Wednesday, 13 May 2009 19:18

In this third and final part of our guide, we’ll look at the nerves you may experience whilst out with the examiner, and provide some tips on how best to stay calm during the test. It’s fair to say that driving tests are stressful. The test day looms large at the end of your lessons and once your instructor finally appraises your skills as sufficient to pass, the day that seemed so far off suddenly becomes a very tangible hurdle to jump and the pressure is then on to prepare. Your instructor will prepare you well so there’s much less to worry about than you think. Instructors won’t recommend you apply for your test before they truly believe you’re ready to exhibit the required standard of driving so you can be confident in your own skill level and trust their judgement. They’ll take you through mock tests before the big day and you’ll have the opportunity to practice the manoeuvres you may be asked to complete, so this will really help to take some of the fear out of the situation. Your test could be at any time of day and follow any route so you must be prepared to drive in heavy traffic, or to drive on a road you’re unfamiliar with. You’ll be used to driving in a range of conditions with your instructor so treat it as you would any of your lessons; focus on the road and the other drivers around you. If you concentrate on the traffic and the driving itself your nerves will gradually dissipate as your focus will be on what you’re doing rather than worrying about how well you’re doing it. Try to enjoy the drive - it could be your last as a learner. The key piece of advice is to listen carefully to the examiner and pay close attention to everything they ask of you. If there’s something you don’t understand tell them immediately. They’ll give clear instructions and will expect you to follow them to the letter. There’ll usually be two manoeuvres to perform such as a reverse round a corner or a parallel park etc. Approach them steadily, taking your time and keep checking your mirrors. These basic procedures not only keep you safe, on course and show the examiner you’re driving with due care and attention, but they’ll also help to blot out any nerves that may undermine your confidence. Remember it’s simply what you’ve done with your instructor in your lessons – you’ve done it before so you can do it again. You’ll usually be asked to perform an emergency stop by the examiner – if you’re listening carefully you won’t panic when they give the signal for the stop. Again, focus on the mechanics of what you’re doing and the stages of the procedure (foot brake, clutch, into neutral and handbrake etc,) rather than worrying about it. Other than the emergency stop, the examiner will generally tell you to make manoeuvres in your own time, so it’s up to you to decide when to begin. They’ll expect you to judge when it’s safe to execute a manoeuvre and to keep checking for any hazards whilst you complete it. Use these moments to take some breaths and to clear your mind of anything but the task in hand. Good luck.

Wednesday, 13 May 2009 17:13

In part two of this guide to overcoming your driving test nerves, we’ll be looking at fears of the examiner, driving without your instructor or the security that ‘dual control’ gives you, and ways to calm those nerves on the day of your test. Learners often fear their test due to horror stories and media stereo-types of horrendously mean and merciless driving test examiners who delight in failing people. The truth is far from the stereo-type; examiners generally have many years of experience and although it is their job to ensure you meet the high standard required from each discipline of the test, they are well used to nervous exam candidates and will try to put you at ease and make you comfortable. There can be a certain amount of anxiety from the fact that your test will possibly be the first time you get behind the wheel of a car without the safety cushion of dual control or your instructor there to guide you. Many learners can understandably feel nervous about the prospect of ‘going solo’ but your instructor won’t be sitting in the passenger seat once you’ve passed your test so you have to have the confidence to trust your own judgement and drive alone at some point. If you’ve prepared by taking as many lessons as you need and you’ve paid attention to your instructor’s advice on how to approach and execute the manoeuvres then you should be fine. Your nerves will no doubt be at their peak just before you get in the car and start the test, however you can calm them by a) focussing on the task ahead, b) listening carefully and concentrating on what the examiner says to you, and c) tuning into your breathing and remembering to breathe out. It sounds silly perhaps but when you are stressed or begin to panic, your breathing becomes shallow and you tend to inhale more. Spend a few moments before your test taking deep breaths in and then letting the whole breath out and you’ll be surprised how much it helps to relax you. In part three we’ll be looking at the test itself and how to overcome any anxiety you might feel during test conditions.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009 13:12

Would you rather buy a car in winter or would you prefer to make your purchase in the summer? Why should the season even have a bearing on the situation? Well, research has shown that there are certain times of year when you are a lot more likely to secure a good deal when buying a car. Sales of sportier soft-top models are always more prevalent in the summer months as people’s thoughts turn to cruising with the top down and enjoying the weather in style. Similarly, sales in the winter are considerably quieter as the colder, darker, wetter weather puts people off driving in general. Of course, this trend is reversed altogether if you’re looking for a more rugged ‘off-road’ type of vehicle - as you’d expect, sales of these tend to drop off in better weather and peak at the first sign of snow. When the plates change in March and September, the market is flooded with brand new cars meaning sales are at their highest point. However, this also means an increase in people getting rid of their old cars and consequently, we often see a flurry of second hand sales. The shrewd buyer would wait a month or so for prices to fall and then snap up a bargain. It’s not an exact science obviously however purchases of this nature do seem to follow a pattern. So if you’re looking to get the most for your money, the best advice could be to be seasonally astute in order to get the car you want.

Saturday, 09 May 2009 18:22

When you are learning to drive you are not legally permitted to drive on a motorway until you've passed your practical driving test. Therefore once you do pass, you're able to drive but you lack the vital experience needed to drive on Britain's major road network. That's why it's tremendously advisable to gain this experience with a Motorway Tuition course once you achieve your licence. These courses aim to teach you how to drive safely and competently on motorways with lessons in how to join the motorway safely, managing your speed and judging distances effectively, using the lane system, overtaking safely, how to get help if you run into trouble and how to leave the motorway. The course will school you in motorway driving and stopping distances - you'll learn to leave a larger gap between yourself and the car in front because everyone's speed is greater, which obviously increases the stopping distance. There are 3 lanes on a motorway for a reason - the inside lane is really the main driving lane. Both the middle and outside lanes are for overtaking so once you have overtaken another car, you should return to the inside lane as soon as safely possible. You shouldn't drive solely in the middle lane as this will prevent other drivers from safely overtaking and can lead to accidents or congestion. It's all too easy to become cavalier about your speed on the motorway. 70mph feels ridiculously fast when you've been used to driving lessons at a steady 30-40mph maximum, however not only is it illegal to exceed any speed limit, it's incredibly dangerous. On a motorway tuition course you'll learn the importance of concentration and the skill to manage your car safely and efficiently within the legal speed limits.

Saturday, 09 May 2009 13:53

In this three part guide, we'll be looking at the parts of driving tests that worry learners the most and providing suggestions on how to overcome them. In part one, we'll look at the fear of failure and of the test itself and ways in which to prepare so you'll now start to feel more comfortable. Chances are, if you're learning to drive, you're already thinking about your test and getting nervous about it. But have you stopped to examine what it is you're actually worried about? You may think that's a stupid question - "The Whole Thing!" you're probably shrieking in reply. However, with many people, it's one specific aspect of the test process that worries them more than any other and that's what you need to discover in order to master those nerves in time for the big day. Is it a straightforward fear of the unknown? If you've never taken the test before you won't necessarily know what to expect and that can certainly fuel your phobia. Get as much information from your instructor as possible and ask them to prepare you for the format and atmosphere of the exam by giving you mock tests within your lessons so you can familiarise yourself with what's expected of you. On the day, the examiner will outline everything they want you to do before you do it so you'll be guided through the experience from start to finish. Might it be a fear of failing the test? Well if you do happen to fail it's really not the end of the world, and you certainly won't be alone! Many people don't pass on their first time and often pass their second or third test. It doesn't mean you won't pass first time however; your instructor won't let you apply for a test date without being confident you're ready in the first place so you can feel sure your standard is perfectly adequate. Failing doesn't mean you're necessarily a bad driver - it would simply mean that on the day your driving didn't meet all of the requirements for the test. You can easily arrange another test and many driving schools cover the second test fee if you fail first time after training on an Intensive course with them. In part two we'll look at fears of the examiner themselves, driving without your instructor or ‘dual control' and ways to relax on the day.