Pass plus

Firstly, allow me to introduce the pass plus to you. It’s a six hour course covering six modules, each module lasting one hour. The idea is to build confidence in areas learners don’t normally get too much experience in – all weather driving, motorways, dual carriageways, rural roads, ETC.

I tend to do all modules in one six hour block, A six hour lesson will provide you with a different driving experience to your pre-test lessons and challenge your skills to a much greater extent than breaking them down into shorter lessons. Also, the driving you’re doing will include motorways and dual carriageways, and most of the time when you’re driving on these roads, you will be driving for more than an hour. Also, I can work in breaks and talk about the importance of taking breaks on long journeys. The pass plus can be so much more than these basic modules. Seeing as its post-test, When conducting a pass plus I find it very helpful for student’s to experience many things they would encounter when driving alone that they have not encountered pre-test, for example, I encourage pupils to bring a CD or we listen to the radio for a portion of the time, and navigate using a sat-nav. I know these are distractions, but that simulates post-test driving better, as usually post-test you’ll be listening to music and using a sat nav, so better to learn how to do this safely.

After the course, people generally feel a lot more confident, and are much safer drivers, so that’s the main reason to do one, instead of saving money.

When I learnt to drive, insurance companies gave discounts to drivers that had done a pass plus, as they were less likely to claim. This made it a brilliant system – young drivers doing pass plus courses to save money, then insurance companies saving money through fewer insurance claims – a real win-win situation.

When I was 17, after my driving test, I did a pass plus course. I did it for one reason, and one reason only – to save money on insurance. My premium was £1,350 for third party only a year on a 1.1 Fiesta (nowadays it would be higher). I saved 30% off my premium, £405, which was great, seeing as the course only cost me £100 (I think it was about that, it was a long time ago!). I remember most of my friends doing pass plus courses for the same reason.

Last year, we didn’t do many pass plus courses. I did one all year. We were charging £170 for the course, reasonable if you were saving £400+, but many insurers have stopped recognising the course, and therefore no discounts; which I think it’s counter-productive, because if they don’t give discounts then people won’t do them, which makes them more likely to crash, which makes insurance companies more likely to have to pay out.

Now, we’re charging £100 for the course. We’re charging less because you’ll be saving less from the insurance company. Personally, I’m happy to make less money off them to make the roads safer.

I think they’re a brilliant thing to do, as they really equip a new driver with all the skills they don’t get under normal learning circumstances.

James Richards, ADI

Pass plus

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in Ferndown for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give some advice to pupils on how to be safe dealing with one of the most difficult junctions in Ferndown.

This is an image of the crossroads in the centre of Ferndown. Both roads on this crossroads are very busy, especially at rush hour, so I would like to give you some advice on how to deal with the more difficult turn. If you are turning right from Ringwood road (pictured top left to bottom right) into either of the other 2 roads you will see that there is a protected right turn to wait in. You can enter this box when your lights are green and wait for the oncoming traffic to clear. Just as you stop in the box ensure you steer your wheels so they are facing straight down the road not across the oncoming traffic. This is done in case a car drives into the back of your car, you would then roll into the empty space between the boxes rather than into oncoming traffic. keep one eye on the green light in front of you. When this goes red the oncoming traffic will also be stopped, ensure you see them stopping and then make your turn. If there is an oncoming vehicle also turning right, make sure it has not blocked any of your view before you make your turn.

We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Ferndown. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover Ferndown and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around Ferndown;

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons Ferndown

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

Driving Lessons Ferndown

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in Bear cross, Bournemouth for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give some advice to pupils on how to be safe dealing with one of the most difficult roundabouts in Bear cross.

This is an aerial image of the Bear cross roundabout. This is a very standard shape, 4 exit roundabout, that follows all the standard roundabout rules for positioning and signalling etc. The only reason it is more difficult than an average roundabout is because it’s busy. So I would like to talk about how to read other traffic on a roundabout and give some advice that will help you join busy roundabouts more comfortably. So what is the purpose of a roundabout? They are designed to keep traffic flowing more freely than a give way junction or traffic lights. So ideally, where possible it is best to filter in with traffic on the roundabout, ensuring of course there is a large enough gap to filter in to. The key to filtering in to a busy roundabout is a slow approach and early observation. Approaching slowly gives the maximum possible time for a gap to appear on the roundabout which you can gently accelerate into. Looking to your right early allows you the maximum potential to see the gap appear. Do ensure you keep checking back to your position though. So now you’ve got time to see your gap on the roundabout I need to let you know how to understand where the other cars are going so you can identify that gap. In a perfect world every driver would signal left when they were due to leave a roundabout and it would be easy to understand where they were going. Unfortunately you may have noticed most drivers don’t signal correctly at roundabouts. So the best thing to judge them on is there speed and position. Speed – If a driver is going fast or you can see they are accelerating there is a good chance they are about to leave the roundabout. If a driver is going around a roundabout they will need to keep there speed slow. Position – If they are wide to the outside of the roundabout they will most likely be leaving the roundabout. If they are close to the roundabout they will be continuing around. This is the very basics of understanding and the rest can be learnt by studying roundabouts closer.

We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Bear cross, Bournemouth. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover Bearcross, Bournemouth and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around Bearcross, Bournemouth;

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons Bear cross, Bournemouth

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

Driving Lessons Bear cross, Bournemouth

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in Boscombe, Bournemouth for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give some advice to pupils on how to be safe dealing with one of the most difficult junctions in Boscombe, Bournemouth.

This image is of the traffic light junction at the Springbourne end of Ashley road in Boscombe. I would firstly like to point out I am aware that there is a more difficult junction further along Holdenhurst road and would have loved to talk about this, however it has only recently been redesigned by the council and Google have not yet got a current image of this, so I’ll talk about that one when Google has been updated. The traffic lights in this image have caused many drivers to make a mistake. This is mainly due to how the lights are timed. If you approaching these lights and travelling away from Bournemouth (The road pictured left), And if you are turning right into Ashley road (pictured bottom) the lights for the traffic going straight ahead will go green before the lights for the vehicles turning right. I have seen many drivers look at the wrong set of lights before trying to make a right turn through the red light. So be careful you have assessed all the lights before making a decision. If you are turning out of Ashley road, when your lights are green, traffic turning left into Ashley road will also have a green light. When this is the case watch out for buses coming around the corner towards you as they have to swing out fairly wide and can sometimes cross onto your side of the road.

We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Boscombe, Bournemouth. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover Boscombe, Bournemouth and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around Boscombe, Bournemouth;

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons Boscombe, Bournemouth

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

Driving Lessons Boscombe, Bournemouth

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in Southbourne, Bournemouth for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give pupils some advice. Most of these posts include the most difficult junction in the area, however Southbourne is mainly used by driving instructors for learning the reversing manoeuvres, so I would like to take this opportunity to give some tips on how to reverse around a left hand corner.

I think you would agree that you hardly ever see a fully qualified driver reversing around a corner to the left, so why would they ask you to do it for your driving test? It is required to ensure you have the basic steering and speed control when travelling in reverse. This is so you are able to carry out tasks like reversing into your driveway safely and under control. One common misconception is that you have to be about 6 inches from the kerb all the way around the corner. This is not true. Keeping in mind that this is a test of basic control you would be allowed far more than this to still be considered safe. I’m not going to explain the entire manoeuvre here as that is usually best to go through just before you practise it. I am just going to give a few tips and key points to help you complete the manoeuvre easier. Firstly, keep the car slow, this is a crawl pace at which the car has no momentum, if you were to put the clutch down a little the car would come to a stop almost instantly. Make sure you know where you are going to start turning the wheel. Many instructors use points on the car related to points on the kerb to help you understand where to turn. This will work well for their car however be aware that all cars have different size rear and side windows, so when you get your own car you will need to assess the turning points for yourself. Before you start to turn ensure you look all around you as the front of your car will be about to swing out to the right. Now when you steer around the corner I would like you to keep in mind that not every corner is the same. Instructors will often suggest to their pupils to start with a 3/4 or full turn to the left to bring the car around the corner. This is just a starting point. I find many pupils then try to treat this as a set system and are then lost when they try a different corner with a wider or shallower curve. You should start with your set amount of steering, however look far down the road you are going into and assess how well the steering is taking you around the corner. If necessary adjust this steering to ensure you are heading in the right direction. I’ve just mentioned looking far back down the road. This is the main thought I would like to leave you with. Many learners try to just use their mirrors or put all their focus on the kerb just next to the car or look at the movement of the front of the car. The best place to focus for most of the manoeuvre is to where you would like the car to finish.

We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Southbourne, Bournemouth. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover Southbourne and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around Southbourne:

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons Southbourne, Bournemouth

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

Driving Lessons Southbourne, Bournemouth

So, roads minister Mike Penning has suggested that later on this year that learner drivers will be allowed to drive on motorways.

Critics say that learners on motorways are going to cause carnage, accidents and deaths.

Allow me to explain why we as driving instructors feel that this is a great idea and the critics are COMPLETELY wrong.

Why it will be completely safe

Firstly, think hard, how many learner cars do you see in accidents? Barley any? That’s because on a driving lesson you’ve got two pairs of eyes instead of one looking for hazards. You’ve also got an extra brake and clutch for the driving instructor, and seven mirrors instead of three.

Driving instructors are responsible professionals who have undergone stringent tests. Therefore; we are able to assess a learners skills and confidence only allowing them to enter situations they will be capable of. This will of course still be the case when introducing learners to the motorways. The learner will also be well prepared and supported throughout.

Very few accidents happen on motorways anyway. Statistically, you’re much less likely to be in an accident on a motorway that around town. If we can keep a learner safe turning right on a busy roundabout with multiple lanes, 5 or 6 exits, at rush hour. We can keep a learner safe on the motorway.

Modern cars cope well with the speed. Most instructors drive cars made after 2007, with ABS, speed sensitive steering, traction control and many other features making them more than capable motorway cars.

If you are with a driving instructor, you probably won’t be doing anything wrong, IE tail-gating, driving too fast for the road or traffic conditions, driving in blind spots, not using the MSM/PSL routine, talking on a mobile or getting distracted. Are these not the things that cause many road accidents?

Learners won’t be falling asleep at the wheel. If a learner loses concentration, the instructor should still be alert. And instructors don’t lose their concentration.

Learners are allowed on dual carriageways. Same speed limit (for the moment). I’ve seen some dual carriageways that have got 4 or more lanes and are more complicated and difficult than most motorways (remember, the road has to have the ‘M’ prefix to become a motorway, dual carriageways are usually ‘A’ roads). I know a few routes from all four test centres in my locality, all of which can go on dual carriageways. Because of this, I ensure that learners are capable and experienced on a dual carriageway. A ‘textbook’ two lane dual carriageway is very similar to a three lane motorway, but the motorway has got one extra overtaking lane, so just one more place to look. If anything motorways are safer because you don’t have slow moving traffic on them to overtake eg cyclists, mopeds, tractors etc.

So why should learners be allowed on motorways?

Because it will make the roads safer, theoretically. There’s a fair bit of road craft that could benefit learners before going on a motorway, as in how to read overhead gantries, route finding, etc.

Some optimists say that with the roads becoming safer, insurance companies will lower premiums for new drivers. They probably won’t though, most of them don’t even recognise the pass plus course any more.

It will give learners more confidence. Many of them are afraid of motorways, and being able to do it on lesson with L-plates and an instructor would help. I’ve discussed motorways with many of my learners and frequently they have told me their mum or dad has been driving for years and still won’t drive on the motorway because they are too scared. To me this is a real shame and this new rule could stop this in the future.

I teach my learners in all weather conditions, safety permitting – during the floods last year, I taught a few learners how to drive in floods. My logic being they will have to drive in the floods at some point, and it would be better if they experienced this with me, instead of on their own.

Where Mike Penning has got this law change just right

The learners are restricted to only go on the motorway with a qualified driving instructor. As I mentioned earlier in this article ADIs have the skills to assess when a learner is safe to face this challenge. Going on the motorway for the first time with a family member before they are ready is something that could potentially be dangerous.

It is not part of the driving test. This was a necessity, as many test centres are an hour or more drive away from any motorways so there is no way they could have made it fair to test this in those centres that are near to motorways. I just hope driving instructors will ensure their learners realise the importance of this experience and don’t just ignore it as it’s not part of the driving test.

Reasons against

Everything I’ve read contrary to learners being allowed on motorways is a bit poorly thought out. I’ve explained why its not a safety issue, the only opposition I’ve got against it is that my copy of the ADI’s handbook will be obsolete and I’ll have to get a new one.

So to summarise….

It’s another brilliant idea from Mike Penning who is really bringing the “safe driving for life” policy into action and creating capable and confident drivers, not people who are lost the moment they pass there test and have to face the roads alone.

When the new policy is put into action we will be sure to put some motorway driving tips on our blog.

James Richards, ADI

Andrew Dickins, ADI

More opinions on the subject from other sites : Learner drivers allowed on motorways

We welcome your interesting and relevant comments on this topic.

Learners drivers allowed on motorways!

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in Ensbury Park, Bournemouth for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give some advice to pupils on how to be safe dealing with one of the most difficult junctions in Ensbury Park.

If you are taking your driving lessons in and around the Ensbury park area, or taking your driving test in Bournemouth, you will have to deal with the Ensbury park one way system. When driving around this system, the signs and markings are all there to help you negotiate the lanes easily. As you approach the system you should know what destination you are heading for. On most of the approaches there are signs informing you of which exit you will need to take for your destination or which lane you require for your destination. Some of these can be a little confusing with the amount of exits off of the system; if you have trouble understanding them speak to your driving instructor, and he will be able to help you understand. You sometimes also have the road markings which you can see in this image that will inform you of which lane leads to your destination. Look for these as early as possible to make an early lane selection. There are a couple of approaches that only have one lane on approach and no signs or markings on the approach. In these situations, unless you know which lane your going into through previous knowledge, approach in the centre of the lane at a very slow speed, giving yourself time to look across onto the system for the markings on the lane you require, you must know this prior to joining the system, so don’t be in a hurry to come on to it. When on the system as long as you look well ahead for all your signs and markings they should guide you around comfortably. Do not go over any of the chevron markings, always signal left when leaving the system. Just one point of local knowledge to note, unfortunately this is under a tree in the image. However, if you are following signs for town centre and you come to a set of traffic lights where there are no signs or markings and the lanes split into 2, take the left lane for town centre. If you do this on your test the examiner will often advise which lane to be in, but not always so it is important that it is practised and fully understood.

: We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Ensbury Park, Bournemouth. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover Ensbury Park, Bournemouth and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around Ensbury Park, Bournemouth;

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons Ensbury Park, Bournemouth

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

Driving Lessons Ensbury Park, Bournemouth

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in Branksome, Poole for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give some advice to pupils on how to be safe dealing with one of the most difficult junctions in Branksome.

If you are taking your driving lessons in and around Branksome you will need to deal with the Branksome double roundabouts, pictured here. Key skills that would apply here would be, good forward planning, a good understanding of lane systems, and good lane discipline. If you know the area, I will help you get orientated with the image. The road to the Left would lead to Westbourne, The road at the top leads to lower Parkstone, To the right is upper Parkstone, bottom right is Alder hills, and bottom left is the retail park. Now we have our bearings let me explain the lanes when taking the more complex route around these two roundabouts. When coming from Alder hills (bottom right) and going to Lower Parkstone (top), you will see as you approach the first of the 2 roundabouts the is a left arrow in both lanes, as you will be turning right at the second of the 2 roundabouts you would take up the right of these 2 lanes. It is a slightly strange feeling turning left from a right hand lane, but this is done so you can follow immediately into the right hand lane as you leave the roundabout, so your ready for the second roundabout, without having to do a lane change. I would also suggest you make a left signal to make this turn but don’t leave it on very long so other traffic does not think you are going to the left lane. You will then be already in the right hand lane for the second roundabout so this can be taken almost like you would take a normal right turn at a roundabout. However you may notice that as you are coming around this roundabout towards the lower Parkstone exit, The lane will gradually move you to the left as you pass the first exit, it has been designed this way to avoid the roundabout getting blocked at busy times. Also note that there is a pedestrian crossing just as you leave the roundabout, check this is clear as early as possible.

: We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Branksome, Poole. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover Branksome, Poole and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around Branksome, Poole;

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons Branksome, Poole

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

Driving lessons Branksome, Poole

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in Kinson, Bournemouth for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give some advice to pupils on how to be safe dealing with one of the most difficult junctions in Kinson.

This is an aerial image of the double roundabouts along Kinson road. There are a few simple rules to remember on these roundabouts, Turning left or following straight on both roundabouts you will keep to the left hand lane, if you are turning right at either roundabout you need to select the right hand lane at the first of the 2 roundabouts, and follow that lane to the second roundabout. Take a look at the image and see if you can work out what route to take for each combination of directions. The lanes are thin and you must keep central to your lane as well as being aware of any traffic along side you keeping to there lane. You must give way to your right at each roundabout as per normal roundabout rules. However as these roundabouts get very busy at times there can sometimes be constant traffic queued to your right. On these occasions it is helpful to look across to the other exit on the roundabout to see if there is any traffic coming around, that will block the traffic to your right, you can use this as an opportunity to join the roundabout. This is just a few details about these roundabout’s the rest is learned in practice, this is why you will see learner cars going around these on a very regular basis.

We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Kinson, Bournemouth. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover Kinson and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around Kinson;

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons Kinson, Bournemouth

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

Driving Lessons Kinson, Bournemouth

Impact School of Motoring have offered driving lessons in West Moors, Ferndown for many years. With our extensive experience we would like to give some advice to pupils on how to be safe dealing with one of the most difficult junctions in West Moors.

When taking your driving lessons in and around the West Moors area you will have to deal with this short slip road joining and leaving the dual carriageway. It is normally best to maintain your carriageway speed until you have left a slip road but on shorter slip roads you may have to reduce your speed slightly before moving into the slip road, for this reason when leaving at a short slip road it is important to be aware of following traffic, so a very early mirror check is needed, followed by an early signal to give following drivers plenty of time to drop back or move around you. Before slowing check your mirrors again to ensure there is no traffic still following close, if there is and you have any doubt it may not be safe to slow, cancel your signal and don’t move off at the junction. This would be a very rare situation. As you leave the carriageway and travel down the slip road, just ensure you have reduced your speed enough for the bend after the slip road. When joining on this slip road, start by having a first check before you come around the bend, the view is quite open as you can see on the image and this will give you an early idea of what traffic might be on the carriageway. Take the bend at a safe and appropriate speed but be in a low gear ready to build speed quickly. After you’ve come around the bend check your centre and right mirrors to continue assessing the traffic on the carriageway, then build your speed to get alongside an appropriate gap in the traffic, signal and move onto the carriageway.

We have driving instructors who are able to provide both Manual and Automatic driving lessons in West Moors, Ferndown. Our driving school is always looking to expand and we are currently looking for more experienced and friendly A.D.I’s to cover West Moors and surrounding areas.

Please contact Impact School of Motoring if you are looking for driving lessons in and around West Moors;

Contact : 01202 666001 Visit : Driving Lessons West moors, Ferndown

Email : andy@impactdriving.co.uk

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At Impact we aren't just cutting the price of lessons, we are looking for new and creative ways to save you time and money on your driving lessons, without compromising quality.

_________________________________ Visit our advice site, where you will find an explanation of the most efficient, cost effective way to learn to drive. As well as helpful tips on saving money, buying a car, insurance and fuel.