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Safer Driving Tips – From Our Tutors

During our various driving courses, we provide lots of tips and techniques for safer driving. Below are a few to provide an insight into what we cover during our training, which have been provided by a number of our tutors across the UK.

Whether you book a course with us or not, these tips should help you enjoy safer driving.

 

 

Female Security. Always reverse into parking bays and have car keys ready in the hand rather than searching in the bag. Especially in dark car parks at night if traveling alone.
Then lock the door from the inside for extra security.

Rachel Kavanagh – Tutor, Nottinghamshire
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When negotiating a roundabout always look and if possible, make eye contact with traffic coming on from the left, also look where they are steering, don’t rely on signals. Forward planning is forward thinking.

Alan Wilson – Tutor, Glasgow and Edinburgh

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Don’t follow the queue, lead the pack. (On open roads ) – Be a space maker and not a space invader (town driving) – When it’s wet on the floor count to four. (2 second rule).

Paul Coombs – Tutor, Wiltshire

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Never place the vehicle somewhere that the eyes and brain haven’t been first – In relation to entry speed into bends/brows of hills etc. Stopping within the distance that can be seen to be clear.

Graeme Bennett – Tutor, Dundee
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When driving on a motorway, drive in a check board fashion, to provide a 4-way escape route. Only pass a vehicle when you can clear the front of that vehicle, and not end up at the side of it (and in the case of large vehicles – their blind spot).

Kevin Dyas – Tutor, Humberside
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Roundabouts: Look to go, but prepare to stop. Meeting Traffic: If in doubt, chicken out

John Marie – Tutor, London 

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As you cross the white line in front of you, you should be looking in the direction you are travelling. A good driver knows as much about what is happening behind him as they know about what’s happening in front.

Pam Thompson – Tutor, Staffordshire 

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Wondering whether your mental driving state at any particular time is appropriate?

Take a moment to think if everyone around you was to be driving in the exact same style and manner as yourself, at the same speeds with the same separation gaps, what would it be like? If you’re thinking along the lines of tense or frenzied then it’s definitely time to make adjustments!

 

Wayne Foxall – Tutor, Shropshire 

Used Car Data Check

It is more important than ever to invest in a used car data check if you are looking to buy a used car. Knowing a cars history will not only help give you peace of mind, it will also provide you wish the reassurance that you have not bough a car with a less than ideal past.

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A used car check from companies like HPI cover the following things:

1. If it is recorded as stolen – Is the car you are looking at recorded as stolen on the Police National Computer? More Info
2. Do you know the number of previous owners? It is more desirable to own a used car that has fewer owners, with a HPI check you will get to know this. More Info
3. Can you trust the mileage? It is much harder nowadays to alter a cars mileage but it can happen
4. Do you really know the approximate value of the car? Doing a HPI check will provide you with a valuation to help ensure you don’t pay over the odds for a car
5. Is your car an insurance write off? Some write offs can return to the road, whilst others can’t. With a HPI check you will find this out during a check.

A used car data check will also check the following:

6. Is you car recorded as scrapped?
7. Number plate changes
8. Any outstanding fiance
9. Logbook check
10. Imported/Exported
11. VIN/Chasis Check

About HPI

HPI has been providing used car checks since 1938 and use up to date information to check a used cars history. They are so confident of their accuracy that they back it with a £30,000 guarantee.

Defensive Driving Courses – UK Wide

We offer bespoke defensive driving courses across the UK. We understand businesses know the advantages that driver training can bring, not only from a Duty of Care legal point but also in the interest of driver safety.

If you are a private customer looking for defensive courses, please click here

Benefits of our Courses:

* Improved driver safety
* Demonstrating your Duty of Care
* Reduced fuel costs
* Reduced fleet insurance premiums

Defensive Driving Course – Costs:

We offer two course formats, a half-day at £250 + vat a driver, and a full day at £370 + vat. Should you wish, we can train drivers on a 2:1 format, with one being trained for 3.5hrs in the morning and one for 3.5hrs in the afternoon. This works out at just £185 + vat a driver.

If you are looking to train a number of drivers, we can offer this 2:1 training across several locations over days or weeks. Many of our customers have 100+ drivers, all in different locations. As part of our service to you, we can offer not only training but full assistance in arranging the drivers at different locations.

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Read our most popular course FAQs

Course Content:

Our defensive driving courses (also known as advanced driving courses) cover the following elements:

* Observation & Forward Planning: We help drivers look much further up the road when driving. Many traffic incidents occur due to a lack of planning and observation. We help drivers look and think – and not just see.

* Anticipation: We help drivers develop an enquiring mind when driving. Has that driver seen me? What is that cycling doing? All these are critical factors in learning to be a safe driver. Anticipation is a key element of driving and intertwines with observation and forward planning.

* Car Control: We help drivers on our defensive driving course to understand all elements of car control, from the use of the steering and foot controls to learning how to handle a car on different road surfaces and types, in varying weather conditions.

* Rules of the Road: Many drivers are not aware of the various rules of the road. During our defensive driving courses, we ensure any obvious gaps in their knowledge is filled and that their level of knowledge improves. Rules of the road include regulations, and traffic signs along with any other relevant issues.

* All-Weather Driving: Our defensive driving courses are designed to equip drivers with the necessary skills to drive in all weather. We cover this in theory and if the weather permits, in practice too!

* Driver Psychology: We help drivers understand the thinking, both positive and negative, which makes up a driver, and look at various issues such as driving when tired, driving when distracted and coping with road rage.

Take an in-depth look at what elements are covered – More info

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Bespoke Training:

Unlike other course providers, our courses are designed around the needs of the driver, so if one driver has an issue with attention, we can focus on that, if another has an issue with speed, we can work on their speed awareness. Drivers taking our defensive driving courses vary hugely. Below are a range of drivers we help:

* Drivers who require training as part of company policy

* At-risk drivers – those who are having too many accidents in company cars or vans

* New to UK drivers – those who have only recently come to the UK and need an introduction to our roads


Request Your Quote – Learn More:
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We can help all drivers of all abilities – please contact us for a quote or email rob@driversdomainuk.com for more info. You can also request a quote using the form to the upper right of this screen.

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The Law on Using a Mobile Phone When Driving

The Highway Code states that you must exercise proper control of your vehicle at all times. You are not allowed to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar when driving. Also if you are supervising a learner driver.

It has been illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone when driving since December 2003. It is actually illegal to use a mobile phone (phone to ear) while not only driving, but when also stopped with the engine on.

The only time you can use a hand-held phone is when dialling 999 or 112, and when it is not safe or impractical to stop. The Highway Code does say you should never use a hands-free device when driving – although legally you can still use them as long as you exercise proper control of your vehicle.

There is a great deal of debate surrounding the use of hands-free devices. There has been a great deal of research carried out that shows people simply can’t concentrate effectively even when using a hands free.

There is actually little cognitive load (concentration) required to hold a mobile phone, where as engaging in a detailed or emotionally driven conversation (even with a hands-free device) can have a huge effect on a driver’s concentration.

The main impact of using a hand-held phone when driving is that both hands are not on the steering wheel, thus the driver has less control. However, the main issue of using a mobile phone when driving is the issue of excessive cognitive load. Drivers simply can’t concentrate when driving and engaging in a detailed conversation!

Penalties:

You can get an automatic fixed penalty notice if you are caught using a hand-held phone when driving. This means you will get 3 penalty points and a £100 fine. If you are driving a bus or good vehicle the punishment is much more severe. You could get a maximum fine of £2,500.

If you refuse to accept the fixed penalty you will be summonsed to appear in court. You will also be taken to court if the policeman thinks the office is so bad that a fixed penalty is not enough. This could be for example if you were driving in a dangerous manor, overtaking etc whist using a mobile phone.

These offences apply to using a mobile phone when driving. If you cause a crash whilst using a mobile, you could be prosecuted for careless or dangerous driving, or if someone dies, death though dangerous driving, which carries a maximum of 14 years in prison.

Your employer maybe prosecuted if they cause or permit you to drive whilst using a phone or to not have proper control of the vehicle. They can also be open to prosecution if they require you to make or receive calls whilst driving. Finally your employer can be prosecuted if you drive dangerously due to the fact that you are using a phone installed by your employer. The last note made is a little vague, as it would be hard to work out how exactly your dangerous driving was attributed to using a phone. However, there have been cases where this has occurred.

Our advice when using a mobile phone in a car is:

1. Always act in accordance with the law.

2. Always consider yours and other peoples safety.

3. If you need to talk, find a safe place to stop and switch your engine off. If you miss a phone call you can always call someone back a few moment later.

4. Avoid the temptation to check a text, email or the latest Facebook status from your friends!

5. If you feel despite your best efforts you find yourself wanting to use your phone when driving, put it safely in the boot of your vehicle. This way you may find playing with it a little trickier to say the least!

During our advanced driving courses we help drivers understand how much of a distraction using a mobile phone can be, and how you can guard against wanting to use them when driving.