These Driving Tips
May One Day
Save Your Life
The driving instructors at Preston Driving School Ltd may give you thousands of driving tips while having driving lessons with them.
Every year in the UK thousands of people are killed or injured on the roads. Unfortunately statistics show that most of these drivers involved in accidents are under the age of 25. Being a good safe driver is one of the most important skills you can learn, today this is even more important because our roads are getting busier and more congested every day.
Your driving instructors from Preston Driving School Ltd will not just teach you to pass a simple driving test, you will be taught how to become a good safe driver with good defensive techniques that will help to keep you out of danger. Think carefully what is meant by the following statement.
Being able to avoid having an accident is no accident
This means that if you have been trained properly to look out for potential danger before it becomes actually dangerous then you will have a far better chance of surviving. A combination of skills and qualities make up a good safe driver, you need the right attitude, excellent control skills, awareness, anticipation and adopt defensive driving techniques.
If all drivers adopted the following techniques there would be far less accidents.
Think of it as just a handful of skills
1. Always be at a safe speed for the situation you are in.
2. Always be in a safe position for every situation you are in.
3. Always be in the correct gear for the situation you are in.
4. Be aware of everybody.. ahead and to the sides and rear.
5. Keep a good clearance and safe distance all around you.
Sounds easy when you put it like this but if every driver adopted this policy they would all get home safely. However this little piece of advice is not going to change the world so what you need to do is adopt a defensive nature in your driving. Here are some tips that may help you.
First Tip Is To Slow Down A Bit
Better to be late in this world - than far too early in the next
* Think of all other road users as being unpredictable and likely to make mistakes, then when they do you will be ready and if they don't it will be a bonus.
* Keep a good separation distance from the vehicles in front so that if they stop suddenly you will be able to stop smoothly over a greater distance, what can happen is that if you stop too sharply so will the driver behind have to stop sharply, but if they are not paying attention you may find them rear ending you or even sitting in your boot.
* Switch off your mobile phone. Some young people may be very surprised to know that there was a life before the invention of mobile phones.
* Use your mirrors properly. Set them up correctly before every journey and use them in a safe way, use the Mirrors Signal Manoeuvre routines and get in the habit of using them in pairs, for example if you are planning to move over to the right or turn right then use your interior mirror first to get the true panoramic view of everything behind you then have a check in your right hand door mirror to see if there is anybody you might have missed on your right hand side, and vice versa when planning to move over or turn to the left. Also have final life saving check in the appropriate door mirror just before you make a turn. Do not learn the hard way by knocking a motorcyclist off their bike.
* Make sure everybody in your vehicle is correctly belted up and strapped in. Even if its not your legal responsibility it is a drivers moral responsibility to keep passengers safe and the Police will take a dim view of you for hurting them. Passengers not strapped in can fly through the air like a rag doll.
* Learn to deal with mistakes from other drivers, some drivers may be new, inexperienced or with less skill than you. Why make a fuss or a drama out of it? Try to help them by giving them more room etc. Keep calm and chilled out and you will feel less stressed yourself. Often the drivers that make such a fuss by moaning about other drivers, shouting or even road rage are usually very poor drivers who make lots of mistakes themselves but surprisingly they often tell everyone else how perfect they are.
* Learn to move your eyeballs, sounds silly but research has shown that drivers who continually alter their field of vision are safer drivers. There is no set way but by looking long distance, middle distance, immediately in front, using your mirrors regularly then you should not be taken by surprise.
* When emerging from a T-Junction with your view blocked then think once, think twice and think motorbike before moving very slowly forward to improve your view. Remember not to go until you can see enough of the road.
* If you are driving up a side street keep your speed down and think defensively for anything that may affect you, look for clues such as parked vehicles with any lights on, vehicles with their boots or bonnet lids open, look underneath cars for feet etc, taxis, ice cream vans, delivery vehicles, and remember the saying 'where there is a van there is a man' (or woman) Also look out for children playing behind vehicles and therefore ease your foot off the gas pedal and be ready for the unexpected.
* Look out for situations where there is not enough room for two vehicles to pass safely and be ready to hold back or stop. Know the priority rules on the road and remember you only have the priority if the other driver knows the same rules as you.
* While driving along the roads or taking observations at road junctions it's often a good idea to remember the term.. 'to look OUT' where the letters O-U-T can stand for Over-Under-Through.. for example Over hedges and car roofs, Under vehicles looking for feet, and Through car windows, hedgerows and fences. This early view of a problem can often avoid an incident.
That is enough for now but if you want more tips on defensive driving then just give us a call and book a driving lesson and one of our experienced driving instructors in Preston will be glad to help you.
Drive safely and keep smiling
