Driving Instructor Tips
Driving Instructor tips can be crucial when learning to drive. Your very first Driving Lesson can be daunting. It doesn’t have to be so. Your Driving Instructor should be able to help you feel good and learn lots of driving tips in order to become a safe and skilled driver and pass your driving test. Driving Instructors tips are essential in order to learn vital driving rules and control of the car. There is no rule as to how many lessons you may need. Each learner driver is different. Some may pick up driving skills more quickly than others and require fewer driving lessons. Your Driving Instructor will advise you of how much driving tuition you will require.
To Find a Driving Instructor near you click here.
For more information and tips regarding learning to drive read on and see our other pages on Mirrors, Signals etc.
Driving Position
The correct Driving Position on the road is as important as driving at the right speed on the road. By maintaining the correct Driving Position on the road you are reducing the potenial risk of an incident. Understanding the correct driving position is very simple. When driving on a straight single carriageway always position yourself closer to the left hand side. This increases the clearance between you and the vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. It also allows the vehicle behind more clearance to overtake you. When driving on a carriageway with two or more lanes, driving in the centre of your lane will allow you the make the safest possible use of your lane space. This allows equal space either side of your vehicle and gives the maximum clearance between you and other vehicles on the road.
When cornering your Driving Position is critical. When cornering to the right always keep as far left as you can. This reduces the potential risks if the vehicle approaching you crosses into your lane.
When cornering to the left approach the bend or corner positioning yourself so you have the best possible view as far around the corner as is safely possible. (Never cross over the centre of the road). This will allow you see potential hazards as early as possible and give you more time to react to them. When stopping behind a stop line or any prohibiting road markings make sure the bumper of your car does not cross the road lines or road markings.
Always use due care and take a commom sense approach to your Driving Position on the road. Take the actions and Driving Position of other road users in to account when assesssing your position. Take corrective action when neccessary to reduce any potentail risks to you or other road users.
Clearance
Leaving the correct distance between you and the vehicle in front will greatly reduce the chances of you hitting the back of the vehicle in the event of an emergency. The most commonly used guide to keep your distance from the car in front is "The 2 second rule". This is a useful guide to help you keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front on a dry road. The "second rule" should be doubled to 4 seconds in wet conditions and to approximately 10 seconds in frost and icy conditions. It works by counting to 2 when driving behind the car in front and making sure you don’t pass a fixed point on the road within the 2 seconds. Give it a try.
Another guide you could follow is to leave 1 metre of space between you and the car in front for every kilometre per hour speed you travel. When overtaking a parked vehicle, pedestrian or cyclist allow enough space for the vehicle door to open unexpectedly, enough space for the pedestrian to trip and fall and enough space in case the cyclist wobbles and falls off their bike.
