Tom Ingram (Owner of BIG TOM Driving School) explains in this blog the range and depth of learning that is made available to pupils on the BIG TOM 5 Day Intensive Driving Course.
“Rather than simply making it up as we go along, the work that is carried out in my driving school has always been as directed within the DVSA Driving Standards. These are the people who have a wide range of responsibilities for road safety in the UK, they are the authority organisation for a number of key activities and there is an expectation in the driving training industry that training providers such as driving schools comply to these Driving Standards. This is a key point because the public do seek reassurance that the training that is being provided for their son or daughter is going to be relevant, technically correct and thorough.
One example is the fact that the Driving Standard makes reference to pupils building confidence and ability when driving on a range of classes of road. So here at BIG TOM we simply do not restrict our training locations to those on driving test routes, we will take our pupils on different types of roads to build their bank of experience. Charlotte, a pupil only this week travelled in 4 counties while out on her driving session with me on Day 3 of her course…… Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Rutland and Northamptonshire. You can begin to imagine the experiences that she is gaining with this training. When we asked Charlotte for feedback regarding her course experience, part of it included “…you can go many places – you are not restricted to where you can go as you are not limited to a short time….”.
One technique that we like to introduce to pupils when driving on rural roads is the use of assessing the severity of a country road bend by the technique of “limit points”. For me, this is absolutely essential training because it offers our pupils the opportunity to develop a technique that might very well prove to be incredibly important to them later in their driving life. The basic concept with this is that my pupil is encouraged to assess the severity of a bend in advance so that the correct speed and gear is selected prior to arriving at the bend which maximises traction and vehicle stability.
Ultimately, our customers need to have the trust and belief in knowing that what we are doing is for the absolute benefit of their loved one, assisting them in becoming safe, confident and “thinking” drivers.”
BIG TOM Driving School Enquiries: Admin@BIGTOM.org.uk Sales: 07756 071 464
