Advanced Driving

Extra risks face motorists wherever roads meet and diverge, whether at crossroads, T-junctions, roundabouts or forks, but by using the techniques of advanced driving and applying a systematic approach, junctions can be dealt with as safely as any other part of the road system. Accidents do not 'just happen' of their own accord — they are caused by bad driving. While you should always take extra care at junctions, you must recognise that they present an ideal opportunity for other road users to cause trouble. We have all seen other drivers adopt their own odd ways of approaching junctions and navigating their way through them. Be on your guard, therefore, for what a road safety expert might describe as 'an accident waiting to happen'. Read more

While fog occurs most frequently during the winter, it should be treated as a hazard which can be encountered at any time of year. The weather can be misty even in summer, and sea fog is always a possibility on a coastal road. The simple answer to the problem of driving in fog is don't, but there will always be occasions, for example if a journey is essential or you are caught on the road, when you have to drive on. However, if fog is really dense, bear in mind that an unscheduled stop in a hotel is infinitely preferable to a spell in hospital. Read more

Twenty-five years ago it was considered quite adventurous for a British driver to take his car on holiday on the continent, but nowadays over a third of Britain's motorists have experienced the pleasures of driving abroad. If you keep off the busy trunk roads, autoroutes, autostradas and autobahns, you can follow quiet highways which carry much less traffic than you usually find on our crowded island. There is no reason why a competent driver should not feel perfectly confident when driving in an unfamiliar country, on the wrong side of the road. Even busy cities such as Paris and Rome — with their reputation for devil-may-care traffic — should hold no fears as long as you follow the basic rules of advanced driving. Read more

The importance of adopting the correct driving position was outlined in Safety at the Wheel . To recap, you should sit neither hunched over the steering wheel nor too far from it. You should be comfortable, but not too relaxed. You should hold the wheel with your hands at the 'ten-to-two' or `quarter-to-three' position, and your arms should be bent to an angle of between 90 and 120 degrees. With your hands correctly positioned, you are best placed to make a sudden yet accurate and controlled movement of the steering, should a violent change of direction be demanded. It is impossible for a driver with both hands close together gripping the '12 o'clock' part of the wheel, or one fondling the wheel with one hand at '6 o'clock', to cope properly with an emergency manoeuvre. Read more

Every driver hopes never to be involved in an accident , but the chances of avoiding one throughout your motoring life are statistically quite small — even for an advanced driver. All the same, you are very likely sooner or later to arrive at the scene of an accident, and, if you are the first to arrive, it will be your responsibility to help. Read more

There is a great deal more to using a car's power than meets the eye. A car should not be driven hard or its performance abused, but power used wisely, in the right place at the right time, can be the safest course of action. When confronted with a hazard, it can be preferable to accelerate away rather than brake or steer your way out of trouble. Considering the efforts of car manufacturers to improve performance, and the importance which many car buyers attach to it, it is surprising how rarely this response is used by drivers. Moments do arise, such as during overtaking, when a car should be driven to the full extent of its potential, as more force with the right foot could keep a driver out of trouble rather than getting him into it. Read more

You might expect summer to be the easiest time of the year for driving, but do not be misled into thinking that there are no special hazards when the weather is warmer. As well as the special road conditions which can occur in summer, you should bear in mind that driving is more tiring on a bright day. Sunglasses are essential to reduce the strain on your eyes. Heat and the sun's glare also make you feel more sleepy, so stop to rest your eyes if you feel that your concentration and alertness start to suffer. Read more

Considering the importance of tyres from the safety point of view, it is surprising that so many motorists seem to take them more or less for granted. Many drivers fail to check their tyres often enough for pressure , damage or wear. Although tyres have been developed by manufacturers to the point where they offer remarkable levels of grip on dry and wet roads and are extremely resistant to punctures, their qualities are compromised if they are under-inflated, badly worn or damaged. As these four footprints of tread are your only contact with the road, it is vital for everyone's safety that your tyres are in good condition. Read more

Car ownership is a right which can be enjoyed by every adult of sound body and mind, but there must be some degree of control over the use of cars in the interests of safety and traffic flow. The regulations affecting our use speed limits, parking restrictions, vehicle condition requirements - are essential to prevent the bedlam which might otherwise break out with 22 million licensed vehicles on the roads. While owning a car is a right, the licence to drive it is a privilege which must be earned and respected. You must first acquire enough skill and responsibility at the wheel to pass the Government driving test, which is less rigorous than in many other countries, and your subsequent entitlement to a licence depends upon maintaining a minimum standard of safe and law-abiding driving. Should you fall below standard, you can be kept off the road through disqualification. Read more

So many drivers tow trailers of one kind or another platforms for boats, horses or racing cars, as well as caravans — that the Institute of Advanced Motorists operates a special towing test. Only existing members who have already passed the advanced test in a car or commercial vehicle are eligible. The basic points to remember when towing a trailer are these: Read more

Skilled drivers know how to get the most from their cars when circumstances demand it, and an essential part of this ability is knowing how to make the best use of your car's gear box. It is not enough to know how quickly your car accelerates when you press the pedal; you must also know what to expect in each gear and understand fully the proper use of the gearbox. Most cars have manual gearboxes with five — or sometimes four — forward gears, although many drivers opt for cars with various types of automatic transmission . Read more

Although British winters are mild for most of the time, a cold snap always makes roads treacherous and catches many motorists by surprise. It is important that a driver knows how to cope in conditions of sleet, snow and ice, and that his car is in good shape and able to deal with the demands imposed on it. Learn with experience how to drive safely in ice and snow: some people are timid and abandon their cars before they need to, while others do not make proper allowances for the conditions and end up causing accidents . Read more

Proper use of the brakes is an integral part of advanced driving and involves rather more than simply pressing the pedal when you want to slow down or stop. Before looking at the subtleties of braking technique in detail, it is first necessary to deal with the brakes themselves. Read more

Two aspects of safety at the wheel are covered in this article. First, it is important to adopt the right driving position and to make sure that the seat is positioned correctly in relation to steering wheel and pedals. Second, a car's safety features — items like mirrors, safety belts and head restraints — need to be used properly. Read more

To be an advanced driver you need to become a skilled observer. Good powers of observation, which demand practice and thought, can keep you out of trouble in 90 per cent of all potentially dangerous incidents. You need to absorb all the information you see around and ahead of you when you drive, and select what is useful. All drivers do this to a certain extent, but the real value of skilled observation does not come until it has been developed into an art. Just as a ship's master reads his chart in difficult waters, you must read the road ahead so that you can anticipate potential dangers. Read more

Few drivers seem to have a good word for motorways these days, moaning about congestion on some of our more notorious stretches, the tedium of driving on them, and the frequency of roadworks. Yet motorways have allowed motorists to make a long journey in a time which would have seemed inconceivable 30 years ago. Read more

Every aspect of overtaking is related to one of the basic rules of safe driving and therefore discussed in other articles on the site. There are some specific points about overtaking, however, which you should always bear in mind. Read more

Just occasionally all of us find the pleasure of motoring heightened by a drive through beautiful countryside on quiet roads, but most of the time we have to contend with other traffic, and an increasing quantity of it. Sometimes, however, you may be able to make what promises to be a congested journey more enjoyable by re-timing it (perhaps by leaving home before the rush hour or after it subsides) or by planning to by-pass towns wherever possible (by travelling on country roads as well as purpose-built bypasses ). By carefully studying a map before a long journey, you may be able to avoid much of the traffic. Read more

A driver never has anyone to blame but himself if he goes off the road on a bend. The results can be disastrous, especially if such foolhardy driving results in a collision with another vehicle. Yet drivers often do not regard themselves as being at fault - excuses may be given about adverse camber , the road being greasy or the curve tightening up unexpectedly. Any of these can be factors in an accident , but never the cause. The reason for going off the road always lies in bad driving in one form or another. Read more

A basic understanding of what goes on under the bonnet as you drive will give you a greater appreciation of your car, and may even help you to drive it more sensitively. After all, if you treat your car properly it will serve you better. A car is an elaborate machine designed to transport you and your passengers; you, as the operator, can control it more effectively if you know how it works. It is beyond the brief of this book to explore the engineering of a car in great detail, but there are many publications on the subject suitable for everyone from interested layman to qualified engineer. If you count yourself as one of the former, an elementary description of how a car works might be helpful. Read more

Ever since the oil crisis of the early 1970s, everybody has become more interested in fuel economy. Motorists have been forced to take more notice of it because fuel has become relatively expensive, and car manufacturers have answered this by concentrating more of their research and development on engine efficiency and aerodynamics. By and large, cars are more economical than they have ever been, but there is one person who can have a more dramatic effect than a whole team of engineers - you. Read more

As we saw in Braking , a car travels a long way while its driver is simply reacting to a situation, and further still while the driver carries out his actions. While driving you must constantly allow for the reaction time needed before you brake, steer or accelerate when confronted by a hazard. Read more

When you are driving you use signals in order to inform, not to instruct. Giving the correct signals at the right time and in the right way is an essential part of good driving, as visible and audible signals are your only way of communicating with other road users. But it should always be borne in mind that you must never use signals to give orders to other drivers; a signal never gives you the right to make a move, such as a lane-change on a motorway, on the assumption that other drivers will give way. Police officers who deal with accidents are used to hearing the excuse, 'But I gave a signal', from the driver who has caused the trouble. Read more

A systematic and planned approach to every action you take behind the wheel is the basis of advanced driving. There is a procedure for all circumstances, but it must not be inflexible because you need to continually adapt to changing situations. If you are mindful of the procedure, you can be reasonably satisfied that you are equipped to cope with any incidents which occur on the road near you; you need never be caught out by an emergency nor panicked into making a wrong decision. You will drive with a keen awareness of active road safety, anticipating the possible moves of other road users and avoiding situations which could end in an accident . Read more

Night driving is an essential part of motoring for most people, so if you have just passed your test do not keep putting off the day when you first drive in darkness. Like all other aspects of handling a car safely, night driving presents no undue risks as long as you observe the rules. Indeed, there are positive advantages to driving at night, when traffic begins to thin out: the experience can be less stressful and your journey time can be reduced. Driving in the dark, however, can be dangerous if you do not obey the rules, especially on a long run when you are feeling tired. Always remember the extra dangers of allowing your concentration to lapse, because accident rates per vehicle mile do rise dramatically at night. Read more

Few situations in motoring are more traumatic than to be at the wheel of a vehicle that stalls in the middle of a level crossing. But if you have a basic understanding of level crossings, of the different types used and how they work, and follow some elementary precautions, then you should never get caught in this situation. Read more

One of the largest single expenditures in running a car is fuel , and great savings in motoring costs are made by reducing fuel consumption. This means adopting a driving technique that minimizes the amount of accelerating and heavy braking you have to do. Driving for economy is all about sustaining momentum building up speed steadily and trying not to lose it. Read more

The assumption that the good grip of modern tyres means you are always safe on wet roads in a dangerous fallacy. Driving in the rain is always hazardous, but the dangers are not just related to skidding. Lack of visibility can create dangerous situations leading to sudden accidents . Read more

Positioning is an important part of safe driving, both in helping to show other road-users what you are about to do, and in providing you with the best visibility. Read more

One of the good things about a modern car is the way it adapts automatically to climate changes. Come rain, snow, ice, or a scorching day in summer, cars cope with changes in temperature and environment. But although much of the time seasonal changes bring no problems, some checks are advisable as winter ends and spring turns to summer. Read more

Overtaking is probably the most dangerous manoeuvre you can make in everyday motoring. Although the mechanics of overtaking are easy - too easy perhaps for someone with a powerful car the manoeuvre calls for considerable judgement and anticipation. Read more

Consideration for other road-users is one of the most important assets a driver can have. Not all road-users have the luxury of all-round vision and easy manoeuvrability that you have with a car, so you have to try and work out other drivers' blind spots and appreciate the difficulties they're up against. Read more

When driving in your car, you can concentrate fully only if you are correctly positioned, well located and at the right distance from the controls. A common mistake, especially among new drivers, is to sit too close to the wheel in what is termed the 'sit up and beg' position - so named because as well as having the elbows bent, the driver's wrists also have to be bent. Read more

The road junction is a zone where care and judgement are always needed. There are many different junctions - from T-junctions and crossroads to complicated town centre road patterns - but they all operate on the same basic principle of giving priority to certain roads or traffic streams, as indicated by signs and markings. Read more

Awareness of what is going on behind the car is a vital part of safe driving, yet some drivers still ignore the need to consult the mirror before a manoeuvre. One of the most common causes of accidents is the driver failing to make allowance for the traffic behind him. Read more

If you are planning to tow a trailer or a caravan there are several regulations you have to bear in mind before you take to the road. Read more

Four-wheel drive has long been fitted to cross-country vehicles, such as Land Rovers, but in the last five years more and more manufacturers are offering it on road cars, where it brings the same advantages of improved road grip. Read more

Just as it takes two to have an argument, so it takes two, in most cases, to have a collision: one to cause it and the other to fail to avoid it. Read more

When the roads are covered in ice or snow, driving becomes much more dangerous. The tyres have less grip so the car takes longer to respond to the brakes, accelerator and steering. While this often catches out the unwary or inexperienced driver, you don't have to worry about driving in snow if you follow a few basic rules. Read more

Towing a trailer or caravan is potentially dangerous, and requires considerable skill. The trailer or caravan reduces performance and braking power and can radically alter the way the car handles. Towing can be a safe proposition, though, if you take care and adapt your style of driving to suit. Read more

Some electrical failures will stop the car dead, but others you might not notice until you switch on a particular accessory. However, if you keep the right equipment in the car, you can fix most failures by the roadside and continue on your journey. Read more

It can be an unnerving experience when a windscreen shatters, and the danger of a subsequent accident is very real. Many otherwise inexplicable fatal accidents may well be due to incorrect driver response following the windscreen breaking. Read more

Sudden engine failure as you are driving along is immediately apparent, but a lot of engine problems show themselves in less dramatic ways. If you know the signs you can take prompt action, which can often avoid expensive repair bills. Read more

It's annoying enough being stranded at the roadside when the engine packs up, and matters are made worse if you don't know what the problem is. But it could be that something fairly minor has gone wrong, which you can easily put right when you've found the cause. Read more