Pass your driving test first time.

PASS THE DRIVING TEST FIRST TIME

Top tips for passing your Driving Test - At the First Attempt.

To pass your driving test you need to drive without making any serious or dangerous faults and no more than 15 minor faults during a drive of about 40 minutes. You must also complete several manoeuvres.
Do Your Homework
1. Pin up a map of your test centre area and mark out the test routes. Mark difficult areas on it such as one-way streets, difficult junctions, double mini roundabouts, so that you are ready for them on approach, rather than having to deal with them as if they have come out of nowhere. Make sure you get plenty of practice over the test routes with a professional driving school such as Travis School of Motoring.www.travis-drive.co.uk from Milton Keynes.

2. Practise manoeuvres until you can carry them out without any minor faults. That will leave you with a margin of 15 faults for the rest of the drive on the day of your test.
3. Practise, practise, and practise until you can drive without verbal or physical intervention from me (your instructor) for the duration of a full driving lesson or a mock driving test. Don't forget: it's not practice that makes perfect: it's practice – with a professional driving instructor – that makes perfect.
Test Day
i) Warm up: Arrange to have an hour's driving lesson around the area of the test centre on the day of your test. This will help you to warm up and get into the swing of things. You will also be aware of any new roadworks, obstructions etc and will feel more able to deal with them more easily. Forewarned is foreamed.
ii) Nerves: If you start feeling shaky bag of nerves, breathe in, hold your breath, count up to 20 and out breathe out. Repeat this exercise until you gain control of your nerves. Once the test starts, you'll settle into your driving and your attention will be on the road rather than on your own feelings, and your nervousness should disappear.
iii) Think confident: Talk yourself – silently! – through the test. Talk about hazards coming up and how you are going to deal with them. This really focuses your mind on how you should be driving in order to pass the test.
iv) Don't be afraid to ask: If you don't understand what the examiner has asked you to do, don't be afraid to ask him or her to repeat the instruction.
v) Think positive: Before you start a manoeuvre, repeat to yourself three times – silently – "this is a piece of cake". Think positively at all times. You can do it!
vi) Making a mistake: If you feel you're messing up a manoeuvre, just pull forwards and do it again correctly. As long as you haven't done anything wrong, such as touching the kerb or failing to make effective observations, you can still pass.
vii) Stalling: if, unfortunately, you stall, deal with it and move on. As long as you don't stall in a dangerous situation, such as on a roundabout and as long as you handle it properly, this needn't count as a major fault and you can still pass your test.
viii) Have I already failed? If you feel you've made a mistake, don't instantly assume you've failed – it may only have been a minor fault. Put it behind you and carry on driving as well as you can.
ix) Keep your eyes on the road: Resist the temptation to look at the examiner and what he or she is writing. You will not be able to deduce anything anyway. Keep your attention on your driving and the road ahead!
Good Luck.

Your driving test day tips

The day of your driving test.
Here are some tips to help you cope with the big day.

1. Get to bed early the night before, so you are not tired on your test.
2. Do eat and drink on the day of your test. Even if you feel like not.
3. Have a one hour lesson before your test to help prepare.
4. Don't think of it as a driving test. Think like it is another lesson and you are wanting to drive to your best standard.
5. If you make a mistake on the driving test. Don't worry about that, you cannot change what has happened. What is more important is that you just drive and do your best.
6. Don't forget to bring your driving shoes to your test. Now is not the time to show off your new shoes.
7. If you start to panic, don't worry. A lot of learners do. Try and take deep breaths and slow it down.
8. Don't be afraid to ask the examiner to repeat what they said. Sometimes the road noise outside makes it difficult to hear.
9. Finally, your driving instructor believes you can pass, otherwise they would not of let you take the test. 
www.travis-drive.co.uk
Good luck and safe driving.

How many hours to pass the driving test?

How many hours to pass the driving test?

How long will it take me to learn?

Research has shown that, on average, people who take about 45 hours of professional instruction
combined with about 22 hours of extra private practice, stand the best chance of passing the test.
Some people need more lessons and practice than others.
(Source "Driving for Life", DVSA)www.travis-drive.co.uk

Driving in summer.

Summer driving.
Driving when it is hot and sunny with the CD player on and the window down is a great feeling. But consider a couple of common sense things:
1. Bring your sunglasses so you can see ahead and not get eye strain.
2. Bottle of cold water in the car.
3. Be prepared for more traffic on the roads. Everyone has the same idea as you to drive when it is sunny.
4. If you are going on a long drive, will your car cope with the extra strain.
5. When was the last time you done a routine check of your car. Oil, tyres, engine coolant etc.
6. Take a picnic and take a break and enjoy the sun.
www.travis-drive.co.uk
Safe driving

I passed the driving test.

Great driving from Frank in Milton Keynes resulted in a driving test pass.  Safe and happy driving.

Pass the driving test.

How to pass the driving test at the second attempt.

How to pass the driving test second time.

Having failed your driving test you will be upset or annoyed at:

1 Annoyed at yourself for not driving to your normal standard of driving.
2 Upset that something happened on your driving test that caught you off guard.
3 That you were not fully prepared for the driving test.

The 3 above points covers a lot. So lets deal with one at a time.

1 Annoyed at yourself for not driving to your normal standard of driving.
Two things here.
A. Is your driving to the test standard ( if we assume you are having driving lessons with a qualified instructor), then nerves has proberley affected you on the driving test. Ask your driving instructor to give you some mock driving tests. This will help you to cope with the pressure and the routine of the driving test.
B. You think you are at test standard( but your family member has been teaching you). Then the answer here is that you will proberley need a driving instructor to assess your driving to give you some pointers on what to improve.

2 Upset that something happened on your driving test that caught you off guard.
If you failed the driving test for one mistake and that was caused by something happening out of the ordinary. Then ask yourself if the same thing happened how would you deal with it. The answer is proberley observations and anticipation on approach. Work on these areas. If you are not sure how to improve these then if you live in the Buckingham/Milton Keynes area then contact me to arrange a lesson. If you live outside of this area then contact a local driving instructor.
 Telephone 07747742842

3 That you were not fully prepared for your driving test.
If you are looking at your driving test report form(green Form) and it reads something like 30 minors and 4 serious 3 dangerous etc. If we assume nerves has not played a major part then you were proberley not ready at that time for your driving test. You will need to work on the faults that have cropped up on your driving test with either your driving instructor or your family member. there is no point going straight back in for your test if you haven't address the faults or they will cause you to fail again.

If you feel you need some more answers then just ask me a question, I am happy to help.

How to drive on Motorways

How to drive on Motorways

Driving On Motorways

Firstly ask your instructor to take you on the motorway.  After all they know what your driving is like and you understand the way that they coached you to drive.

If asking your driving instructor is not possible then below are a few pointers to help.

Read the rules of the Motorway.

Many new drivers worry about their first time alone on a motorway.

Motorways are safer, than normal roads, but they are also faster. Sometimes things do happen quicker, and you have to concentrate all the time.

When you are on the main carriageway of the motorway, remain in the first lane until you get used to the speed. If you need to overtake you must return to the first lane as soon as possible but only if its safe to do so! Many motorists try to stay in the overtaking lanes for normal driving. This is bad practice and causes inconvenience and tailbacks and annoys other users.

There are two types of motorway, rural and urban. You need to think of them as quiet and busy. Quiet motorways are boring, so you need to concentrate on the road and traffic conditions way ahead. Busy motorways need your attention all around you rather than just focused ahead.

Motorways are like dual carriageways only safer. They are safer because every motorway user is travelling in the same direction and at similar speeds. Another reason why motorways are safer is due to the fact that traffic is restricted to those who can make best use of it i.e. no pedestrians, cyclists, moped, no L drivers (except HGV), agricultural vehicles, and animals. Motorways are also safer because there are no sharp bends, no oncoming traffic, no right turn, and no roundabouts. The lanes are always wide, and well marked, and are usually straight for long distances.

Remember you are not allowed to reverse, cross the central reservation, or to drive in the wrong direction on motorways.

On urban (busy) motorways each lane of traffic has an electronic signal system which applies to traffic in each lane. Care needs to be taken to make sure you know the various signals and what they mean. Motorway signs are being used with increasing frequency to warn you of hold ups or accidents ahead.

When joining a motorway you usually join from a roundabout or a main road by means of a slip road. This leads to an acceleration lane. The rule here is not to interfere with the traffic already on the motorway. Make sure your speed is the same as the traffic already on the motorway. Vehicles already on the motorway usually realise you need to join the main carriageway and they try and move over to the other lane. (This is not always possible if the traffic is busy). This makes room for you to join the first lane of the motorway. Mirrors and signals must be used correctly to avoid interfering with the following traffic. Full and proper observation as you enter usually involves looking over your right shoulder as well as using your door mirrors. Don't rely on mirrors alone.

To get off the motorway the normal procedure is to look for the first advance warning sign (1 mile from the exit). This sign gives the exit number and the road number.

At half a mile from the exit a second sign identifies the towns for the exit.
Then at 300 yards from the deceleration lane there is a three line countdown marker, (at this point you should begin to signal left to say you are turning off - but don't slow down yet), followed by the 200 yd and 100 yd marker signs. Only when you have crossed into the deceleration lane should you begin to slow down.

Once you get back on to ordinary roads again, you need to watch your speed until you are acclimatised to the new lower speeds on the road. Don't forget too, that these roads are likely to have roundabouts, oncoming traffic, and sharp bends on them.

Breaking Down on the Motorway

When to Use the Motorway Hard Shoulder

Hopefully if your vehicle is well maintained and fuelled up, you should be in no danger of breaking down on the motorway, but we all know that even a car which is only a few hours old can still break down.

If you do break down then the hard shoulder is there to help you. When you are stopping on the hard shoulder (remember, only use the hard shoulder in an emergency), try to stop at one of the emergency telephones. This will save you time if you have to walk to the phone. Switch on your hazard lights and try to stop as near to the left as possible. If you have passengers get them out of the car, off the hard shoulder, and as far away from danger as possible. Do this before you go to use the phone. The phone is always within half a mile from any spot on the motorway.

Look at the arrows on the nearest post.  These will tell you the direction to walk to the nearest phone. The phones are free to use, and connect you straight to the police who control that stretch of motorway. When you return to your vehicle to wait for help, do not get back into the car, but stay on the embankment, or as far away from the traffic as possible. If you have a mobile phone it's O.K. to use this initially, but the police do prefer you to use the roadside phones to confirm your exact location.

Remember that motorways are safe, but they are fast, you need to concentrate because things happen quicker than a normal road.

Lane Discipline

Lane discipline on Motorways When driving along motorways always remain in the left lane unless you are travelling faster than traffic ahead of you and it is safe to move over to the right lanes. If you use these lanes you must return to the left lane as soon as it is safe to do so.

It is bad practice to try and stay in the overtaking lanes for normal driving. This annoys other users because they can see that you are avoiding the empty lanes on the left, or never using your mirrors to see the tailbacks that you are causing. Remember the two-second rule. Four seconds will give you time to react easily and you will be more relaxed.

FREE theory test app

Get rid of that road tax disc!

From 1 October 2014, the paper tax disc will no longer need to be displayed on a vehicle windscreen.

To drive or keep a vehicle on the road you will still need to get vehicle tax and DVLA will still send you a renewal reminder when your vehicle tax is due to expire.

Find out more at www.gov.uk/government/news/vehicle-tax-changes

The car log book.

Motorists who still have the old V5C blue vehicle registration certificate (logbook) are being encouraged by DVLA to swap it for a new red V5C for free.

DVLA encourages motorists to get a red vehicle registration certificate

www.gov.uk

Motorists who still have the old V5C blue vehicle registration certificate (logbook) are encouraged to swap it for a new red V5C for free.

How to book your driving test

Not sure what to do and where to go when booking your driving.

The official website to book your driving test is www.gov.uk/bookdrivingtest.

Other websites might charge extra fees.

You can find out how to report misleading websites at www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing

Theory test prices 2014

In case you missed it earlier today, it's been confirmed that the cost of car and motorcycle theory tests will drop from £31 to £25 in October 2014, and then to £23 in October 2015.

Theory test fees for other categories of vehicle will als... See More

Driving test pass rate 2014

The Department for Transport has published driving test and instructor statistics for April 2013 to March 2014.

They show that there have been increases in test volumes predominantly for car and vocational tests. This is the first year since the financial year ending 2008, when the total number of tests conducted has increased from the previous year.

Find out more by following the link below.

Driver and rider tests and instructor statistics: 2013 to 2014

www.gov.uk

Driving and riding tests and instructors statistics during January to March 2014, and for the financial year ending 2014.

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10 reason to fail your driving test.

www.travis-drive.co.uk   

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Call James on   07747742842

Ten reasons for failing your driving test

1. Not acting correctly at road junctions 
Its essential that you use the Mirrors, Signal, Position, Speed and gears routine when you approach any kind of junction. Did you check that the new road was safe to drive into? That's essential when your turning either left or right. Was your speed on approach too high? If that was the case, then you might not have been able to stop if needed.

2. Reversing around a corner
Most learners fail on this with either their control of the car or lack of observation. When reversing around a corner, it’s important to keep the car moving as slow as possible. You then have time to decide when to steer at the correct time. It’s also important that you keep looking around for any other road users in the vicinity, and act appropriately.

3. Steering faults
Losing control of the steering, either in normal driving or during a manoeuvre. This can be because you have allowed the steering wheel to 'spin through your hands'

4. Reverse parking faults
Reverse parking can be one of the hardest of the manoeuvre's to do successfully. Like all of the other exercises, it needs very careful use of the controls to keep the car moving very slowly, so you have time to decide when to steer at the right time. You should also be aware of other road users and act appropriately if you see anyone else, while you're completing the task.

5. Making proper use of the gears
Its essential to use the correct gear for the speed and road conditions. For example, if your approaching or driving through a lot of hazards, then its important to drive in a low gear whereas, if there are few hazards, the examiner will be expecting you to be in the highest gear available. A common error is to stay in a low gear (and this will include third gear) needlessly.

Another area where people fail on gears, is forgetting to select 1st gear before moving off. It results in the car stalling. This could cause inconvenience to others, or have dangerous consequences.

6. Not using the mirrors correctly
Why do you need to check your mirrors? Its essential to know if there are other road user’s  following behind you before you start any manoeuvre. Roughly speaking, you should check them between 25 and 50% of your driving time glancing in the mirrors. If you spend any more time, you are not paying enough attention to the road.

An 'old wives' tale' says that you have to move your head when you make the checks. The examiner is trained to check your mirrors without you having to emphasize that your checking them,

7. Avoiding hesitation and driving too slowly Don't expect to pass if you stop somewhere unnecessarily. For example giving way to traffic where it’s safe to continue without stopping.

The examiner will be expecting you to keep up with the flow of other road users within the legal limit, providing the road conditions allow you to. Driving too slowly when its safe to drive at the legal limit, will cause inconvenience to others.

8. Acting correctly when turning right
As with anything that isn't driving in a straight line, remember your mirrors. Look at them before you do anything. Then indicate and move to the right of the lane you are in Wait for an appropriate gap in the oncoming traffic – you know how long it takes for you to turn right, the aim is not to hold other people up unnecessarily. If someone flashes you out, decide if it’s safe then move out.

9. Hesitation at junctions
Your driving examiner will be expecting you to be able to judge gaps and the speed and distance correctly when either pulling out, or turning right. You should not pull out, or turn if you cause the approaching traffic to slow down or make them swerve.

10. Moving away from stationary positions The most common reasons for failing on this, are; moving off in the wrong gear; forgetting to turn the indicator off if you've used it; rolling back if you're moving off on a hill; or not looking around to make sure its safe go.