Learning to Drive!

This is possibly one of the most life changing activities you will ever do in your life and also it will probably be the most challenging.

It is said that 5% of driving is Psychomotor (brain to limb co-ordination) and 95% is Psychological (brain to thought co-ordination). So 5% is actually propelling the car forward, using the controls and stopping. The 95% comes from what you see all around you. It is how you process that information and interpret what you see and then apply that knowledge to your limbs, that will determine whether you will be a safe driver or not.

Here are some handy traits to cultivate...

• Courtesy - You should always be courteous, and show your appreciation if someone gives way for you. Keep calm and patient if someone else gets in your way or holds you up.
• Consideration - Think about other road users, what are they trying to do, could you do something to help them? Move over a bit perhaps or slow down maybe.
• Competence - You should always be in complete control of your vehicle. You need to be able to react quickly and sensibly to any given situation.
• Common Sense - This is the most important attribute that you need to be a safe driver. With the knowledge gained from your theory test and the experience gained from your lessons, you should be fully equiped to deal with most situations. There will be times however, when a situation will arise that you are not sure how to deal with. Use your judgement to choose an option where you will cause the least amount of disruption to other road users.

As you work your way through your lessons you will be given all sorts of instructions and routines to help you learn. Some of them may be difficult to understand. You may feel that you have too many acronyms to remember. Hopefully, what you learn here will explain some of the things you are told to do in much more detail, so that you understand why you have to do them.

When you understand why, you will see the importance of them. It is this understanding that will really help you to drive safely and confidently knowing you are completely in control.

Each of the links to the left will give you an overview of the level of competence required for that particular skill. Where appropriate some of the pages have links to a step-by-step break down of each action required to achieve that element, together with helpful hints and explanations. These additional pages also have additional notes to help an accompanying driver when you practice with a friend, partner or relative between lessons. Hopefully, these additional hints will assist you in what to think about and tips to help you make your own decisions. After all, you won't always have a driving instructor by your side.

I hope you enjoy this site and I wish you every success with your driving test and hope that you will continue to practice "Safe Driving for Life!".