Care Motoring blog
- Are you up to date?
- New driver licensing rules from 2013
- On rural roads, think horse!
- Maundy Thursday and rear view mirrors
- More driving tests to be trialled locally
- Please help Fairfueluk fight fuel price rises
- To reassure elderly drivers
- Five star cars, three star roads, one star drivers
- Driving tests during bad weather
- Theory Test Changes
Please note we have moved! Care Motoring is now based nearer to Norwich but still covers the Dereham area. The new telephone number is 01603 881557
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Learn to drive with Care Motoring 
Driving lessons with female driving instructor in Dereham, Wymondham and Norwich.
Nervous drivers; dyslexic, dyspraxic, ADD, Asperger, you can achieve your goals with us.
Patient, friendly, fun driving lessons. Click the link to learn more.
Click here to apply online for your provisional driving licence
NEW! BTEC level 2, Demonstrate Safe Driving
Would you like to save money on your car insurance when you pass your test?
Would you like to be sure of being a safer driver post-test?
Then you need this BTEC course, which is FREE to you provided you take a minimum of 25 lessons with me; that is a saving of £39.95. Insurance discount is through Adrian Flux, a major insurance broker whose head office is here in Norfolk, not far from Kings Lynn. Follow this link to get a quote from Adrian Flux today.
Put off learning to drive because of vehicle ownership costs?
Well, you have a point! However, this cost is never going to go away, it may eventually reduce a bit for you, but it will still be expensive as you’ll be classed as a novice driver. However, even if you don’t own a car for several years after passing your test, and even if you’ve never driven since, the intervening years will mean you’re no longer a novice driver, so put that together with your age by then and your costs will be significantly lower. You may need refresher driving lessons, but that won’t cost as much as the money you’ll save. Get your licence while you’re young then you won’t have to face the prospect of a driving test later.
Driving lesson costs a problem?
Then why not share your lessons with a friend? There are some very definite advantages of doing this, besides the reduced cost. Call me if you’d like to know more.
Click this link to see the areas we cover. If you’re not sure whether or not you fall into an area for driving lessons with me, then please call:
07775 667488 or 01603 881557
Female driving instructor, experienced and well qualified
Are you searching for female driving instructors? Then look no further!
Do you want to be sure the person delivering your lessons has all the right qualifications? Then you’ve come to the right place.
Do you want to know the instructor has had lots of experience doing this job? I have been in education for over 30yrs now and during all that time I have continually tried to improve my skills. I keep up to date so I can deliver the best training to you to suit today’s modern world.
Take control of your driving lessons
Do you like to feel your efforts are valued and your opinion matters? Then you’re the right sort of pupil for me!
Expert help for nervous drivers
Patience, understanding, giving you control over the pace of your learning and helping you to achieve your goals; does this sound right for you? Click the link to find out more.
Learning difficulties? Specialist tuition available
I will help you to become a driver if you’ll teach me all about yourself, especially how you learn best. The list of possible symptoms of dyslexia, for example, is very long, but which affect YOU the most? I have lots of strategies to help you learn, but maybe you can give me more? Give me a call and see if you think I can help you (because I know I can!).
Great learning videos; learn for your theory test; use the mock tests to practise as much as you like; there are even FREE downloads to assist you with your driving lessons. This programme is FREE to you when you sign up for a course of lessons with me, AND it could save you lots of money if you use it well. There’s even a section for your parents!
Reduce costs with supported private practice
I encourage private practice so offer support for you and your accompanying driver. DSA test pass statistics have proved beyond doubt that those who have private driving experience between lessons pass sooner and pass better.
Peace of mind with our test pass guarantee
No-one can guarantee a test pass but I offer a money back guarantee if you don’t! This is because of the structure of the course and your personal commitment to your learning. Click the link to find out more.
If you’d like further information about learning to drive and regular tips, advice and updates on changes to the driving and theory tests, please fill in this form:
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We are listed on the
Driving Schools Directory
for Driving Lessons
and Intensive
Driving Courses.
I want to pass my driving test first time!
Your key to success is with Care Motoring
You can book driving lessons with us in the following areas of Norfolk:
We will also pick up and drop off in Norwich city centre or at City College, CNS, Hewett or Notre Dame high schools, so that you can fit your driving lessons in around your school day.
Nervous drivers and those with specific learning needs (dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, Asperger) can have confidence in choosing us as this is an area of learner driver training that we specialise in. Please be reassured that you can learn to drive.
You can choose to book weekly lessons or a semi-intensive course, typically 8 to 10 weeks, or our special Test Pass Guarantee course. You control the pace of your progress so that you pass your driving test in the time that is right for you. And you will be very confident of a first time test pass due to the structure of this course. Call today to find out more.
Intensive courses are only available for those with previous driving experience. However, if you’ve already mastered car control and have turned left and right into and out of basic junctions, then this could be a good option for you if you are able to give a full week to driving lessons. An assessment of your driving ability is an essential pre-requisite as this way of learning is definitely not right for all learners.
All Care Motoring lessons follow a structured approach to take you to a level beyond the driving test. This will ensure you feel confident after you pass the test and are driving independently. Read more about the driving test
Our driving lessons are specifically structured around independent driving, using a mixture of traditional and modern teaching methods (instruction and coaching).
And, of course, we offer you help with learning for the theory test.
In addition all Care Motoring learner drivers are signed up for free to the online e-learning programme from eDrivingSolutions. Click the link to visit the site now and try out a taster (link opens in a new window).
For more information and to book an assessment lesson
(we assess each other!):
Call this number between 9am and 6pm:
0800 298 4380
Call this number before 9am or after 6pm:
01362 861375
Call to leave a voicemail message or text your query to:
07775 667 488
Because we care!
Fashion, be that in clothing or interior design, I’m sure most would answer yes but if not, would still be aware of the latest fashion or fad, just choosing not to follow it.
But what about the more mundane, those things you actually think very little about? Rules of the road, for example, as given in the Highway Code, when did you last read this important manual for those who drive on our highways? Do you choose not to read it, believing it’s only for the driving test, or are you ignorant of the fact that rules have changed? Click the image below and you will be taken to the online version of the latest edition of the Highway Code. You don’t even have to buy a copy to be able to read it (although I would still recommend that you do so as only the printed version is valid in law). So, test yourself now and see how many rules, road signs or road markings you don’t actually know!
And if you haven’t already seen it, you might like to challenge yourself against Quentin Wilson in this BBC video clip.
The worst example I heard recently, well in my opinion anyway, was of the driving instructor, with a string of qualifications after their name, who was still using the 1999 version of the Highway Code, blissfully ignorant of new rules introduced, or modified, in the latest version which was issued in 2007. This person was a DSA registered fleet driver trainer who, having failed to keep themselves up-to-date with the very latest information for drivers and riders, would be training others and giving incorrect information!
Driving instructors still tell their pupils that it is an absolute requirement by the DSA for learner drivers to use only the pull-push method of steering during their driving test, most definitely never to cross their hands, and always keep their hands at ten to two or quarter to three, otherwise they will fail their driving test! This requirement was removed about 2 years ago, partially as a result of the Hermes project, which concluded in October 2010. Driving instructors can view the DSA’s guide to driving examiners January 2012, (section 1.56, para 2, Steering) to confirm the information I am giving here: DT1 Jan 2012 (to return to this page after downloading the document, please use your browser’s ‘back’ arrow).
As a post-script to the steering issue, I will state that I am an advocate of the pull-push method because, when it is performed well, it is the safest steering method for on-road driving most of the time. Unfortunately I have taken on several learner drivers who have been taught this method by a previous instructor, taught it badly, and they have been struggling to steer safely. At this point I will let the learner know they are not required to use this method exclusively in the driving test and that they should allow their eyes to do the steering for them, allowing the hands to follow naturally. Quite often this leads not only to better pull-push steering, but also to appropriate use of both rotational and fixed-hand steering. Amazing how the brain can learn when it is in a more relaxed state!
Doing my bit to help keep you informed, you may be interested in reading this page, on the Directgov website, regarding changes to driving licence rules from January 19th 2013.
Because we care
Flat, clear, open rural road in Norfolk, national speed limit, learner driver ahead slows down then brakes, not hard, but keeps brakes on to slow the car much more. Traffic isn’t heavy, and the learner has happily been travelling at 50mph, not up to the limit, but an acceptable speed. So why has this driver slowed down?
Well, I would hope most drivers would ask that question, and take a moment or two to look for the reason, before finally deciding it’s safe to overtake. Not so the 2 cars that overtook us today! One can only assume it was the sight of the obvious learner car that caused them both to overtake. One was dangerous enough, but two…? It beggars belief!
So just why did my learner slow down so much, on such a clear road for no obvious reason? Well, further ahead, the learner had spotted 2 horse riders emerging from a junction on the left to cross into the junction on the right. There was a clear warning sign of the crossroads, and this is a rural area, so a moment’s thought from these 2 drivers would have been a sensible thing to do. But no, first one overtook at speed, I would say at the limit of 60mph, an act which horrified us both, but then along came the 2nd, at an even faster speed! Thankfully both horse riders got safely across, but not without one of the horses becoming agitated and difficult for his rider to control!
So please, don’t just think bike, think horses too! Look for the clues – warning signs, horses in the fields, fresh horse manure on the road, the horse rider may be just up ahead, even old horse manure, clearly left there for some time, is a clear indication that horse riders use the road.
But, most importantly, if a driver, any driver, even a learner driver, slows down for no apparent reason on a clear road, then take another look and you may well spot the reason for the driver’s action! Think of the consequences first, before you blindly overtake and drive headlong into disaster.
Take care!
What a difference this could make here in Norfolk! Driving examiners coming to the candidates’ local towns rather than learners having to travel to the major cities. In Norfolk it’s Norwich, King’s Lynn or, for those on the east coast and in north Suffolk, Lowestoft. For test candidates in East Dereham, from where I have a lot of my learners, it’s a 25 or 27 mile trek to the Norwich or Kings Lynn test centre, which makes for expensive learning when the final stages need to take place in and around the driving test area. And for many test candidates around the country, in more remote areas, the travel required can be substantially more.
I would be delighted to see the opportunity for candidates to take driving tests nearer to home, to reduce travelling time for tests and for associated learning. But would we also see the associated grumbles from local people that learner drivers are using their roads? The NIMBY culture is alive and kicking around driving test routes, so could this now be the future for small market towns too?
I’ve signed up to www.fairfueluk.com – the nation’s leading campaign group fighting for a cut in tax on petrol and diesel. If you are as angry as I am at the scandalously high prices please help them by signing up yourself and forwarding the link to this blog (copy & paste the URL in your address bar) to your contacts. There are also links on Fairfuel’s website, so do please use all of those to help spread the word as widely as possible.
Unbelievably, the Government is ploughing on with its plan to add another 16p a gallon in fuel taxes this summer.
Skint!
FairFuelUK needs to dramatically build up its supporter base to fight for this fuel tax rise to be scrapped. Signing up is free and takes just a few seconds. The campaign is backed by the RAC, The Fuelcard Company, and the two trade bodies that represent the UK’s 20,000 leading road freight companies.
As a driving instructor, I need to keep my prices at a reasonable rate for my learners, but constant increases in fuel duty will mean an increase in driving lesson prices too! I am having to seriously consider increasing my prices now due to the effect on my earnings of the current price rises, but will have no option come the summer if this ridiculous increase in duty is not withdrawn. So please support the Fairfueluk campaign. Thank you.
Because we care
Having just read on a driving instructor’s website that there will soon be retesting for elderly drivers, I felt it important to reassure any older drivers who may have read this, or any similar inaccurate information, that retesting for elderly drivers is NOT on the agenda, either now or in the foreseeable future. This post on the AA website, Ten tips to help if you’re worried about an older driver, clearly explains why this will not happen.
If, however, you feel it would be right either for yourself, or an elderly relative, to have a driving assessment with a qualified driving instructor, then that is most definitely a good idea. In fact, it is a very good idea for any driver, no matter their age! So please do contact me if you live in the Norfolk area and I will happily give you a driving assessment. One thing the assessment is most likely to do for you is to save you money! Now isn’t that a good reason for taking an assessment?
Call on 01603 881 557 or 07775 667488
or you can contact me on the form below:
Comments or questions are welcome.
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The title of this post is the title of a news item from the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists), published on January 12th this year, 2012. In this news item the IAM calls on the government to include driving on rural ‘A’ roads as a mandatory part of the driving test. Here in Norfolk, that is not a problem, but in many major towns and cities it appears to be a bigger problem and, as I have mentioned many times before, some instructors boasting high pass rates teach almost exclusively on driving test routes. The folly of learning this way is highlighted in the news item from the IAM, Five star cars, three star roads, one star drivers (follow the link to read the item).
Since I qualified as an ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) in 2002, I have kept to my personal promise to ensure my learners have maximum driving experience, on a wide variety of roads and in differing conditions, so that I can feel as confident as it is possible to be that I am letting my learners go to test in the knowledge that, when they pass their driving test, they are as safe as I can help them to be. How they then choose to behave after they receive their driving licence, well I have no control over that. However, I do hope that because my learners have cared enough to pay more to learn to drive with me, then they will also care enough to heed the advice they have discussed with me in order to keep themselves safe.
Do you care as I do? Having this caring attitude (hence my business name) has perhaps brought fewer learners than might have been the case had I sold ‘cheap and fast’, but those learners it has brought to me have been of the mindset that says they care about safety, theirs and those around them. On occasions when money has been tight I could easily have gone down the road of giving the ‘punter’ what he wants – a driving test pass as quickly and cheaply as possible – but for me road safety, and the safety of my learners, is a far more valuable currency.
To assist in reaching driving test standard and, more importantly a safe post-test driving standard, learners who choose Care Motoring are given lots of things to do between driving lessons, to help them continue their learning and therefore speed up the learning to drive process. Private practice is encouraged, and I give help and advice with that too, but not everyone has the opportunity to do this. A Care Motoring driving course includes free access to what I consider to be the best e-learning programme available, eDrivingSolutions, as well as a wealth of links to helpful videos and other learning materials from the Care Motoring website, via posts and pages, so do please take a good look around to see what is available for you here, for free.
A Care Motoring learner receives a folder, once they sign up for a block of driving lessons, that contains a wealth of useful information and handouts. This is personalised as your lessons progress with handouts that are relevant to your learning experience. You are also asked to fill in a reflective journal after each lesson, reflecting on what you learned in the lesson, how well you feel you did, and setting your own goals for the following lesson. In this way you take ownership of your learning, and YOU decide how fast the pace is, what you need more practice with and even how and where you’d like to carry out that practice. In short, you can make as many of the decisions as you like! Why? Well people learn best when they take ownership of their learning and, as a qualified driver, you will have to make numerous decisions on the road, so developing your decision making skills is a major part of the process of learning to drive.
If you care enough to spend a bit more money to get the best training, to feel confident in your skills and ready to drive alone post test, then call me now! Or you can text if you prefer and I’ll call you straight back:
07775 667 488
Because we care
The following video from the driving Standards Agency (DSA) tells you exactly what to do if you have a driving test booked on a day when it’s snowing, icy or during other extreme weather conditions.
How do you learn for exams? Do you study, so that you thoroughly UNDERSTAND the subject content? Or do you learn the answers to set questions, with no understanding as to why that is the correct answer, but you have a good memory so it helps you pass the test?
Well, it has been shown what a gross error the DSA made some years ago when they decided to publish the theory test question bank, together with the answers to those questions! This process has been repeated annually ever since, as the question bank is ‘rotated’ every year. The cynical amongst us would say it was purely a money making exercise, but I’d never say that, would I? LOL!!!
Some of you reading this might ask what is wrong with that if it gets you a theory test pass so you can then book your practical driving test. But why do you need a theory test in the first place? Surely these are the rules of the road, by which you survive as a driver? Ignorance of the rules, and the solid advice given in the Highway Code, is what leads to accidents. If you fail to learn the rules and the advice, you are setting yourself up for a fall later, or at the very least, affecting other drivers by your poor understanding of the rules of the road.
And, it can be a very expensive way of learning, nearly £3000 for one learner attempting to pass his theory test, as this Daily Mail report reveals!
Need help learning for the teory test? We offer theory test training, together with an online programme which will lead you to greater understanding of the content.
The Highway Code even has its own Twitter page! Click the image to visit the page and see how it can help you learn.
