Develop your Driving Skills
There are many ways you can develop good driving attitudes and defensive
techniques outside your driving lessons. Consider the following questions.
While walking or being driven along the road what do you notice about the
actions of other road users, particularly at junctions and narrow places? What affect does this have on nearby road users including yourself?
When walking across the road, how do you judge when it is safe to cross? Does
traffic ever honk their horn at you?
What about the person driving you? Are they a responsible driver? Are they
considerate to other road users?
When being driven fast around bends, what affect does it have on the car? Do you
feel the need to hang on?
What do the various road markings mean? How do they help traffic flow?
What road signs do you notice? What do they mean?
What places along the road are safe places to stop or park? Which parked vehicles create a hazard to other road users?
When is the right time to put on lights & how much more visible are the lighted vehicles & florescent cyclists?
By careful consideration of the actions of all road users you can develop your
planning and anticipation and therefore be better prepared to take the
appropriate action whilst driving.
Throughout your driving lessons, your instructor may suggest various activities
to practice between driving lessons. These may be physical exercises or theory
based research or revision.
The following are just a few examples
Use a plate to practice the “push pull” steering method
Use a cushion to practice clutch control and changing gear. Or sit in a car on your driveway and use the real pedals, whilst the engine is
off.
When a passenger, sit in the front and use the vanity mirror on the passengers
sun visor to look for traffic behind particularly when slowing or changing
direction.
When walking, cross the road frequently to improve judgement of other traffic
speeds.
Guess the speed of the car you are travelling in and then look at the
speedometer to see how close you were.
When a passenger try to judge when it is safe to pull out at junctions – and when it’s not – other traffic shouldn’t have to slow down!
Continuous reflection and revising your driving experiences are great ways to
develop your driving skills and don’t stop when you’ve passed your test. Better drivers are far less likely to be involved in accidents. Insurance companies prefer them too!
