Blog posts tagged ‘driving’

The date is fast approaching that the DSA’s latest change to the driving test will be implemented. The independent driving element of the driving test will come into effect on 4 October 2010. But does that mean you have to rush into taking your driving test before this date? I don’t think so. The new element to the test is designed to be more realistic, and more like the type of driving you’ll be doing after passing. It will involve you following a series of verbal directions, following traffic signs to a destination or a combination of both. There really is nothing to be scared of. It’s exactly what you’ll be doing when you’ve passed your test and you’re driving alone. As long as you are driving safely, it doesn’t even matter too much if you take the wrong direction or forget where you are supposed to be going. After all, that even happens to experienced drivers.

For more information click here to view a video clip from the DSA

The summer’s here and it’s hot for once! Just as in the winter there are a few things you can do to help stay safe on the roads:

1. Stay cool – open your windows, or preferably use your air conditioning. Being hot and sticky will lead to drowsiness and a lack of concentration
2. Take regular breaks  –  when you start to feel tired make sure you stop and have a break. Don’t drive if you’re feeling too tired to fully concentrate.
3. Keep hydrated  –  drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated
4. Screen wash – don’t forget to have plenty of screen wash. Flies hitting your windscreen soon affect visibility. Keep the windscreen clean.
5. Check your fluids and tyres – ensure that you have the correct coolant and oil levels. An engine is more likely to overheat in hot weather, especially if you get caught in a traffic jam.  Tyres can also get very hot on a long journey; the hotter the tyre, the higher the tyre pressure. Regularly check the condition of your tyres.
6. Animals – never leave a dog or other animal in a hot car. The temperature inside a parked car can soar very quickly, potentially resulting in the death of your pet and possibly even criminal charges for animal cruelty.

During the course of driving lessons in Birmingham you’re bound to see any number of illegal acts committed by other drivers. Speeding, overtaking on the left, and parking on double yellow lines (most annoyingly outside Lloyds Bank by Kings Heath Test Centre!) to name a few.  But why do people do this? I guess there are many motivations for acting illegally whilst driving. Common excuses could include “I sped because I was late” or “I wanted to show my mates how quickly I can drive” or “I only parked there for a second while I nipped to the bank”. None of these excuses are valid, but some people take things a bit too far! Recently a London borough published some of the excuses that it had been given for driving offences. The excuses range from a UFO spotter having been forced to swerve into a bus lane to avoid a UFO, to someone believing he’d been hypnotised into parking illegally. My personal favourite however is this one: "I won't lie. I should know better than to speed on that stretch of road because I ran a woman over there last week."

Most learners I teach don’t have the opportunity to drive other than when on driving lessons. But some do get the benefit of being able to practise in their own/parent’s/partner’s car. These lucky few are able to gain experience of different road traffic situations more quickly and are generally ready to take their test earlier than those who haven’t had extra practice.  Some instructors feel that learners tend to pick up bad habits from their family and friends supervising them, but as long as the practice is taken alongside regular professional driving lessons then I don’t believe that this is the case.

Adding a younger learner to a policy can be prohibitively expensive. There are cheaper options available such as short term policies, held by the learner themselves. One such policy is offered by a company called Marmalade Provisional, who have a tie in with Halfords. They offer policies from as little as £90 per month although this does vary with location. I have checked with them, and for a learner with a Selly Oak B29 postcode, the cost would be £99.50 for one month, or £187.00 for two months.

I believe that in the run up to a test this type of policy can really give a learner an extra boost to their learning experience, raise their confidence and increase their chances of passing the test first time.

Click here for more details…

This year, the driving test in the United Kingdom is 75 years old! Back in 1935 there were 200 examiners across the country. Now there are around 2000. The current test has changed quite a bit  – it’s considerably longer and involves more reversing manoeuvres, not to mention the relatively recent additions of the theory test, hazard perception test and more recently still the “Show me, tell me” element of the practical test. It’s a constantly evolving beast, with more changes ready to be introduced later this year with an independent driving element set to be included.

Currently Britain has the second safest roads in Europe, and this is surely in part due to the high standard of driving required to achieve a pass. So happy 75th birthday driving test. Here’s to another 75 years. Mind you I very much doubt I’ll still be teaching people to pass it by then………

Whilst doing a little driving test research, I stumbled across this newspaper article from 2006.  Not sure exactly how true it is but I found it quite amusing all the same…

                         To all past, present and prospective pupils,
                     Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year!
                                           
                                            Best wishes from
                                 Ceri at South Brum Driving School.

South Brum Driving School is pleased to be able to offer you the opportunity to learn to drive in an automatic car for the first time.  Although I don’t teach automatic lessons myself, I have teamed up with another instructor, who teaches automatics in the South Birmingham area.

So whether you live in Selly Oak, Moseley, Kings Heath, Northfield or any other surrounding areas, and you want automatic driving lessons, then please contact us, either by phone, text or email and I will put you in touch with Alan, who’s an experienced, high grade instructor, specialising in automatics.

Other areas covered include Harborne, Hall Green, Longbridge, Balsall Heath and anywhere in between.

If you’re a nervous driver, or think that you will be, don’t worry – you’re not alone.

 Research carried out by the RAC has found that approximately 10 million drivers in the UK suffer some kind of driving anxiety disorder, with women being more commonly affected. For example, it is estimated that one in five female drivers refuse to drive on a motorway at all.

Some of the more common fears that learners have are fear of large vehicles coming towards them, fear of impatient drivers behind them, fear that they themselves will cause a hold up by stalling and fear of judging when to go at roundabouts.  These fears tend to lead to more mistakes, thus compounding the problem and reinforcing a negative driving experience.

But these fears can be overcome, and hopefully the following three points can help with that:

1) Relax before a lesson

Driving lessons themselves can make people anxious. Pupils sometimes worry that they won’t understand what’s asked of them, or that they’ll look stupid if they can’t do it, or if they have to ask again how to do something.  These should never be fears that you have. I (and any good driving instructor) will be patient, willing to answer any questions, however many times they are asked, and will never think anyone is stupid for finding driving hard.  We don’t bite! The reason that you are having lessons is that you can’t drive yet, so it stands to reason that you won’t be able to do everything straight away.

2) Understanding your needs

 As your instructor I will make every effort to ensure that each lesson you have is tailored to your specific needs. For example, I won’t be making you drive around the Maypole roundabout on your first driving lesson! We’ll progress at a rate which suits your learning requirements. It’s always better to walk before you can run, and there’s little point trying to get across a busy junction in the rush hour if you’re still struggling with clutch control, so we’ll work on your clutch control in a quiet environment. That way you’re far less likely to make mistakes, which lead to a lack of confidence in the future. If you’re finding steering a problem, we’ll work on that in a safe environment with wider roads, and get you proficient before expecting you to negotiate a tricky narrow street with numerous parked cars and other obstructions.

 3) Breathe

I know it may sound crazy, but learner drivers who get stressed often forget to breathe! If you’re finding a situation stressful, maybe before doing a parallel park on the driving test, it’s a good idea to take several long deep breaths.  This is a very simple but effective method of relaxation which can help to reduce nerves so that you feel calm and in control once more – hopefully bringing you closer to achieving your goal of learning to drive and passing your test!

With the swine flu virus starting to take a hold in the Midlands, we’re all becoming more conscious of the fact it could hit any one of us. The risk is increased the more people we come into contact with.  With this in mind, I now have a policy to use disposable disinfectant wipes at the end of each driving lesson, and thoroughly clean all areas of the car that a pupil may touch (steering wheel, gear lever, hand brake, door handles, indicator lever, windscreen wiper controls, seat adjustor bar, electric window buttons and all other ancillary controls and switches)   So please don’t be offended if at the end of your lesson as you walk away you see me set to work cleaning. It really isn’t anything personal, just a way to reduce the risk of cross contamination at this time of need.

Also, if you have symptoms of flu and we have a driving lesson booked then please call me to cancel - you won’t be charged for the lesson even if it’s short notice, so don’t worry about that.  

Fingers crossed for happy flu-free motoring!!