Advanced & Defensive Driving Courses Durham

Since 2003 we have been providing defensive and advanced driving courses in and around the area of Durham for companies of all sizes.

We have also provided advanced driver training for a number of private individuals who wish to improve their driving.

Private customers:

We offer bespoke training courses for private customers, which include motorway training, refresher training, confidence driving courses and more. You can view all our private courses here.

Remember – All of our on-road driving courses are bespoke to your own needs. This relates to both business and private customers.

3.5hr – Mostly opted for by business customers, when training a number of drivers back to back. It’s also open to private customers too who only need a shorter course. The 3.5hr course is our shortest course available.

3.5hr x 2 – If you don’t fancy a full day but want to cover more than a 3.5hr session, then this split course is great. The 2 sessions can be split over a few days or weeks. Sometimes we can run this course over 2 days.

7hr full day – Intensive in its nature. But is a great way to get the course done in one day. It’s certainly tiring but a great option for those pressed for time.

We have more specialist courses for drivers – 3,4,5 x 3.5hr courses. Mainly designed for private customers but is also open to business clients for specific at-risk drivers.

Benefits of Defensive Driver Training:
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* Increased driver safety
* Improved fuel economy
* Increased driver skill
* Demonstrates your Duty of Care
* Motivates your drivers

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For all our bespoke driving courses in Durham, we provide training on a range of roads and different areas, which can include:

Motorway training – Durham lies on the M1 motorway east of the city, and it links the A690 from the city centre to Sunderland, and we use routes such as these to help drivers become more confident when using the fast motorway systems. Many accidents occur on motorways near the junctions, and this is possibly due to drivers who fear missing an exit and crossing lanes without attention or those driving too close to the vehicle in front, plus a myriad of other things. With some bespoke advanced driving techniques, many of these issues can be remedied quite easily, giving drivers more freedom to travel quickly and safely using direct motorway routes.

Rural Roads – Durham is set in a very rural area in the northeast of the UK and has hundreds of miles of minor B roads and rural lanes. During certain times of the year, rural driving can be hazardous, especially in the winter, where lanes can be impassable due to flooding or ice, and many accidents have been seen along routes such as the B6302, Cockhouse Lane, and the B6432 around Sacriston village. Using good driving techniques involving forward planning and scanning the road well will help when using very narrow lanes. Less streetlighting and very few warning signs can make rural driving stressful, especially at night, but understanding the safety tips we teach for rural night driving (and day, of course) will help significantly. With the temptation to speed in such areas, we find many younger drivers come to the most harm on rural roads as their exuberance, experience and, sometimes, lack of judgement does not work in their favour. 

Urban Training – Although Durham is set in a predominantly rural area, the town centre is a bustling area, especially during certain times of the day, and many accidents that occur in urban environments are down to poor forward vision and impatience. The A690 ring road is a particularly accident-prone area, and most accidents happen near roundabouts or traffic light junctions around the city. Most of Durham’s centre is pedestrianised, but the one-way system of North Road and Neville Street has also caused many issues with drivers who are not prepared. With public transport routes, cyclists and pedestrians all using the same roads, there are lots of things to be aware of. Teaching drivers to be more aware of their surroundings and encouraging patience in busy urban environments is vital to safe motoring.

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During a session, we typically look at:
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* Forward planning and observation
* Speed Awareness
* Developing a positive attitude towards safer driving
* How to become a safer driver on all roads
* Car or van control (gears, steering, foot controls, signals)
* Rules of the road
* Dealing with road rage
* Reversing and manoeuvres
* Dealing with adverse weather
* Town and urban defensive driving
* Driving in heavy traffic and allowing adequate space
* Skid control theory and learning what causes skids
* Eco-safe driving (effective use of speed, gears, and planning)
* Anticipation – Learning to see and not just look
* Understanding other road users and their intentions
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Get in touch:
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Please email us for more info, and a member of our team will be in touch. We can answer any questions you may have. Remember, we can provide a bespoke course if needed, based on what you require. You can also book and pay online at www.driversdomainuk.com/book/ should you wish. After booking, a member of our team will be in touch within 1hr during working hours.