As much as we find ourselves yearning for the start of the summer, we still have to face the fact that we are still in the midst of winter, and so we have to drive accordingly to the conditions.

One of the many hazards of being behind a wheel during the winter months is that of strong winds. It is essential to make sure you drive safely when gale force winds are in action, as this can cause a variety of dangers to motorists, from causing your car to change directions unexpectedly to the threat of falling trees at the roadsides.

As always, give your journey more time when winds are strong, and ensure to give other drivers and motorcyclists especially more room when passing.

Safe driving from Britannia!

Learning to drive a car is a major milestone in most people’s lives – Up there with your first holiday, graduating from university, getting married – Or even having a child.

In fact, having a child will likely impact on your driving more than you realise. Gone are the days of reckless speeding and carefree attitude to being behind the wheel. You will find yourself growing ever so cautious when you have your children in the car, perhaps even being more than willing to hold back a long line of cars behind you as you crawl along at a steady 20 miles per hour, just to avoid any risk whatsoever to your young ones.

Remember, when you have children in the car, they are your responsibility – Make sure they are securely fastened in, and that they have a car seat if needed. By all means, keep an eye on your children – But make sure they don’t distract you from the road!

Safe driving from Britannia!

The process of learning to drive has many milestones – The first driving lesson, passing the theory test, passing your practical driving test, getting your own car – All memories ingrained into the memory of every qualified driver.

One of the most daunting prospects facing any new driver is the task of the first long distance journey, especially if you are tackling it alone. Whether this is for work or for leisure, the first long trip you take will likely make you very nervous, so be sure to tackle this in a reasonable way.

Try not to think of it as one long journey – Instead, break the trip up into segments roughly just a few miles apart. Not only will this give you ample opportunity for regular breaks (A must on long drives!), it will also help you to tackle the trip in small steps – Before you know it, you will be at your destination, wondering what all the fuss was about!

Safe driving from Britannia!

It’s the old cliché – Women are poor drivers, and are dangerous behind the wheel – Well, finally we here at Britannia Driving School are happy to put that myth to rest once and for all, and gladly announce that it is in fact the opposite that is true.

That’s right, it turns out female drivers are actually better than their male counterparts. Women behind the wheel have outscored men in driving tests as well as when being observed anonymously on one of the UK’s busiest junctions, Hyde Park Corner.

Despite these statistics, it seems that women are less confident than men when it comes to driving, with only 28% thinking that they are better drivers than men.

Safe driving from Britannia!

We might as well admit it, driving can be a chore sometimes. If you’re a learner driver, you may find yourself nervous at the prospect of being behind the wheel, or if you’re a more experienced driver you may be well and truly fed up of daily commutes or being stuck in traffic regularly.

However others of us enjoy driving much more – In fact, some people love being behind a wheel so much they choose to make a living out of it. No, not being a Formula 1 Driver (Although we’re sure that would be the dream for many boy racers!) – Driving for a job can include all types of fields, from commercial HGV driving to local courier and delivery services, from a taxi or chauffeur service to a bus driver or even a takeaway delivery driver – The list goes on!

There’s no doubt about it, driving for a living definitely gets you away from your desk and lets you see more of the world!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Driving can be a great pleasure at some times – Driving in summer for example, with the roof down in the sunshine is a hard feeling to beat. At other times however, it isn’t quite so enjoyable. Stuck in traffic, or the morning commute spring to mind for anyone?

One of the worst times to be behind the wheel is when you’re not feeling at your best. At this time of year more so than any other, drivers across the country are taking to the roads when plagued with terrible colds and flu-like symptoms. This can cause you to lose concentration or become distracted when driving, or even become drowsy on medicine, which poses obvious dangers not only to yourself, but to others around you too.

If you’re under the weather, why not take a day or too off from driving instead. We’re sure being involved in a car accident isn’t likely to make you feel any better.

Safe driving from Britannia!

So the big day has finally arrived – You’ve passed your theory test, had more than your fair share of professional driving lessons as well as putting the hours of private practise in, and you’re finally confident to show the examiner just how good a driver you are, earn your pink license and become a fully-fledged driver in your own right, free of L-Plates forever!

Or, maybe not.

Unfortunately, many of us don’t pass our test on the first time. Sadly, this can be disappointing for many candidates, often leading to frustration and in some cases a lack of confidence in their own driving ability. But it is important to make sure not to let this set you back – Failing the test is only the first step on the way to success, and in many ways the hardest part is done – Getting over the fear of the test is the biggest step on your way to becoming a passed driver!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Most of us have heard old adages such as “You don’t learn to drive until you have passed your test”, and the more experienced amongst us will most likely testify that this is true – The major learning curve of being behind a wheel comes in the weeks, months and years after finally obtaining your pink license.

As for newer and novice drivers, there are a wide range of tips you can take heed of to help minimise your chances of an accident before you can claim to be a veteran motorist – For example, driving in poor weather conditions will help you to master your vehicle in a challenging environment, which will in turn make it easier to drive in normal conditions. It is also recommended to spend time in your car without actually having the engine on – Just getting used to the various features your car offers so that in the event of an emergency, you know your car inside out, and can respond quickly and safely.

Have any more tips for new drivers? Let us know below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

There are a series of new projects in the pipeline to help bring self-driving cars to the Britain, the UK Government has announced.

£20 million have been awarded to eight new projects, out of a total of £100 million form the autonomous car fund, to help the research and development needed for driverless cars to become a thing of the present, rather than just a futuristic pipe dream.

The scientific developments include “talking car technologies” to help self-driving vehicles communicate with their environments and other cars on the roads to ensure a safe journey for all passengers.

What are your thoughts on this article? Let us know below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

Many drivers in the UK hate driving on motorways – Despite their many advantages, they are loud, fast-paced and at certain times of the day, very, very busy. But what other reasons are motorists giving for avoiding driving on motorways?

Eight million drivers reportedly use the motorway as little as possible – A whopping 380,000 of which will avoid them completely. Many drivers cite reasons such as lack of confidence for not taking the plunge onto motorway driving, whilst others state they simply don’t need to or are happy to find an alternative route.

Are you a confident motorway driver? Let us know in the comments section below.

Safe driving from Britannia!