Theory test study tips

Sitting your theory test so you can become a driver is an important step in your life. Make sure you do everything possible to prepare for it as best you can. Here are a few theory test study tips to help you along the way:

1. Study for it as you would any other test

Don’t take it lightly just because it’s not part of your school work. If you want to pass then you’ll need to really apply yourself as there’s a lot to learn. In some ways much of it is common sense but there are plenty of tricky bits like the give way rules. It’s also important information that you will need to know and understand properly when you start driving.

2. Do a practice highway code test online

These can help you quickly run through a lot of different questions and test how you’re doing. You can also learn as you go. As well as the test on this website there are many more available online too.

3. Summarise and paraphrase

Reading the highway code book is an essential part of your theory test study, and we recommend you take notes as you go. Paraphrase the questions and answers into your own words making sure you retain the original meaning. To do this you have to really understand the meaning of the material, rather than just reciting it in parrot fashion. After all, the reason you’re studying is not just to pass the test, but ultimately it’s so that you know what you’re doing on the road. It’s your safety you’re studying for so it’s well worth the effort!

4. Create flash cards

As you work your way through the Highway Code book you can create flash cards of the things you find difficult to remember. Write these down on card and then you can flick through them on the bus or whenever you have a spare moment.

5. Break it up and reward yourself

Think about the great things that being able to drive will allow you to do as this can be a motivating force. But also set yourself smaller targets such as knowing all the road signs and then treat yourself once you’ve achieved that goal. Breaking things up into smaller chunks like this can make it seem less daunting and more manageable.

6. Get family and friends involved

Chances are some of your friends are looking to do the test at the same time as you. Meet up with them and practice together so you can help each other learn. Your family will want you to become a safe driver and you may have brothers or sisters who’ve just done the test. Get them to help you by asking you questions.

7. Set a date for your theory test

Even if you don’t officially book your test in until you’re ready, setting a provisional date can give you something to work towards and create some momentum for you to get your study underway.
Happy studying and good luck with your theory test study – if you still want more then this video is very good too…

10 Tips for Driving Safely in Storms

The UK weather seems to be getting more unpredictable every day. This means every driver should know about bad weather driving skills. This could save you from a serious accident and injury. Let’s look at the best stormy weather driving advice including what to do with lighting and hailstorms.

1: Stick to the Beaten Path

When road conditions get nasty, stay on the main roads. Here there is less chance of flooding. Also, when on the motorway, stay in the tracks of the vehicle in front of you as they clear water off the road. But don’t get too close. You may remember from taking your theory driving test that the stopping distance in wet weather is much longer.

2: Test Your Brakes

After you drive through a section of water, test your brakes. This also wipes water off of the brake discs to improve stopping power. Again, do this gently as sudden stopping can cause a slide.

3: If It Looks Like a Lake or a River

There are some areas of the UK which are more susceptible to flooding than others. If you approach an area that looks like deep water, stop and turn around. This is especially true for underpasses where the water can be quite deep. Not only is it dangerous, but if water gets into your exhaust system it could cause the car to stall. Water in the engine requires very expensive servicing to get the engine running again. Now, you can try to drive through slowly, but if you notice water approaching the level of your car door, stop and go back.
If water is running and you can’t see the road surface underneath, do not attempt to cross. Your car can actually be swept away by quickly running water.

4: Aquaplaning

This can be a terrifying experience as your car spins out of control. The best advice is to avoid this situation by driving slowly, taking curves cautiously and braking gradually. If your car starts to slide, take your foot off the gas right away. Try to feather the brakes if you need them, but if you start to slide apply firm pressure if you have ABS system. If your car does not have ABS, release and reapply (or “pump”) the brakes until you regain control.

5: See and Be Seen

When it starts to pour, your vision will be limited. Dull windshield wiper blades will make things worse, so make sure you change these when they get worn down.
Also, inspect all your lights: headlights, high beams, parking, turning and braking. Other drivers can see you better if your lights work well. Also, put on your lights during a storm even if it is daytime. At night, avoid using the high beams since the reflection from the rain actually makes visibility worse.

6: Stop

If the rain falls so heavily that you cannot see other cars or the side of the road, it is time to pull over. Put on your hazard lights and slowly make your way to the side of the road. Get as clear from the road as possible without running the risk of getting stuck. Leave the hazard lights on while you wait out the storm.

7: Keep Tyres Prepared

If you are caught in a storm and your tyres are bald, then it is too late to deal with a slick road surface. So keep your tyres in good shape so that they have maximum traction. You can do this best by:
* Replacing tires when tread is less than 4/32 of an inch deep.
* Keeping tire pressure adjusted properly.
* Rotating tires every 5,000 – 10,000 miles.
There’s also a minimum tread that tyres should legally have: 1.6 mm in a continuous band around the central three quarters of the tyre.

8: Fogged Windows

If condensation builds up on the inside of your windows, slow down first. Then crank up the defroster fan with the temperature setting on hot. If your car has air conditioning, then turn that on too, but maintain the temperature on the hot setting. A car dehumidifier will help to remove the damp air and stop your belongings from being damaged. Eventually the fog will dissipate.

9: Lighting Driving Safety

If you get caught in severe lighting stay in your car or get inside of a building. If you can, pull over and do not touch any metal parts of your car as you could receive a jolt of electricity. Don’t rest your hands on the steering wheel, don’t lean on the door, and don’t play with the radio either.

10: Hailstorms

It is smart to stay in your vehicle if the hailstones are small. It is even better if you can find shelter in a building. However, if you are out in the open and large hail starts to fall, you should stop and position yourself as best you can in the centre of your car. Large hail can break all the car’s windows and lead to serious injury. If the hail is very severe, you might even consider crawling under your car.

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My fantastic driving instructor who got me through my test in a week!! 2 and 3 hours alternate days for 5 days before taking my test on the 6th day :) as I said I've attempted to do my lessons for 10 years now but never been consistent and or found the right instructor, Alan fed me no lies was very to the point good bad or ugly and nurtured my confidence with his great skills knowledge and friendly disposition, I would 100% recommend Alan and pass faster to anyone because for me they done exactly what they said on the tin; and I PASSED FASTER!!

Testimonial for Peter Anderson

    
 I Would just like to say a massive thank you to Peter my driving instructor. Prior to starting with Peter I had started my lessons a couple of years back but was never given the determination to succeed which i needed, and a couple of times gave up on myself.  Being a pretty nervous driver to start off with I was always put at ease by Peter and was made to feel very comfortable.

 
Being someone that works full time and trying to fit in lessons around it, I thought it would be pretty difficult but peter was always willing to do whatever was best for me and always had the time for me. Wanting to pass as quickly as possible peter was always will to do 2-3-4 hour lessons at once to get me passed in the quickest time possible.

 
I cannot praise peter enough for the time i spent with him. His sheer professionalism whilst having a laugh at the same time really made me feel comfortable. I really don\'t think i would of carried on if it weren\'t for peter. Having a couple of knock backs along the way, peter was always there to regain my confidence and give me the determination to go all the way. At times when i felt like putting it all to the back of my head peter would be on my case to get my lessons booked in etc! ;) this is exactly what I needed.

 
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Justin Bieber on Miami drink-drive charge after 'road racing'

Pop star Justin Bieber has appeared before a Miami court accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.

Police said the Canadian was arrested early on Thursday after racing his sports car on a Miami Beach street.
They said he did not co-operate when pulled over and also charged him with resisting arrest without violence and having an expired driving licence.
The 19-year-old singer was granted bail set at $2,500 (£1,500).

He had appeared before the judge via video-link from a Miami prison. He later left the jail escorted by officials and his personal entourage, before climbing on to the roof of a sports utility vehicle to wave to fans.
He has had several run-ins with police over the past year.

 

Justin Bieber waves after leaving the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami 

 

 

In the latest incident, police said the singer had been racing a yellow Lamborghini against another sports car in the early hours of Thursday.

The Miami Herald reported that members of the musician's entourage had apparently used their cars to block traffic on Pine Tree Drive at 26th Street, effectively creating a drag strip.
Miami-Dade Police said the star didn't co-operate with officers at first, questioning why he had been stopped. He also had an invalid Georgia driver's licence, they alleged.

The driver of the second car - a red Ferrari - was also arrested and both cars impounded, they said.
The other driver was later named as an R&B singer known as Khalil. He was also set bail by the court.
"During the investigation Mr Bieber made statements that he had consumed some alcohol, that he had been smoking marijuana and consumed some prescription medication," said Miami Beach police chief Raymond Martinez.
"They were starting from a stop position and they were accelerating to a high rate of speed, going almost double the speed limit... in that area."

The arrest report said the singer "had slow deliberate movements" and a look of "stupor" when the officer told him to step out of the Lamborghini.
The two men were first taken to Miami Beach police station and later transferred to a Miami-Dade County jail before their court appearance.

The street where police say Mr Bieber was racing is a residential area in mid-Miami Beach.

 

A Lamborghini, right, and a Ferrari were both impounded by Miami police

 

 

R&B singer Khalil was allegedly driving the red Ferrari

 

 

A police van believed to be carrying Justin Bieber arrived at a county jail

 

 

Small apartment buildings are along one side of the street and on the other side are a high school, a youth centre, a golf course and a fire station.

The arrest came a week after Mr Bieber's home in Los Angeles was searched by police following allegations he had thrown eggs at his neighbour's house.
He was accused of causing significant damage to the property. One member of his entourage was arrested for alleged drug possession following the search.

Last year, the singer was asked to remove graffiti he had left on the wall of a hotel in Australia. That came a month after he was charged in Brazil over a similar offence.

In 2012 he faced accusations of reckless driving, although prosecutors declined to press charges.

Justin Bieber lives in a gated community in Calabasas, about 30 miles north-west of central Los Angeles.

Elderly drivers should alert other motorists to their age - study recommends

 Survey of drivers by the AA found that almost half would leave more space in front and avoid tailgating if they were following a car driven by somebody elderly

 

 

Elderly drivers would be treated more considerately on the roads by alerting other motorists to their age, figures suggest.

A survey of drivers by the AA found that almost half would leave more space in front and avoid tailgating if they were following a car driven by somebody elderly.

The figure suggests that signs drawing attention to an “experienced” driver could have a similar effect to the “baby on board” stickers displayed by new parents.

Paul Green, of Saga insurance, said: “Anything that tries to encourage politeness on British roads should be welcomed. Driving bumper to bumper is a completely anti-social activity whether driving at 80 or 18.

“It is great that drivers want to show older people more courtesy on the roads, but it is quite alarming to think that people think it is perfectly OK to harass younger drivers.”

The Populus survey of 17,629 AA members found that 47 per cent said they tried to give older drivers a wider berth. Researchers found that the results differed little between age groups, suggesting that younger respondents were as considerate of another driver’s age as older ones.

The survey also found that 22 per cent of drivers would be more likely to give way to a classic car, but one in five said they would be less likely to yield to a 4x4 or a luxury car, with those in London having the least patience.

One in five also admitted to losing their cool while behind learner drivers. Motorists aged 18 to 24 were least tolerant of learners, with 31 per cent admitting to losing their patience, compared with 15 per cent of over-65s.

Edmund King, the president of the AA, said: “We’ve got a careless driving fixed penalty offence now, that was introduced last year, and technically you should be able to get a fine and penalty points for tailgating.
“Tailgating is one of the biggest dangers on the motorway — in many ways more dangerous than speeding. In all our surveys, along with the middle-lane-hog the tailgater comes out as one of the top pet hates.”

What do you think? Please let us know!

Man, 20, who took dad’s BMW and crashed it into shop before fleeing was learning to drive, court hears

 

A 20-year-old man learning to drive sneaked into his dad s BMW and crashed it into a shop before he panicked and fled the scene, a court heard.

A 20-year-old man learning to drive sneaked into his dad’s BMW and crashed it into a shop before he “panicked” and fled the scene, a court heard.

Ashley Baker, of Sheldrake Drive, Ipswich, has been banned from driving for six months after damaging the front of a Premier Stores outlet in Greenfinch Avenue, on the town’s Chantry estate, at around 4am on October 6.

Magistrates heard the silver BMW, discovered around a mile away from the shop by police, was written off after it sustained “substantial damage”.
Baker pleaded guilty to five charges, including careless driving, before he was spared jail at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Dino Barricella, mitigating for Baker, admitted the “temptation of driving a BMW” had “gotten the better” of his client.
“He was another young man learning to drive who decided for whatever reason to take the BMW,” he said.
“It was too powerful and he lost control at the scene. He panicked and fled. He knows it was wrong. He is genuinely sorry for his actions. His father has forgiven him.”

The court was told that Baker, currently claiming job seeker’s allowance, was taking driving lessons at the time of the accident.
Residents reported being awoken by a loud bang before police arrived on the scene and put a cordon in place.
Fire crews and workers from gas and electricity companies were also called due to a strong smell of gas.

Investigating officers originally believed the incident could have been an attempted ram raid.
Baker and a 44-year-old man were initially arrested on suspicion of burglary the morning after the incident but police later confirmed no burglary charges were to be brought and the 44-year-old told he faced no further action.

Baker pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, driving with no licence, driving without insurance and failing to stop/report a road traffic collision.
Prosecutor Ian Devine said there was “no suggestion” that the incident was an attempted ram raid.
“He has simply gone off the road (following) a poor piece of driving,” he said.
“He had no licence and had no insurance to drive.”
He said the front number plate of the BMW discovered at the scene and traces of DNA found on an airbag in the BMW led to the arrest of Baker.

The court was also told that the shop had sustained damage to its shutters at the front of the store.
In addition to disqualifying Baker from driving for six months, district judge Cecilia Dawson fined him a total of £160.
He must pay a £20 victim surcharge and was also ordered to pay £85 costs