Tom Ingram (Owner) of BIG TOM Driving School has created a YouTube channel for people learning to drive that has developed into a haven of authentic, constructive Q&A for any learners which is why this educational (not entertainment) channel has over 1000 subscribers and the video view tally is over 500,000. Tom Ingram mentions an important point about how this is assisting others learning to drive:
“A chap by the name of Adam W recently got in touch with me via the BIG TOM YouTube channel. He is not a BIG TOM Intensive Driving Course customer but as you can see from viewing the videos, I get many questions from non-BIG TOM customers and always try to help if I can. I think the exchange between myself and Adam is worthy of expanding on, because I genuinely do feel many Learner drivers out there could learn a lot from his experience.
Adam has had 2 goes at the driving test, failing both and contacted me via this video, you will see him on the comments under it. He took the rather unusual but brilliant step of re-tracing his latest test by recording the point of failure on his own driving video and using Google Maps to show what happened. I watched the entire video (11 minutes) and the point of failure involved turning right at a cross-roads junction controlled by traffic lights. If you don’t already know, this scenario is a “high risk” situation, many accidents occur across the UK when traffic crosses oncoming traffic as happens when turning right, from major road into minor road. There were a couple of issues that contributed to Adam’s driving test fail. The first was a knowledge gap whereby he did not realise that when he was sat in the middle of the junction waiting to turn right but being held up by oncoming traffic (that has priority in this situation), even though the secondary traffic light changed from green to red, he MUST still turn right when it is safe to do so. What Adam did was just wait there in the junction thinking he was being held on a red traffic light – not so….. knowledge gap of the “rules of the road”. The examiner verbally intervened to tell Adam to clear the junction, at which point, the very moment the examiner intervened, Adam had failed his driving test. (Any verbal or physical intervention by an examiner to maintain safety will result in a test fail).
But the other issue related to Adam’s expectation of how other road users should be assisting him due to him being in a driving school car on a driving test. He was very displeased that none of the oncoming traffic paused for him, to allow him to cross them. I attempted to point out to Adam that his is an unrealistic expectation for a number of reasons:
1. It is against the law to stop on a green light to allow a driver in the middle of the junction to turn right.
2. Other road users behind and around the driver who paused would be very confused and agitated that the driver had paused on a green light as it goes against convention.
3. Where does this act of supposed kindness end? Would the driver had continued to pause if there had been a stream of vehicles waiting to turn right?
I sent over a link to Adam that showed another BIG TOM video that explains about primary and secondary traffic lights and went to some length in 2 messages (taking about an hour of my time in total) to explain to Adam why it was necessary for him to get his driving standard up to the level where he was able to deal with any situation that might crop up by applying the correct “rules of the road” and also not expecting other road users to break the law in order to accommodate him taking a driving test. Unfortunately, despite my request for Adam to link his video up, instead what he did was remove it which is a great shame because that experience he had and my responses would help no end of other viewers. His removal of the video also goes against the “spirit” of goodwill that has made the BIG TOM YouTube channel so positive and constructive. Clearly, I have no responsibility or duty to even respond to the likes of Adam, let alone give him guidance to help educate him but that did not stop me from attempting to engage with him.
BIG TOM customers on my 5 day intensive driving course are also provided with 13 exclusive videos which are for their benefit only. But I would encourage any viewer, whether a BIG TOM customer or not, to ask away with any questions you might have about any matter regarding learning to drive.”
Tom has provided a video of Top 10 things you really must know before taking a driving test – take a look at it here, it is yours….. for free.
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