY MANAGEMENT TRAINING SERVICES (OSM)
OSM is a division of the Department of Engineering & Construction and delivers a wide range of
health & safety training programmes. The profile of programmes ranges from specialist short
courses such as Risk Assessment, Scaffolding Safety Awareness, Basic Health & Safety
Awareness and First Aid at work to broader programmes such as the NEBOSH National General
Certificate and The Nottingham Trent University Diploma in Safety, Health & Environmental
Management.
The base-room is located within the Corporate Suite on the Openshaw Campus. For course
information contact Zoë Heaviside on 0161 953 5995 ext. 3587 or by e mail
zoe_heaviside@mancat.ac.uk
For further information regarding The Manchester College itself visit our website at
www.themanchestercollege.co.uk
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Over view of the course
Your date calendar will be similar throughout both years of your course whereas your work
programme will change from compulsory modules and their related assignments in the first
year to your optional choices and the dissertation in the second year.
October to June
Year One
During your first year you will be expected to complete 12 assignments before returning for the
June residential. Although the dissertation is part of your second years work, you do need to
consider the topic and start gathering information on the subject, as you have to give a
presentation on your chosen area during the June residential.
Year two
During this year you will be expected to complete all relevant assignments related to your
choices. The number of assignments will be dependant on your choices. During your second
year you will be expected to complete your dissertation, which is a 12000 – 15000 research
document.
At the start of each year you will be handed an assignment booklet, this will contain all
assignments, a submission calendar and a tutor contact list. The assignments will provide you
with relevant underpinning information, the questions, assignment word count and the marking
criteria. The assignment submission dates will be given in the form of a calendar and highlights
assignment hand-in dates (see sample on next page).
At the end of the majority of modules (mandatory and optional) there is a final assessment,
which takes the form of an ‘open book, written exam’. This is a worked assignment done in
exam conditions. About 6 weeks before the June residential you will be sent the ‘exam themes’
which allows you to research around the subject and gather any information that you feel is
relevant. You are allowed to bring all that research into the exam with you to assist you to
complete the exam. All information must be in a paper format, as laptops are not allowed in the
exams.
Exemptions
Should you consider you have an entitlement to exemption for any module then you should
discuss this with the programme leader. You will be asked to submit evidence of prior
learning/achievement to be granted exemption and you will be required to produce original
certificates as part of this proof. All exemption requests will be considered and will be sanctioned
by the BTEC external moderator.
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Sample Submission calendar
Week Beg.
25 September
2 October
9 October
16 October
23 October
30October
6 November
13 November
20 November
27 November
4 December
11 December
18 December
25 December
1 January
8 January
15 January
22 January
29 January
5 February
12 February
19 February
26 February
5 March
12 March
19 March
26 March
2 April
9 April
16 April
23 April
30 April
7 May
14 May
21 May
28 May
4 June
11 June
18 June
25 June
2 July
9 July
16 July
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
Residential
HT
HT
HT
Law/Man 1
HT
HT
XMAS
XMAS
HT
HT
EASTER
EASTER
Bank Holiday
EASTER
Psy/LT 1
AA 1
RTTP/RTE 1
Bank Holiday
Bank Holiday
Bank Holiday
XMAS
Psy/LT 2
Law/Man 2
HT
RTTP 2
HT
RTE 2
AA 2
EASTER
Bank Holiday
EASTER
EASTER
Psy/LT 3
EASTER
EASTER
RTE 3
RTTP 3
Bank Holiday
HT
Bank Holiday
Residential
HT
HT
HT
HT
Residential
Residential
Residential
Psy/LT 4
Residential
END OF TERM
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Year one modules
This is a mandatory year and you need to amass 5 credits from your modules.
Core/optional
C
Module Title
Unit Value
General Principles of Law and Management: This is a full unit and will be
assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. In addition there is a
verbal presentation, which takes place at the second residential and is assessed.
This module introduces the underlying legal principles of the English Legal
System and the concepts of civil and criminal law together with the general
principles of Management.
1
2 assignments + 3 hour exam + presentation
C
Psychological Perspective of Behaviour & Learning Theory: This is a full
unit assessed purely by assignment. It is concerned with psychological concepts
and theories pertinent to road traffic accident investigation and prevention. It
also extends to principles of motivation and learning theories.
1
4 assignments
C
Accident Analysis: This is a full unit and will be assessed by a mixture of
assignments and examination. It is concerned with the philosophy of accidents,
numbers and types of road traffic accidents and strategies and methods in
accident investigation and analysis.
1
2 assignments + 3 hour exam
C
Road, Traffic and Transportation Planning: This is a full unit and will be
assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. One assignment will be
an integrated piece of work with Transport and Environment. This unit is
concerned with road design and traffic management practice as well as
transportation techniques, planning methods and traffic predictions.
1
3 assignments (one integrated) + 3 hour exam
C
Transport and the Environment: This is a full unit and will be assessed by a
mixture of assignments and examination. One assignment will be integrated
with Roads, Traffic and Transportation Planning. This unit is concerned with the
environmental effects of road transport and pollution controls.
1
Learning Objectives
When you have completed this module, you will be able to:
3 assignments (one integrated) + 3 hour exam
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Year two modules
You are required to study sufficient modules to complete the total of eight modules required for
the full Diploma. This includes the 1.5 value of the dissertation. The number of modules you
need to take depends upon the unit value of your selection.
Core/optional
C
Module Title
Unit Value
Research Dissertation: This is an extended piece of work concerned with
effecting primary research and collation of evidence around a topic selected by
the student but drawn from an area of study related to the Diploma content at
least in part
1.5
12,000 – 15,000 word
O
Accident Investigation and Reconstruction: This is a half unit, optional
module, assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. Looking at
mathematical techniques and practice, this unit explores the processes around
the reconstruction of an accident for investigation purposes.
.5
2 assignments + 3 hour exam
O
Advertising and Public Relations: This is a full unit, optional module,
assessed by a mixture of assignments and examination. It is concerned with
the distinctions between these terms together with their scope, interpretation
and interaction from the idea to the end product.
1
3 assignments + 3 hour exam
O
Human Factors Engineering: This is a full unit, optional module, assessed
purely by assignments. It is concerned with the relationship between humans
and motor vehicles, looking at ergonomics and occupant and pedestrian safety.
1
4 assignments
O
Vehicle Technology: This is a half unit, optional module, assessed by a
mixture of assignments and examination. It is concerned with the structure and
function of motor vehicles in relation to road safety.
.5
2 assignments + 2 hour exam
Students always ask how much work is required per assignment; this is hard to estimate as
each student is an individual and will have different way of tackling the work. We estimate that
a full unit requires approximately 60 hours study time and a half unit 30 hours study
time, this could just be reading and research time and the writing up of the assessment is
additional. But as already mentioned this is purely an approximation and is very much
dependant on your own study skills.
The course is designed to be completed within a 2 year period, but sometimes there are
circumstances that are out of our control. If this was to be the case and a student was
struggling to complete, within the two years, there are options of extending the study period
with a minimal re-enrolment cost. For further information contact the Programme Leader.
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Residential
During the course there are 4 residentials, which will take place within the Northwest area. The
purpose of the October residential is to participate in module workshops, gather course
materials and assignments and to meet the course tutors and your peers. The workshops are a
mixture of a taught session and an overview of the module, to give you enough starting
information to tackle the assignments. The majority of the learning will take place once you
have left the residential.
This residential is an essential part of the course as it helps to establish friendships and contacts
within the group and enables you to gather all the relevant information required for the
forthcoming years work.
The June residential is the exam week, in the first year, virtually the whole week is taken up by
exams and presentation. It also gives the students and tutors time to catch up and to agree the
way forward for the coming year e.g. agreeing dissertation titles etc.
Below is a sample timetable for the October residential, they are usually sent out to students a
few weeks before the residential but they are always provisional as until the week starts it is
impossible to say that things won’t change. The working day normally starts about 9am, unless
there are early presentations, and classes can work into the evening.
Sample - ASM Residential October – Oaks Hotel, Burnley - 1st years
Monday 2nd Oct
10.00
Meet and greet,
enrolment quick run
through of the week
Tuesday 3rd Oct
9.30
Group Tutorials
12.00
Icebreaker session with
2nd years
10.00 – 1.00
Law and Management
Wednesday 4th Oct
9.30 – 1.00
Thursday 5th Oct
9.00 – 12.30
Accident Analysis
Roads, Traffic &
Environment
Traffic & Transportation
Planning – Presentation
ITAI Presentation
Roads, Traffic &
Transportation Planning
Friday 6th Oct
9.30
What happens next?
Dissertation
10.30
Coffee
10.45
Review and evaluation
11.15
Close
Lunch 1.00 – 2.00
Lunch 1.00 – 2.00
Lunch 1.00 – 2.00
Lunch 12.30 – 1.30
2.00 – 3.00
Presentation Skills
2.00 – 3.00
IRSO Presentation
2.00 – 5.00
Psychology and
Learning Theory
3.30 – 4.30
Study Skills
Own experience show
some past assignments
etc.
2.00 onwards
Roads, Traffic &
Environment
6.30
Personal tutorials
Dinner 7.30
4.30 – 6.30
Personal tutorials
Dinner 7.30
Roads, Traffic &
Transportation Planning
5.00 – 6.45
Personal tutorials
Dinner 7.30
5.30 – 6.00
Personal tutorials
Dinner 7.30
Whilst at the residential all meals etc. during the day are covered in the course fees, the only
additional costs will be personal calls from rooms, room service and bar costs.
During the residential the dress code is smart casual. Before the residential the Programme
Leader will contact you to establish whether you have any specific dietary needs. All
accommodation will be organised by the Programme Leader and if you require a room on the
Sunday evening this can be arranged too.
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Study skills
During the first residential there will be some time put aside to discuss study skills, for those of
you that may have been out of education for some time or just need a reminder. Although we
have all participated in study at some point, for some of you it may be some time ago and for
many mature students it has probably been a long time since you have had to apply yourself to
such a regime.
When you were a student at school or college it was sometimes a struggle trying to organise
college work and your social life. As a mature student you now have your college work to cope
with as well as family life, a full time job at the same time as trying to fit in a social life.
It may sound impossible but if you organise yourself from the start of the course in order to
minimise the disruption and gain the most from your studies, it is possible.
Distance learning is very different from being at school, college and even university, as there
you are taught, where as with a distance learning course you must learn. You don’t have the
usual class room contact, apart from the residential, and all other communication is carried out
either via letter, email or telephone. So it then becomes your responsibility to take
control of your own study and motivation. It is strongly recommended that you
practice good time management with your research and assignments. Once a ‘due
date’ for one assignment slips, the work load will increase as the due date for the
next assignment(s) comes around.
There are a number of useful study skills and reading websites that you could access before
your studies begin to give you some ideas and techniques that you may find useful. There is no
right or wrong way of studying; it’s the one you find best suits your own individual needs and
works for you.
Recommended websites for study skills and advanced reading skills
Loughborough University website
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/library/studyskills/study-home.html
Manchester University website
http://www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/studyskills/research/active_reading/
Tips for Increasing Reading Speed
http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/rdgspeed.html
Speed Reading
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_03.htm
General Reading Guides:
Reading Strategies
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_04.htm
Brunel Guide to Reading
http://www.brunel.ac.uk/~mastmmg/ssguide/back4.htm
MMU Study Skills Reading
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/lsu/studyskills/reading.html
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Reading Essays:
Reading and Analysing Essays
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/essays.html
Reading Textbooks:
Textbook underlining and marking
http://www.und.edu/dept/ULC/study/textbook.html
Reading Textbooks Effectively
http://www.yorku.ca/gcareers/study%20skills/reading_textbooks_effectively.htm
How to Read Your Textbook Effectively
http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/lrnres/handouts.html#reading
Learning
The following text will look at various tried and tested methods of learning. Not all approaches
will suit you personally, you might consider some to be inappropriate to a distance learning
course. You must always keep your mind open to learning from all areas not just from your
tutor or the course material. Many of you are already working in the road safety profession
which provides you with a wealth of knowledge and experiences

watch others

listen to those who work with you

start to apply knowledge and skills as you gain them from your course
Active Learning
This type of learning increases retention of knowledge quite dramatically. You need to recognise
that you can adapt most learning strategies to meet different situations. Be careful not to brush
things away without due consideration.
Have you ever considered which strategy you apply when you read? We read on different
occasions for different purposes, for

fun

information

ideas

analysis

understanding
Similarly we are able to write for different purposes. We also learn for different purposes.
Surface Learning
This type of learning is a memorising exercise often used for such things as recalling

dates

quotations
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
telephone numbers
This type of learning may be referred to as learning parrot fashion or simply regurgitating
information.
Surface learning gives an outward appearance of understanding which may disguise the fact
that you are really experiencing difficulty. It is however a useful technique for recalling
information in examinations.
Deep Learning
This type of learning is a process of

understanding

internalising
The more you can understand something the easier it is to learn and the longer the information
stays with you. Once you have understood something you are able to apply it in many different
situations and are able to build upon it and so enhance further your knowledge and
understanding.
Listening
Whilst we spend a great deal of our time listening we often register very little in our brain. Whilst
most of us can hear we must remember that

hearing is a passive activity

listening on the other hand is active
Think back to an ordinary working day. How often do you ask people to repeat something
because you were not listening and you suddenly realised that you should have been? Not
listening may be due to preoccupation with something a little tricky or perhaps something you
consider, at the time, to be more interesting.
So, during your contact with peers, superiors and others related to the road safety field, listen.
Conversation requires very little effort where as effective listening involves active
participation. You need to listen carefully to

learn

evaluate

make decisions

provide support or advice
Personal Well Being
Studying requires a great deal of personal effort. If you are feeling unwell or have excessive
home or work problems your ability to study may be reduced. You may find that you are
unable to concentrate, to read or to write sensibly. Take time out to get yourself back on to an
even keel. If things get so bad that you are losing motivation to study or getting well behind
schedule, then seek support. Support may be simply talking to a fellow student or your tutor.
Perhaps you need to reassess your approach to combining home, study and work
commitments. Maybe you will be able to alleviate some of the pressures yourself by introducing
very easy measures. It is important, if your employer is funding you, that they understand your
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workload. Find out what opportunities there are for study time during your normal working
week.
Course Content
Studying unfamiliar material reduces our ability to absorb information and we may unknowingly
build barriers that prevent us from understanding the point of the material. It becomes almost
impossible to extract vital information. Nothing makes sense. It is essential that you seek
clarification from your tutor or by carrying out additional personal research. Only an
alternative explanation will clear the fog that surrounds the misunderstanding.
Conversely, over-familiarity with a topic may make us skim the surface of the material, closing
our minds to alternative approaches or opinions. Studying in this way we may miss sections of
material that are in fact new to us.
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PROFESSIONAL BODIES
This course is unique and has been supported for many years by a number of professional
bodies within the road safety industry. This strong working relationship and support has enabled
the course to develop into a qualification which is designed to work towards professional
development within this field.
During the residential there will be presentations given by some of the Institutes to give you
additional information about them.
Institute of Road Safety Officers (IRSO)
Road Safety in the 21st Century has developed into a wide range of diverse and specialised
activities. The Institute recognizes the vast range of activities and aims to increase and raise the
professional standing of its members, by providing support, training and career development.
Within the |Institute individuals have the opportunity to move through the grading structure
and develop the necessary expertise in Road Safety and Casualty Reduction.
The institute of road safety officers was formed in 1971, and is the professional body for those
principally engaged in promoting the education, training and publicity aspects of road safety. Its
membership encompasses officers employed by local authorities as well as those working in
other public or private bodies whose duties qualify them for membership.
The Institute strives to:

provide Continuing Professional Development courses and/or seminars on topics which
are of interest and value to practitioners

provide a forum for the networking of ideas, experiences and information of benefit to
members

assist member where possible to advance through the national membership grading
structure

make representation to national bodies on issues which affect road safety practice and
practitioners

facilitate a regional comment on national issues through the Area representatives

organise an Annual Conference where members can meet, discuss and learn about
topical issues
For more information go to www.irso.org.uk
Institute of Traffic and Accident Investigators (ITAI)
The aim of the Institute is to promote the free and open exchange of knowledge between those
involved in the field of investigating road traffic accidents, and through this, enhance expertise.
As a registered charity, the Institute provides a forum for communication, education,
representation and regulation in the field of traffic accident investigation. The Institute is
committed to promoting a professional approach to traffic accident investigation by encouraging
honesty and integrity among investigators. This is enforced through a disciplinary procedure,
administered by a Discipline Panel; in order to ensure the highest levels of professionalism
among the membership. The Institute aims to represent the interests of the profession in a
collective way by arranging field days, lectures, seminars and other educational forums.
Founded in 1988, its membership includes forensic scientists, academics, specialist police
officers, consultant investigators, engineers, vehicle assessors, lawyers, doctors and others. The
overseas membership has representatives from across the world. A Council of Management
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governs the Institute. There are ten Members of Council each elected for a period of three
years, and with one third of the Members to be elected each year. In addition there are three
Appointed Officers of Council: Chairman, General Secretary, and Treasurer. The Editor of the
Institute Journal is also an ex-officio officer of Council.
For more information go to www.itai.org
Local Authorities Road Safety Officers Association (LARSOA)
LARSOA is a national road safety organization that represents Road Safety Officers (RSOs)
employed in local government across the UK.
It supports RSOs in fulfilling this statuary role – to reduce the number and severity of road
accidents through education, training and publicity polices and programmes.
LARSOA seeks to influence national debates – government policy and action, and public opinion
– and works with other organizations to achieve common goals.
There goals include:

advising government and contributing to consultation on road safety policy, and
identification of achievable national targets

providing members with information on national and international road issues

seeking national recognition for road safety issues, particularly where there may be
conflict with current/projected policies and programmes

encouraging the adoption of common policies and promotion of best practice

providing opportunities for working in partnership wit the private sector to achieve best
value for money, particularly in commissioning and producing recourses

encouraging commerce and industry to address accident reduction through work based
polices and initiatives for employees

commissioning and contributing to research into the behavioural aspects of road
accidents

working with the media to provide expert knowledge and advice

publishing documents that identify and promote good practice

providing a forum for sharing ideas and programmes

working with government to develop national road safety campaigns
www.larsoa.org.uk
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Mentoring
We recommend that you establish a mentor within your workplace, and outside of the course
teaching team, who is able to guide and assist you through your studies. The mentor will also
act as a link between the Programme Leader and the student from time to time. The
Programme Leader will work with the mentor as the student’s studies progress.
Also if you would like to speak to a student on the course, past or present, this can be arranged.
You may have some questions, about the course, that only a student can answer. Please
contact the Programme Leader, who will make all the necessary arrangements.
What happens next?
The Programme Leader will contact you a number of weeks before the residential to give you
further information and the provisional timetable. In the meantime if you have any further
questions please do not hesitate to contact the Programme Leader – Andrea Leech on 0161
920 3587 or andrea.leech@themanchestercollege.ac.uk
What happens after the course?
If you wish to continue your studies after completing the course then there are many different
courses available. It may depend on the route you wish to take or the profession you want to
specialise in. If you require any guidance in this field please feel free to discuss your options with
any of the specialist tutors on the course as they may be able to provide you with advice and
relevant information. Also academic and career references will be provided if required during or
after completion of the course.
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