July 9, 2014
The Worst Driving Experiences

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Nerves make learners commit the strangest of errors. We have heard of quite a few, and I am sure we have all committed various blunders whilst learning to drive.

It is commonplace to hear of learners driving on the wrong side of the road, cutting people up on roundabouts and crossing their hands over the steering wheel. We have even heard people selecting reverse gear instead of first gear and crashing into a wall. But have you heard of the pupil saluting each time they turned the corner or the pupil who wished to take her driving lessons in an Eskimo outfit? These are all real-life stories experienced by instructors in the UK.

Driving tests have seen even stranger occurrences. One particular learner from Guildford drove straight into the river Wye at the start of her 5th driving test. The car sank, she swam ashore and the examiner, who could not swim, crawled onto the roof of the vehicle screaming for help. Another learner accidentally drove the car straight through the test centre, demolishing the building.

On another test, the blunder was committed by the examiner. The examiner was working at a different test centre to usual and went out to conduct a test. Colleagues started to get concerned after the examiner hadn’t returned in two hours. The examiner and pupil then arrived back at the test centre in a taxi. The examiner had gotten completely lost and apologised to the driving instructor that he had no idea where his car was.

Do you know of any strange stories surrounding driving tests and lessons? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

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July 8, 2014
Ambulance Drivers to Take Driving Lessons

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Many drivers are well aware of the presence of emergency vehicles on the road. With their flashing blue and red lights, and screeching sirens wailing from half way down the road, we are taught as driving pupils to notice these from as far off as possible, and to allow them to pass wherever is possible.

If only they were just as cautious.

Ambulance bosses at East Midlands Ambulance Service have decided to draft in a series of driving instructors to train their ambulance drivers in the skill of driving, after a recent amount of road traffic accidents involving the vehicles.

In the year running up to April 5th, over 400 incidents were recorded of ambulances colliding with other vehicles – however even this figure was down from 462 the previous year. The cost of these mishaps totalled over £400,000.

In light of these shocking figures, a team of skilled driving instructors has been called in to help improve the skill of those behind the wheel of ambulances, to reduce the number of collisions, and to reduce the bill of funding repairs to other vehicles.

A review of the situation revealed that the most common flaw was ambulance drivers leaving the hand-brake off – followed closely by clipping wing mirrors, bumping into parked cars, and poor reversing technique.

Whilst it is true that ambulance drivers are often required to drive in high-risk situations, it is surely a great idea to help improve the amount of accidents caused by these vehicles.

What are your thoughts on this article? Sound off in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

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July 7, 2014
Driving Test Superstitions

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Many learners are resorting to various rituals in the hope they pass their practical test. One particular student’s mother cracked an egg on every tyre before the test whilst another pupil spent the last lesson prior to the test parking up and standing on drain covers every time she spotted them in pairs.

These rituals may seem far-fetched but both students passed.

A driving instructor has been reported to make sure his cuddly monkey toy is safely strapped in for every test. He also gets his pupils to book tests in the morning.

Other anecdotes include a pupil wearing the same T-shirt on her test that she wore when she gave birth to her daughter.

With the number of first-time passes falling, the message is ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try again’. One 24-year-old pupil even took 24 attempts before passing her test and was one of either Britons who have racked-up at least 20 tests by the end of 2013 according to the DVSA.

In the end, it is good driving that will ensure a learner passes. However, if superstitions ease the nerves, then this can’t be harmless.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

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July 4, 2014
Intensive Courses: Are They For Me?

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The debate is ongoing as to the nature of an intensive driving course – many people argue that it is much more beneficial to experience all of one’s driving tutorship in one large block, whereas others will contest that this puts too much strain on the learner and is not as efficient as a steady stream of individual lessons over a prolonged period of time.

So how do we know who is right? Should you go for the “normal” route of learning to drive, or should you take an Intensive Driving Course and get it all over and done with faster?

The truth is, it depends entirely on the learner. Some pupils will enjoy the idea of one large block of learning, and find that they will absorb information better when it comes at a much faster rate. However this style of learning is really only suited to those who can pick up information fast, and can handle high pressure situations – if you would not consider yourself one of these, then perhaps an Intensive Course is not for you.

On the other hand, many people find it more beneficial to take their time to learn to drive, as this allows them to learn at their own pace, over a series of driving lessons. If you are not in a particular rush to get behind the wheel, and would like to learn in a more relaxed manner, then the traditional route of driving lessons may well be the better choice for you.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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July 2, 2014
Limits For New Drivers

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Older, experienced drivers do fear getting into a car with a newly qualified young driver, gritting their teeth and clutching at the sides of their seat. Is this a fair criticism of young drivers?

A poll of more than 2000 adults found that 68% supported some form of ‘graduated licensing’ for young drivers in their first year of driving. The type of restrictions backed by those who were polled included limitations on the number of passengers they could carry and restrictions on driving between midnight and 5am.

Almost one in eight of all injuries and deaths on the roads involved a driver aged 17 to 19 despite the fact the age group only represents one in 60 of all licensed drivers. This explains the reasoning behind placing some restriction on their driving to improve their safety.

However, is this a good idea? There are risky drivers of all ages, is it really fair to curtail the freedom of young drivers? Do restrictions really help young drivers learn safety on the road?

Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

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July 1, 2014
The Worst First Lesson Ever

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Here at Britannia we like to see all driving students succeed. We encourage and praise them when they do well, and we help them to move past any minor mistakes they may make, helping them on their journey to become better drivers, and not to focus on their errors.

However sometimes, exceptions do have to be made.

Luckily this was not a student of Britannia Driving School, but rather a peer from across the pond – a USA Driving pupil, on their FIRST DRIVING LESSON, who managed to roll the car onto its roof.

In a similar fashion to last summer, when we wrote about the Worst Driving Test Ever, this pupil will most likely be hanging their head in shame after somehow flipping the car upside down during their first hour behind the wheel. The student, from Waltham, Massachusetts, lost control of the vehicle in a residential area, hit a tree, and simultaneously performed an unintentional aerial U-turn, leaving the car stranded on its roof until Police arrived at the scene.

Luckily the pupil and his instructor escaped unharmed – but he may still be several lessons away from passing his test.

Your first lesson may not have gone too well, with you probably stalling, or even scraping the bumper against the kerb – but take solace in the fact that it could have gone much worse.

Safe driving from Britannia!

What are your thoughts on this article? Do you know someone who has experienced a worse driving lesson than this?

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June 26, 2014
Penalty Points Before Passing The Test

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Almost 54,000 of learner drivers already have penalty points for speeding and going through red lights before they pass their test with the majority being for driving too fast. Other reasons include not having any insurance or driving carelessly.

A third of people believe driving instructors or the person accompanying learners should be responsible if learners are penalised, with more than one in ten believing that it is these individuals that should take the points – despite this practice being illegal.

It is understandable that learners should make mistakes along the way but picking up bad habits such as speeding or jumping lights before even passing a driving test is not a good way to start and these individuals should be made aware of the consequences of their actions.

One in three people do not realise that they can get points while learning to drive and 40% don’t know that if they accumulate six points in their first two years of driving they will lose their licence.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

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June 24, 2014
Driving Test Worries

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Many learner drivers may be worrying about their driving test – indeed, many do say that the driving test is one of the most nerve-racking experiences of one’s life, and this additional pressure can significantly exacerbate the already stressful process of learning to drive.

Here are our top tips for handling Driving Test Worries:

– Take your test when your instructor says that you are ready. Your instructor is a professional, and will very likely be able to recognise the differences between a novice driver and someone who is ready to pass their test. Also, they have nothing to gain by you taking your test prematurely, so trust their judgement when they say you are ready, and take this as a boost of confidence.

– Take your Theory earlier rather than later. Learning the Theory is a vital part of learning to drive, and so by brushing up on your theory well in advance of your Practical test, you are giving yourself an additional advantage when it comes to applying this knowledge in the hands-on driving world. Also, your theory lasts for 2 years, so it is not likely to expire before you take your driving test for the first time.

– Tell your instructor what you want to do. Whilst it is good advice to trust an instructor’s judgement, you can by all means request different activities in your driving lesson (you are paying for them, after all!) If you feel like a certain manoeuvre needs more practice, rather than simply reiterating your general driving, let your instructor know that you want to practice this more.

– Finally, relax! If you or your instructor think you are good enough to pass your test, there is probably a good reason for that. Stay calm, so that you are in the same state of mind as you would be on one of your lessons, and everything should go smoothly.

Do you have any more tips for learner drivers when it comes to taking their driving test?

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Good luck from Britannia!

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June 23, 2014
Fall in Theory Test Prices

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The cost of the Driving Theory Test is set to fall this October, with the price due to be slashed from the current cost of £32 to just £25 – with plans to reduce the price by a further £2 one year later.

After negotiations were held between the DVLA and the Theory Test providers, the agency was pleased to announce that learner drivers would be the ones to feel the benefits of the cut in the cost.

Theory tests for vehicles other than cars will also fall – with trainees for lorry’s, buses, and trainee Driving Instructors to reap the rewards of cheaper theory tests.

However the government has been keen to point out that the drop in price would not result in a compromise of the quality of the Theory test, reassuring learner drivers that the content of the test would not change.

They have also made a point to let all learner drivers know that the price of the Practical Driving Test is set to remain the same, until further notice.

What are your thoughts on this article? Are you looking forward to a cheaper theory test?

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Safe driving from Britannia!

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June 22, 2014
The Effects Of The Hazard Perception Test

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The Hazard Perception Test has won an award for Road Safety. Research has showed that the Hazard Perception Test is associated with a fall in novice driver collisions.

Since its introduction in 2002, it has been praised by many people for its effectiveness and focus on keeping Britain’s new drivers vigilant and safety aware.

The test forms the second part of the theory test and contains a series of one-minute video clips showing potential road hazards. The learner must identify the developing hazards and the faster they are identified, the higher the learner scores. The clips cannot be repeated. This closely mirrors scenarios on the road – requiring quick identification of developing hazards and that a motorist does not have a second chance with hazards on the road.

Research by the DVSA has shown that hazard perception training and testing could account for an 11% reduction in accidents, potentially saving hundreds of lives every year. The test is therefore effective at increasing the safety on Britain’s roads and must be praised.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

 

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