Blog posts tagged ‘maypole’

I’m often asked by learners why they can’t do any lessons on motorways. After all, as soon as you pass your test you are entitled to drive on motorways straight away without having had any training on them. It sounds like a sensible question to me, and there is a lot for the powers that be to think about when reviewing policies that address this question.

Some of the arguments used by people against having learners on motorways are that learners don’t have the skill levels to drive at high speeds. Or maybe learners will hold up other traffic on the motorway causing frustration to other drivers; perhaps a learner will inadvertently hog the middle lane; and a driver can take a pass plus course or motorway lessons after they pass their test anyway – not many do though!

But currently learners are allowed to drive on dual carriageways where the national speed limit of 70mph for cars and motorcycles applies. The skills used when driving on such a road are pretty much identical to driving on a motorway – good awareness of traffic both in the distance and around you, smooth lane changes for overtaking, high speeds, using slip roads on and off the main carriageway. If you take your driving test at the King’s Heath Test Centre in Birmingham then there is a good chance that the A435 Hollywood bypass, near the Maypole roundabout, could be a part of your test route.

I would suggest the main difference that new drivers see between a motorway and a dual carriageway is a psychological one. This could be due to the lower volume of traffic, two lanes not three (not all motorways have three lanes however) and the lack of the name “motorway”.  Surely part of the psychological problem that some inexperienced drivers who have passed their test have with motorways, is the fact that they are built up to be something different and difficult to drive on. If that were not the case surely they could have gone on them as learners?  I believe that allowing learners (who are assessed to be ready and have the necessary skills by their instructors) onto the motorway network would actually help to improve the standard of driving on motorways as a whole. How often do we see drivers on motorways that seem to lack the skills required to change lanes, so they sit in the middle lane thereby reducing a perfectly adequate three lane road into a congested two lane road? Surely being taught how to drive on a motorway can only be a good thing in the long run?

So what can be done about this? In July the first of a series of meetings aimed at planning the future of the driver training industry was held. At this meeting was Mike Penning, the minister for road safety, three senior DSA officials and a number of others who are involved at a high level within the driver training industry. Among others, the subject of learners on motorways was raised. Some ideas such as allowing learners deemed competent by their instructor and accompanied only by their qualified instructor, not a parent or other supervising driver, onto motorways were proposed. The question of accessibility to motorways was raised. Some learners may live 80 plus miles from their nearest motorway (I did when I learnt to drive in Mid-Wales) should this be compulsory or voluntary for learners. If it was compulsory, it was discussed whether the use of high speed dual carriageways count as sufficient for the training record (again, where I learnt to drive the nearest high speed dual carriageway was 50 miles away).

There is clearly much to debate, but I am glad that the debate is finally taking place. After this series of meeting has been completed, the findings will be reported in an impact assessment document, and it will be down to Government Ministers to make the final decision on the way to proceed. I look forward to some progress being made in this important area, where there are currently deficiencies in the adequate training of drivers.

You may have heard that on the 4^th October this year the driving test is changing. I’d like to clear up some of the facts surrounding the new test, as I’ve heard all sorts of rumours and scare stories about it. Following a meeting with the test centre manager at the King’s Heath test centre, I have it on good authority that this isn’t going to be the problem that many in the media have made it out to be. Some may even find the new test easier, and all should find it beneficial.

Independent driving
The main change is the inclusion of an independent driving phase. This will take about ten minutes of the time on test. It will involve you having to either:
1.  Follow signs to a specific location e.g.  “follow signs to the station until I tell you otherwise”
or
2.  Follow a short series of up to three directions given verbally by the examiner and sometimes backed up by a simple route diagram. You will be asked to repeat the instructions to the examiner before you set off. 
or
3. A combination of the two.

It is the second of these that seems to worry people the most. Many are scared that they won’t be able to remember where they’re supposed to go. Well fear not, as it is perfectly acceptable to ask the examiner if you have forgotten. The examiners are generally nice people, and are there to help you achieve your potential on the test. Feel free to ask them anything that isn’t clear to you. Also, just like on the rest of the test, if you make a wrong turn (get left and right mixed up for example), so long as you’ve driven correctly to wherever you’ve gone, then there is no problem at all. It is not a test of your ability to follow direction instructions, merely a test of your ability to drive a route with minimal prompting.

Manoeuvres
Now for the good bit! Before the changes, you would have had to perform at least two reversing exercises. Now, there will be only one! So that’s got to be good for you hasn’t it? There is still a second manoeuvre, as EU law states that there has to be two on all tests. The second manoeuvre is “moving off at an angle”. This means that you’ll be asked to pull up about a car length behind a parked vehicle, and then to pull away from behind it. This is something that has always been asked of you in the driving test anyway, but it wasn’t given its own status as a manoeuvre before.

Test Routes
This won’t directly affect your test at all, but the test routes will no longer be published by the DSA. As a driving instructor, my aim is to teach you to drive safely, and legally wherever in the country, or even the world you will be driving. As such, I have never taught “test routes”. If you can drive well, you can drive anywhere. Obviously there can be some tricky junctions that can confuse in every area, and of course you will familiarise yourself with these on your lessons with me. For example, many find the bus lanes and approach to the Maypole roundabout confusing, and having a go at these before the test is a good idea. In my opinion  the lack of published test routes won’t affect your chances of passing the driving test in any way.

Hopefully this has clarified some of the facts about the changes to the test, but if you are still unsure, please feel free to give me a call, and also check out the DSA’s You Tube video about the changes.

With snow and ice covering most of the side roads, and many of the main roads in the area, very few tests have taken place this week. The tests are being cancelled for reasons of safety for you the candidate as well as for the examiner.

With no imminent end to the cold weather in sight, the outlook is a little bleak for tests in the week of Monday 11 January onwards. If you have a test booked during this period, all you can do is to follow the instructions on the appointment letter and call your test centre on the day of the test. There is normally someone in the office from 8.00am. If your test is cancelled due to adverse weather, then you will receive a new date and time in the post in due course.
 

The phone number for the Kings Heath Test Centre (Maypole) is

0121 430 5294

Recently an incident occurred on one of my driving lessons just after the Maypole roundabout near the Kings Heath test centre, during which my pupil had to take evasive action due to a small child of no more than 6 years of age running straight across a pelican crossing that was showing a green light to drivers. Fortunately, my pupil had reduced her speed on approach to the crossing, in anticipation of such an incident.  But many drivers would not have, and the consequences could have been horrific. 
 

This got me thinking about how road safety education seems to have changed over the years. Nowadays we are quite likely to see adverts targeted towards drivers. For example drink/drive campaigns, kill your speed and beware of bikers are a few that crop up from time to time. The emphasis is always on the driver. But there seems to be very little high profile road safety education for pedestrians (although many local authorities do have various initiatives within schools). This hasn’t always been the case as this video clip shows. Although it’s simplistic in its approach, I and many of my friends still remember the ad clearly, and the message has stuck with us throughout our lives, despite us being incredibly young when it first aired on TV.
 

A number of my pupils have commented recently on how learning to drive has made them better pedestrians, giving them a better understanding of the responsibilities they have to keep themselves safe whilst walking. If the above and other similar video clips were still being aired (or at least updated versions of them) they may appeal to the younger pedestrian, and who knows, maybe save some lives.

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!