Licence & Eyesight Check
You must have a valid driving licence that covers the vehicle you are driving. You need to be able to read a number plate at a minimum distance of 20.5 metres (approx 67 feet)
Cockpit Drill
All drivers must be able to perform a simple get ready drill before starting to drive, the main parts to this are that after getting in the car just have a check that the handbrake is on and the gear lever is in a neutral position, you can then just follow a simple drill in making sure all your doors are closed, then make any necessary adjustments in your seating and steering position, then put your seat belt on correctly, then adjust all your mirrors to get the best views of behind and to the sides.
The order of seat belt before mirrors or mirrors before seat belt is not really an issue as long as you do your doors and seat adjustments first.
Car Controls
You need to be able to master all the main controls in a car, these not only include all the main controls of accelerator, footbrake, clutch, gears, handbrake and steering, but also all the additional controls of headlights, fog lights, indicators, wipers, horn, demisters, heating etc, also if fitted and where necessary satellite navigation, air conditioning and cruise controls.
Moving off / Stopping
You need to be able to move off safely from all situations, this will include on flat roads, uphill and downhill, at an angle from behind a stationary vehicle and also how to move off quickly to fit into any safe gaps in traffic.
Road positioning
During your training your instructor will explain all about the safest positioning for many different situations, these will include normal road positioning, passing vehicles, lane discipline, positions at various junctions and very importantly keeping a safe following distance from the vehicle in front.
Effective use of your mirrors
Just looking in your mirrors is definitely not good enough, you must look effectively which means early use, understanding what you see, taking the right actions on what you see.
There are so many examples of correct mirror use but the main ones include, before any signalling, moving off from the side of road, any change of direction, pulling over and stopping at the side of the road, any changes to your speed, any overtaking manoeuvre and also before you open your door.
Use of signalling
All drivers must be able to communicate effectively to other road users, this also includes pedestrians and cyclists. The main way this is done is usually with your indicators, however other ways of communicating are by your road positioning, your speed, your brake and reverse lights, your horn and in some situations using arm signalling.
Planning / Anticipation / Awareness
This is such a vital skill as all drivers need to be able to read the road effectively, this includes being very aware of your surroundings and trying to anticipate what may happen next that could affect you. It’s very important that you drive in a defensive way so that if the unexpected suddenly happens you can react safely.
Use of speed
Speed is usually the major factor in most road accidents. All drivers should only drive at a speed so they can pull up safely within the distance they can see to be clear. Obviously you should not exceed the speed limit for a road however a speed limit is only a maximum speed allowed and yet in many situations it may only be safe to drive at a much lower speed to be safe.
Pedestrian crossings
During your training you will come up against many types of pedestrian crossings, the main crossings are zebra crossings both single and double, pelican crossings both straight and staggered, also puffin crossings, toucan crossings, equestrian crossings. You will also come up against areas where pedestrians often cross roads, these can be where there are central refuge areas, at road junctions and also some newer areas in what we call shared zones around town centres, universities etc, these are often referred to as courtesy type crossings.
Remember that when driving you are in a big metal vehicle and pedestrians were around for millions of years before cars, so please slow down to protect them. The best way to think about this is that if a pedestrian wants to lay down in front of your car then they can do so, but you haven’t got any rights whatsoever to drive over them!!
Junctions
Your instructor will teach you how to deal with all types of road junctions including, the main ones being side junctions, crossroads, T junctions, unmarked junctions, traffic light junctions, roundabouts, mini roundabouts and multi lane roundabouts. There are many things to consider when dealing with junctions, these include using the main parts to the MSM / PSL routines.
Country Roads
You may think that it’s quite easy to drive on these roads however there are lots of accidents that happen on rural roads and in the country. You need knowledge and skills to be completely safe. You will need to know the safest way of negotiating right and left hand bends safely, this includes an understanding of limit points, positioning, hidden dangers, hump backed bridges, horse riders, cyclists, motorcyclists, joggers, animals, farm vehicles, lack of road signs and markings, also how things would definitely be very different at night time and in fog.
High speed roads and dual carriageways
Some roads are designed for speed, these can include some main trunk roads, dual carriageways and motorways. To drive much faster you still need the skills in judging both yours and other motorists, you need skills in overtaking and judging following distances, other skills include how to understand road layouts including complicated road signs and directions.
The skill of reversing
All drivers need to be very competent in reversing. Your instructor will explain all the set reverse manoeuvres that you could be asked on a driving test and you will get plenty of practice to perfect your skills.
The set manoeuvres on a driving test are; pull up on the right side of a road and reverse back at least two car lengths, a reverse around a stationary vehicle known as a parallel park, reverse bay parking by reversing into parking bays to the right or left, forward bay parking by driving forward into a parking brake and then reversing back out again. On a normal L test you will only be asked to perform one of these manoeuvres.
The emergency stop
This is often referred to as the controlled stop exercise. It is vital that a driver can pull up quickly if the unexpected suddenly happens such as a child suddenly darting out in front of your car. Most good drivers very rarely have to perform an emergency stop, this is because a very skilful driver will usually have seen signs of danger much earlier and then taken steps to minimise the danger differently. You may or may not be asked to do an emergency stop on your test day, this is because only around a third of tests include this exercise.
Eco style driving
Nowadays everyone should consider the effects of driving on the environment, this style of driving will also save you lots of money when you eventually get your first car. The main points are all based around driving smoothly and in the correct gear, not over revving your engine, making good use of stop start functions and cruise control, also planning your driving correctly and making use of good timing and light braking.
DRIVING LESSON PRICES IN BLACKPOOL AND ALONG THE FYLDE COAST
MANUAL DRIVING LESSONS
60 Minute Lesson
£35
90 Minute Lesson
£52.50
120 Minute Lesson
£70
10 Hour Block Payment
£340
AUTOMATIC DRIVING LESSONS
60 Minute Lesson
£36
90 Minute Lesson
£54
120 Minute Lesson
£72
10 Hour Block Payment
£350
JUST CALL OR TEXT ANY OF THE INSTRUCTORS BELOW TO SEE IF THEY CAN HELP YOU:
MANUAL INSTRUCTORS
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR DAVE MASON (Manual lessons)
Dave has been a driving instructor for Students Driving School for many years and he has taught many hundreds of pupils to pass their tests. We call him ‘Mr Blackpool’ because he seems to know everyone. Dave loves his job as an instructor and he teaches in the latest Ford Fiesta which is a fantastic car to learn in
To contact Dave just Call or Text him on 07876 133052
You can also visit his website at www.blackpooldrivinginstructor.co.uk
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR DRIVING INSTRUCTOR MARK SMITH (Manual lessons)
Mark is a very enthusiastic driving instructor with excellent communication skills, he is very calm and encouraging which is just what you need when learning how to drive. Marks previous career was a motor mechanic and this blends so well with being an instructor and it gave us the fantastic opportunity to have him on board as one of our instructors.
To contact Mark just Call or Text him on 07709 749516
You can also visit his website at www.blackpool-drivinglessons.co.uk
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR DRIVING INSTRUCTOR MARK FRANKLIN (Manual lessons)
Mark is an extremely friendly instructor and has many years of driving experience. His previous career was as a car salesman so he can give you some good advice when you are looking to buy your first car. A change of career has made it possible for him to join a well-established driving school. Mark covers many areas including most of the areas Over Wyre including Hambleton and Knott End.
To contact Mark just Call or Text him on 07494 195672
You can also visit his website at www.drivinglessons-blackpool.co.uk
AUTOMATIC INSTRUCTORS
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR NIGEL (Automatic lessons)
Nigel has been with Students Driving School for over 20 years. He has got many qualifications in driving and teaching including, PTTLS level 4, Education & Training level 4 and Fleet trainer. Nigel is a very enthusiastic instructor and he teaches in a fantastic automatic Toyota Corolla Hybrid.
To contact Nigel just Call or Text him on 07792 379355
You can also visit his website at www.blackpoolautomaticdrivinglessons.co.uk
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR JULIE (Automatic lessons)
We are very pleased to have Julie as one of our team of driving instructors in Blackpool, she specialises in teaching in automatic vehicles. Julie is very easy going and friendly and teaches driving in a client centred way, she gives lots of encouragement and confidence building to her pupils so that they can get ready for their driving tests as quickly as possible.
To contact Julie just Call or Text him on 07733 600453
You can also visit his website at www.automaticdrivinglessonsblackpool.co.uk
OTHER AREAS
We also also cover other areas throughout Lancashire including Preston and Blackburn If you live in these areas just - Click Here
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR TRAINING
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