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 have a number of specialist courses to increase the skill and safety of a driver. Our courses are available for car and van drivers.

3.5hr – Around 30% opt for this course. The benefits of this course are that it’s the cheapest, and is only 3.5hr, the disadvantages are that for some drivers it’s too short. Ideal mainly for companies training 4 or more drivers.

2 x 3.5hr – This is advantageous for customers that can’t drive for 7hrs and need the split to reflect. Often a driver gets homework on this session, so they can practice what has been taught in session 1, to help them with session 2. Older drivers often opt for this course.

7hr full day – Although it is hard work for some, a full day is cheaper than 2 x 3.5hr. It’s good for those who are time-poor. Maybe your company has asked you to do this course, or maybe you feel a 7hr will work better for you. Talk with us if you are unsure.

“We have seen a 68.5% reduction in damage to our car amongst our team of staff across the UK and Northern Ireland since we have used Drivers Domain UK for our advanced driver training. As a charity that saves lives at sea, ongoing training is critical to ensuring the safety of our staff on and off the water.”

RNLI – Royal National Lifeboat Institution

We understand not all drivers want a half, full or 2 half days. Some need or want longer. That is why we offer 3,4, and 5 x 3.5h sessions. These courses are often run over a few weeks and are mostly designed for drivers who have significant issues, such as a driving phobia, or need confidence training after a serious road traffic collision.

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, 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 use the junctions of the M27 and the M275, especially the urban roundabout of junction 12, where a course can be created around the entering and exiting of motorways, and this can allow a driver the freedom of motoring further afield and able to explore more of the UK.

Rural Roads – Portsmouth is set in an area that is both rural and coastal, and using minor rural roads can be hazardous if unfamiliar with the area. Many accidents in rural locations tend to be far more severe than urban town accidents, and many of these can be allotted to excess speed. The coastal roads of Eastney Esplanade and the A288 are very accident-prone, as are the B2177 and Portsdown Hill Road. The probability of these happening to drivers unfamiliar with the area is high. It is vital that every driver has a sound knowledge of rural driving, but once a driving test has been passed, if you do not practice driving every road type regularly, you can soon forget the basics. As rural roads have minimal speed cameras, minimal lighting and sparse road signing, there is much to be aware of. High speeds and winding roads are a recipe for disaster, so understanding forward observations and appropriate speed for the situation is vital.

Urban Training – Most of Portsmouth and Portsea Island has become more urbanised over time with many new hospitality and housing projects, and therefore, many of the roads and streets through the entire island are very busy and are littered with accident sites, and in such a small area the rates are incredibly high. The main roads, such as the A2047 Kingston Road and the B2154 Highland Road, are prone to many accidents and, at times, have caused traffic to build up, 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 many people living rurally will not have, so if you worry about busy town situations, then learning a few advanced driver systems 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 do alter in their delivery, although we have a number of courses based on time. 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.