Driving Lessons

I would like to thank the driver of black Astra, registration Y823HYA, for the rear end smash into my car today on the A4174, Bristol ring-road, and the then chase after you as you proceeded not to stop after the accident. I would like to point out to you that my pupil was in fact on their driving test, when you decided that going through a red light was somehow now an acceptable way of driving. Have you considered the affect left in your wake, probably not, so I would like to explain.

As you are not insured, then first of all we have obvious cost of repairs to the rear of my car, then the lost lessons for me while I file the incident report with the Police, then the lost test for the next person taking their test which the examiner who had to spend time with the Police therefore didn’t make it back to the test centre in time, then the pain in my neck from being sat in the back, then the lost confidence of my pupil, who now may never take their test again, I could go on and on….

But at least we have the fond memories of chasing you up and down Blackhorse Road, while you try to escape from me, followed by the final picture of you proceeding through another red light in a desperate attempt to escape, and all because you were so desperate in your sad world to get to wherever you were going that you couldn’t stop at a red light for 1 minute.

I would love to post the in-car camera footage of your antics, but alas the Police need these.

So mister Astra, Y823HYA, thanks for ruining everyone’s day, looking forward to the court date, I can’t wait for your explanation!

The driving test format will be changing in 2010 to test more the way we drive, rather than just complete a series of instructions.

The good news for many learner drivers is that the current 2 manoeuvres required on your driving test will be reduced to just 1 reversing exercise.

This will allow more time to be spent on accessing the overall driving standard of the candidate, whilst not increasing the time of the driving test.

However, the major change comes in the format of a new category called ‘independant driving’.

Essentially what will now happen is that a candidate will be given a series of instructions/directions to follow and will be expected to either follow road direction signs to a local place, or be given 3 or 4 directions to follow in the format of, ‘at the end of the road turn left, then at the end of the new road turn right, then at the roundabout take he 3rd exit’.

This new exercise will last for no more than 10 minutes during the driving test and will asses a candidates ability to ‘read’ the road ahead and make correct decisions based on their understanding of road layouts and directions, which is exactly what they will need to do whilst driving on their own without supervision from a driving instructor.

Had a great example of the importance of looking where you are going whilst on a driving lesson last week.

My pupil pulled out left onto a main road and was immediately confronted with a pedestrian crossing that was just turning to red, we stopped safely and my attention immediately focused on the car behind, they just about stopped, much to my relief, unfortunately the next car behind them didn’t and went right into the back of them!

Getting out to see if there was an damage to my car, I could hear the conversation between the two unfortunate drivers that had collided, it was along the lines of

‘why did you stop?’

‘well the learner in front had stopped’

To which I came in with the fact that the light was on red, to be confronted with,

‘well it’s never been red before in all the years I’ve been coming out of this road’

I did explain the virtues of looking where you are going but it seemed to fall on deaf ears!

My pupil then added that perhaps he should read the highway code!

This question crops up quite a lot, when a new potential pupil is inquiring about driving lessons and they insist on having a female driving instructor. When I ask as to why it has to be a female the normal response is that they feel more comfortable with a female.

I can understand this point to a certain respect but these days all driving instructors are CRB checked to make sure they are not a complete weirdo, so is it that the reputation of driving instructors in the old days is so bad – that people still think driving instructors are ‘strange’.

What do you think? I’m interested!

I’m sure we have all seen them out there, getting in the wrong lane, not signalling when they are leaving the roundabout, but why?

I’m convinced it’s because people have either forgotten how to drive correctly or more probably, it’s because the rules of the road have changed over the years but drivers are not up-to date with them.

I know that when I was a driver out on the road before I became a driving instructor, I was very good, at least that was my own opinion of myself. When I started to train to become a driving instructor a number of years ago now, I realised how much had changed since I learnt to drive and how bad I was.

Yes I admit I was not a good driver but at the time I believed I was. I’m convinced that this statement must be true for many, many thousands of drivers out there on the roads right now!

So what’s the answer to this dilemma - well what about compulsory retesting of drivers every 10 years!

Probably won’t happen but why not, would it not ultimately make our roads safer, cut down the number of deaths on the roads – and drivers might actually signal correctly on roundabouts!!

The debate about what type of car in learn to drive in came round again this week.

I took a pupil for PassPlus who had learnt to drive and passed their test with a different school and had learnt in a diesel car. Problem was she couldn’t drive my petrol car! and took about 2 hours to get used to it in a way that we could then carry on with the passplus modules.

The problem is that in a diesel car, you don’t need any gas on to be able to move the car off in most situations. In a petrol car you need to apply gas before bringing up the clutch to the biting point, before being able to move off.

Not too much difference but one that caused alot of pain for the young driver trying to get to grips with it.

Maybe only driving tests should be done in petrol cars.

If you learn to drive in a petrol car, it’s easy to pick up the technic for a diesel – but very difficult the other way round!

Seems a simply question – but one that continues to baffle at times!

Many young people are pushed into having lessons by their parents, they don’t want to drive, have no desire to drive – so why waste your money, or in most cases their parents money.

There is only a small majority that fall into this category, most people need to learn to drive – want to learn to drive and put 100% into their lessons. That’s great and always ends up with a safe competent driver at the end of their training and go on to be safe drivers for life.

The small majority where their parents pay for their lessons and they don’t want to drive – are in truth extremely difficult to teach – take 2 or 3 times longer than someone who wants to learn, but most importantly are very often not safe because they don’t want to drive!

With anything that we do – if you want to do it – you will – if you don’t – you won’t.

So before booking driving lessons or blaming the driving instructor for not getting on with your driving – think about wether or not you want to learn first!

So we have all learnt to drive at some point -

so we all know how nerve racking it can be out there when you are not confident about your driving skills -

so why do so many drivers forget this fact and see you with that L plate on and just have get past you?

Often driving in such a way that scares the poor learner that’s trying their best to concentrate. Is it not them that needs driving lessons?

I think it just comes down to one thing, life is lived in the fast lane these days and people cannot be held up by anyone else. OK but don’t do it and put yourself at risk or others, otherwise that fast life will be over, for good!