Sarah's Driving Tuition
Cool, calm, confident coaching
and extreme patience with nervous pupils

01775 714517 / 07592 070403


Driving Tuition, Driving Lessons and Pass Plus in Spalding, Holbeach and surrounding areas

A few of our successful candidates

 

Ten Top Tips

 

1. Keep your distance

You can’t crash into space! The more space you keep around you, the less risk of a collision.

"Only a fool breaks the 2 second rule"

 

2. More haste less speed

In busy congested conditions or in built-up areas give yourself time. There’s no need to speed and you won’t get there any quicker.

 

3. Look ahead and anticipate

Don’t just look at the vehicle in front and in your mirror to observe what is going on immediately around.

Anticipate what is happening ahead of you by looking at the furthest point along the road as well as observing the behaviour of your fellow road users.

 

4. Think F.L.O.W.E.R

Ensuring that your vehicle is serviced regularly (in line with the manufacturers recommendations) will help to avoid breakdowns and accidents caused by vehicle faults. To ensure safety for both yourself and those around you and to keep your vehicle running smoothly, remember FLOWER:

5. The greater the investment, the greater the risk

Road markings and signs are essential to the safety of the road user. Most road improvements reflect past collision history. So in such areas be alert to what might have caused the hazard in the first place and so keep your distance and slow down.

As a general rule of thumb...

More signs = more danger
By law, traffic routes must also be suitably indicated where necessary for reasons of health or safety. In particular, signs with a red triangular border are usually warning signs.

More paint = more danger
Road users often seem totally unaware of the relevance of road markings, even when they see them. The more paint there is on the road surface, the more potential danger there is.

More street lights = more danger
Assume lamp posts mean 30 mph, until signs say otherwise – but remember it could be 20 mph. The law does not allow highway authorities to put repeater speed limit signs on 30 mph roads that have street lights. Instead the Highway Code advises that street lights usually mean the limit is 30 mph unless there are signs showing otherwise. However, on the open road, the presence of street lights seen ahead will indicate a junction or
roundabout coming up – clearly an area of greater danger. Not many people will recognise that every roundabout in the UK is lit by street lights at night.

The law requires drivers to be in proper control of their vehicle at all times, and drivers who, for example, smoke or eat while driving could be prosecuted under this law. There is also a specific law banning the use of hand-held mobile phones, or other communication devices, while driving.

 

6. You are only human

 

7. Be safe, be seen

People don’t generally hit what they see – so put yourself where you can be seen. Why stay alongside trucks and vans where the driver cannot see you?

Position for vision and early decisions.

Every year about 400 people are killed in EU countries when drivers fail to detect objects in their blind spots whilst manoeuvring. Most victims are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. ‘Vehicle blind spots’ was a contributory factor in 21 fatal crashes and 2,081 injured people in the UK in 2009*.

(Department for Transport 2009)

 

8. Safe parking

Damage to vehicles often happens in car parks where we least expect it. Think prevention! Use space – park away from other vehicles, trolleys and activity areas where possible.

40% of all company traffic accidents involve parking, manoeuvring or reversing.

It may seem easier to drive straight into a space, especially when you want easy access to your boot at the supermarket, but reversing into a space provides you with several advantages. The main advantage is that it is safer to reverse into somewhere you can see (the parking space) than reverse into somewhere you can’t (the line of moving traffic). It is also easier to control a car going forwards when it is first started.

Overall reversing means less vision, less experience and much more risk – so avoid it where you can.

 

9. Should you even drive?

 

10. A word to the wise - C.O.A.S.T.

As experience improves, often attention levels diminish. Get to know what affects a drivers attention levels and watch for those who are affected.

Think COAST.

And finally, always be calm and courteous to other drivers

 


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Sarah Plows, 64 Claudette Avenue,
Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 1HU
01775 714517 / 07592 070403