Sara's Driving Blog
When they suggested I have a crack at the Advanced Driving Test I thought they were trying to tell me something! I consider myself to be a good driver - although I'm sure I'm doing lots of things wrong.
Over the next few weeks I'll be chronicling my experience with the guys from the West Pennine Branch of the Institute of Advanced Drivers. I've always classed myself as a pretty good driver, despite two small crashes – in my defence I didn't see the wall or gate! - But thought it wouldn't do me any harm to brush up on skills and become an advanced driver. My first meeting went great, although I was a bit sceptical as to what to expect when I went out on the road. Surely the way I drove couldn't be that different to an advanced driver? How wrong I was. In week one I didn't actually get behind the wheel. My observer, who was driving the car, talked me through how an advancer driver drives. I passed my test 4 years ago and didn't realise all the bad habits that I'd picked up. Apparently most people don't. By the end of the lesson I was really looking forward to having ago myself next week. Week Two There was so much to take in, but I was told that if I just remembered 50 percent of what I'd learnt I was on to a winner! As a driver I never really thought about how safe my car was, from things like the tyres to the brakes. As an advanced driver you're taught to check these, plus a number of other things before you actually set off. There is so much more to driving than I first thought. Observation is a key aspect of becoming an advanced driver. I'm so use to being in my own little world while driving this was an area I knew I'd struggle with. After the lesson, I came away thinking it's not going to be as easy as I thought it would be. I love driving so knew I'd enjoy learning and if it made me a safer driver then it was just for me. Week Three I felt a bit more confident going into my third lesson as I knew what to expect. However, the more the course went on; obviously the more there was to learn! I learnt about the system to advanced driving which was totally new to me. It took me a while to get use to and my brain was working over time!! Once I got my head around it though, it all made perfect sense and I felt my driving was improving already. Week Four By week four I still wasn't sure if I was driving how I should be at this stage. My confidence was clearly lacking, however Collin, my observer, was very positive to the progress I was making. He told me I just needed moreself beliefas I did know what I was doing. We started driving on National Speed Limit roads, which was at first very scary!! I was told keep my speed up where possible and safe and to ease up on the amount of breaking I was doing. How could I possibly go around a sharp bend without braking?! Well this is something you learn to do as an advanced driver which in turn makes you a safer driver! I loved it!! I'd never drove at that speed on NSL roads while keeping myself and other drivers completely safe. This was what I called real driving. At the end of the lesson I couldn't start smiling as the adrenaline was still pumping around my body. I would normally be the person who would be holding up the traffic because I would be driving so slowly around the bends...not this time and never again! I was very nervous at first, but knew with practise I would easily drive like this on my own.
Week One
