Advanced Driving Course

What will happen on your driving course? This will vary depending on your level of experience, skill level and location. However, to get a useful insight into one of our days please read on.

Case study - Paul Philips, London.

I was given this course from my wife as a 40th birthday gift. Having never completed any advanced driver training before, I was eager to learn what it was all about.

The day started at around 9:00am where I met Simon, my advanced driving instructor. After the initial meet and greet we got into my car and when through the formalities, such as checking my insurance documents and driving licence. We then got out of the car and started are pre driving checks. This was my first experience of what advanced driving is all about - checking the car over before making a journey. I had to admit that I rarely checked the condition of the tyres, and only opened the bonnet when I needed windscreen wash! The car checks took no more than 2 minutes, but Simon highlighted to me the importance of doing these checks frequently and before a long journey. The checks were all really easy to do, and that is saying something as I am probably the worlds worse DIY mechanic!

Within no time we were back in the car and I was getting prepared. Simon drew my attention to the way I was sitting and the way my mirrors were positioned. Having made only small adjustments I was amazed how better positioned I was for driving and how much more I could see in my mirrors. This is known as the cockpit drill, it takes seconds to do.

The first part of the course involved me driving whilst Simon quietly sat in the passenger seat, occasionally making notes. After around 30 minutes we came to a stop. During this time Simon debriefed me about my current driving. He highlighted the areas I excelled at, and also the areas which I needed to develop. This debrief lasted around 20 minutes, and underpinned the rest of the day.

When we started out again, around 10:00am we left London mainly on A roads and eventually ended up on more rural routes. During this time Simon gave me very useful techniques to increase my driving. He did highlight the fact that I often got a bit too close to the vehicle in front, and was not taking advantage of the many "clues" on the road which were available to me.

At round 11:00am we stopped for a coffee and a chat about how it is all going. To be honest, although I was enjoying it, the stop helped me take a breather and reflect on what I had learnt. After the stop we were off again, where Simon introduced more advanced driving techniques, including introducing me to the "system of car control" this is the system used by the Police to deal with hazards and plan effectively. I also started to learn about the "running hedge" on the more rural roads.

At 13:00pm it was time for lunch. A well deserved rest for me! During lunch we just went over how I was developing and how I felt the day was going. Although there was lots to learn I felt Simon delivered it in an easy to learn way, which was great.

After lunch it was back out on the road. Time for motorway driving! I do quite a few miles a year on the motorway and so felt confident. During the motorway session I learnt about how to deal with emergency situations and the importance of blind spot checks. Driving on the motorway gave me the opportunity to really put my newly acquired advanced observation skills to the test. I found my self looking probably four times as far as I ever did before. Because of this I found I used the brake less and generally felt more relaxed.

Towards 15:00pm it was back to driving in built up areas. This was where I was introduced to giving a commentary whilst driving. This basically involved me talking through what I can see and how I am going to deal with it. I did not have to do this, but wanted to. I was amazed about the number of hazards I picked up. Talking about what you can see is a great way of increasing your observation skills.

The latter part of the day involved me going over the skills I have learnt as and when driving situations dictated. The course ended just before 16:00pm - I felt this was ideal as we had covered both A and B roads, motorways and town driving. At the end of the day we had a full debrief which covered what we had done that day, and how I improved. Before we parted company Simon gave me tips to ensure I kept my driving skill up to the standard I managed on the day.

As I drove back home, I had chance to reflect on the day in my own time. The main things I learnt, apart from the advanced driving techniques, was how "closed off" I was to hazards. Before the course I reacted to hazards, now I anticipate them and plan more effectively. I would recommend this course to everyone. Apart from giving you more confidence, it could one day save your life. Around a week after the course, I had a full written report of my driving sent via email. I was very proud to print this off and show to my wife – after all she did buy me the course! At least now I have written documentation that I am indeed a better driver than her (?) I think I have also inspired my 16 year old son who is learning to drive next year – maybe this has got the road safety message over to him before he learns to drive!

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