Advanced & Defensive Driving Courses Sunderland
Our advanced driving courses in Sunderland are designed to improve the safety of your drivers. Our courses in the city are based on a range of roads, typically for urban and town driving; we provide training in the centre of Sunderland. A key part of our advanced training in Sunderland involves training on rural roads. For this, we often head north towards Newcastle on a range of roads such as B1296, A167 and other A/B and sometimes unclassified roads.
Benefits of our courses:
* Training can start from your office or home
* Expert advanced driver training tutors
* Flexible training options
* UK coverage
During a session, we typically look at the following:
* 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
We score a driver in over 20 areas of driving both before and after a course, from Excellent to Poor, so you can see the areas of improvement and in what areas, along with handwritten notes from the tutor. Each driver taking the training will also be graded an overall road risk from low to high.
For all our bespoke driving courses in Sunderland, we provide training on a range of roads and different areas, which can include:
Motorway training – The A1 motorway is to the west of Sunderland, linking to the A194 that travels toward South Shields, and these are very busy routes that may worry many drivers who fear motorway driving. When using motorways regularly, they can be very safe and great for getting to your destination quickly and directly, but if you only use them sporadically, then they can be stressful. Advanced driver techniques such as IPSGA – information, planning, speed, gear and acceleration, and understanding how to enter and exit busy junctions at the correct speed can increase your confidence with motorway driving. Many accidents occur on motorways, and although statistically, they are very safe, with higher speeds, they can involve multiple vehicles and can be pretty severe.
Rural Roads – Sunderland has both rural and coastal routes nearby. The A1018 runs from Seaburn to Seaham, and the minor B roads that join it, such as the B1286, Ryhope Street and Ryehope Road running north, have seen many collisions. Rural or coastal routes can be hazardous for drivers who are unfamiliar with the area, such as tourists, and the involvement of young, newly qualified drivers are among the most at risk, so rural driving regulations must be understood and respected. Seasonal changes affect rural roads much more than city or motorway driving as there are very different challenges, such as very narrow, often single-track lanes, minimal street lighting, and the possibility of flooding and diversions in adverse weather. In the summer, many rural and coastal routes are busier, so looking out for oncoming vehicles and the probability of horse riders or cyclists around every corner is vital.
Urban Training – The retail centre of Sunderland is mainly pedestrianised, but the busy ring road and streets adjoining are laden with minor accident sites, especially Vine Place and Holmside, and the ring road of the A183 circling the outskirts of the city centre. Urban accidents may be less served due to lower speeds, but they can still be very upsetting and can cause road closures holding up traffic and likely causing more issues. A lot of accidents on busy town roads and streets are down to driver frustration, a lack of clear indication and poor all-around observations. While everyone is trying to get to their destination in a hurry, especially during rush hours, and this is when mindless accidents happen, so a calm and composed driving style must be used. Anticipating what moves other road users may be intending is a skill quickly learned as not every driver will indicate, and in town and city centre driving, there may be many more cyclists, motorbikes, and pedestrians to be aware of at all times. Also, if a driver is lost, which happens lots in busy towns and city centres, they will often make rushed manoeuvres with often no mirror checks or indication. Much of urban driving is returning to the basics of driving, mirrors, signals, creating a space bubble around your car, scanning the road well, and observing any issues ahead, and being aware of lost drivers!
Remember – We build all our driving courses from scratch and are built around your specific needs. This applies to both business and private customers all over the UK.
Contact us:
All our courses are bespoke to the needs of the driver, whether that’s a session for one or 100+. As a result, we can provide a course which best fit’s your needs. Please call us or use the contact form upper right for more information.