Driving Schools Directory
It is all over the news that the police will soon be given the powers to provide on the spot fines for middle lane hogging on motorways. Whilst it remains to be seen whether there will be enough police ‘on the spot’ to deliver these fines remains to be seen.
There is also ongoing discussion as to whether or not learner drivers should be allowed to train on our motorways so it now may be a good time to refresh yourself on what is required whilst driving on our fastest, but statistically the safest, roads. Here is a good article that may help you:
Motorway driving tips: 5 ways to avoid fines, accidents and delays
“Motorway driving tips: 5 ways to avoid fines, accidents and delays. Our guide to staying safe, legal and courteous on the UK motorway system. Wednesday 5 …www.arnoldclark.com/…/158-motorway-driving-tips-5-ways-t…”
http://www.arnoldclark.com/newsroom/158-motorway-driving-tips-5-ways-to-avoid-fines-accidents-and-delays
Simply, if you always drive in the left lane unless you intend to overtake slower moving traffic then all should be well. Don’t forget to move back in again once your manouevre is complete and there is no longer slower moving traffic in the left lane.
There is really nothing more frustrating than having to move out two lanes to pass a ‘middle lane hogger’ and then to move back another two lanes!
There has been talk about using motorways as part of the ‘Learning to Drive’ process for a very long time. There are clearly many benefits to this as motorway’s can be quite a stressful experience for a lot of new drivers and that, together with the anxiety it produces and inexperience can lead to dangerous situations on the UK’s fastest roads.
Indeed, over the weekend I was behind a ‘young’ motorist entering a motorway at a little under 50 mph – the motorway was not ‘clogged up’ and its traffic was a lot faster than this. Naturally it did cause braking, accelerating and lane changing on a last minute basis which can be the recipie for a ‘nasty moment’.
The Institiute of Advaced Motorists continues to apply the pressure for change:
Let learner drivers use motorways
“With a Green Paper on learning to drive due to be published later this month, the IAM IScalling on the Government to ensure any new system includes allowing supervised L drivers onto our motorways. Motorways are our safest roads and many countries …Messenger Newspapers”
http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/10485572.Let_learner_drivers_use_motorways/
Perhaps the answer is to leave the current learner training as is but new drivers not being allowed on motorways until an approved course of instruction has been undertaken. I guess though, there will then be the arguments “we are nowhere near a motorway”. Not an easy problem to solve so I would imagine the discussions will go on, and on, and……
In this article about the joys and frustrations of a driving instructor, I could relate to a lot of the points raised; eating on the road (stopped of course!), teaching non-native speaking pupils etc. I then got to the part where the pupil took the corner “too fast”:
It is often a long road when you’re learning
“Julie, who works for The Professional Driving School, explains: ‘I’ve got a pupil who took a corner too fast.
‘I grabbed the steering wheel. She fought me for the steering wheel.
‘When people are frightened, their hands clamp on to the steering wheel.
‘As I leaned across, my seat belt locked, so in pulling the steering wheel round, we hit the curb.s”
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/business/local-business/it-is-often-a-long-road-when-you-re-learning-1-5184789
To my mind, the situation shouldn’t have ever got that far. If the corner was indeed taken at a dangerous speed, surely the ‘speed on approach’ was simply too fast? Was there a Q&A on approach to the corner – “Are you clear which corner we are turning into?”, “Do you think this speed is appropriate for a left/right turn?”.
Dependant on the answers/reaction, to my mind the pupil should have been ‘instructed’ to “slow down” and/or “more brake” and if that didn’t bring the situation under control, intervene with the dual controls. A discussion on the side of the road would then have followed as there may have been a lack of understanding in the ‘speed’ required in the MSMPSL procedure.
Okay, having got into that situation, a parental firm raised voice of “hands off!” and/or “feet off!” would likely have stopped the fighting for steering.
It is the instructors responsibility to ensure that the pupil, car, other road users and themselves are safe at all times. The corner should never have been taken too fast. What do you think?
Whilst your driving instructor will/would have talked to you about the safe way to react to emergency vehicles, unless you are lucky, it is unlikely that you will have experienced this in your actual driving lessons. If you have have, I would expect that you would have been talked through or manually helped during the situation.
There is nothing like experience to gain understanding but in these situations, you do not really want to excercise trial and error! The ‘Blue Light Aware’ video sets out how you should cope with these situations.
Drive Smarter video advises on staying safe around emergency vehicles
Fleet World
“The video (accessible free of charge via www.bluelightaware.org.uk) has received the endorsement of RoSPA, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Driving Standards Agency and the Institute of Advanced Motorists, as well as many other safety …Fleet World”
Take heed of the advice here and the next time you experience an ‘emergency vehicle’ situation, you should be better prepared, more relaxed and react in a proper manner.
We all know that many new teenage drivers are more likely than most to have an accident. The concept of this new scheme is to offer lessons at pre-driving age with the aim that it will be less likely for them to be involved in a road accident.
Driving lessons offered to South West London children in order to improve road …
South West Londoner
“Children as young as 11 have the chance to take driving lessons when a nationwide programme comes to Westfield Shepherd’s Bush next week. Young Driver comes after ground-breaking research revealed that enabling youngsters to have driving lessons …South West Londoner”
Another day in Egypt!
See What Can Happen:
Time will tell if this new scheme has the desired effect but any movement towards improving road safety in this manner is a welcomed one. However, with the costs likely to be met by Mum & Dad, will this limit uptake? Should such schemes be Government subsidised? I think the former will be true for the majority and the latter most unlikely!
- Queue safely. Being hit from behind in slow moving or stationary traffic is one of the commonest crashes in urban areas. Keep an eye on your mirror for approaching traffic, consider keeping your brake lights lit and be ready to use your hazard warning lights.
- Check your speed. Speeding is the number one cause of accidents in urban areas in the UK so respect the limits and take extra care around schools and pedestrian crossings.
- Take care when turning right. If you are turning right using a right turn lane in the centre of the road, check your mirrors before giving way to drivers waiting to turn right out of the road you wish to turn into. Often your vehicle can block their visibility of approaching traffic and so it`s crucial to ensure it is safe before you signal for them to proceed.
- Watch out for pedestrians. If you are turning into a road, pedestrians have right of way. Also be on the lookout for school areas and children running across the road without looking.
- Stick to the two-second rule. Always leave a safe distance between you and the car in front.
- Approach with caution. If you are unfamiliar with a city road system, slow down and take time to absorb your surroundings including the road signs – they are there to assist you. Plan ahead if possible, avoid repeated switching of lanes particularly around roundabouts and at traffic light junctions and keep your wits about you – city driving is notoriously tricky, especially during the commuter rush hour.
- Use the slip road appropriately. Bring yourself up to speed with vehicles on the motorway before joining the traffic.
- Stick to the inside lane. The inside (leftmost) lane should be used at all times except when it becomes a filter lane for traffic leaving the motorway or you are overtaking. Driving in an outside lane unnecessarily leads to congestion and is inconsiderate to other road users.
- Do not tailgate. Tailgating increases the risk of accidents. If you are tailgating someone look to overtake or slow down. You should always leave a gap of at least two seconds between you and the car in front – this should be doubled in wet weather. If you are being tailgated see if you can move into an inside lane allowing the vehicle behind you to get past.
- Be aware of large vehicles. Lorries frequent the motorway and their drivers may behave differently to you in a regular vehicle. For example when they are travelling uphill they may need to maintain their cruising speed and this may result in them driving close behind you. Also be aware that if two lorries are travelling close together on an uphill stretch it may lead to one pulling out suddenly to maintain its speed. Never dawdle alongside large trucks or HGVs as you may find yourself in their blind spot, which is roughly alongside their cab – if they change lanes without seeing you, you may find yourself having to take evasive action, or worse.
- Check your blind spot. When changing lanes check your mirrors and glance over your shoulder to ensure you have a clear passage. Indicate well in advance and watch out for motorcyclists, particularly in slow or stationary traffic.
You may have noticed that we have now completely rewritten the directory website.
The main change to the website is that it is now a responsive design. This means that whatever media it is viewed in (smartphone, tablet, desktop), it is very readable and adopts its size and layout accordingly. It is also more ‘modern’ looking.
With the ever increasing use of mobiles to search and browse the internet, it is very important that those visitors are able to easily view the driving schools in any of our towns listed, open up the details of those driving schools and make contact.
We have also incorporated the Driving Schools Directory blog into the main website so recent editorial content can easily be seen from the navigation menu’s and there are also extracts from the posts on the home page of the website.
The members area has also had this makeover so it should be easier to update and review pupil enquiries from wherever you are.
As usual, if you do come across any bugs, do please let us know by using the contact form.
Reckless driving covers a number of motoring offences, ranging from aggressive behaviour behind the wheel to tailgating, driving without due care and attention, driving while disqualified, driving without a licence and driving under the influence. According to one motoring website, reckless driving is responsible for around 25 per cent of road traffic accidents in the UK, with statistics particularly high among new and young drivers .
In fact, the Association of British Insurers claims that 18-year-olds are responsible for around 50 collisions a day on UK roads with young drivers ten times more likely to be killed or severely injured than drivers in their forties. This can be attributed to a number of factors including inexperience and a general lack of awareness about road dangers.
As well as sticking to the speed limit, ensure you understand and apply the other rules of the road. Police figures show that those driving at twice the legal alcohol limit are 50 times more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident so never drive under the influence. Don`t drive when tired, don`t use a mobile phone behind the wheel and pull over to tune your radio or read a map.
Driving safely can help you save on car insurance too as most car insurance companies reward drivers with no-claims discounts. There are three insurance options available in the UK – third party, third party fire and theft and comprehensive cover. Third party cover is the minimum level of car insurance required by law, however comprehensive cover, as its name suggests, offers more protection for you and your car and can provide reassurance in the event of a claim. Whatever level of car insurance you opt for, always shop around and compare multiple quotes to ensure you are getting a good deal.
You can read into this; Having passed a driving test does not mean that you are equipped with all the driving skills you need. Experience is the ‘key’ driving skill, so drive with extreme attentiveness after recently passing a driving test.
Be yourself give a good lesson with well structured aims and don’t turn into a robot.
Comment of Kim Blake ADI Grade 6 (x 4 check tests):
Don’t make the mistake of trying your first check test without coaching by your ADI ‘mentor’ who is usually the trainer who helped you pass your ADI tests. Better still contact me via [email protected]
Comment of Russ Green – Blue Car School of Motoring, Sheffield:
I regularly train ADI’s for Check Test purposes – but normally after they’ve failed a CT! Experience is a key factor – but on-going training will help. I generally find it best to observe the ADI with a pupil, and develop training fom there. Sometimes, the more ‘experienced’ we get, the worst we get. Most ADI’s that I see are far from a Grade 6 – because they’ve allowed themselves to become complacent.
I’m Grade 6 & an ORDIT trainer. When training & assessing, I view everybody as a Grade 6, until they start making mistakes. The mistakes that I often see are: 1. No clear objectives set for either the session, or the task to be performed 2. Incorrect / inaccurate fault identification. If this Fault Identification is not accurate, how can our pupils learn properly / effectively. If they can’t learn the lesson – we can’t get a Grade 6. 3. Failing to work with the fault in a way that he pupil will learn. All an examiner wants to see from you, is that your pupil has learnt something!
A fault, on a CT, is a gift to you – especially when it’s part of the subject to be taught! Unwrap it; explore it; take it apart – and then put it all back together again. In other words, identify it accurately, analyse it to the degree necessary, exploring why / how something was wrong; what problems this may cause / hold; what effects this may have… And then, what do we need to do to put this right.
Don’t over-instruct, though – but don’t be afraid to instruct, either. Plan well, so that the pupil has opportunity to learn, practice, and develop. Appropriate & commensurate feedback will encourage & motivate the pupil. It will help them see all the components that are correct, and the weakness that needs attention. It’s only an hour long – explore the problem fully, get it right – you’ll back at the DTC in no time, and that Grade 6 could be yours. Russ Green Blue Car School of Motoring www.blue-car.co.uk