What will I learn with A+ Driving Academy?
Our instructors create tailored lessons for every student to ensure they understand and apply all the basic rules, skills and manoeuvres that safe driving requires, at a pace that suits the individual student.
To not only pass your driving test but also to become a safe and confident driver and to pass the theory, the following areas are covered by your A+ Instructor:
Please note: Driving Lesson Packages must be used within one year of purchase.
- Doors
- Handbreak
- Your seat position
- Head restraint
- Steering wheel position
- Interior and exterior mirrors
- Seat belt
- Fuel levels
Precautions before starting the engine:
- Parking brake again
- Gear lever in neutral position
Your car needs to be in good working order before you turn the key in the ignition.
These are the things you need to check:
- Fuel level
- Oil
- Water, screenwash, coolant and brake fluid
- Electrics
- Tyres
- Brakes
- Steering
Always use the MSM (Mirror – Signal – Manoeuvre) and PSL (Position – Speed – Look) routines.
You need to:
- Give clear, timely signals
- Know the difference between fog lights, reversing lights, indicator light and brake lights
- Understand the signals from other motorists, including arm signals
- Respond safely to the signals other road users give
To make sure you always have a safe position on the road, you need to:
- Use the MSM (Mirror – Signal – Manoeuvre) and PSL (Position – Speed – Look) routines
- Understand how other road users such as cyclists and lorries position themselves on the road
- Plan ahead and make sure you move into the correct lane in time
- Understand how a wide or narrow road affects your position on the road
- Make sure you keep in the correct lane when driving around roundabouts and position on bends
- Take up the correct lane or position on one-way streets
- Leave enough clearance when passing stationary vehicles and obstructions.
No matter how small the manoeuvre and how empty the roads, you should always check your mirrors before making a manoeuvre, such as:
- Stopping
- Signalling
- Overtaking
- Changing lanes
- Turning right or left
- Changing speed
You should only turn around to look in the blind spot when you’re stationary, for example when:
- Moving off
- Opening your door
Do you know the difference between a Y-junction and crossroads, or a roundabout and an unmarked junction?
When approaching a junction or roundabout, you’ve got to slow down in time so you won’t have to brake harshly if you need to stop.
Always watch out for the more vulnerable road users such as children and cyclists.
Can you deal safely with meeting, crossing and overtaking traffic?
Do you know when it’s illegal to overtake another vehicle?
What the appropriate speed is depends on:
- Official speed limit
- Condition of the road
- Weather
- Traffic
- Presence of other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists
Hopefully, you won’t use this skill often because your eyes are always on the road ahead and you can identify hazards long in advance. If you do need to brake quickly, it is important to keep both hands on the wheel and try to stop in a straight line.
If your car doesn’t have ABS brakes, you run the risk of skidding. If this starts to happen, release your brake pedal a bit. If the rear of your car is sliding sideways, you can make up for this by gently steering in the same direction.
The internet is full of videos and pictures of drivers making a fool of themselves while parking.
You need a lot of attention, precision, patience and practice to master this skill. Why not get in the right mood with our parking game?
The hazard perception test is part of your theory test, but you’ll need to be aware of potential dangers on the road even more than during your theory test.
The free training course material that A+ provide with help you with hazard awareness for both your practical driving skills for the test and also for the theory element.
Your reverse checklist:
- Choose a safe, quiet side road or drive round a block of side streets
- Never reverse from a side road into a main road
- Use all of your mirrors before you start reversing
- Check the blind spot behind you for pedestrians, cyclists and other road users
- Look mainly through the rear window while reversing slowly
- Check the front of your car when turning, as it will swing out
- Be prepared to stop and wait for other road users or pedestrians
If you want to turn your car, you’ll have to choose between doing a U-turn, reversing into a side street or doing a 2 point turn.
- Keep checking your mirrors and blind spots during this manoeuvre
- Choose a safe and legal and spacious spot
- Check the road in both directions to make sure it is safe before you move across
- Move slowly and steer briskly
- Avoid dry steering: start to turn your wheels in the opposite direction just before you stop
- Don’t take ages – you don’t want to obstruct the road for too long