Struggling with roundabouts Part 1

Tom from BIG TOM Driving School in Bourne (01778 309 773) offers the following advice to anyone find roundabouts difficult.


If you are struggling with roundabouts on your driving lessons then take 5 minutes out to read this blog - I have some advice to offer you that will make things clearer. It might help to print it out and use a highlighter to emphasise a key learning point for yourself.

Roundabouts need to be tackled in 2 halves - firstly, spotting that a roundabout is approaching and thinking where you actually want to go and secondly, actually driving on to and exiting.  If it helps think of it in terms of a bowler in cricket; the initial visualisation of where the batsman is and what you intend to bowl at him, and then the actual act of executing the bowl.  If a bowler were to rush into a bowl, having given it no thought on the approach, then the resulting bowl will be at best described as "unpredictable".

It is best to work on these 2 aspects seperately.  In this blog I will be concentrating on the first phase. The second phase will be covered in a "Part 2" blog.

An often overlooked consideration when out driving with family is planning the best place to practise.  Choose your areas carefully to maximise the learning without distractions.  Find yourself some quiet roundabouts - if they are in short supply near you, then I would suggest you change the time that you practise on them, so that there will be very little traffic around.  If that means an early start on a Sunday morning, that "pain" will be well worth it.  What you do not need when you are initially practising this, are the distractions from vehicles behind you, in front and on the roundabout.

Get into the habit of spotting roundabouts well ahead, and I do mean well ahead. You can practise this as a passenger when someone else is driving. 100 metres ahead is often very possible.  There are normally (but not always) warning signs (red triangle), you might be able to see the round blue sign (for a mini roundabout).  You may be able to spot the black and white arrows pointing leftwards ON the roundabout, you may even be able to see traffic travelling on it.  These are all important signs to identify early on that a roundabout is approaching.  Depending on the size of the roundabout, will determine if you see traffic signs with the layout of the roundabout.  These are worth paying attention to, they help you in a few important ways.  They help you to decide which exit you intend to take (larger destinations will be on the first sign, more local destinations will be shown on a secondary sign slightly nearer to the roundabout).  It is a skill in itself to read those signs, recognise which number exit is yours and begin the planning of where your car needs to be ON THE APPROACH, and whether you need a signal on the approach.  Here is one of my videos that will test your ability in this particular regard.  Don't underestimate the importance of this "planning" phase, because if you approach the roundabout and your mind is all fuzzy thinking about signals, lane positions and which exit you need, then that will have an instant impact on the next important phase.  If you are on a fast moving road (50/60/70 mph) then an early, firm but smooth slowing down by braking (right foot) to 30 mph and THEN selecting 3rd gear is a surprisingly effective move in helping you prepare because it instantly buys you time.  Time is something that you ARE able to control (more on this important point in a moment).

By looking at the signs on the approach you can begin to anticipate where your car should be positioned as you approach.  This is a massive skill because when done early, there are no sudden changes immediately before you get on the roundabout.  There is nothing quite like fast/severe changes in position on the road just before a roundabout (or even on the roundabout) to seriously spook other road users.  I accept that at 100 metres away you may not necessarily know if there are lanes on the approach, or white arrows on the road, but if you are already anticipating the importance of position then you are on the FRONT foot which is a distinct advantage to you.  If you are intending to take an exit on a roundabout that is past the 12 o/c marker on a clock face (look at the traffic sign on the approach to the roundabout to help assess this point), then conventionally, effort should be made to be positioned to the right as you approach.  If there are lanes on the approach, often (but not always) this will mean you taking a lane to the centre or right.  There will always be exceptions to this rule, but it is on the whole pretty reliable.  Look out for traffic signs showing you lane options on the approach to roundabouts, and also look out for our friends the white arrows on the lanes themselves.  This reinforces the amount of work the eyes need to do on the approach of the roundabout, even before they start looking for traffic on the roundabout.

To recap so far.  Early spotting of the roundabout is essential as they are "fluid", things can change in an instant on the roundabout, so therefore you need to start planning for them early on.  Think about where you intend to go.  Which exit will it be?  Will you need a signal?  Roughly what position in the road do you anticipate to be needing?

So far so good?  Having worked all that out, you now need to be drawing your attention to what will be a sensible speed and gear to approach in.  This is still Phase 1, you will still be a long way off the roundabout, not even near it, but you now need to start ASSESSING the actual roundabout itself.

There are 3 things in particular to try to assess which will determine what is the correct speed and gear to approach the roundabout:

1. BUSY - is it a busy roundabout, have you already spotted a lot of traffic on the roundabout?  If you have then it is increasingly looking like a slower approach is needed so that you can enter on the roundabout in a more controlled manner.  It stands to reason, that a roundabout with tons of traffic on it, will probably (not definitely) result in a pause - clutch down, first gear and look.
2. VISION - can you see vehicles approaching it to the right and vehicles already on it? If not, then it is best to approach it at a slower speed as you may need to give way to something that you cannot currently see.  This is very commonly forgotten but is essential to road safety.
3. STEERING - generally speaking, the more steering that you have to do on the roundabout the slower your speed should be.  Imagine your Gran is sat in the back seat - you wouldn't want her toppling over to the side because you are steering round a roundabout too quickly!

Going back to this theme of time.  The situation on roundabouts can often change with the blink of an eye, such is the nature of them being a meeting point for traffic. You can't control that other traffic but you CAN control the time you have to observe it.  Buying yourself time to make effective observations is a key component to safety on roundabouts.  Approach too quickly and you wont have time to do good observations and that normally leads to 1 of 2 consequences: you either eventually recognise that you are approaching too quickly, and brake very sharply just before the roundabout (even if a pause is not actually needed) - this is one reason why there are so many "rear end shunts" on the approach to roundabouts, or, you literally don't have time to check it's safe to go before you are already on the roundabout - and this often leads to cutting in too close to vehicles already on the roundabout.  Either way, this kind of experience really ebbs away at your confidence.  There are plenty of drivers who passed their driving test many moons ago who still feel uneasy about roundabouts due to their inability to properly assess the roundabouts on the approach and get the correct speed and gear to enable effective observations.

I recommend that having set up a sensible speed on the approach, you get into the habit of taking 2-3 quick glances to your right before your vehicle goes on to the roundabout.  Depending on the circumstances, it can be perfectly possible that those observations are undertaken on the approach, with your car still moving.  If you find that you don't have time to do that, then you are either not starting to look SOON enough, or your approaching speed is too fast.  Remember that roundabouts are junctions, and just as with T junctions, if your vision is "closed" on the approach you need to slow down to get more time to do more observations.... that MAY mean a pause, it may even mean a slight "peep and creep" forwards to improve your vision without actually committing to emerging.  The number 1 reason for people failing driving tests is "observations at junctions".  When I say "quick glances", it is for good reason because if your eyes look right, and end up staring at vehicles either on the roundabout or just about to come on to it, one of the possible effects is that you lose position on the approach to the roundabout as you are literally not looking where you are going.  There is often (but not always) the need to do some slight steering alteration before you get on the roundabout and your position is important.  Apart from seriously spooking other road users when a vehicle starts "drifting" in a road, the other problem with a change in the position is that it can be very misleading as to where you are intending to go.  Lane discipline is something that will be expanded on in the next blog, but for now, it is a very good habit to pay attention to your position as you approach a roundabout.  Imagine a large bubble around your vehicle, you don't want to get close enough to any vehicle in ANY direction (including the front), that would burst that bubble.

To summarise.  Unless we are thinking of the very large roundabouts with traffic lights on them, generally speaking, roundabouts are designed to encourage free moving traffic.  The idea is to plan in advance where you intend to go, so that on the approach, your hands and feet are really not doing very much at all.  The work then shifts to your eyes to check if it is safe to go.  That inevitably takes some time to properly "read".  It is all about judging speed and distance of other road users - something that is harder to do at night time or in rain.  People who are struggling with roundabouts often find themselves either stopping abruptly just before the roundabout or cutting into vehicles already on the roundabout.  These are symptoms that you are not engaging your brain (and the forward thinking skills) on the approach to the roundabout.  It will come with practise, but it will be much less stressful if you pay attention to your speed and gears and make sure they reflect the conditions that you are seeing on the roundabout.  As unfortunate as it is, we can't apply the same approach conditions to each and every roundabout as they are so different.  If you did, if you were to say err on the side of caution and automatically bring your speed down to 10mph and select 2nd gear on every single approach, then you will likely upset many other road users behind you; because often that will create unnecessary delay.  The skill that needs to be developed is the ASSESSMENT of the roundabout.  Get into the habit of looking at the characteristics of a roundabout before you get to it, make a decision about the speed and gear you want on the approach.  Momentarily glance at your speedometer as your right foot applies the brakes to actually get that speed.  Even if that turns out to be a wrong call (on that occasion), the fact is that you are making conscious decisions, you are developing the skill and it will come with practise.  Contrast this with NOT thinking in advance, not paying attention to the road signs, the white paint or even realising that a roundabout is ahead, and yes, the results will be at best, inconsistent.  

I will close this blog with one last thought.  There is a phrase that talks of making sure that you can actually stop your car in a distance that you can see to be clear.  That phrase can be applied in many different aspects to do with safe driving, and very much relates to roundabouts too.  If you approach a roundabout at too high a speed that means you would not be able to physically stop in time should a vehicle come across you on the roundabout, you are NOT applying that rule, and the consequences could be serious.  It is a little bit like driving round with the "blinkers" on, completely unaware of what MIGHT be developing up ahead.  In Part 2, I will give some advice on the next phase of deciding if you can safely go on the roundabout and how you negotiate your way round effectively.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me on info@BIGTOM.org.uk or comment down below!   Thank you.

5 day Intensive Driving Courses in Peterborough, Grantham, Stamford, Bourne, Spalding, Sleaford.
   

Zebra Crossings in Bourne from BIG TOM Driving School in Bourne

Drivers do not give way to pedestrians on zebra crossings in Bourne.

There we go.... I've said it.  And all the evidence suggests that I am far from alone in saying it too!  BIG TOM Driving School give driving lessons in Bourne, Peterborough, Grantham, Deeping, Stamford, Spalding and Sleaford and no-where else compares to Bourne for regularly seeing drivers not giving way to pedestrians on zebra crossings.  I work often 7 days a week on our roads, clocking up at least double the mileage of the average driver, and this particular issue is very much specific to Bourne, and very likely due to it being directly on the A15 north/south route.

My nearest zebra crossing is on the A15 near to the junction with Beaufort Drive in Bourne, just here  It is literally between the junctions of Beaufort Drive and Mill Drove.  Bourne has over 3000 pupils going to it's schools and this crossing is widely used by pupils attending the nearby Bourne Academy.

When this first came to my attention, I was under the impression that drivers not giving way to pedestrians on zebra crossings ("Failing to accord precedence" is the legal phrase for it) may be in some way related to an excessive speed where the driver literally doesn't spot the pedestrian(s).  But I'm afraid it does not appear to be that simple.

This morning, when walking my dog, we approached the crossing, and a car from my right (heading NORTH out of Bourne) stopped to give way to me (despite my feet not being actually ON the black and white bit of the crossing).  But my experience of this crossing has taught me to take care.  As I looked to my left a white hatchback and black mini sailed straight through the crossing.

I suspect it highly unlikely that those 2 drivers failed to spot me, my dog, the zebra crossing, AND the paused vehicle already at the crossing.  So what is going on?  I think the answer may have less to do with street "furniture", the law, or even speeding.  Let me explain further.

I contacted Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership last year and conscious of the nearby "national" speed limit signs, was wondering if the answer may be to raise drivers' awareness of their speed on the approach to the pedestrian crossing.  Remember that for cars, the round white sign with black diagonal across it means a maximum speed of 60mph (although good advice is to drive to driving conditions rather than maximum speed limits).  My concern was that vehicles are either still in the process of decelerating from 60mph as they approach the crossing, or alternatively, from the other direction, beginning to accelerate before the crossing in knowledge that the national speed signs are nearby.  Either way, drivers minds are less in the mode of pedestrians crossing than they could otherwise be.  Gary Chance from Lincolnshire Police Community Speed Watch (01522 805822) was extremely helpful when I contacted him in explaining that 69 parishes across Lincolnshire had signed up to the Community Speed Watch scheme, and 41 of them had committed to purchasing "reactive speed signs".  Those are the signs that are quite common these days, and display your speed on the approach to a change of speed restriction.

When I relayed this information to Bourne Town Council the response I received was that not only are they not convinced that the reactive speed signs are in any way effective at reducing speed, but more than that, they were not even convinced that drivers in Bourne were speeding.  This is contrary to data from Bourne Neighbourhood Policing Team who state that the last speed survey conducted in Bourne indicated an average speed of 36mph in a 30mph.

My response to Bourne Town Council was to suggest that they put the feelers out with the community for which they serve, and ask local residents, School Patrol Officers etc what their opinion was on the subject.  In the absence of them taking that suggestion up, I then took advantage of my "Motoring" section in our local magazine "Discovering Bourne" and appealed to the locals to tell me their opinions and experiences.  I was inundated with responses.  Some spoke of speeding in other parts of Bourne, others spoke of drivers failing to give way to pedestrians on other zebra crossings in Bourne, and others mentioned the issue of "tailgating" from vehicles behind when they comply with the law, and drive at 30 in a 30.

But what I believe to be at the heart of this issue was demonstrated by the response of one very honest resident from the nearby village of Morton who will remain nameless but offered this opinion to me:

"..... I have to confess to being guilty of NOT giving way to a pedestrian occasionally.  Why? ..... because if I am approaching a crossing, with NOTHING behind me and NOTHING approaching me, surely the pedestrian should be capable of appreciating this and hold back to give the ONE car priority over them........ I hope that when you walk your dog and find yourself in that situation you are courteous enough to "give way". " 

Whatever your opinion of this remark is, the point that I would stress is that it is an honestly held belief and goes a long way to demonstrate how drivers attitudes differ with regards to complying with the law.  Perhaps more importantly, from a road safety point of view, what this also demonstrates is the necessity for the Police to enforce the law, as clearly when they do not, people begin to come to their own conclusions about how important compliance is.  

Many moons ago I did offer to my Learners my own opinion of how I would like to see them approaching zebra crossings on this video but I have requested Bourne Neighbourhood Policing Team to give us their definitive guide to the law on this matter. They have kindly agreed to in "Discovering Bourne". One of the key elements of this is whether a driver has the mindset of giving way when the pedestrian(s) APPROACH the zebra crossing, or only when their feet are physically ON the black/white of the crossing.

Time will tell.

If you have an opinion on zebra crossings in Bourne, please share your view.   

*UPDATE* 23/1/15  

Bourne Neighbourhood Policing Team have now confirmed that they will be increasing Police presence on this particular Zebra Crossing with use of a temporary reactive speed sign, speed gun and uniform presence.  I am sure I speak for many concerned Bourne residents when I say we very much look forward to seeing them.

*UPDATE* 1/7/15 

No Police presence of any kind seen in previous 6 months

*UPDATE*  30/9/15

4 sets of skid marks seen on the approach to the above zebra crossing.  One of which is 14 metres long from a tractor towing a trailer, doing emergency stop after parent and child were on zebra crossing.

BIG TOM Driving School in Bourne  Bookings: 01778 309 773

Parking on grass verges and footpaths by Big Tom Driving School

A few years ago Dogsthorpe was chosen by Peterborough City Council to pilot a scheme that focussed on the problem of vehicles parking on grass verges and footpaths.  It designated areas with clear signs and white lines where drivers were allowed to park on the verge/footpath.


Circular street signs were put up that informed drivers that it is not permissible to park half on the road, half on the verge/footpath, and the sign looks like this:

Above is one of the larger versions of this unrecognisable sign in the Highway Code with text, in case there was any confusion caused.  Remember these circular signs are intended to indicate a "prohibition".



And this sign (right) shows the end of the prohibition.

Some Local Authorities will quite happily ticket vehicles that are parked with both wheels of either side of the vehicle on the verge/footpath citing the Disability Discrimination Act.  The logic is that wheelchair and mobility scooter users need to have access on the footpath.  In reality, little regard is given for how much of the footpath is actually affected to warrant a ticket.

My advice is to take care when choosing a spot to park up.  Leaving the four wheels fully but legally on the road, is often correct, despite the effect that has on cyclists, scooters, buses etc that then have a tougher time of passing your parked car.

Be wary of looking to see how others around you have parked, offending in numbers is little defence for the Peterborough City Council parking prohibition car that whizzes round taking photographs of offending vehicles with its camera on the top of the car, which is then used as evidence to enforce parking fines.

There was talk in the press recently that Local Authorities were being instructed to make less use of these money making parking enforcement cars - time will tell if the residents of Dogsthorpe can breathe easy yet.  

In general terms, parking on grass verges and footpaths often does present other problems.  The grass verges can get cut up badly and have very large pot holes in them.  Some drivers think nothing of parking an entire car fully on a grass verge, even when very near junctions.  This practise has road safety implications as it blocks vision for road and footpath users.

BIG TOM Driving School  Intensive Driving Course in Peterborough 01733 306016 

Taking the driving test in own car by Big Tom Driving School

I have had 2 recent enquiries asking about taking the driving test in your own car.  As it happens both are male and 62 years old, but are otherwise completely unconnected coming from different towns.  Both of them were in particular asking my opinion if the examiners would in any way frown upon taking the test NOT in a driving school car.  The concern appears to be that examiners would assume that a candidate that presented for the driving test in a private car had not received professional tuition; the suspicion would be that they present a higher risk and would be assessed in a negative way as a result. 

As I have said to both chaps, whilst I can understand perfectly why they might have that concern, I have not witnessed any such behaviour from examiners.  The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency are a Government organisation that operate under pretty strict regulations, and included in the documents that they make available for the public are guidelines that include a standard of driving (regardless of HOW that standard is achieved) as well as operational instructions for how the driving test is undertaken.  As such, it is perfectly possible for the public to get access to this information without any assistance at all from a registered Driving Instructor.

The examiners that are employed at the test centres have no regard for how a candidate learnt to drive, they ask no questions about how long it has taken, who taught them, or any related questions.  How you get to the test centre, who you bring with you, and what vehicle you use for the test is not part of the assessment criteria and in my experience of observing driving tests, the examiners are very highly trained, courteous, professional folk.

There are certain conditions relating to the vehicle that is used for the purposes of the driving test, and they can be viewed in this link.  One of the very first actions that you will be asked to do when you attend for the driving test is to sign to confirm that there is appropriate insurance cover for the vehicle that is about to be used for the test.

In summary, when you are considering taking the driving test in your own car, do not be concerned that the examiner will be influenced by sitting in a non-driving school car.  I have had plenty of pupils who have finished off their driving course with me accompanying them in their own car that they intend to drive after passing the driving test, and it is a strategy that I fully approve of that has clear advantages.

BIG TOM Driving School Intensive Driving Course in Bourne 01778 309773

Mock Driving Test Gone Mad

The problem with mock driving tests, is that any 17-25 year old will naturally compare it to an academic test.  It is instilled into us from a very early age, that if you practise enough academic mock tests, eventually..... eventually, you will reap the rewards when it comes to the actual test.  We only need to look at the energy created by enthusiastic Grammar school parents who coach their 10-11 yr old children for the 11+ tests to see this in action.  This is just a taste of things to come.  It is little wonder that by the time our 17+ year olds come out of this process of learning by continual testing, that they feel inclined to have the same attitude towards learning to drive.

I have witnessed pupils hopping across the country, repeatedly attempting the driving theory test having done very little actual study, but in effect, only learning by repeatedly failing the £23 test.  

Likewise, there are a great many young people who will shortcut the process of learning to drive, and hop on the driving mock test route, with the view that if you do enough mock tests, surely you will pass the driving test eventually.  It is not uncommon for pupils who repeatedly fail mock tests, to still insist on going to test, in the misguided hope that just like the academic tests, if they don't get their ultimate intended "grade", they will still pass.

Now at this point in my blog, I am very conscious that if I haven't already completely switched off all 17-25 year olds, then the remaining few, are actually quite serious about learning to drive well,  and doing it 'cost effectively' - yes that combination really is possible!  If you are still with me, then take a look at this video of how to monitor progress when learning to drive, and see if you can spot the fundamental trap that many poor folk will fall into that inhibits any further learning.

If you get nothing else out of this blog than appreciating how "learning by testing" is not the way forward when you learn to drive, then it has been time well spent for you, and could possibly save you several hundreds of pounds as a result!

Big Tom Driving School - 0800 689 4174 (Free from mobiles too!)

What makes a good driving lesson?

The answer to this question will differ between all of us.  An elderly African gentleman who started to learn to drive with me this week summed it up very nicely:

“How are you getting on Jo, how are you finding this?”

“Oh yes Tom, I like it very much….. my heart is much lighter”

As Jo is demonstrating here, a good driving lesson means different things to different people.

An effective “learning environment” has a delicate blend of essential ingredients.  The environment can include physical things like if the car is clean, how good the vision is from the drivers seat, whether you “feel” safe.  The preferred style in which the “transfer of learning” takes place includes physical and mental elements and is unique to all pupils.  For example, considering how often questions are used to test understanding, and the depth to the question will vary in benefit between pupils.  The manner in which content is explained by way of demonstration, graphics, and the choice of words that tap into a pupils psyche will help the message to resonate.

But by far the greatest factor to consider when thinking of the learning environment is what the pupil brings in the way of beliefs, experience, attitude, motivation, barriers and commitment – and they are purely mental factors.  Ignore these factors as a driving instructor and you will not only be doing your customer a disservice but you will directly limit the potential for job satisfaction.  I could be a top class driver, with knowledge in abundance but if I fail to tap into the mind of my pupil, effective learning will be limited.  In my experience, it matters not how anyone would care to categorise pupils – in terms of IQ, emotional intelligence, learning difficulties or disability; what matters is how willing and able the driving instructor is to adapt.

And given the fact that driving instructors are being paid to provide 1:1 tuition, are they not duty bound to “adapt”?  So if you have been struggling to have a good driving lesson for some time, my advice would be to stop doubting yourself, and go and find someone who can tap in to your potential more effectively, because potential, you undoubtedly have.

BIG TOM Driving School Intensive Driving Course in Bourne 01778 309773

School Road Safety Presentation

I had a very enjoyable time presenting to the 150 Yr 12's of my local school yesterday.  Before going any further I should give some insight as to where I am situated and the demographic.  I live in a small but expanding town (pop. 15,000) which is located about 12 miles from any significantly larger town/city in any direction.  There is a large population of elderly residents, so hairdressers and charity shops are a plenty, however, there are primary and secondary schools that are catering for over 3000 pupils such is the quality of the schools in this town and how well they draw pupils in from outside the town.  There is a bus service leading in/out of the town; the vast majority of my young pupils complain that it is an expensive and pretty infrequent (hourly) service.

I have taken care not to name the town or the school that is the subject of this blog in the interests of neutrality, but suffice to say, the school in question is a well reputed school that is known for it's high standards of achievement for end of year exam grades.

I was called on the phone a couple of months previous by the Head of Yr 6 and invited to give a short presentation on road safety.

You can imagine that with a subject as wide and varied as "road safety" there were many options for me as to what to concentrate on, especially as our local "A" roads (A15, A16 and A17) do suffer with high collision stats but I was very keen to remember my audience and provide something meaningful to them.   I wanted to demonstrate that much like my driving lessons that I provide, my preferred style is to seek engagement as opposed to "lecture".

My opening gambit was to ask for a show of hands for who intends to learn to drive.  I turned to the teacher who had remained in the hall, and we agreed on roughly 50% had put their hands up.  Now this might surprise some, but the statistics that are provided by the DVSA who monitor these things, have been indicating for some time now that this is the current trend.  For example there were 300,000 fewer driving tests (16%) in 2013-2014 than there were in 2007-2008.  The UK and indeed global economy could well be responsible for this situation, but as I raised in the presentation, there is plenty of evidence around that "learning to drive" is fast becoming an activity that is simply too costly when you take into account insurance and fuel costs.  One lass mentioned that a member of her family had been quoted £4000 for insurance, and another lass mentioned that her brother of 23 years, recognises that despite passing the driving test, he is not properly prepared for driving independently - a fact that similarly brings into question how well learners are being trained, and whether financial resources have a say in that regard too.

On the subject of insurance, I have been in this industry for 6 years now and up until my last renewal, despite never having a single accident of any kind whatsoever, the insurance steadily rose year on year.  This last year, has for the first time, seen a slight dip in the premium.  Whether this is an acknowledgement from the industry that car insurance and indeed "driving" is fast becoming financially unviable for huge numbers of the young adult population, we shall see.  I did raise the question in the presentation yesterday, how many years of driving will the pupils who had just stated they intend to learn to drive actually drive for?  There is an increasingly popular case being made for driverless cars that will have positive effects on road collisions and insurance premiums, so arguably, as a Google video from 2011 demonstrates (found on my Facebook page "driving lessons in Bourne"), the consequences of humans driving motor vehicles is doing nothing but strengthening the case for them NOT driving and allowing advanced technology to provide a safer means of transportation.

At this stage, I hadn't shown my hand as to the topic of my presentation, and I was keen to get an early indication that I suspected may well prove useful as the talk progressed.  I asked of all the pupils who had just raised their hands indicating they intend to learn to drive, how many of them, consider that they will be a "good driver".  The hands went up, and I then asked all those pupils to then stand up.  It was roughly 50% of the original cohort and all male; not one single female.  I then invited the teacher to declare if she thought she was a good driver, which she responded in the affirmative.   It led nicely into considering what makes a "good driver" and how could anyone reliably measure it.

I asked for 2 volunteers to come up front, one male and one female.  A male pupil shot up instantly, and a brave female pupil reluctantly came up.  I asked the audience to consider statistically, who the better driver will be.  I asked them who was more likely to pass the driving test first time.  I asked them if they both took turns to drive who was the more likely to cause a fatality.  I asked who was likely to get the cheaper car insurance.  It sparked great engagement.  I then offered my own opinion based on my 6 years of driving instruction, which gender learnt to drive more effectively, and I gave my reasons.  Lots of open eyes, staring at me.

I then introduced the subject of my talk, attitudes to learning and drew comparisons with pupils attitudes to learning at school and learning to drive.  We discussed goals of achieving academic qualifications, independent learning, and developing life skills of ambition, perseverance and overcoming obstacles and considered the differences with learning to drive.  I introduced the idea of the learning that occurs on driving lessons for the purpose of the driving test compared to that of life beyond the driving test.  I questioned with the pupils that given the fact that 20% of newly qualified drivers were having an accident within the first 6 months of passing the driving test, how useful is the driving test, is it fit for purpose, and I gave some figures for the pass rates of driving tests.

I had prepared a light-hearted, fun exercise that required no less than 9 pupils to respond to one of my driving videos that was on the large screen on the stage, and with the use of my verbal instructions, demonstrate how difficult it is to multi-task driving actions in real time.  The first band of volunteers were unsurprisingly, all male and between them, they had achieved 41 driving actions on one circuit of my video.  The less willing but significantly more able group of female pupils managed to clock up almost double that number of driving actions.  It highlighted the necessary skills of effective communication, multi-tasking, co-ordination, and concentration when driving.  

Having witnessed this staggeringly higher achievement by the female group I then made reference to the all male assertion of who will be a "good driver" - cue the 'tumbleweed' moment.

To conclude, we had some facts given relating to the DVSA figure of the average number of hours to pass the driving test, also the price of the theory and practical tests, average driving lesson cost, and the number 1 reason for failing driving tests.  This led me nicely on to referring to a recently released dramatic video relating to THINK BIKE! which was also on my Facebook page. 

It was a most enjoyable session as I felt that I had personally learnt a great deal from the experience and the feedback from the teacher was very positive too.

BIG TOM Driving School in Bourne 01778 309 773