1. Drive to the conditions
This is demonstrating the ability to be able
to recognise by the use of your senses, the need for a different driving action, and then use your brain to decide how that needs to be
done. For example, do use your ears to
hear the engine, do use your eyes to spot hazards, do use the feeling in your
hands and feet and the important bit is to USE that information that you’ve
collected, to analyse in your brain what you then need to do, to adapt your
driving actions to suit those conditions.
Examples: sensing you are on a gradient ..... setting the clutch
position slightly differently to prevent a backwards roll, spotting a very
tight bend or junction..... setting a slower speed and lower gear, hearing a
motorbike in the distance approaching before doing a turn in the road....
deciding when is the right time to start the manoeuvre, recognising when there
are more or less potential hazards.... setting the speed accordingly, feeling
through the steering wheel that there is a strong cross wind buffering the car
..... check mirrors, set speed and position accordingly.
2. Make well
timed observations and act on them
Recognising when observations are
needed, how thorough they need to be, and the timing of them is an important
skill in safe driving. However,
demonstrating that you are then able to use the information gained by doing the
observations will impress any Driving Examiner observing your driving.
3. Talk while
you drive
The fact is that once you pass
your driving test you will be having lots of passengers enjoying the pleasures
of your new life skill, and they wont be sitting in the car in silence! Make a point of practising with friends and
family on your driving lessons, get used to holding a conversation WHILE you
are driving safely – and being able to do this effectively on your driving test
sends a clear message to the Examiner.
4. Expect the
unexpected
A good driver is a thinking
driver, and unless you plan on relying on some kind of mystical 6th
sense, the only way to effectively accommodate all the weird and wonderful
things that can and do happen when driving, is to be anticipating the “what
if’s”. This is the difference between
being a reactive driver versus a proactive driver – responding to incidents after
they have occurred, or before.
5. “Train
hard.... fight easy”
One of THE most commonly asked questions to
Driving Instructors is “How long do you think it will take me to get to test?”. Some are directed to the Driving Standards
Agency website who provide guidance from their research on the average number of hours
taken. The fact is though, it very much
depends on any individuals needs and learning preferences, and how thorough the
training is. For instance, you could do
the minimum amount of hours possible, driving the test routes with a view to just
being good enough to pass the driving test.
Alternatively, you could practise driving in a whole variety of different
towns, villages, cities, on different types of roads, in different weather
conditions, in different cars, with different people, in daytime, night time,
in the rush hour etc. The
standard achieved on the driving test, as observed by the Examiner will in all
likelihood directly reflect the amount of practise you have put in, and the
Examiner will be able to recognise that almost instantly.
6. Have fun
when learning
Whether it be practising with friends/family
or whilst on driving lessons with your Driving Instructor, make sure you enjoy
your time together. Learning to drive is
a challenge, and for some people, they do need to confront their fears or
anxieties but it still doesn’t mean that it can’t be enjoyable. Desperately gripping hold of the steering
wheel, with your heart pounding, a cracking headache and hands sweating.....dreading
every minute of driving, is no way to learn how to drive, and it really does
not have to be that way. You are more
likely to learn more effectively if you enjoy the learning process – so ensuring
that things are done in the way you like is an absolute must.
7. Forward
planning
If you were about to ski down a
mountain, I guarantee you would make sure that you planned in advance your
intended path, how you intend to negotiate your way safely down, and that skill
of forward planning is just as important with driving. Whether it be agreeing with other road users
on priority, feeding neatly on to roundabouts or dual carriageways, negotiating
safe overtakes, or driving efficiently round town – a Driving Examiner will
instantly spot someone who is in the habit of forward planning.
www.BIGTOM.org.uk
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