The moment time stopped for me

Why did this have to happen to me?  Why right now?

I’m not going to get into those footy trials now.  I’ve worked hard to qualify for them.

Just as I was getting to really know Lucy too.  I’m not sure but I think that was how love feels.

I will miss my Mum, my Mum will really cry now, it makes me sad to think I’ve made her upset.

And my dog Ben, who’s going to walk Ben now?  Poor Ben.  Do dogs cry? 

Oh boy, I have messed up.

My Dad will be angry with me – if I say sorry Dad, will that help at all?

I wanted to get into the RAF too.  Never going to fly my plane now.

I’m pleased I missed the baby in the buggy, at least the baby lives to grow up.

Seems like my little car wasn’t quite as invincible as I thought – wish I could have put a ‘shield’ round my car just as I was going to hit the wall.

What about my exams?  How does that all work?  Guess they rub my name off the list now do they?

I wonder whether Mum will think of playing that Micky Slim track I love at the funeral.  Am I going to be buried or what?  Didn’t think about that.

Never going to get a higher prestige than ‘General’ now....sucks.

I didn’t think I was going too fast, maybe 40 in a 30? 

So after all that, I didn’t get any sex.... I cannot believe that.  Gutted.

That parked car behind that left bend did surprise me though, what twat parked up there?

Odd to think that the last contact I ever had was from my best mate Greggsy.  I was reading his text just before the bend – you can read texts while driving, just not write them, that is right yea?

Will miss my Mum’s Sunday roasts though.

Feel quite sorry for the fireman who isn’t able to sleep now..... he’s just a bit older than me.

I did feel lonely when I was trapped and couldn’t get out.  I wanted my Mum right then.

Left my room in a right mess that morning too.... bit embarrassing.

Guess my instructor was right when he said it’s more than just passing a test.

Do wish I could tell my Mum not to cry. 

How does region affect pass rates?

On the 25/4/12 I put up a blog about regional variations in pass rates.   Why does that happen?  Why does Boston pass so many more candidates than Peterborough for example (in % terms)?  Why does Plymouth have a 92% pass rate for PDI’s taking the Part 3 Test, and yet Colchester have just 17%?  What are the factors at play?

The locations :  The range of driving conditions that you could come across vary across regions.  What kinds of things will make a tougher test for a candidate?  Roads with inclines/declines, tight/narrow roads, sharp bends, junctions with no visibility, roundabouts with multi-lanes, dual-carraigeways with several entry/exit points, things that COULD make you pause eg zebra crossings, traffic lights, peds walking into roads, dealing with vulnerable road users eg scooter/motor bikes/pedestrians/mobility scooters/cyclists, variety on junctions for manoeuvres eg sharpness/dips/pot-holes/vision/busy. How well does the Local Authority maintain the roads, provide good, clear, well designed white paint, traffic signs and roads.  So if one region has more quantity of these factors compared to another, then there is more probability of a candidate experiencing the greater variety or complexity.

The examiners:  These people are all trained to achieve the expected standard of the DSA.  They are paid to conduct a test as a neutral; completely unbiased.  But they are human, and we all consciously and unconsciously bring to our work ‘baggage’.  I’m referring here to experience/inexperience – all examiners at some stage will have started off on ‘Test no. 1’.  They bring along with them their personal preferences, they would not be human if they didn’t..... their own personal history will inevitably affect how they view certain scenarios that crop up.  They bring with them their strengths and their weaknesses – they are not robots, these are humans that will have their personal strong and weak points.  And they bring with them their emotions –  the range of events that happen in all our lives that can affect our emotions is huge; and our emotions can affect our judgement.  These are the kind of factors that if they feature large in any particular region (for whatever reason), could well affect outcomes.

The candidates:  Different regions have people from different backgrounds.  An example might be a higher % of migrants in one area compared to another, or on average a younger/older candidate going to test.  The economy in an area may affect the candidates financial ability to receive professional training.  The candidate’s family/peers can influence their attitude to driving/training, and the influence a community can have on families can vary across regions.  The quantity and diversity of travel experienced in a candidate’s upbringing which can be related to their region of upbringing.  Attitudes to learning and academic achievement vary regionally.  Aspirations/motivation can vary regionally.

The training provider:  Regions will have variations in availability of Driving Instructors, price of training, quality of training available.  Certain regions will be more attracted to providing the training within the community from non-professionals or perhaps retired professionals.  The quality of training provided can be affected by the economy in a region, as well as the market forces (supply/demand) in that region.  How much the Test Centre in a region influences the attitudes of the training providers it serves can vary regionally.      

Driving School Car Insurance

The car insurance is up for renewal.  The broker I’ve used seem to enjoy making the process of renewal as involved as they possibly can.  I think their business approach is to come across sounding so formal and authoritative that their customer feels somehow more secure.

 

It really doesn’t work with me.  For the last 2 years they have had a list of tasks that they want me to complete before the renewal date, in order for them to quote me a renewal price.  They’ve had me dancing to their tune doing the most meaningless tasks imaginable such as photocopying my ADI bade (on each side).  I guess what they are doing is ENGAGING with their customer.  The more they can develop a dialogue, the more interaction there is, the more likely I am to stick with them?  Yes?

This year about a month before the renewal, in comes a letter with about 4 forms for me to complete.  They then cold call me, to speak to me about an admin error I made filling in those forms.  As you can see by my ‘Security Questions’ blog from the other day – that didn’t get them very far.   What they then did, was write to me, asking me to ring them!  They don’t write to me enclosing the offending form for me to correct.  Me smells a rat.  So I wrote back to them the end of last week, saying if they want to be in the running for me to renew with them, I will be needing their BEST QUOTE by today (27/5).

On Monday (4 days after sending that letter), in comes a quote by post - £425.  Now that was a fast reply I thought.  I then start speaking to their competitors.  On Wednesday, in comes another quote for £380.  So with no further communications between us whatsoever, the quote has miraculously reduced by 10%!  I’ve just got round to comparing the contents of the 2 quotes – they are EXACTLY the same.  Same company, same conditions.  Shocking.

 

When I started 3 years ago, my premium was £250.  I have not made 1 claim in the following 3 years.  They are now quoting £380, a 50% raise in premium for the same service.  I despise how they go about their work – fleecing us all with not a care in the world.  Treating customers like that, in these times, is not a good move - I can see me going elsewhere for cheaper this year.      

40 in a 60 and a 30 and blissfully batty at 65

I was on a rural ‘A’ road the other morning.  I was in a ‘National Speed Limit’ zone, so 60 was the maximum speed. 

I found myself about the 20^th car down in a moving queue, travelling at 40mph.  I could not see what vehicle was holding everyone up.  I then saw some really dodgy overtakes in places that were downright dangerous, until eventually, and I do mean ‘eventually’, it was my turn.   It turned out the offending vehicle was being driven by a lady of I would guess 65yrs.  As I passed her, her hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel, and her eyes rigidly fixed ahead of her – she did not appear to me to be in any way comfortable.  She had her fog lights on for some bizarre reason which was completely lost on me.

So what I’d expect to happen would be with time, I’d gently pull away from this lady, but actually quite the opposite happened.  It took me a few minutes to realise what was happening. 

As I entered a village in a 30 I noticed that she was catching up on me!  In other words, she was sticking at 40!  So not content with creating a major hazard in the nationals, she was now speeding 10mph over a 30 limit!  And she carried this on through half a dozen villages. 

However, it is not quite so simple as that.  On the 2-3 occasions when one of the villages had a speed camera,  I noticed she was actually reducing down to 30 which personally I thought was a bit of an ‘aggravating factor’ – it threw a little weight on the severity of the problem, as it effectively meant that she was intentionally speeding in the 30’s.

I appreciate it’s very easy to put this down to ‘old age’ and just let it be, but I tell you, this is dangerous stuff going on here.  I’ve been offering ‘refresher’ training sessions for precisely this kind of person for the last 3 years at £14 per hour.  Unsurprisingly, in her blissful ignorance she wont even see the need to change her driving habit, but I must say I’m surprised I’ve not had any calls from concerned and caring siblings/children/grandchildren. 

Removing your ADI badge for a driving test

I find it disappointing when I hear Driving Instructors criticising other Instructors for taking their badge out the windscreen when a pupil goes to test.  For those that do not know, an Instructor can choose to remove his/her badge from the windscreen, therefore preventing the DSA from logging that particular test against their performance figures.   So some Instructors choose to interpret that as some kind of lack of moral standing; they say “Well if you weren’t happy to have the result against your name, then surely you shouldn’t have let him use your car”.

I’ve no idea if these people genuinely believe that, or whether they are trying to be provocative; and having had a Grade 6 ADI recently ringing me up pretending to be a ‘concerned Father’ organising lessons for his ‘Son’ in double quick time, I’m actually done with trying to understand peoples motives for their actions.

But I think there is genuine ‘pressure’ on ADI’s in these tough times we find ourselves in.  It’s all very well, (and easy), taking the moral high ground about if you would ‘allow’ or not a client to go to test, but times are tough, and the fact is..... the customer is king – always has been, and always will be.  Although I've personally only ever taken my badge out on one test in 3 years (the circumstances of which are very interesting and worthy of a seperate blog when I get a chance), I will very happily defend any professional Driving Instructors' right to take this action.

Having, as we do, a national average pass rate for Learners of less than 50% is a reflection of the fact that customers inevitably will request/demand to go to test as soon as is reasonably possible in their quest to pass the test.  Generally speaking, the evidence of national pass rates tend to suggest that people are going to test too soon.  Are Driving Instructors persuading their clients to book the test too soon?  Of course they are not!  In the last week, I’ve heard from 2 different Learners that friends of theirs who are training with the same national driving school have been refused to book their test – much to their annoyance.  This is a very fine line being trod here, you annoy your customers ESPECIALLY in times of a recession, at your peril I would humbly suggest.

However, as I’ve recently explained on 2 videos on my Facebook page, whilst I acknowledge the needs/desires of my customers, I also fiercely defend the reputation of my driving school that I have built up over 3 years.  And therein lies the balance that needs to be struck.  


On one of the first encounters with my Test Centre Manager many many moons ago, I remember him pointing out to me in no uncertain terms that they (the DSA) don't like to put much emphasis on pass rates as a rule - at £62 a time, I bet they don't!

But for a Driving Instructor to be so keen to criticise a fellow peer with no knowledge whatsoever of the circumstances behind that decision displays an ignorance and intolerance that is hard to justify these days.

A beautiful evening in Edenham

Last evening was a beautiful evening.  

On a driving session with a client, we had been doing some focussed training on reverse Bay Park and Left Reverse and so we went for a drive to break things up a little.  We found ourselves near Edenham, and the low sun stretching out on all the fields catching some trees that looked like they had been there a while, really was a sight. 

We were going uphill with limited visibility ahead when the car behind us does an overtake.  We were doing 55 in a 60.  Extremely dangerous as the brow of the hill ahead was approx 100m away at the time of the overtake – there was no way that the driver of the car could possibly have seen what was oncoming the other side of the brow.  My Learner instinctively came off gas – a very sensible reaction, as it gave the overtaking vehicle more opportunity to nip back in. 

What made this event worse was that a 2^nd car also did an overtake following the first car – whether they were racing we will never know.  I suspect they may have been connected.  Not only was visibility dangerously poor up ahead, but we were also coming into a 40 a few hundred yards away, so both vehicles now found themselves accelerating towards a 40 sign.  Hardly good planning.

In order to comply with the 40 they would have needed to have done some sharp braking, which I noted never occurred, but really that particular effect to this inappropriate overtake was minor compared to what actually happened.
 

When we got to the brow of the hill, 2 meaty oncoming motorbikes flew passed us (I imagine ‘opening up’ after coming out of the 40’s).  Interesting to consider what their own vision of these 2 overtaking cars must have been as they climbed up the hill.  By my reckoning, had the 2 cars delayed the overtake by about another 5 seconds, I think a collision was inevitable.

But as it happens, nothing happened.... seemingly nothing.  I wonder whether the 2 motorbike riders discussed what happened later, appreciating what a near miss that actually was.  The 2 drivers in the cars that did the overtake...... I doubt they even registered the enormity of what just very nearly happened.

My client and I were able to discuss this incident, talk about overtakes, vision, overall stopping distances, KSI stats on rural roads and more, but I tell you now, this blog could easily have been more tragic in it's content.


This is the kind of incident that turns an otherwise beautiful evening into one with nightmare consequences where you have an air ambulance flying in to urgently get someone to Boston or Peterborough hospital.  Me, my client and all other witnesses would be there for hours speaking to Police, not to mention our own possible injuries and/or damage sustained to our vehicles.  The entire road gets closed, allowing Police to properly investigate the cause. 


People may be traumatised, mentally scarred for life from what they see, people are put off driving for life, people can't hold down a job, they lose their livelihood.  Coroners, funerals and so much more.  It's the kind of thing that when we discuss, it's easy to just consider the effect of raised insurance premiums due to a claim, but the actual effects can be far more reaching - life changing.


It never happened!  Hoorah!  It never happened!  We're all safe, we all slept soundly last night, we all wake up this morning to see the start of what looks like another beautifully sunny day.


I wonder whether the drivers of the 2 cars that did the inappropriate overtake are feeling 'lucky' again today?  It's a bit like russian roulette - not only playing with their lives, but also being reckless of the lives of others too.    

New road BEFORE steering

There are certain key ‘habits’ that it is extremely good to get in to as soon as possible when learning to drive.  One of these is to make sure you check out your intended ‘new road’ before you turn in to it.  So this means that immediately before you turn the steering wheel towards your intended path, your eyes do a final look to make sure it is safe to proceed.  This comes down to realising that to have a structure to where your eyes look, in terms of timing, is important.

I went out with a young chap the other night, who was on his 3^rd hour of being with me.  So initially he directed me to a village he wanted to start off at.  We swapped over and he had I would estimate 6 laps of a circuit to firm up on turning/emerging left (we had done right on his very first lesson).

After that we went for a drive and passed through some spectacularly beautiful villages which were breathtakingly tranquil.  He was literally driving where he wanted to go.  What cropped up not once but twice was extremely fortunate to experience so early on, and something I’d like to share.

The first case was when he came to a left emerge.  He bowled up to the giveways, followed the verge round to the left, (it was a closed junction – vision was pants), put it in first and gently braked to the give way reference point (he had told me earlier in the briefing he had been watching the left emerge video on my driving Facebook page).  Then he started his ‘minimum obs’ = right, centre, left, centre, right.  Not a sausage, nothing even moving.  Now this is the crucial bit.  He then looked in the direction of the ‘new road’, that he intended to drive in to BEFORE he began moving.  And at that precise time, literally 10 racing cyclists whizz round a bend to our left en-mass.  My chap stayed where he was, still at the give ways, until they all passed, then did those minimum obs, and 'new road' check again.  It sounds like a non-event perhaps, but it was absolutely huge in my book.  The temptation would have been to start emerging once it was seen to be clear to the right, and it would have been very messy.  That ‘new road’ check was essential, absolutely essential in checking it was safe to proceed.  It’s rare for such a wonderful real life demonstration to crop up so early on, I could not have wished for a better incident.  What is even more unusual is that within 15-20 mins the following cropped up.

My chap had just come off a roundabout and entered 30’s as he came in to a small town.  I’d asked him to turn left, and whilst he had spotted the left, the vision in to the new road was not great.  What we had been focussing on just prior to this was the importance to assess what is the necessary speed/gear for the given turning.  As such, he was working hard using the foot brake to slow the car down well in advance of the turning, so that it gave him time to pop it in 2^nd still well in advance.  The beauty about doing these things in advance is that it then gives TIME to do the necessary obs before turning left.  As he got to the ‘point of turn’ to turn left, he had checked his left wing mirror for cyclists coming along his nearside, and crucially he looked into the ‘new road’ – his intended path BEFORE he started steering into it.  Only when he was at that point, was he then able to see in the new road, 2 strapping big horses with young lasses on them, in the new road, approaching the give ways, riding side by side; so effectively taking up the entire lane.  My chap dipped the clutch, and paused before entering this new road, which gave himself time to work out what was the correct action.    So the car was not even in the new road at this point.  He put it in first, and very gently entered the new road, positioning more to the left to get well away from the horses.  The riders thanked him and it was once again, seemingly a non-event.  But of course, whilst that is true from a ‘results’ point of view, it was only because my chap had given himself the opportunity to check out that new road before entering it.

My only regret was that I was not filming that driving session; it’s one thing me attempting to describe what happened here for my other Learners to get something from it, but if you could have seen those 2 examples on my YouTube channel (‘2010BIGTOM’) it would have been far more beneficial to all.  

Security Questons

I got a cold call from ‘Waveney’ yesterday, who provide my driving instructor car insurance.  At least, that was where he said he was from.  Before he could say anything to me though, he attempted to ask me for some ‘security’ questions.  The problem as I see it when these organisations do this to us is that we have absolutely no idea who we are really speaking to do we?

HSBC did it to me earlier in the week too.  I’ve been a customer with them for over 20 years, and yet despite being an internet customer they still apparently feel the need to ‘cold call’ me and want me to answer questions with personal information before they speak any further to me.  When I requested that they update their records so that they don’t cold call me any more in the future, she told me she was not allowed to, for security reasons, as it breached data protection!  You have to laugh at the irony!

The chap said to me yesterday that he was unable to speak any further about the purpose of his call due to me not providing the security information, and when I asked him why was it necessary to speak to me on the phone rather than via post, he said it was because they needed to record my voice recognition.  What?!

I know when I purchase shares, they record me replying ‘yes’ to the question “Do you want to proceed with the purchase Mr Ingram?”, and that is accurately timed, and is evidentially very important, but for updating your car insurance? 

When I dug a bit deeper with this chap it transpired that in order to comply with the Data Protection principle of ensuring they have accurate data on their customers, they CHOOSE to ask these questions at the beginning of the call as it is ‘easier’ for them.  I’m sure it is easier for them, and when I call them, I have no issue in doing it, but when I am cold called by them, and then asked to provide security answers, it seems to me that they are in fact breaching my own personal security and it is a practice that should be avoided at all costs.

The phrase 'monkeys on shoulders' springs to mind...

Had a call today from an ex-ADI (ex driving instructor) who has his Son with him just for a couple of months, and wants his Son to pass his test before he goes back home again.

He has booked a test up for his Son for 6th June and was now ringing round trying to find someone to give him about 20 hrs of lessons before the test.  The logic behind this decision, he said, was so that if his Son failed on his first attempt then he would still have time to have another go.

I find this a rather curious approach to take - especially from someone who has been in the business previously.  My approach would have been to delay booking the test, and get cracking with finding a decent instructor.  The booking of the test is not a priority, you can book any old date the computer gives, and then go back in again at a later date, and get a cancellation nearer to when you truly want it; quite why the test had to be booked so soon is a mystery to me.

I work on the basis of doing sufficiently good training so that you pass first time, rather than ‘planning in’ a first time fail, so to speak.
 

The Father started telling me that he considered it not unreasonable for me to fit in 2 x 1.5hr lessons per week, starting with a 2 hr introductory session tomorrow .... which I had to smile about.... he’s telling ME that my diary can just instantly fit that in.  I did politely suggest had he considered what standard of Driving Instructor he would be hiring for his Son, that would instantly be able to find 20 free hours in their diary?  I hope that doesn't sound flippant, but to me, that is a very real error in his strategy here.  He has 'front loaded' the pressure completely unnecessarily on his Son, and on the Driving Instructor (hence the reference to readily transferring monkeys from his back on to others).  I'm surprised that someone with his experience has fallen into that trap.

Apart from anything else, by my reckoning, that would be 3hrs a week and we have exactly 3 weeks until 6/6/12 so that would be 9 hrs and not 20 hrs.  

He soon discovered that the discussion became academic because I was not even able to fit in being available on the test day on 6/6/12, we didn’t even progress to looking at the more immediate time demands.  


But I'm sure there will be plenty of choice for him to find an ADI who is willing and able to provide 20 hrs or more at such short notice.   Dare I suggest that they will also be able to provide really cheap lessons too?  But is that really the point?  What price do we pay on our kids learning to drive?  It seems odd to be suggesting to an ex-ADI that 'you gets what you pay for' - but perhaps that's why he is exactly that.... an 'ex' - ADI?  Who knows?  


Just another day. 


EDIT:  Having just followed up with the 'Father' this morning to check he has been able to resolve his problem, it turns out he may not actually be a genuine caller after all - and is instead an unsuccessful Grade 6 Driving Instructor with too much time on his hands, seemingly calling up his competitors!  Classic!

"Train hard, fight easy"

This was how a pupil recently summarised my training, I imagine it has military origins.  

I can see where he is coming from; I think it’s no coincidence that people who are focussed and determined tend to benefit greatly by my approach as I will keep on and on until they ‘breeze’ the test.  Not everyone is so focussed though.  Recently a pupil got in my car after about a 2 month lapse and struggled greatly, realising that he had simply left it too long between sessions. 

This is where the organisational skills comes in.  Making your learning experience enjoyable and efficient does mean you need to plan in your driving sessions.  If you’re waiting for me to do that for you, you could be waiting a long time.  If you actually NEED me to persuade/organise you to take driving lessons, then what does that say about your motivation to learn to drive?  This isn’t the Army, I’m not paying you as an employee to learn to drive, you are the customer and I will provide training to suit your needs.

The chap who made the comment which is the subject of this blog, passed recently and very kindly left me with a testimonial that has recently been put up on my website.  Have a read of it when you get a chance – one point he makes is that I make everything so easy to understand.  Whilst that is very flattering, I think it says more about his strategy to learning.  It is not a fluke that this same person passes after just 15 hours of tuition.  It is a reflection of his approach to learning that MADE that happen.  I am flexible and can adapt to my customers’ needs.  

Yes, he passed easy, but he also trained hard, and his success is a measure of him, very little to do with me.    

A good use of £40? You decide...... www.BIGTOM.org.uk

If ever you want to know how ready you are to drive independently after your test, just do what one of my Learners did yesterday, and ask for an Assessment Drive.  I wont name her to save embarrassment but I would like to give some details about what happened, as it was a very worthwhile exercise.

I have 2 Assessment Drives up my sleeve, entirely different journeys.  One of them is like walking a tight rope, it is an extremely good test of how well you can adapt your driving to the conditions.  A PDI of mine (Trainee Driving Instructor) did it fairly recently, and was so impressed by it that he mapped it out in its entirety when he got home.  The other one, the route my Learner did yesterday is much more different.  It is the kind of journey that we all do, very commonly, not giving it much thought, but perhaps if I share some comments about what happened yesterday, other Learners may be prepared to give it a go.

So when I picked my Learner up, I showed her the intended route on a large map, she confirmed she had never been on that journey, it is going from Peterborough to Bourne, to Stamford and back to Peterborough.  So it is A15, A6121, A1, A47 – exactly a 40 mile trip for those interested in these things.  Remember this is nothing about tests here, this is all about giving my Learners the opportunity to see how prepared they are for driving on journeys independently.  The only thing I wrote out on a post-it note and stuck on the dash was this:

“You must be able to stop in a distance seen to be clear”

This golden principle of safe driving was the one message that she got out of her previous session a few days previously – so in effect, the objective of this session was to drive this route today applying that principle all the way.

My Learner had to first of all follow signs for A15 Sleaford from the middle of Peterborough – this is just as they do on the 10 minute independent drive section of the test.  If you were to do this first leg of the journey today you could well be thinking to yourself how easy it is, but it is precisely the fact that it is ‘so easy’, so boring that fatalities occur on it with too much frequency – two separate examples have featured on my Facebook driving page in the last 2 years.   You very often get slow moving vehicles on this road, drivers see the width of the road, and go for the most inappropriate overtakes you could ever imagine.  The other thing that this first leg tests quite nicely is planning.  It has many directional changes and so a driver has to spot which exit off the rounadabouts for example, and plan the correct lane on the approach.  It also has you driving along in Nationals at around 60 for much of it and yet there are a good few villages you go through at 40, a couple of them have rather nasty blind crossroads slap bang in the middle which require approaching with caution.

We get up to Bourne and I asked my Learner to take the Toft route to Stamford.  So Peterborough to Bourne is generally northwards, going across to Stamford is generally westwards.  She immediately got stung from the hill that springs up from nowhere to go up to the golf club – didn’t drop a gear to help the engine up the hill.  You see, this is what happens, she’s just driven for half an hour on the flattest of flat roads, and then she is met with what has to be said is quite a steep, windy incline that just pops up in an instant! 

She had cyclists riding in both directions that affected her big time.  


For those that do not know, this A6121 is not the widest, if you have a cyclist approaching you on the other side of the road, with vehicles behind the cyclist, then for them to overtake the cyclist they have to come on to your lane.  So, this requires careful planning, a very tricky skill to develop when both vehicles are approaching each other at a combined 120mph.

At one point my Learner had 2 motorbikes feature within 15 secs of each other.  The first was behind her, and overtook her just before a left bend.  Didn’t seem to me to be too clever.  As she continued to approach that left bend, another meaty motorbike approached her from that bend, cutting the bend!  So when he passed my Learner, he just shaved her on the offside – I would estimate with a door widths clearance only.  My Learner held it together very nicely, but it’s not lost on me that, that driving from the bikes although being incredibly dangerous to them, could very easily have thrown a Learner, and we end up veering off the road.  I recently posted on my G+ page how motorbikes affect safety on these windy, hilly roads.  All very ‘interesting’ for the bike riders I’m sure, but they should spare a thought of how their actions can affect other road users.

Whilst still in the national speed limit (60), the road starts to decline gradually at first.  And then there is a double whammy, there is a sharp left, then a couple of 30 signs spring up with extremely little warning, followed by a sharp right – all of this on a very steep downhill.  Not sure if you can picture that scenario, but it is a job to keep the car within the 30mph limit.  A classic test of the principle set at that start on the dashboard, and my Learner handled it perfectly.  Big dips in the road feature, which test accelerator sense - keeping the car progressing constantly despite sometimes steep incline/declines.     


And at the top of one of these hills, at the right side of the road, were a Mother and 2 little toddlers on their bikes, waiting to cross the road!   It’s difficult for me to explain how hazardous this was, but it seemed to me the most inappropriate place to be taking such small kids on their bikes – I’ve got 2 little ones, and I know how unpredictable they can be on bikes.  But my Learner was alive to the potential hazard.

And the last thing that happened of note on this 2^nd leg of the journey was a Police car approached from behind on a call.   On these rural roads, you generally see flashing lights before you hear two tones , my Learner reacted calmly.  The only thing she missed doing was a left signal, just to reinforce to the Police driver that she was pulling over as she had seen him.  But that aside, her actions were measured – and the systematic use of mirrors that she does, ensured she saw him approaching well in time.  Unlike what the car about 50m in front of us did when seeing the Police car.  The driver violently swerved to the left, mounting the verge and coming to a sudden stop.  Best of intentions I know, but the manner of pulling over like that is in itself creating a further potential hazard for the Police driver.

Ok so we are now in Stamford, and we come to a crossroads, controlled by traffic lights, on a steep incline.  Thankfully the lights went red which was precisely what I was hoping for.  You see this now poses 2 jobs needing to be done:  moving off when the lights go green, without rolling back, and negotiating turning right on the crossroads.  My Learner did the moving off fine, but was a little uncomfortable with how to turn right.  All the traffic directly opposite her was also on a green, as she was, and she progressed just a little too far forward before pausing, which would have slightly inhibited them if they were going straight on.  As it turned out, they all turned left, but that’s not the point really – it was a valuable lesson learnt, seeing how tight the middle part of that crossroads junction was, so that she knew where the appropriate place to sit and wait was.  This is the kind of thing that only exposes itself when you are in an unfamiliar area. 

She then entered on to the A1 very nicely – no small task in itself.  It started to rain, and she sat 4 seconds behind a lorry travelling at about 55mph.  A sensible option given the conditions and the fact that she was going to exit the A1 in an unfamiliar exit (I had asked her to plan to take the ‘Peterborough North’ exit).  For anyone who does not know, that exit requires careful planning to spot how severely it bends to the left once you get on to the exit slip road.  I like to see all the meat of the speed being rubbed off on the exit slip so that we don’t inconvenience anyone still on the A1 behind us, and my Learner did this perfectly.  It was another example of the golden principle set at the start of the session.  And she then came back to her home via the A47. 

The only significant driving error I spotted on this ‘homeward’ leg of the journey, was when exiting off the A47.  My Learner needed to exit off the d/c in lane 2 of the exit slip, as she then was planning to take the 3^rd exit right at the approaching roundabout (Thorpe Wood).  Whilst her position was perfect on the exit, she did leave her left indicator on (from the exit) while in lane 2, on the approach to turn right, which would be very confusing/misleading to drivers behind her.  It is a big ask, because the approach to the roundabout is a steep downhill, and if you are not controlling your speed appropriately from the exit off the A47, then it all tends to come towards you a little fast.  It was a good learning point, we actually have a good few examples of that scenario in Peterborough.  You have to plan the exit, whilst also reading the fact that the road is dipping down ahead of you, so you then need to get yourself ‘speed aware’ so that you don’t bowl up to the roundabouts too quickly from the momentum (the r/b near North Bretton is a case in point, and look how many accidents occur at the bottom of that exit slip road precisely for this reason).

My Learner really enjoyed the 1hr 15 mins of driving, and we had a good de-brief of the stuff that occurred.  It is a very good example of the thrust of my driver training aims.... you drive more, you experience more, you learn more.

BIG TOM Driving School  Intensive Driving Course in Peterborough, Grantham, Stamford, Spalding, Sleaford and Boston.  0800 689 4174

Late cancellations

I had a cancellation yesterday, 50 mins before the session was due to begin.  Thankfully, this doesn’t crop up much, but when it does, it is so infuriating.  ‘Feeling ill’ was the text message. 

Generally speaking people don’t realise how much a late cancellation puts a spanner in the works.  The planning of sessions is no small thing, one leading on to another, the location of the pick up as well as the location of the training in the session has to be carefully thought out; not just so that it is making the best use of my time, but so it practically works.  That is completely thrown out due to a late cancellation.  The session cancelled yesterday was 4.30 – 6.30pm, thankfully the Learner who was due to start from 7 – 10pm was willing and able to start at 5pm instead.  That was lucky really.  So, I ended up finishing last night earlier than I had expected first thing in the morning.  But that is not the full extent of the disruption it causes.  There were other people wanting the 4.30-6.30pm slot yesterday which were disappointed not to get the time they wanted.  Not only that, but the person who cancelled yesterday, was not able to get a new appointment for another 2 weeks – which then delayed his own personal development.  Everyone loses out. 

It really, really does mess things up for everyone.  Before I come across as being a real heartless swine, let me say that I’m perfectly willing to accept that people get ill.  No problem accepting that.  But to leave cancelling the session until 50 mins before it is due to start?   That is showing a lack of consideration for me trying to run a business.

The other week a Learner of mine texted me 25 mins before a 3 hour session was due to begin, telling me his Gran was ill, and so he had to cancel.  Well, I’m afraid that person lost his money for the session, and as a result stopped training with me – which I have no complaint about.  I’m running a business here, and I get customers to print off, sign and date my Terms & Conditions page before they start training with me for good reason.   

Mirrors, Signal, Position, Speed, Look

Getting the proper actions, in the correct sequence when driving is essential.  It is no different when you are planning a new career.

It’s sad to hear of people who trained up to be a Driving Instructor, but gave up the job after a short time.  It can cost a lot of money to train up, and qualifying can take several months, even years.  You need only take a brief look at my Top 10 Tips for PDI’s on my G+ page.......

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Q78MyE4hn2G8KiYwksm3Q5Z1ukRIFv3BbJ33cyMAHE/edit?pli=1

..... to see that the qualifying process is only half the battle.

What you definitely do not need when starting up a new business is to stack the odds of success against you.  The heavier your commitment to any one person/organisation, the more you are reliant on them.  What you DO need is flexibility, flexibility to chop and change, try ideas, learn what works and what does not, and while you are doing all of that, you need to be able to financially survive.

So committing yourself to a franchisor that provides your training, AND then ties you in to providing a car once you qualify, is definitely, definitely not an option that provides flexibility.  Choosing the right options of how you train, and how you initially run your business requires pre-planning.  If you take the ‘easy’ option of leaving all that hassle to a franchisor then you will pay dearly for that decision.  The equally unhelpful option to this is finding a Trainer that will only show you how to pass the Part 3 test – this person has no interest in seeing you as a business person, and preparing you in any way, shape or form for ‘business’; you are no more than a customer that needs to pass a test.  And yes, the absolute pits of the earth is the worst combination of the two extremes, the national franchisors who bleed their customers financially dry, whilst struggling to prepare them properly even to just pass the Part 3 test.  But beware, this minefield really exists, and will catch you out if you are not careful. 

If you are considering training to become a Driving Instructor, I would ask you to consider the following, very carefully:

1.        How much competition is in your area, what is the average price per hour being charged

2.       How much will it cost you to qualify, obtain a driving school car, and market yourself

3.       How much does it cost you to live (plan forward for next 3 years)

4.       Using the above figures, how many customers will you be needing to make this viable

Although this is a tough exercise to go through, I guarantee it will be extremely beneficial.  If a central theme to your strategy is to tie yourself into a national Franchisor so that at least you will then be provided with customers, then my advice is to scrutinise the small print of the contract regarding the quantity of custom they guarantee if you sign up with them.  It IS a legal contract that once you sign, you commit yourself to - legally.

In contrast, look at just one extremely important part of my own personal Terms & Conditions page for PDI's and remember that keyword above.... flexibility:

In the event that a PDI is unwilling to continue with training for WHATEVER reason, then a full refund will be provided of un-used hours.