Driving can be a great skill to learn – The sense of freedom you get from being a driver is like no other, allowing you to take to the roads at your leisure and opening you up to a world of possibilities. But driving, like many other skills, can bring with it a share of frustration – Particularly when dealing with other drivers.

Remember that not all drivers may have the full confidence you may have when behind the wheel, and so try to make allowances for this. Let other drivers pull out of busy junctions if you think they might be struggling, and try not to overtake unless absolutely necessary – And always, always stay patient when behind a slow learner driver – You were a learner once too.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving on the motorway can be a major learning curve for a driver, even if you already consider yourself to have experience behind the wheel. The combination of fast speeds and a heavy volume of traffic is enough to put many drivers off, although with just a little preparation you can become a fully safe and secure driver on the motorway.

Remember that other drivers will be travelling much faster on the motorway than you may be used to, so take extra care when joining the flow of traffic and make sure to get up to the correct speed as fast as possible, and also ensure to use your indicators well in advance of making any lane changes so all drivers around you are fully aware of your intentions.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Passing the driving theory test is one of the first steps you can take to becoming a fully qualified driver. Whilst the exam takes place under strict conditions and may make you feel like you are back at school, passing the theory test will likely give you a great boost of confidence with your learning to drive, and f you are anything like the rest of our pupils, it will make you even more eager to finally take the practical driving test.

To maximise your chances of passing, make sure to do as much revision as possible, using online resources available on our website such as our interactive hazard perception test.

Safe driving from Britannia!

When approaching a level crossing, always be sure to guarantee your safety, as this can be a very dangerous time to be inside your car.

If the amber light comes on when you are already part way across, always continue crossing until you are safely across the other side. Do not stop, hesitate, or attempt to reverse back to your previous side. Always ensure to only start crossing when you are 100% sure it is safe to do so, after a train or tram has passed and the barriers are fully open.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving is a funny thing – Although every country in the world contains drivers, the rules for the drivers in each country differs massively, even between places as close as Britain and France!

One of the most common differences you may be aware of is the rule of which side of the road to drive on. Whilst Britain drives on the left, a majority of other countries instead drive on the right. So why the reason for this seemingly innocuous change?

Historically people always used the left side for travelling, long before cars ever came about, so that they could use their right hand for sword-based defence against potential attackers – However this changed when Napoleon (who was left-handed) deemed that all road users should instead use the right-hand side as part of France’s social rethink – Which then spread to countries France would go on to colonise, including America.

Safe driving from Britannia!

With the news today of former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos being banned from driving for 15 months for drink-driving, we can’t help but feel that the image of drink-driving is not being recognised as the deadly activity it should be to many.

The drink-drive limit in the UK is 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood – Although we do recommend not drinking at all when you will be driving, as studies have proven that even the slightest amount of alcohol consumption can reduce your reaction speed noticeably.

Safe driving from Britannia!

There are a variety of dangers you can face when out and about in your car – From terrible weather conditions rendering the roads unsafe to drive on, to other motorists driving erratically and putting themselves and others at risk, you really need to be on your guard when behind the wheel.

So one of the worst things you can do is make yourself a higher liability when driving, by reducing your concentration on the road. One of the most common ways this is done recently is by drivers using their mobile phones to access social media whilst operating their car, which is a reckless and dangerous task to attempt.

If you need to post to Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, add a photo to Instagram or Snapchat, then just wait until your car has stopped in a safe place before using your phone, or you are putting yourself and innocent people at risk.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving can be great fun – Opening yourself up to a whole world of possibilities of where to go, what to do, who to see – But don’t let this distract you from what is going on inside your car.

Keeping an eye on your dashboard is a vital part of being a good driver. The speedometer is there to keep you in check of how fast you are travelling, so make sure not to go over the speed limit, otherwise it might just be a speed camera that lets you know about it.

Likewise the fuel gauge is there to make sure you don’t run out of fuel – While this may sound obvious, a high proportion of breakdowns are caused by not keeping the car filled up enough!

What other tips can your dashboard tell you? Let us know below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

There are a variety of dangers you can face when you’re out driving – From harsh weather conditions rendering roads unsafe to drive on, to the ever-present threat of drunken or irresponsible drivers, you do need to be on your guard when behind the wheel.

One such danger is that of speeding drivers – A cause for a vast amount of accidents each day, that can be easily avoided by all drivers sticking to the set speed limits. A measure introduced to help curb speeding drivers is that of speed cameras – And whilst the majority of drivers believe the threat of a speeding ticket will keep them on their best behaviour, there are many that feel speed cameras are not as effective as they should be at keeping cars from travelling too fast.

What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know in the comments below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Traffic lights might incur mixed emotions from different people – Pedestrians are likely to be fond, allowing them safe passage across busy roads, whereas on the other hand we all know at least one impatient driver who gets aggravated by traffic lights.

So where did the traffic lights begin? Oddly enough the traffic light is an English invention – The first instance of using signals to control traffic priorities occurred on December 1968, outside the Houses of Parliament in London, to ease the congestion – Although in these days, it was horse-drawn carriages that were causing the congestion!

Taking the idea from train crossings, the original traffic light was gas-powered and it wasn’t until 1926 that the first electric traffic lights were installed in London, changing the way traffic was controlled forever.

Safe driving from Britannia!