Advanced & Defensive Driving Courses Portsmouth
Our advanced and defensive driving courses in Portsmouth are designed to help drivers improve their overall driving ability.
Key Benefits of Advanced Driver Training:
* Lower accident rate
* Reduced fleet insurance
* Lower fuel costs
* Improved company reputation
* Morale boost for drivers
Whether you are a business client or a private individual, we offer a range of specialist courses designed to enhance the skills and safety of drivers. Our courses are available for car and van drivers.
3.5 hours – Around 30% of drivers opt for this course. The benefits of this course are that it’s the cheapest and only 3.5 hours long. The disadvantages are that for some drivers, it’s too short. It’s ideal mainly for companies training 4 or more drivers.
2 x 3.5hr – This is advantageous for customers who can’t drive for 7 hours and need the split to reflect. Often, a driver receives homework for this session, allowing them to practice what was taught in Session 1 and prepare for Session 2. Older drivers often opt for this course.
7-hour full day – Although it is hard work for some, a full day is cheaper than two 3.5-hour sessions. It’s good for those who are time-poor. Perhaps your company has asked you to take this course, or maybe you feel that a 7-hour course would work better for you. Talk with us if you are unsure.
We understand that not all drivers want a half-day, full-day, or two half-day schedule. Some need or want longer. That is why we offer 3, 4, and 5 x 3.5-hour sessions. These courses are often run over a few weeks. They are mostly designed for drivers who have significant issues, such as a driving phobia, or need confidence training after a serious road traffic collision.
Course Types:
* Company driver training – for van and car drivers in your fleet
* Young drivers – Confidence-building sessions for younger or newly qualified drivers
* Pre-court driving courses – speeding and other pending convictions.
* High-powered vehicle training
* Confidence driving courses
* Motorhome confidence courses – Focused training to build confidence driving larger leisure vehicles
* Advanced and defensive courses – bespoke to your needs
* Motorway confidence training – Helping drivers feel safer and more in control on motorways
* UK Familiarisation – for drivers new to the UK
Remember – All of our on-road driving courses are bespoke to your own needs. This relates to both business and private customers.
For all our bespoke driving courses in Portsmouth, we provide training on a range of roads and different areas, which can include:
Motorway training – The M275 and the M27 motorways serve Portsmouth and carry on west to Southampton and join the A3 north into London. These are extremely busy motorways, and during the summer months, they can bring more tourism traffic than many other inland motorways. Many people avoid using motorways as they find the added traffic and higher speeds worrying, but with a small amount of specific training, motorway driving skills can be learned quickly. In the Portsmouth area, we utilise the junctions of the M27 and the M275, particularly the urban roundabout at junction 12, where a course can be created around the entry and exit of motorways. This allows drivers the freedom to explore further afield and discover more of the UK.
Rural Roads – Portsmouth is situated in an area that is both rural and coastal, and using minor rural roads can be hazardous if one is unfamiliar with the area. Many accidents in rural areas tend to be far more severe than those in urban areas, and many of these can be attributed to excessive speed. The coastal roads of Eastney Esplanade and the A288 are very accident-prone, as are the B2177 and Portsdown Hill Road. It is vital that every driver has a sound knowledge of rural driving. However, once a driving test has been passed, if you do not practice driving on every road type regularly, you can soon forget the basics.
Urban Training – Most of Portsmouth and Portsmouth Island have become increasingly urbanised over time, with numerous new hospitality and housing projects. Consequently, many of the roads and streets throughout the entire island are very busy and littered with accident sites. Given the small area, the accident rates are incredibly high. The main roads, such as the A2047 Kingston Road and the B2154 Highland Road, are prone to numerous accidents and, at times, have caused traffic congestion, but many urban accidents can be avoided. Using your mirrors properly to gain a good visual of your position on the road, indicating in good time to alert other drivers or pedestrians of your intentions, and staying alert to other drivers’ movements are crucial. Urban driving is a skill that many people living rurally may not have, so if you worry about busy town situations, then learning various advanced driving techniques can be very beneficial.
During a session, we typically look at:
* 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
If the centre of Portsmouth (and Southampton) is too busy, we often head to slightly more out-of-town areas for urban training. Our courses vary in their delivery, although we offer a number of courses that are time-based. These are outlined below:
3.5hr session
7hr session
2 x 3.5hr sessions
3 x 3.5hr sessions
4 x 3.5r sessions
5 x 3.5hr sessions
Get in touch:
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.