Autumn driving advice

Don't get caught out by the seasonal change in driving conditions

 

Autumn isn't all about blackberries and crunchy leaves – it also brings many changes for road users, from dazzlingly blinding sunlight to the first icy windscreen of the season. Be prepared – plan ahead to avoid being caught out.

Autumn is particularly bad for dazzle from low sun. Improve vision by making sure that the windscreen is clean – inside and out. Even non-smokers find a hazy film builds up on the inside surface of the windscreen over time. Scratches, abrasions and chips on the outside can intensify the sun's dazzle too.

Windscreen wipers

Blades will last for two years at the most. New blades clear the screen more effectively and so help reduce dazzle from the sun. Now is a good time to renew worn blades.

Windscreen washer fluid

Top up and treat with a good quality, purpose-made additive to reduce the chance of freezing. Don't use ordinary engine anti-freeze but do check the handbook carefully to make sure you fill the right reservoir.

Battery

This is one of the most common causes of breakdown at any time of year, but particularly in the winter when electrical loads are higher. If there's any sign of the battery struggling now, the likelihood is that it'll let you down at some time during the winter, particularly if it's more than five years old. It makes sense to renew the battery now to avoid the hassle and inconvenience of an unplanned failure later.

More about batteries and winter breakdowns >>

Bulbs

Check all bulbs regularly (at least once a week) not forgetting brake lights and number plate lights. The handbook will show you how to change bulbs, though some headlight bulbs may require a visit to the garage. Carry some spare bulbs.

Tyres

Check all tyres for condition, pressure and tread depth. We recommend at least 3mm of tread for winter motoring, so if the treads are getting low think about buying new tyres now before the colder weather sets in.

More about tyres >>

Antifreeze

Not just for winter, antifreeze is important all year round as it contains additives to prevent corrosion and improve summer cooling too. It should be checked as part of the regular service schedule.

A frozen engine is very expensive to repair so if there's any doubt now is a good time to check the concentration. The handbook will give details of the correct antifreeze to use for your car — there are different types and mixing them could cause engine damage. If in doubt get a garage to check for you — many offer cheap or even free winter checks at this time of year.

More about antifreeze >>

Driving at sunset

How to reduce the risk and possible consequence of being dazzled

• Keep your windscreen clean inside and out
• Renew wiper blades if worn
• Keep a pair of sunglasses in the car, but make use of the sun visor too
• Slow down immediately if dazzled
• Bear in mind: 
  • if the sun is behind you, it's in the eyes of those approaching you
  • if the sun is in your eyes it's probably affecting those following you too
• Use headlights to help others see you

Black box in cars

Telematics car insurance - also known as black box insurance, GPS car insurance, smartbox insurance, pay-as-you-drive insurance and usage-based insurance - works either through a small black box device that's fitted to your car or a mobile phone app which can collect the following type of information:

• The speed you drive
• Braking and accelerating habits
• Distance travelled
• Time of day you travel
• Types of roads you travel on

http://www.drive-travis.co.uk/black-box-in-cars

Your premium will be calculated depending on the data gathered, with drivers who meet or exceed the agreed criteria benefiting and those who don't suffering.

Furthermore, if you have a black box it can act as a tracking device, so if your vehicle is lost or stolen, you (or the police) can find it sooner.

Some policies will give you access to an online dashboard where you can review your driving and learn to improve it.

Telematics has traditionally been seen as an attractive option for safe, young drivers looking for affordable premiums, but it has the potential to offer benefits to good drivers of any age - you can read more about telematics for experienced and older drivers .........

Show me tell me questions video for the driving test

Under the bonnet of the Honda Jazz, preparing for the driving test.

www.drive-travis.co.uk

Getting your car ready for winter

Preparing your vehicle

You passed the driving test in summer and this is your first winter as a driving.

A pre-winter check or service is essential if you want to avoid problems during the winter. I have listed some of the items you should pay attention to:

Cooling System:

Most cooling systems specify that anti-freeze should be used all year round as a corrosion inhibitor, however it is a good idea to check the strength of the coolant at the start of the winter. How are your hoses? If your car is more than a couple of years old check for perished hoses and minor leaks.

Ignition system:

Electronic ignition is now fitted to many vehicles, however, damp can still cause problems. Make sure that all ignition circuit contacts are clean and spray the system with an ignition sealer (moisture repellent).

Check that your battery is topped up and healthy ... Be kind to your battery in winter by minimising the load placed on it ...

Don't over use the starter motor, short bursts with long pauses between ... Switch off all auxiliary equipment when starting the car ... Switch of the screen de-misters when the windows are clear ... And so on ...

Air intake:

Check to see if your air intake has a winter position, if so, make the appropriate adjustment.

Tyres:

Trying to squeeze the last five-hundred miles out of a set of tyres can be counter-productive in winter. You want as much grip as possible when the snow comes (at least 3mm of tread). Plus, of course, changing a tyre in the snow is no fun!

Lights:

You should carry a spare set of light bulbs all year round (police patrol officers love to stop vehicles with defective lights!), however, this is probably more important in winter when your lights are getting extra use. Make sure that you have wash leathers and/or rags to keep your lights clean in the winter (snow can build up around lights, check to ensure that they are clear and clean as often as possible).

Brakes:

It may seem obvious to state that brakes should be in good order, however, your wheels will lock earlier on ice than in other situations and so even the slightest problems (with wheel cylinders, etc.) can cause major skids in winter.

Windscreen washers:

These are less likely to freeze up if the system is clean. Keep a supply of screen-wash additive in the car, this prevents the washer-bottle contents from freezing. Don't use engine anti-freeze in screen washers, apart from smearing your screen it may well strip your paintwork!

Wiper blades:

These will have to work harder in winter so make sure that they are in good condition (well used wiper blades rarely last more than 12 months in our climate).

Visit my website  www.drive-travis.co.uk

James@Travis School of Motoring

Safe Driving For Life

Bletchley driving test centre in Milton Keynes.

As you can see there is plenty of space to do a bay park, so do expect one on your driving test.

If you are thinking about taking your test in Milton keynes and can not find a very good driving instructor then look no further.  I have a great first time pass rate.
Check out my website www.drive-travis.co.uk

Which manoeuvre will I get on the driving test?

That's a good question.  The answer is you will not know until the examiner asks you to complete one. I have listed below my last ten pupil driving tests and the manoeuvres that they was asked.
This is a list of my last ten driving test manoeuvres 
1 Bay park
2 Reverse park
3 Reverse park
4 Left reverse
5 Left reverse
6 Bay park
7 Turn in the road
8 Bay park
9 Reverse park
10 Left reverse

As you can see it could be any of the four that your driving instructor should be teaching you.
www.drive-travis.co.uk

Motorway driving

How to drive on Motorways
Firstly ask your instructor to take you on the motorway. After all they know what your driving is like and you understand the way that they coached you to drive. www.drive-travis.co.uk

If asking your driving instructor is not possible then below are a few pointers to help. 

Read the rules of the Motorway. 

Many new drivers worry about their first time alone on a motorway. 

Motorways are safer, than normal roads, but they are also faster. Sometimes things do happen quicker, and you have to concentrate all the time.

When you are on the main carriageway of the motorway, remain in the first lane until you get used to the speed. If you need to overtake you must return to the first lane as soon as possible but only if its safe to do so! Many motorists try to stay in the overtaking lanes for normal driving. This is bad practice and causes inconvenience and tailbacks and annoys other users.

There are two types of motorway, rural and urban. You need to think of them as quiet and busy. Quiet motorways are boring, so you need to concentrate on the road and traffic conditions way ahead. Busy motorways need your attention all around you rather than just focused ahead.

Motorways are like dual carriageways only safer. They are safer because every motorway user is travelling in the same direction and at similar speeds. Another reason why motorways are safer is due to the fact that traffic is restricted to those who can make best use of it i.e. no pedestrians, cyclists, moped, no L drivers (except HGV), agricultural vehicles, and animals. Motorways are also safer because there are no sharp bends, no oncoming traffic, no right turn, and no roundabouts. The lanes are always wide, and well marked, and are usually straight for long distances. 

How to pass the driving test.

Pass the driving test first time

Top tips for passing your Driving Test - At the First Attempt.

To pass your driving test you need to drive without making any serious or dangerous faults and no more than 15 minor faults during a drive of about 40 minutes. You must also complete several manoeuvres.

Do Your Homework www.drive-travis.co.uk

1. Pin up a map of your test centre area and mark out the test routes. Mark difficult areas on it such as one-way streets, difficult junctions, double mini roundabouts, so that you are ready for them on approach, rather than having to deal with them as if they have come out of nowhere. Make sure you get plenty of practice over the test routes with a professional driving school such as Travis School of Motoring.

2. Practise manoeuvres until you can carry them out without any minor faults. That will leave you with a margin of 15 faults for the rest of the drive on the day of your test.

3. Practise, practise, and practise until you can drive without verbal or physical intervention from me (your instructor) for the duration of a full driving lesson or a mock driving test. Don't forget: it's not practice that makes perfect: it's practice – with a professional driving instructor – that makes perfect.

Test Day

i) Warm up: Arrange to have an hour's driving lesson around the area of the test centre on the day of your test. This will help you to warm up and get into the swing of things. You will also be aware of any new roadworks, obstructions etc and will feel more able to deal with them more easily. Forewarned is foreamed.

ii) Nerves: If you start feeling shaky bag of nerves, breathe in, hold your breath, count up to 20 and out breathe out. Repeat this exercise until you gain control of your nerves. Once the test starts, you'll settle into your driving and your attention will be on the road rather than on your own feelings, and your nervousness should disappear.

iii) Think confident: Talk yourself – silently! – through the test. Talk about hazards coming up and how you are going to deal with them. This really focuses your mind on how you should be driving in order to pass the test.

iv) Don't be afraid to ask: If you don't understand what the examiner has asked you to do, don't be afraid to ask him or her to repeat the instruction.

v) Think positive: Before you start a manoeuvre, repeat to yourself three times – silently – "this is a piece of cake". Think positively at all times. You can do it!

vi) Making a mistake: If you feel you're messing up a manoeuvre, just pull forwards and do it again correctly. As long as you haven't done anything wrong, such as touching the kerb or failing to make effective observations, you can still pass.

vii) Stalling: if, unfortunately, you stall, deal with it and move on. As long as you don't stall in a dangerous situation, such as on a roundabout and as long as you handle it properly, this needn't count as a major fault and you can still pass your test.

viii) Have I already failed? If you feel you've made a mistake, don't instantly assume you've failed – it may only have been a minor fault. Put it behind you and carry on driving as well as you can.

ix) Keep your eyes on the road: Resist the temptation to look at the examiner and what he or she is writing. You will not be able to deduce anything anyway. Keep your attention on your driving and the road ahead!

Good Luck.

1st October 2015. No smoking in cars

Smoking in vehicles: new rules from 1 October 2015

From 1 October 2015 it will be illegal to smoke in a vehicle with anyone under 18 present.

The new law will apply in England and Wales.  Both the driver and the smoker could be fined £50. The law applies to every driver, including those aged 17 and those with a provisional driving licence.  The law does not apply if the driver is 17 years old and is on their own in the car.  The law is changing to protect children and young people from the dangers of secondhand smoke.  Find out more at www.gov.uk/smokefreecars.

Travis School of Motoring, Driving Lessons, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

Travis School of Motoring, Driving Lessons, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

Looking for driving lessons in Milton Keynes?

Asvina passed her driving test first time in Milton Keynes at the Bletchley driving test centre.

Asvina contacted me with about 15 hours of driving lessons from another driving instructor from the previous year.  We arranged to have two hours of driving lessons every week, trying not to miss a week.  Keeping regually driving lessons help retain your training and helps you pass quicker.    We booked her driving test in advance so giving us time to improve her driving ability and improve her confidence.
When the big day arrived Asvina passed first time.  My job was done and Asvina was very happy to pass at the first attempt.  So if you are looking for driving lessons in Milton Keynes and are wondering which driving school to choose.  Then check out Travis School of Motoring www.drive-travis.co.uk for high quality driving lessons.
Safe driving and good luck with your lessons

James Travis
Grade A approved driving instructor

Young drivers don’t have the most penalty points

DVLA information reveals other age groups have more penalty points.

A Freedom of Information request to the DVLA has revealed that there are fewer young drivers with 12 or more penalty points than might be thought.

The data, which was requested earlier this year by the Co-operative Insurance and shows a snapshot of the DVLA’s records on 2ndFebruary 2015, shows that there are more drivers in the 26-35, 36-45 and 46-55 age brackets with 12 or more penalty points compared with drivers aged 25 and under.

Age Group	Drivers with 12 penalty points
17-25	630
26-35	1,880
36-45	1,718
46-55	1,501
56-65	607
66-75	150
76-85	2 http://www.4youngdrivers.co.uk/News/Young-drivers-dont-have-the-most-penalty-points.htm

Black box car insurance.

Telematics car insurance - also known as black box insurance, GPS car insurance, smartbox insurance, pay-as-you-drive insurance and usage-based insurance - works either through a small black box device that's fitted to your car or a mobile phone app which can collect the following type of information:

• The speed you drive
• Braking and accelerating habits
• Distance travelled
• Time of day you travel
• Types of roads you travel on

http://www.drive-travis.co.uk/black-box-in-cars

Clearer info for bus and lorry drivers

Clearer information for bus and lorry drivers

DVSA has published new, clearer guidance for bus and lorry drivers on GOV.UK.

Guide for new drivers DVSA has rewritten the ‘become a lorry or bus driver’ guide to make the information easier to find. The new guide also includes more information about the Driver CPC initial qualification tests. Read the 'become a lorry or bus driver' guide

More ADIs needed for test trials

Despatch blog post: More ADIs needed for the practical driving test trial

Our latest post from DVSA's Chief Driving Examiner calls for more Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) to take part in the practical driving test trial.

The blog post also talks about progress of the trial and explains how ADIs who operate in or around the 32 participating test centres, can register their interest to take part.

Uninsured cars

Police seize more than 20k uninsured cars

Thursday, August 27, 2015

UK police seized at least 27,688 cars in 2015 because the vehicle was uninsured according to research. 

According to research from Churchill Car Insurance, London is the uninsured vehicle capital of the UK, with the Met Police having seized 9,935 cars already this year because they were not insured.  This is twice the number of the second highest constabulary, West Yorkshire, where 4125 cars have been seized.        

Once the police has seized cars, they may be sold at auction.  Police forces across the UK report 1,892 seized cars have already been auctioned this year, raising £1,085,636.56.  However, not all vehicles are sold off once seized; more than 6736 vehicles have been crushed this year, generating a scrap value of £643,891.   

Churchill Car Insurance’s analysis revealed the highest price secured for a car auctioned off in 2015 to date was for a vehicle seized by Warwickshire Police, which sold for £18,874.00. However, this price pales in comparison to the price secured for a vehicle seized by the Met Police in 2013, which sold for £217,933.00. 

If you see a luxury car in the road, it doesn’t necessarily mean the vehicle is insured. In 2015, police forces have seized over 40 Porsches, 10 Bentleys and 1767 BMWs.  The Met Police consistently leads the way when it comes to confiscating luxury vehicles because they are not insured with 810 BMWS, 386 Audis, 21 Porsches, 5 Bentleys, 2 Lamborghinis and a Ferrari being seized in the capital.

Steve Barrett, head of Car Insurance at Churchill Insurance, said: “This analysis exposes just the tip of the uninsured iceberg.  Thousands upon thousands of motorists across the country are driving without insurance, which is truly terrifying.  We need an urgent examination of the penalties for uninsured motoring, introducing sentences that are a real deterrent and that will keep these irresponsible motorists off the road.  Motorists driving without insurance are not just those driving around in old bangers, they are people driving luxury vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.” 

Drivers phone family whilst driving

Quarter of drivers phone families when driving

Friday, August 28, 2015

Nearly a quarter of drivers have broken the law by talking to their families while behind the wheel to research from road safety charity Brake. 

Almost a quarter (23%) of drivers have talked to family on the phone while driving while one-in-seven drivers (15%) have talked to friends on the phone while driving.

Meanwhile, one-in-six drivers (17%) have had a work-related call while driving.

The survey showed that young drivers (17-24) were most likely to engage in phone calls with friends with more than a third (35%) of young drivers doing so while driving.

More than two in five young drivers (21%) have talked to friends on the phone while driving and nearly half (49%) of young drivers have had a work-related call while driving.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, said: “In the modern world, drivers are confronted with many distractions that prevent them from giving the road their full attention, risking devastating crashes and loss of life. It is a sobering thought that a significant number of these life-threatening distractions come from drivers’ own friends and family.”

Brake also asked drivers how long they drive without taking a break. Two thirds (67%) admitted driving for more than the recommended two hours, with a quarter (24%) doing so once a month or more.