Driving Coach Finder

Abstract

In June 2018, it became legal for women to drive in Saudi. Since then, driving schools cannot keep up with demand for driver training and licensing. Applicants may take several months to start their classes at a school, most of which are located in major cities such as Riyadh. Official driving schools for women in Saudi Arabia are noticeably fewer than those for men and those schools cannot cope with the high demand, thus increasing the waiting time to enrol. The proposed Driving Coach Finder application aims to provide a communication space for Saudi women learning to drive and trainers or coaches. Further, creative features aim to make the experience of driving education enjoyable and support Saudi women willing to learn to drive but who cannot access driving schools. A participatory design process was undertaken with Saudi women who had had no driving experience. During the focus group, participants revealed several challenges and needs in order to learn how to drive; their responses have provided a powerful guidance for the design of proposed application. Saudi women will be able to find, review and share details of female driving instructors and locations in which to practise driving. Driving Coach Finder will assist in the creation of a marketplace to help find a private professional driving instructor and, at the same time, consider the specificity of society local culture and the needs of users. Helping to empower women wishing to obtain a driver’s licence will contribute to the country’s high economic and social growth. Further, Driving Coach Finder is expected to aid the generation of employment opportunities for women.