Well done to Emily Martin and Yeliz Attack who passed on the 25th and 27th September respectably.

Congratulations to Bennedict Barton who passed on the 11th Sept.

Many congratulations to Max Silvester who passed on Tuesday 23rd April.  Although Max was previously unsuccessful on his first 2 attempts, he went on to pass on his 3rd attempt with a perfect score of ZERO driving faults, which is a fantastic achievement.

Congratulations to Emily Standen who passed 1st time on Monday 22nd April with 6 driving faults.  Well done Emily, hope you enjoy driving your new car.

A huge congratulations to Megan Dyson who passed today (19th April) first time with just 2 driving faults.  Megan only turned 17 a month ago, so well done!

Congratulations to Laura Parkinson who passed with just 4 driving faults on Tuesday 9th April on her first attempt.

Well done to Gabby Bond who passed her test today (19th March).  Good luck Gabby and hope you find a car soon!

Well done to Luke Chitty who passed his test on 12th March on his second attempt.

Congratulations to Simon Cotton, Vanessa Schneider and Jessica Rollings-Camm who all passed their driving tests on the 11th, 12th & 13th February respectively.

Well done to Mark Elder and Rob Sherlock who both past their driving tests at their first attempts recently.

Congratulations to Morgan Smith, who passed 1st time on 21st November with 5 faults – Well done Morgan!

Congratulations to Callum Ogburn, who passed on 2nd November with 8 driving faults – Well done Callum!

Eco-Safe Driving – Tips to reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions

We all know that driving cause’s pollution in the atmosphere, but in reality for most of us driving is an essential part of modern life.  However by adopting a few simple driving techniques, we can not only minimise the damage to the environment, but we can also save money by reducing our fuel bills.  With petrol costs as high as ever, now is the time to consider eco-safe driving.

So what can we do?

Develop better hazard perception skills

• Forward planning – By looking further ahead and anticipating potential hazards early, allows you to deal with situations early and thus minimising the need for late braking.
• Always keep to the 2-second rule and longer in poor weather conditions – giving you more time to react to potential hazards.

Minimise harsh or rapid acceleration

• Avoid unnecessary acceleration, and never accelerate into a hazard.  For example, when entering a new road with parked cars, ask yourself will I need to stop?
• When it is safe, smoothly accelerate without over revving the engine
• When going downhill, consider easing off the accelerator and let gravity do the work.

Minimise harsh braking

• Always look well ahead and see if you need to reduce speed, and if so try to do this early by easing off the accelerator
• When driving on roads with parked cars, try to plan your speed and time it so you can potentially keep moving rather than stopping.

Gears

• Engage higher gears as early as possible
• Engage lower gears as late as possible without risking stalling the engine
• Consider ‘skipping’ gears when speeding up or slowing down.  i.e. 2^nd to 4th

Don’t leave the engine running unnecessarily

• If you are stationary for more than a few minutes consider switching off the engine.

Parking

• If possible avoid manoeuvring your vehicle when the engine is cold, so when parking in a car park, consider reversing into the space so you can easily drive out.

So by adopting a few simple eco-safe driving strategies, not only will you save on fuel consumption, you will also save on unnecessary wear and tear of your engine.  It will also make you a far safer driver, something which I as a driving instructor am extremely passionate about.

A few simple tips for driving in the Snow

With the colder winter months upon us it is highly likely that we could once again experience heavy bouts of snow, and it is important to be prepared.

Firstly the advice is to only travel if necessary in heavy snow and if you do need to travel that you make sure you plan your journey carefully.

Always make sure you have the following:

1. Warm drink and food
2. Warm clothing (extra layers & blankets etc)
3. Gloves
4. De-icer/ice scraper
5. Spade
6. Jump leads

It might also be advisable to have a torch and a first aid kit handy.

Before setting off

1. Plan your journey and try where possible to stick to the main roads and avoid small, country lanes as these are less likely to be gritted.
2. Ensure you have cleared off all the snow and ice from your windows.
3. Ensure lights are clean.
4. Demist all windows thoroughly and ensure you can see sufficiently in your mirrors.
5. Clear snow from roof and bonnet as this can full when driving causing a danger to other road users.

Driving in the snow

1. When you set off, start in a higher gear than usual, 2^nd gear for example is normally ok on a flat surface.
2. If you do experience wheel-spin, avoid racing the engine as this will make it more difficult.  Instead, try to roll backwards and gently forwards.  Be prepared to clear snow from around the wheels with a spade.
3. Increase the gap from the vehicle in front – stopping distances are 10 times longer in snow and ice.
4. Drive slowly and in the highest gears possible.
5. If you do need to brake, try to brake as gently as possible – it is better to ease off the accelerator early and use engine braking where possible.
6. When approaching an uphill, try to engage the correct gear early that will make it all the way up.  Avoiding changing down half way up.
7. When going downhill, ease off the accelerator well before the descent and engage a lower gear as this will keep your speed down.
8. Ensure you are planning what’s coming up and start slowing gradually for corners and junctions etc.

You also need to be aware of other road users when driving in snow and ice.  Try to drive defensively and anticipate other road users who may be out of control.  For example, when driving past a T-junction, watch out for cars that are coming out of the junction and unable to stop.

Snow driving can be a daunting prospect, as I say if you do have to drive in snow and ice, drive very carefully and make sure you allow yourself plenty of time.  For pupils who have recently passed their driving test, you might want to consider having a snow driving lesson or include it as part of a Pass Plus package, which gives you increased confidence in driving in a variety of tricky driving conditions. Contact me for more information.