Learn to Drive Properly

Learn to Drive Properly

Anybody who has been out on the road as a pedestrian, a cyclist, or in a car, will have seen examples of bad driving. Nobody wants to be a bad driver, so how do we learn properly and make sure that we don’t become poor drivers?

Most importantly, choose a really good instructor. A good Driving Instructor will teach you how to drive well. At times you may think they are slightly obsessive about tiny little things like hand position and mirror checking; what they are doing is making sure that the little details that make you a better driver become ingrained as habit. If you are learning to drive from a friend or family member, and want to learn to drive properly, then it’s important that they are picky too. If they allow you to learn sloppy habits then you will always have those sloppy habits and you will be a worse driver as a result.

Learn to drive in the right order and take your time. No driving instructor would take a brand new learner to a large roundabout on a dual-carriageway without first spending several hours learning car control. Car control is about setting off, getting the car moving, slowing down and stopping, steering and manoeuvring. It’s harder than it looks to combine different pedals, steering wheel and looking in mirrors. Learning to do so takes time and practice, but eventually becomes second nature. Without spending adequate time teaching these foundation driving skills and allowing time for your brain to embed and assimilate them, you will never be confident on the road. We’ve all seen the car that bunny-hops as it moves away, or stalls at every junction – this is the driver who has not yet spent enough time developing control of the car.

Once you have good car control, then you move on to road-craft and driving theory. In your theory you’ll be learning the rules of the road, road signs and markings and what to do at roundabouts, junctions and other situations. During your driving lessons you will encounter all of these in real-life driving, and be able to put your new theory into practice in every lesson. You’ll be developing the ability to spot and react appropriately to potential hazards, and getting broad experience of lots of different traffic conditions, road types and weather. The more practice you get with a competent and experienced instructor beside you at this stage (still being picky about little details) the better driver you will become.

Learning to drive properly is not about being able to drive fast and it’s not about being able to carry out all those tricky manoeuvres they ask you to do for your test. Learning to drive properly means being able to drive safely, not just during your test, but whatever the road conditions, whatever your emotions on any given day, and whatever those other lunatic drivers might throw at you. Learning to drive properly means that five or six years down the line you’ll still be thinking about your own driving skills, you’ll be noting any bad habits that have crept in, and you’ll be correcting yourself and constantly looking to improve your driving, making it safer and more efficient. That’s what learning to drive properly is all about.

If you would like to learn to drive in Glasgow contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.

How To Perform an Emergency Stop in Your Driving Test

How To Perform an Emergency Stop in Your Driving Test

Around one in three driving tests will include an Emergency or Controlled Stop. It’s an important procedure to learn so that you can come to a safe stop in the road in an emergency situation. It’s what you would carry out if a child ran out into the road in front of you. In most cases, a good driver will never need to carry out an emergency stop, as their good observation and forward judgement will have flagged up any potential hazard, and they will have been able to take safe evasive action before an emergency stop was required.

At several times during your test the examiner will ask you to pull up on the left of the road to give you instructions or to ask you to carry out a manoeuvre. Whenever they do this you should select a safe and legal place to pull over, check your mirrors, signal and pull over to the side of the road. On one of these occasions they may explain that they will be asking you to carry out an emergency stop. They will tell you that on their signal you should immediately carry out a controlled stop, and that you will not need to check your mirrors or carry out observations as they will already have done this. They will ask you to move off when it is safe to do so, and to wait for their signal before you carry out the stop.

At this point you should carry out your observations, including your blind spot, and then move off. The emergency stop is usually carried out at about 30 miles per hour. DO NOT pre-empt or anticipate the examiner’s signal. They will be carrying out their own observations and waiting until it is safe (i.e. there is no other traffic in the vicinity) before they give you the signal to stop. If you carry out the stop at any other time it may not be safe to do so. The examiner’s signal is usually a clear “STOP” and their right hand raised, palm towards the windscreen. At this signal, you do not need to look in your mirrors, you should just carry out the emergency stop.

Apply the foot brake quickly. Make sure that you apply the foot brake before the clutch, as depressing the clutch first may make the car unstable and difficult to control. Keep a firm hold on the steering wheel, you will need to be able to maintain direction or correct any skidding as the weight of the car is thrown forwards. If you feel the brakes beginning to lock or the car going into a skid, ease the pressure from the brake a little, and then reapply. Just before the car comes to a stop, depress the clutch fully. Once you have stopped, secure the car with the handbrake and put the gear stick in neutral. Remember to carry out all your observations before you move off again, including your blind spots. You will then carry on with your test.

If you would like to learn to drive in Glasgow contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213. 

How to perform a 3 point turn

Performing a three-point turn or a ‘turn in the road’ is one of those manoeuvres that new drivers get pretty worried about. It’s true that a poorly executed three-point turn can cause a lot of either amusement or frustration to other road-users. It’s also true that it’s one of the most common manoeuvres that an examiner will ask a learner to perform in a driving test, so follow these simple instructions and take the fear out of the three-point turn.

In a test situation, the examiner will be looking for three key factors. Getting these right will help you in the test, but will also ensure that you carry out your manoeuvre correctly in the future. These factors are: ACCURACY – you should be able to perform the turn in three moves (possibly five), without touching the kerb or mounting the pavement; CONTROL – steering the car appropriately, while also maintaining slow movement by controlled use of the clutch; OBSERVATION – you should be aware of your surroundings, your position on the road and any other road users at all times, by carrying out continuous all-round observation during this manoeuvre.

When to perform one

If you need to turn around and face the other direction when you are driving, you have a few options. If the road is wide and quiet, you could execute a u-turn; if there’s a suitable junction you could pull up, reverse into it and pull back out in the correct direction; or you could carry out a “turn in the road”. Technically this doesn’t have to be a three-point turn, in a narrower road you may need to use five-points, but it’s the same idea. You might use one if you’ve gone the wrong way, or if you are at a dead-end.

Step by step

Safely pull over to the left of the road, ensuring that you are not across somebody’s driveway, on a sharp bend or opposite a junction. Use your interior (rear-view) mirror and left-hand mirror and signal left if necessary as you pull over.

Check ahead of you, in your rear-view and right-hand mirrors and in your right-hand blind-spot to make sure that the road is clear. If there is any traffic in either direction, then wait, and perform the checks again before carrying out the manoeuvre.

Put the car into first gear, remove the hand-brake and start moving off using clutch control. Immediately turn the steering wheel all the way to the right. Keep moving slowly towards the opposite side of the road, observing in both directions all the time. As you approach the kerb, turn the wheel slightly back towards the left and brake and clutch to come to a stop before you hit the kerb. Apply the handbrake and select reverse gear.

Check up and down the road again in both directions, and if all is clear then, finding the clutch bite point, remove the handbrake and move off in reverse. Look out of the rear window as you reverse, immediately turning the steering wheel all the way to left-hand lock. Keep the car slow, and while looking mainly out of the rear window, keep looking left and right all the time. As you get about halfway across the road, turn to look over your right shoulder at the approaching kerb. As you approach this kerb, turn the wheel slightly back to the right, and apply the brake and clutch to come to a stop. Apply the handbrake and select first gear.

Check up and down the road again in both directions. If all is clear then find the clutch bite point, remove the handbrake and move off, steering to the right to find the correct driving position in the road.

What to do if a vehicle appears while you are carrying out the three-point turn.

Don’t panic! Just stop your vehicle and assess what they are going to do. They may signal for you to complete the manoeuvre while they wait, in which case do so. Alternatively, they may decide they have space to get past you, allow them to do so and then check that the road is clear again before continuing the manoeuvre.

To find out more about learning to drive in Glasgow contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.  

How to prepare for your practical driving test

How to prepare for your practical driving test

Once you’ve passed your Theory Test and you and your Driving Instructor have agreed together that you are ready to take your practical driving test, it’s time to get ready. Making sure that you’ve done the best preparation that you possibly can will give you the very best chance of passing your test. 

Here’s how to get, ready, get set and go and pass that test:

I know that you’ve taken your theory test, but now is the time to have another read through the Highway Code to make sure that you remember all that information about stopping distances and what to do in any given situation. This is the theory that underpins all the practical driving, and it’s a vital bank of information on safe driving.

Make sure that you’ve had a chance to familiarise yourself with the car you’ll be driving, have practiced manoeuvres in it, and know where your blind spots are. Make sure that you know how to open the bonnet, check the oil and tyres, know which fuel to put in and how to open the fuel cap, and know what all the indicator and warning lights mean. This will help you in the “show me, tell me” questions, but will also help you to stay calm and know what to do if warning lights illuminate during your test.

Go through the Driver’s Record with your instructor to make sure that you have covered the whole syllabus and have driven on a wide variety of roads and conditions. If there are any gaps then now is the time to make sure that you address them in your lessons.

Familiarise yourself with the location of the test centre and the different roads in the area. You need to find the test centre on the day without getting lost, but you’ll also then be aware of the main roundabouts, junctions, zebra crossings and one-way streets that you might meet in your test.

A couple of weeks before your test make sure that you know where your provisional licence and theory test certificate are. If you can’t find them, you should still have time to get a replacement before your test.

If you have the opportunity to practice driving with a friend or family member, do so during the week before your test. If not, then try to get an extra driving lesson in that last week to help you get into the zone.

The night before your test pick out some comfortable clothes, and get your provisional licence and theory test certificate out ready. Get plenty of sleep.

On the morning of your test make sure that you eat so you don’t feel light-headed or have a rumbling stomach, but nothing too heavy, smelly or spicy, you don’t want garlic breath or chilli repeating on you during your test. Have plenty to drink (not alcohol, obviously!) but don’t overdo it. Use the loo while you are waiting for your examiner.

Good luck!

If you would like to learn to drive in Glasgow, contact TX-Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.

What happens on the eyesight part of the driving test?

Being able to see clearly is vital for safe driving. Without good vision you will not be able to read the road ahead, or road signs, and therefore won’t be able to make judgements about where on the road you need to be, or safely respond to developing hazards. An eyesight test has therefore been an essential part of the driving test since 1937, just two years after the first driving test was introduced.

The rules

You must be able to read, from at least 20 metres, a car number plate (post 2001). You should also have a visual acuity of at least 0.5 (6/12) measured on the Snellen scale using both eyes (or just one eye if you only have sight in one) and an adequate field of vision. If you are unsure about any of this, or have any concerns at all about your eyesight, it would be a good idea to get an eye test with an optician before you start driving. They will be able to tell you whether your eyesight is good enough to drive, and will prescribe glasses or contact lenses to help you if necessary. If you need to wear contact lenses or glasses to read a number plate from twenty metres, then you should wear them during your test and whenever you drive.

How this part of the test works

At the beginning of your test, before you have even got to your car, the driving examiner will stop you and ask you to read a number plate on a parked vehicle which is at least 20 metres away. You may write down the number plate if you have difficulty with spoken English. If you can’t read the first number plate, the examiner will ask you to read another one, slightly closer but still over the required distance. If you cannot read this one, then they will measure the exact required distance to a third number plate and ask you to read that one. If you are still unable to correctly read the number plate, then the test will terminate. You will fail your test and the examiner will contact the DVLA to revoke your provisional licence. You can reapply for a licence after this, but will be required to take an eyesight test first, and will then still have to pass the eyesight test when you take your practical car driving test.

To ensure that you are as safe as possible when driving, and to prevent unnecessary accidents, you should make sure that you get your eyesight checked before you start your driving lessons. Tell the optician that you are going to learn to drive and ask them whether you are likely to meet the required vision standards. If you need to wear glasses or contact lenses, then make sure that you do. Have regular eye tests throughout your adult life, as eyesight does deteriorate. If your eyesight becomes a problem and you no longer meet the minimum requirements, you are required to inform the DVLA and surrender your licence. It’s not about the DVLA being strict – it’s about keeping our roads safe.

To find out more about learning to drive in Glasgow, contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.

Can I Change Driving School?

Why do you feel you want to change driving schools?

Hopefully you selected your instructor and driving school based on recommendation, and were able to book a taster lesson with your instructor before you settled on your instructor and school. It is possible though, that the instructor you thought was going to be a great fit for you has left you feeling dissatisfied because:

• They are often late for lessons;
• They often cancel lessons, meaning you have to re-book or don’t seem to be able to fit you in at times that are convenient to you;
• The car is messy, giving an unprofessional feel;
• You don’t get on, they shout at you or make you feel more stressed and nervous about your driving;
• You don’t feel as though you are making as much progress in your lessons as you should be;

Your first action, whatever the problem is, is to talk to your instructor. It might be that all they need is a timely reminder that they are supposed to be treating you professionally, or that their frustrations have no place when teaching a pupil to drive. If you don’t feel that you are making appropriate progress, then tell them this and ask them to talk through their plan for your lessons, what you will be covering each week and how many more lessons they think it might be until you are ready to take a test. If the instructor knows that you are unhappy with something, then they might be able to do something about it. This kind of conversation won’t be easy, but it is definitely the right first thing to do.

Secondly, if you are still unhappy with your instructor, then talk to the driving school. If the driving school has a good reputation, and wants to maintain it, then they will want to know about any problems as early as possible, and will want to do what they can to fix them. They may be able to offer an alternative instructor or some other course of action.

If you’ve followed both steps above, and you are still not happy with how your driving lessons are being conducted, then you can and should change driving schools. If you’ve paid in advance for a block of lessons, then you will either have to complete that block, or negotiate with the driving school to have the money refunded. If you haven’t made any financial commitment, then you can just tell the instructor and/or school that you are changing after the next lesson. It is important to tell them why you are changing, so that if there’s something that they can do better, they know about it and are able to make the change. It may not affect you now, but it could make a difference for future learners and for the driving school themselves. It might be easier to write down your reasons for changing in a letter or e-mail. A good driving school will be happy to receive feedback, positive or negative, and hopefully will act on it.

When you are choosing your new driving school, make sure that you go on personal recommendation, ask questions at the beginning to ensure that you don’t get a repeat of whatever caused the problem in the previous establishment, and ask for a taster lesson with the instructor before you commit to the school, so that you can check that you will get on with the new instructor.  

Why Using a Driving Instructor is the Best Way to Learn to Drive

Why using a Driving Instructor is best can be distilled down to two main reasons. The first is the preservation of your relationships with your family and friends, and the second is simply that an Approved Driving Instructor knows what they are doing.

You are allowed to learn to drive with anybody as long as they have had a full driving licence for the type for vehicle you are learning in for at least three years and are over twenty-one years old (some insurance companies stipulate 25 years old). Anybody that you pay for driving lessons must be an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) registered with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). There is nothing to stop you from learning to drive with your parents in the family car, with a spouse or a friend.

Learning with a friend or family member though does come with its own hazards. Sitting in the passenger seat with an inexperienced Learner Driver can be very nerve wracking. Inconsistent driving, unpredictable or excessive braking, cautious approaches to junctions and roundabouts, extended reaction times to changing road conditions or approaching hazards and inexperience at reading the road can all make supervising or teaching a learner driver very stressful for both the Learner and the teacher. Many family relationships have been put under great strain by attempting to teach a Learner driver.

An Approved Driving Instructor has chosen to do this for a living. They are trained and experienced in a variety of key skills which are important when teaching learner drivers:

• They have an in-depth knowledge of the driver training syllabus and how to teach it.
• Because they aren’t teaching while on a journey somewhere (many parents try to double up the driving lesson with the school run) they are able to spend more time and focus on Car Control in quiet roads or car-parks, building the foundations for successful future driving.
• They are experienced in planning training routes to roads that suit the experience of the driver, not pushing them too far out of their comfort zone which can increase stresses.
• They know how to deal with stressful situations, and are experienced dealing with nervous drivers.
• Many Driving Instructors have modified “dual control” cars which means that they can take over the driving in an emergency. While this is rarely used, it gives added confidence.
• A Driving Instructor has a clear idea, based on both the syllabus and their experience, when the learner is ready to pass their test.

While it may seem like a good idea to use a friend or family member to teach you to drive, this will often actually be counter productive. Many people start out this way, but later come to a Driving Instructor, realising that there’s a lot more to the job than just sitting next to somebody in the car. The Instructor then has a harder job to do, undoing stresses or incorrect procedures that have been taught by the family member. It is possible to pass your test following lessons with a friend or family member, and using your own car, but the vast majority of passes are with experienced and skilled qualified Approved Driving Instructors.

Contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213 to learn to drive with some of the best driving instructors in Glasgow.

Using a Driver’s Record when learning to drive

What is the Driver’s Record?

The Driving Standards Agency (now the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency) developed the Driver’s Record as a useful way of keeping track of which areas of the driving syllabus you’ve covered in your lessons and practised privately. It is to ensure that you fully cover the syllabus and get as much and as broad experience as possible, to help you pass your test and to make sure that you are a safer driver. The record is shared with your Driving Instructor so that you are both able to keep track of your experience and competence in all the essential areas of driving.

How does it work?

There are several parts to the Driving Record, and each has a different purpose.

Overview – The first page of the Driver’s Record is an overview of your whole learning to drive experience. There is an area for practical car driving, where you can tick boxes to show that you’ve experienced a range of different road types and conditions, both in lessons and in private practice; there’s a section on the Theory Test, showing the different topics covered in the multi-choice test, so that you can tick to show when you are confident that you have studied each one, and the skills you need for the Hazard Perception test. There is then a space for you to write down the date of your Theory Test pass. There is also a section about the Pass Plus course.

Driver’s Record – The next section is for you to use with your Instructor. There is a heading for each broad area of the driving syllabus, and boxes for the Instructor to initial and date when each of these areas was: (1) first introduced, (2) instructed fully, (3) when you could do it with prompting what to do, (4) when you could do it with few prompts, and (5) when you could do it fully independently (and consistently over several lessons). Once you have a signature in the “Independent” box for each area of the syllabus, you are probably nearly ready for your test.

Instructor Record – This record has the same syllabus areas as the Driver’s Record, in some cases split into sub-headings, in table form. The instructor uses a column for each lesson, and indicates by with the numbers 1-5 (as above) your progress during that lesson with each of the syllabus areas. It means that the Instructor can see at a glance which areas you are confident with, and which need further practice or haven’t been covered for a few lessons.

Competencies – This two page section breaks down each area of the syllabus into its component parts, what skills are required and the underpinning knowledge that goes with it. As an example, the syllabus area of Moving Away and Stopping involves the Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre and Position-Speed-Look procedures, ability to observe around you including the use of mirrors and checking blind spot, control and co-ordination of the car, being able to do it on level and on gradient, at an angle and straight ahead. It also involves knowledge of which signals to use, what constitutes a safe stopping place, how to co-ordinate the accelerator, footbrake and clutch, and how to use the handbrake and steering wheel. The instructor will need to see you competent in all these aspects before being able to sign you off as independent on this area.

Private Practice – The final page of the Record (and you can print as many of these pages as you require) is where you record the private practice that you undertake away from your instructor with friends or family members. For each journey you briefly record the time spent driving, the miles covered and tick boxes to show the types of road and the road conditions (e.g. dry or wet, dark or light, country lanes or urban roads.

The Driver’s Record is a very useful way to work with your instructor to make the best possible use of your lessons, and see your progress through the syllabus.

If you want to learn to drive in Glasgow then contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.

What are the rules for using L-Plates and P-Plates?

If you are on a provisional licence then you must display a red L-Plate of the correct dimensions (see below) in a conspicuous position on both the front and back of your vehicle. These should be removed when the vehicle is not being used by a learner. In Wales a D-Plate may be used in place of, or as well as, the L-Plate. You are allowed to display more than one L-Plate on the front or rear if you feel that it makes them more conspicuous and improves safety.

You can get up to 6 penalty points on your licence and a fine if you are not displaying L-plates or if they are the wrong size. Keeping them on when the Learner is not driving is not an offence, but will attract the attention of the police, who will remind you that they should be removed.

There is no legal requirement to display green P-plates (P stands for “probationary”) but some people choose to use them to show that they’ve recently passed their test and are not very experienced yet at driving alone. If you do choose to use them, you can do so for as long as you like until you feel ready to remove them.

Dimensions for the L-Plate:

The L-Plate should be a large red capital L on a white background.

The white plate should be a 178mm square. The red L should be placed centrally on the square. It is 102mm high, and 89mm wide, with the vertical part of the L 40mm wide and the horizontal part 38mm wide. There is a diagram showing these dimensions at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/l-plate-size-rules/l-plate-sizes

What type of L-Plate and where to put it?

There are two basic types of L-Plate available to buy. Magnetic ones or sticky ones.

Sticky ones have the advantage that they are less likely to fall off (though it still can happen). The glue used is not particularly strong to avoid damaging paintwork, but many people are reluctant to use them because they fear the damage to their paintwork. There is also the disadvantage that they cannot easily be removed when you are not driving, so if you are using somebody else’s car, they will need to devise some way of covering up the plate when they are driving.

Magnetic ones are notorious for coming flying off during high winds or when you are driving at higher speeds, so to ensure you remain legal you should always have some spares in the vehicle to replace them immediately if they fall off. You can get them either with a magnetic strip at top and bottom, or completely magnetic. The ones with magnetic strips are easier to use on a curved surface, but also more likely to fall off if the wind gets under the edge. The best thing to do is to get a fully magnetic one, dip it in warm water before attaching to make it more malleable and then mould it to the shape of the car as you attach it. Because it’s magnetic, you can easily remove it when you are not driving. Make sure that the surface of the magnet and the surface of the car is clean before attaching, this helps to ensure that the paintwork doesn’t get scratched by rogue bits of grit under the magnet, and also that the magnet adheres better to the car. Don’t leave them on for too long, particularly in hot weather, as there are stories about paintwork being affected in this way.

You can print your own L plates to display on your car as long as you use the correct colours and dimensions.

There aren’t any laws on where you should put your L-Plates as long as they are conspicuous on both front and back. They should be kept clean and highly visible. On the rear of the car a good rule of thumb is to put the L-Plate level with the brake lights, which are usually in a pretty visible part of the car. On the front, usually the front of the bonnet is the best place. Avoid: bumpers, which are too low to be visible; radiator grills, where the air intake would be compromised; and windows, where visibility would be impaired.

Contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213 to find out about learning to drive in Glasgow.

Why you should learn to drive

Have you ever stood at a bus stop in the rain, waiting for a late bus, and watching all the cars passing by? Do you plan your holiday destinations based more on convenience for rail routes than on where you want to go? Do you find yourself hesitating to ask a friend or family member for yet another lift? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then you’ll already have a good idea why you should learn to drive.

The freedom you will gain by being able to drive is immense. Even if you choose not to buy a car of your own you have options such as being added as a named driver on another vehicle’s insurance, being able to rent a car, or taking part in a car share scheme, which means that you can still drive without the regular expenses of being a car owner.

As a driver you will have a new-found independence and the ability to access a world of opportunities:

• Some jobs require you to hold a driving licence, as driving is part of the job;
• Other jobs might only be accessible to a car driver because of their location or because the shift patterns involved make public transport impractical, for example for late finishes or early starts;
• Getting around in rural areas can be close to impossible without your own transport;
• Transporting children, pets, heavy groceries or larger items is much easier with a car;
• New hobbies open up to you – For example, to do kayaking you need to be able to get your kayak to the river, and not many buses carry them!
• Some of our most beautiful landscape in the UK, and the leisure pursuits that you can enjoy there, are poorly served by public transport, so being able to drive will allow you to explore new areas of countryside;
• Our society is increasingly set up with car drivers in mind, with out-of-town cinema and leisure complexes and shopping centres difficult to access for pedestrians;
• Emergency situations – when your wife goes into labour or your sister breaks her arm, it’s much easier to stay calm when you know how you are going to get to the hospital;
• Your social life opens up too, as you are able to get to events, and can transport friends and family too;

In addition, driving can be fun! Imagine you can get in a car, choose your favourite music, choose your passengers and go for a road trip. Whether it’s a couple of hours jaunt into the countryside, a long trek up the motorway or a driving holiday across Europe! You have your own space and you have the independence to choose where and when you will go. Being able to drive safely opens up the roads for you.

There are so many reasons to learn to drive. Even if you don’t drive regularly, it’s an important skill, and being able to do so in an emergency could make a real difference. Go ahead, read more about it and apply for that provisional licence! Phone TX Driver Training on 0141 764 1213 now to find out about learning to drive in Glasgow.

How to practice for the Hazard Perception Test

The Hazard Perception part of the Car Driving Theory test can be pretty nerve-wracking for the uninitiated. You have fourteen video clips showing everyday road situations, and you have to click the mouse as soon as you spot a developing hazard. A developing hazard is one where you, as a driver, would need to take some action such as changing speed or direction.

Hazard Perception is all about being able to read the road ahead of you. It’s not so much something that you can revise for, because it isn’t knowledge, but the skill and experience to be able to spot something that could have an impact on your driving. Some examples of potential hazards might be: a group of children playing with a ball – if the ball rolls out into the road a child might follow; a car that’s just pulled into a parking space on the left – the driver might open their door out into the carriageway; a car parked in the carriageway – you’ll have to slow down and look out for oncoming traffic before passing; slow moving vehicles; any vehicle that’s indicating; a vehicle at a junction – they might suddenly pull out; pedestrians, cyclists or horse-riders in narrow country lanes; pedestrian crossings; level crossings and many more.

To prepare for the test you can try the following:

• Be aware of the road ahead whenever you are driving or as a passenger. What could constitute a hazard ahead? How soon does the driver (if that’s not you) notice the potential hazard and start taking action? Either as a passenger or when you’re driving you could have a commentary with the other person in the car – what potential hazards can you both spot?
• The DVSA produces some great official learning materials to help you prepare, including an interactive DVD-ROM.
• There are several online mock Hazard Perception tests available, some free and some paid for, and it’s very helpful to have a go at a few of them until you are confident with how the clicks score. It is worth noting that the clips used in the Hazard Perception test have been updated and modernised with CGI to make them clearer. Many of the mock tests will still be using slightly fuzzier filmed clips. This won’t affect your Hazard Perception, and so are still relevant practice, but it’s worth bearing in mind.
• If you are a passenger and have children in the car, how about making a “hazard bingo” game to play with them. Make copies of a list of potential hazards to spot, whoever spots one and calls it out first gets to tick it on their list. The winner is the passenger who spotted the most potential hazards first.

Basically the more experience you have of looking at the road ahead of you the better your driving will be and the more likely you are to succeed at the Hazard Perception Test. It’s definitely worth having a go at mock tests as well though, as these give you the chance to familiarise yourself with the way the test works.

Book your driving lessons in Glasgow by contacting TX Driver Training on 0141 764 1213 now.

How The Driving Theory Test Isn’t As Bad As You Think

You’ve got your Provisional Licence and you may or may not have already started your driving lessons. Before you can even start thinking about your Practical Driving Test you need to pass your Theory Test. For some people this is a small hurdle to overcome, while some people worry so much about the Theory Test that it becomes a real obstacle. Let me reassure you. The Driving theory test almost certainly isn’t as bad as you think.

How does the driving theory test work?

There are two parts to the Driving Theory Test, and you need to pass both in the same sitting.

The first part is the Multiple Choice part. You will have fifty multiple choice questions to answer on all aspects of driving theory. Questions may be about stopping distances, first aid, what road markings or signs mean, considerate driving and many other scenarios you may come across on the road. Some questions may require more than one answer, or you may get several questions based on a brief case study. You have fifty-seven minutes to answer the questions, and can “flag” and go back to any you weren’t sure about. The pass mark is 43 questions correct out of 50. Provided that you prepare well there is nothing to worry about. If you have a Special Educational Need, you should let the test centre know about this when you book, as you can hear the questions being read out with earphones, or can be allowed extra time to complete the test.

The best ways to prepare for the multiple choice part of the driving theory test are:

• Read and digest The Highway Code
• The DVSA have provided an online learning programme, e-book, app, book and DVD to help with your preparation. As these are designed by the people who set the test, they are the very best preparation materials.
• You can also take a mock theory test provided by the DVSA on www.gov.uk/practise-your-driving-theory-test

The second part of the test is the Hazard Perception Test. On the computer screen you’ll be shown a short introductory video and then you will see a series of fourteen video clips, each lasting approximately one minute. Each clip will show an everyday road scene. In the clip you will see several potential hazards, one or two of which could start to develop to a point where you may need to change direction or speed. When you spot a hazard beginning to develop, you click with the mouse. The earlier in the developing hazard you click, the more points you score for that clip. You need to score 44 out of 75 to pass the Hazard Perception part of the test.

The best ways to prepare for the Hazard Perception Test are:

• Be aware of the road ahead whenever you are driving or as a passenger. What could constitute a hazard ahead? How soon does the driver (if that’s not you) notice the potential hazard and start taking action? You could ask another driver to give you a commentary of potential hazards they spot as you drive and see if you spotted them too.
• The DVSA provide an interactive DVD-ROM and there are several free online mock Hazard Perception tests available, and it’s very helpful to have a go at a few of them until you are confident with how the clicks score.

Top Theory Test Tips

• Do your homework! The DVSA recommends about twenty hours revision and preparation for the test.
• Make sure that you know where the test centre is, and give yourself plenty of time to get there. Aim to be about thirty minutes early.
• Remember to take your photo-card provisional licence with you on the day.
• Before your test begins you get some time to familiarise yourself with the way the computer program and touch screen works with some practice questions. Make the most of this and flag up if there seem to be any problems with the technology or if there’s anything you don’t understand.
• In between the two parts of the test you get a three minute break. Use it to take some deep breaths, have a stretch and refocus ready for the Hazard Perception test.

To book your Glasgow Driving Lessons, contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.

5 myths uncovered about learning to drive

Several myths have grown up around the whole process of learning to drive. Some are strange, but most are just plain wrong. Here we bust some of these myths:

1. Driving test examiners only pass a certain number of people per day.

This is completely untrue, and has probably been given as an excuse from somebody who was embarrassed at failing. Driving examiners do not have quotas. If you drive well enough in your test then you will pass. If you drive dangerously or make too many mistakes then you will fail. Examiners are professional, their “having a bad day” will not affect your chances of passing, and neither will you wearing a short skirt! You’ll sometimes hear this myth being passed on with the advice to “get your test in the morning, before they fill their quota”, ignore this advice, take your test at any time of day and the only thing that will affect your chances of passing is the quality of your driving.

2. Men are better drivers.

Again this is completely untrue. Statistics show that neither men nor women are better. While we are generalising here, in general, women are more careful and better able to anticipate danger, men are better able to manoeuvre the car. Men tend to require fewer lessons to pass their test, but women have fewer accidents so often get cheaper insurance.

3. Most people only need a few driving lessons to pass their test.

We all hear people telling us that they “only had six lessons” or something similar. The only way this could have happened is if they were taught by a friend or family member for many hours, before taking just a few lessons before their test. In most cases they are wildly exaggerating or have a very poor memory. Latest DVSA (Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency) statistics show that the average person had over forty hours of driving lessons and an extra sixteen hours of private practice before they passed their test.

4. Driving schools make you take more lessons than you really need.

This myth has come about because nobody wants to part with hard-earned money. Driving schools are paid by the lesson. People who are reluctant to pay for more lessons, believing that they can pass their test, start to suggest that the Driving School is trying to get more money out of them. Of course, this is very rarely true. Driving schools exist to help people pass their test and drive safely. In reality the main cause of people failing the driving test is that they have taken it before they are ready. Actually many people are putting pressure on their instructor to enter them for their test when more lessons would be beneficial, and they are just not ready for the test.

5. The Theory Test is just common sense.

This isn’t really true. Some answers in the multiple choice may involve a certain amount of common sense, or a good grounding of general knowledge (road signs for example), but many require some learning. For example it’s not really common sense that the minimum car tyre tread depth is 1.6mm!

To find out more about learning to drive in Glasgow contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.

Why a good driving school will change your life

Learning to drive is often described as a “life skill” and it is certainly a set of skills that you will be able to use through the rest of your life, and which will change your life. Learning to drive allows you the freedom to travel wherever and whenever you like. You no longer have to wait in the rain with heavy bags of groceries for a bus that never turns up. You no longer have to rely on friends or family members for lifts, or to worry about how you’re going to get home. Even if you don’t intend to get a car of your own immediately, you can always hire a car for a short period if you are planning a journey. Being able to drive opens up job opportunities that either require a driving licence or become more accessible if you can drive yourself there.

What’s the difference between a good driving school and a bad one?

You may already have discovered that some driving schools aren’t as good as they should be. They may employ only trainee instructors so they can pay them less, yet still charge premium rates to the pupils. They may cut corners on car maintenance, or by getting pupils to act as taxi-drivers, starting the lesson by dropping off the previous pupil, and finishing by collecting the next pupil. These are not good driving schools. A driving school like this may end up costing you more because your driving lessons are not dedicated to teaching you to drive in the best possible way; while you are certainly practising driving while dropping off the previous pupil and driving towards the next pupil, you may not be driving optimal routes to allow you to develop important skills, to avoid congestion or to practice test routes. Worse, the other pupil in the car could be a distraction to you or the instructor.

A good driving school will be focused on you, the pupil. Every minute of every lesson will be tailored to ensure that you get the best possible tuition, and have the maximum high quality driving instruction. Your instructor will be experienced, or if you are happy to have a trainee driving instructor (with a pink triangle in the window instead of a green octagon) then they will charge you less for it. Your driver will be professional and punctual, turning up to your lessons ready to teach you.

A good driving school will help you to pass your test and to become a better driver. They will do it in a way that fits in with your life, making learning to drive as easy as possible for you. This means that where possible they will pick you up and drop you off at a location and time that suits you, and will be able to provide regular lessons with the same driving instructor. A good driving school takes your driving seriously, helping you not just to pass your test, but to become a safe and confident driver.

How do you find a good driving school?

The best way to find a good driving school is by personal recommendation. If somebody that you know has had a good experience and is happy to recommend their driving school, then the chances are they’re a good driving school. If you can’t go on recommendation, then read online reviews of the school, and ask lots of questions to ensure that you’re going to get the tuition you want.

Learning to drive really will change your life. Learn well with a good driving school and you’ll feel the benefit for the rest of your life. Learn badly, and it could be a disaster waiting to ruin your life, and potentially the lives of others.

Contact TX Driver Training on 0141 764 1213 to learn with one of the best driving schools in Glasgow.

The best ways to make use of an intensive driving course

Before you start your intensive driving course, take time to prepare. You’re going to be learning to drive in a very short space of time, so the more groundwork you do beforehand, the easier things are going to be, and the more you’ll get out of the course.

First, clear your diary for the duration of the course. You’re going to be driving for several hours each day, and for a new driver that’s can be very tiring. Don’t try to do anything else in the evenings, you’ll want to relax.

Second, spend as much time as possible before your course as an observant passenger. This might be by sitting at the front of the bus, or in the passenger seat of the car. Watch the road ahead. What’s happening? How soon does the driver slow down when they approach a roundabout or junction? What do they do as they pull out from the junction? Watch the driver’s eyes as they prepare to overtake – are they looking in their mirrors? Which ones? While closely watching your friend or parent driving might make them a little nervous, you’ll find that you can learn patterns of behaviour and road-craft that will help you when you are behind the wheel.

Third, read the Highway Code. This is the rulebook of the road and offers clear guidance on all aspects of driving. Choose a section to read each day, and read it several times. Ask somebody to test you on the content, and then revisit again several days later. The Highway Code is not just there to help with your Theory Test, the guidance in there will tell you what to do in most circumstances in everyday driving. Having a good knowledge of all the rules of the road will never be time wasted.

Choose your course and instructor carefully to ensure that you get on well together and that the course is suitable for you. Choosing a professional, enthusiastic and experienced instructor will give you the best chance of passing at the end of your course. Most driving schools will give you the opportunity to have an assessment lesson before you commit to an intensive course. This will help the instructor to assess whether an intensive course is suitable for you, and what your baseline standard of driving is like before the course, but it also helps you to decide whether this instructor will be right for you.

During your course:

Turn up on time, being late wastes precious time on a short course.

Listen carefully to everything that the instructor tells you. They are there to help you to learn to drive safely and to pass your test, so everything they tell you has a purpose.

Equally, make sure that you tell your instructor if there’s something that you don’t understand, something that you want more practice with or something you are nervous about. They can then tweak the course to ensure that you get the learning that you need.

Get lots of rest and drink plenty of water to help you to maintain concentration and get the most benefit from your course.

Enjoy it! Hopefully this will be the only intensive driving course you’ll need to take, so savour it. It won’t be long before you are the proud bearer of a Full Driving Licence, and allowed to drive solo.

Book a course

If you would like to book intensive driving lessons in Glasgow then phone 0141 764 1213 now.

How many driving lessons will I need?

There is no simple answer to this question. Everybody is different. Learners come to driving lessons with different experiences as a passenger and different rates of learning. Some learners have more opportunity for practice outside of their driving lessons than others too.

Some learners claim to have needed as few as five to ten driving lessons with an instructor, so it’s assumed that they have been taught most aspects of learning to drive by a friend or family member. Some learners spend many years learning, and find combining the skills very difficult or are very nervous. The average learner is somewhere in the middle of this continuum, requiring in the region of forty hours of lessons with a qualified instructor and about twenty hours practice with a friend or family member.

It’s important to remember that we are talking about being in sole control of a vehicle weighing at least one tonne and capable of travelling in excess of seventy miles per hour. Learning to drive isn’t all about being able to pass the test in the fastest possible time, but about teaching you to drive safely and confidently. It’s surely better to take a couple of extra lessons and pass safe and confident, than to squeeze through too quickly to save money and time, and end up either failing, or not being a safe driver and potentially causing an accident.

A few factors that might have an impact on how many lessons you require include:

• People who live in congested urban areas, or who usually have their driving lessons at rush hour are likely to need a few more lessons. They are spending more of their driving lesson time sitting in traffic, and less time driving at normal speeds learning to read the road, or practising manoeuvres.
• People who live further from the test centre may need a few more lessons because they get less practice on the test route, or spend more of their lesson time travelling to and from the test area.
• Nervous drivers will need more lessons because they need to feel completely confident at each step before they can be moved on to the next, and driving lesson time will be spent going over material that’s been covered and reassuring the learner.
• Learners who don’t have the opportunity to practice between lessons may need more. They don’t have the chance to embed their learning with a friend or family member, and will probably need to recap the last lesson before continuing. On the other hand, it’s possible that those who do practice with a friend or family member could be picking up bad habits, or becoming frustrated and tense with their driving between lessons, and time may need to be spent undoing this damage, leading to more lessons being required.
• Learners who have spent more time in the front passenger seat, or who have ridden a bike regularly may need fewer lessons, as they have more understanding of the rules of the road and more experience reading the road ahead.
• Having two or three lessons each week will also probably reduce the number that you need, as you’ll not be forgetting what you have learned in between your lessons and needing to re-cap.

Before you start driving, there is no magic way of telling how many lessons you’re going to require, and it’s certainly not worth trying to scrimp and save on something so important. Spending some time reading and learning The Highway Code before you start, and paying more attention to the way other people drive will all help to prepare you for your lessons.

Contact TX Driver Training on 0141 764 1213 to start your driving lessons now.

Should I try a crash course in driving or go for individual lessons?

The inappropriately named “crash course” or intensive driving course, where you take all your lessons and your test in as little as two weeks, has increased in popularity recently as our hurried young people rush to get their driving licence sooner.

Here is a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of both crash courses and individual lessons:

Time taken –

A crash course can condense all your lessons into as little as one or two weeks, meaning that you can reach and pass your test very quickly.

Taking an individual one-hour lesson each week can take as long as a year.

Remembering or embedding –

In a crash course you’re taking your lessons one after the other or the next day, so there isn’t time to forget everything you’ve learned. It means that you don’t have to spend a portion of the following week recapping your knowledge and getting back up to speed. However, this means that you don’t have time to embed and assimilate the knowledge and skills or to practise with a family member or friend between lessons.

Breadth of Experience –

In a crash course you are going from being a complete novice to an independent driver in a very short time, but without the breadth of experience that somebody who has been learning for longer can achieve. Taking individual lessons across several months will mean that you have experience in varied weather conditions, in the dark and on different road types. You may well have had practice in between lessons too. In a crash course there is the pressure of a test booked for the end of the week, so it’s likely that most of your lessons will be focused on the test route and things that will come up in the test, rather than on developing a broad range of driving skills.

Concentration –

In a crash course you have all your lessons in a very short space of time, so you can fully immerse yourself in driving, reading the Highway Code, and driving DVDs and simulations for the duration of the course. However, it can be easy to become fatigued. Driving lessons are mentally tiring, and at the end of a five hour lesson you may be struggling to concentrate or take any more in.

In individual lessons you are only driving for one or two hours at a time, so come to it fresh and ready to concentrate.

Struggles –

Sometimes driving lessons are difficult and you can become demoralised. In a crash course your instructor can help you to work through this and overcome it, or it can be compounded and make learning for the rest of the course very difficult. In individual lessons you will have time in between your lessons to get moral support and perspective from friends and loved ones, so that you can come back to your next driving lesson ready to have another go.

It’s worth taking the time to think through these issues and choose the type of learning that will suit you best. If you are unsure, talk to people who have learned to drive, or choose your instructor first, and ask their advice.

To find out more about Intensive Crash courses in Glasgow call 0141 764 1213.

How To Find A Good Driving School

While some driving instructors are independent, many belong to a Driving School. The School takes care of the business side of things, allowing the instructor to concentrate on teaching driving.

There are so many driving schools out there clamouring for attention with advertisements that it isn’t always easy to work out which are the best. Personal recommendation helps a lot, especially if you can select the particular instructor that you learn with. Looking at User Reviews also gives a good indication of how other learners have found the school and their reputation. If reviewers are commenting about instructors regularly turning up late, including grocery stops or not having the instructor’s full attention, then this probably isn’t a school you’ll want to use. Pass rates are not all that helpful, as they aren’t standardised and there are so many variables involved that they can’t really be compared.

Think about the type of learning you want to undertake – do you want to undertake one hour long lesson per week, a two hour lesson per week, or an intensive course? Check which driving schools offer what you want. Once you have a shortlist, don’t be afraid to ask them questions. You’re going to be giving them a lot of money, so you need to be sure that you’re getting what you need out of the arrangement. Some of the questions you should ask include:

• What cars do you use? (Model and age – most will use smaller cars under three years old)
• Are the cars dual control?
• Will I have the same instructor for all my lessons? This is helpful, as they will know you, will know what your skills are and what you need to work on.
• And the same car? Also helpful as you will gauge how much space you have when manoeuvring.
• Do you have female instructors? This may or may not be important to you.
• Do any of your instructors specialise in nervous drivers? A useful question if you are one.
• Are all your instructors fully qualified? Trainee instructors doesn’t mean poorer quality, but they do have less experience and should charge less.
• How much are your lessons? Price isn’t everything, but it is useful to know.
• Am I entirely 1:1 or does the instructor pick up the next pupil during my lesson? This can be distracting, and will also mean that you may be spending less time practising the test route, because some of your lesson time will be taken up travelling to the next pupil, but it saves the instructor/school money because they don’t have uncharged time between pupils.
• Do you offer a discount for booking a block of lessons in advance? If they do, then book a small block to begin with, to make sure that you’re happy with the instruction before you commit to a longer block.
• Which test centre do you use? Also find out whether practice on driving test routes used by that centre is included in lessons.
• What’s your pass rate for first attempts? This tells you if they try to put people through their tests too soon.
• Can I have lessons early morning / evening / weekend / weekdays (whatever your preference)?

Once you’ve gone through all these questions, you should have an idea which driving school will suit you best, and can make a decision. If you are unhappy with your instruction, you can ask for a different instructor, and if you’re still not happy, don’t be afraid to change driving school.

Contact TX Driver Training on 0141 764 1213 to find out why we think we are the best driving school in Glasgow.

Learning To Drive in Glasgow

Learning to drive is an exciting milestone for anybody. It takes you from being dependent on public transport or other drivers, to a feeling of freedom and independence. The whole process can be divided pretty neatly into three parts: theory, car control, and road-craft.

The theory part includes knowing about road markings and signs, and the rules about using the road. For example how to overtake a cyclist, when to use your hazard lights and so on. You can start learning driving theory before you first sit in the driving seat, and you probably already have some knowledge from using the road as a passenger, pedestrian or cyclist. Reading and digesting The Highway Code is the best way to check your knowledge and learn driving theory.

Car Control will be covered in your first lessons. It’s about handling the car itself, putting a whole new range of skills and reflexes together to start and stop the car, and to manoeuvre it. To begin with this will require a lot of concentration as you use hand-eye co-ordination to put the physical processes of steering, changing gear and using the pedals together with looking through the windows and mirrors. After some practice driving in quiet roads this multi-tasking becomes second nature. It’s a bit like when you first got on a cycle – pedalling, balance and steering all at once was really tricky, but it doesn’t take long for you to get it together.

Road-craft is about dealing with everything else on the road. You’ll learn about how to deal with other vehicles, varied weather conditions and levels of light, with roundabouts, signals, pedestrians and other hazards. Once you’ve mastered the basic control of the car, most of the rest of your lessons will be focusing on building experience and skill in road-craft.

As you can see, there’s quite a lot involved in becoming a driver, but you can and will be able to do it. The best person to teach you to drive is a qualified driving instructor. They have a thorough understanding of driving theory, car control and road-craft, and lots of experience in teaching people to drive safely. They also know how driving tests work, and are able to judge when you are ready to take and pass the test.

There is no minimum or maximum number of lessons, everybody learns at different rates. You may choose to do all your driving practice with your instructor, or you may practice with a patient friend or family member between lessons, as long as the car insurance includes you as a learner driver, the car is displaying L-plates when you are driving, and the person supervising you is over 21 and has had a full driving licence for at least three years.

There are two parts to the driving test, and your instructor will be able to advise you when you are ready for each one. The first is the Theory Test. You need a provisional licence to do the Theory Test, and you must pass it before you can book a practical driving test. It includes driving theory and hazard recognition, and is done on a computer at a test centre. The practical driving test will involve about forty minutes on the road with an examiner, who will be looking at driving theory, car control and road-craft. At the end of the forty minutes you will be told the result of your driving test. If you pass, you’ve done it! You’re now a qualified driver. Learning to drive doesn’t end there though, you’ll be continually building up your experience, and should look again at the Highway Code periodically.

Contact us now if you are interested in finding out about learning to drive in Glasgow.