John's School Of Motoring Blog

Driving Lessons: Hazard perception test

2008-06-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Using a 21st century approach to bringing the very best to the students who have enrolled with John’s School of Motoring, everyone can now benefit from the Hazard Perception Test products available from the school’s website. The Hazard Perception Test and other products are easy to purchase securely online using Google checkout services and is already proving to be a tremendous help to those new drivers who will be soon taking their two part driving test.

The clips are shown on video and you will see a situation when driving that will involve other road users, all of this is shown from the driver’s viewpoint. During the video a number of clips show a hazard, or in some cases a situation will develop which will cause the driver to change and you will need to identify these as well as the hazards. There are lots of video clips each of which is around one minute long allowing the new driver to practice and to understand potential hazards which will be encountered on the road and also in the theory part of the driving test.

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Hazard Perception Test - What you need to know

2008-06-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Hazard Perception Test is also known as the “awareness” test and is made up of video clips to test your knowledge of driving hazards. The video clips shown (14 in total) are all about one minute long.

The Videos shown will obviously contain a driving hazard that you will have to identify, in 13 of the clips there will be 1 hazard to identify and in one of the clips 2 hazards to identify, unfortunately they won’t give you any hints as to which is the clip containing 2 hazards.

Driver changes speed, direction or stops

In the video clips you will see hazards that will cause the driver to change speed, direction or even stop. To identify the hazards you will select the correct hazard by clicking either the left or right mouse button. Time is an issue here too as the quicker you identify the hazard the more points you will score. The points system operates on a scale of 5 to 0.

Oh if you were thinking of being clever and working round the hazard perception videos by clicking as many times as you could as the video plays the system will pick this up and you will ultimately score o. There may be other hazards on the video that you can see and click on but you will not loose points for clicking on them. Potential driving hazards won’t gain you points but also won’t loose you any either.

Remember you are looking for hazards that will cause the driver to change speed, change direction or stop. This is the driving hazard you must identify to score points.

Passing the Hazard Perception Test

In order to pass the test you must score at least 44 points out of possibly 75.

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Hazard Perception Theory Test

2008-06-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

One section of the driving test which comes under the theory section is the hazard perception test. We have the means at our disposal to allow you to view a model and to continue to practice, to help you on the road to successfully passing all parts of your driving test. When you enrol with us for your driving lessons, we will give you the necessary information for you to access our online theory programme and from there, it id plain sailing as the saying goes.

The hazard perception part is delivered on a computer and you respond by clicking a button on the mouse. You will be presented with a series of 14 video clips which feature every day road scenes, in each clip there will be at least one developing hazard, but one of the clips will feature two developing hazards. During the real test you will need to respond to the developing hazard if you want to achieve a high score, the maximum being five. Unlike our mock test when you sit the real one you will not be able to review your answers to the hazard perception test; as on the road, you will only have one chance to respond to the developing hazard. Practice makes perfect.

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John’s Driving School - New Drivers Beware

2008-06-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

The adding of penalty points to a driver’s licence is designed to act as a deterrent and make us all think about how we drive or park our motor vehicles. The usual imposition is three penalty points for an offence, but this can be more depending upon the offence. An example of this is three points for each defective tyre, so two tyres means six points and if you are stupid enough to have four defective tyres, you no longer have a valid licence!

That’s right, twelve points and you lose your right to drive a motor vehicle. However, how many people are aware that a new driver is on probation for two years following the passing of the practical and theoretical driving test. If during this period a new driver collects only six penalty points, and we can see that this is not difficult, they lose their licence and have to retake both parts of the driving test and be accompanied by a qualified driver at all times. Remember under new legislation exceeding a 30 mile per hour speed limit by 15 miles per hour brings with it a new penalty point imposition of six points.

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Driving Lessons - Why John's Driving School

2008-04-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

It not always that easy to know where to start when learning to drive. For any learner driver it can be confusing to know what you need to get started. That’s just one of the reasons we provided an informative driving school website to help you every step of the way. All topics are covered from your provisional driving licence application to more advanced driver training.

The Driving Test

The John’s Driving School website also provides information about theory tests and the hazard perception test. For those about to embark on that all important practical test you can find out what to expect on the day and learn valuable information on those manoeuvres.

Passing The Driving Test

Ok, so you have just passed your driving test. Help! Now what ? It’s OK, don’t panic, John’s Driving School will continue to help you even when you have passed your test. With Pass Plus and Motorway Driving Lessons as well as offering valuable information on the UK Driving Law you can be confident John’s Driving School will not let you down.

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John’s Driving School - Tail Gating

2008-03-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

One of the most aggravating things described by most drivers is what is known as “tail gating”, in other words sitting on the tailgate of the car that is in front, remember those stickers that said “if you can read this you are too close!” Being shunted from behind, or worse being responsible for hitting the car in front can be the cause of you and your passengers serious injury, remember you will be considered to be at fault if you hit the car in front of you!

Stress levels will be reduced by keeping a safe distance between you and the car in front when driving and the driving instructor at the driving school will tell you to use “the two second rule”, Leave at least a two second gap between you and the vehicle in front. And this rule should be increased to double this distance on wet roads and even further on icy roads.

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John's Driving School - Highway Code

2008-03-20T09:52:00.000-07:00

Dramatic changes to the way we drive has been happening since the first Highway Code was introduced in 1931, one of the first recommendations in this was that drivers should use their horn when overtaking, can you imagine the reaction if that was the case now?

Other changes over the years have included; car numbers have increased from 1.5 million in 1931 to a staggering 30 million today! In 1966 the government of the day introduced a drink-driving limit of 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, which still stands today. The breathalyser followed in 1967, and the very controversial, at the time, wearing of seatbelt was made compulsory in 1983.

Most people do not like changes and those affecting the way we drive are less popular than most. However, we have to agree that all of the legislation is introduced to ensure, or to improve our road safety. John’s Driving School Macclesfield is always up-to-date with the latest driving issues.

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John’s Driving School - Beware Of Trainee Driving Instructors

2008-03-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Some driving schools do employ trainee instructors so should you only use a fully qualified driving instructor? In order to get a pink badge the trainee instructor has to pass parts 1 & 2 (a driving theory test, multiple choice test plus hazard perception video test and an advanced ADI driving test which is of a much higher standard than the test you will take) of the DSA Driving Instructor examination and have done at least 40 hours ADI training as well. Then they must do a further 20 hours training shortly after the badge is issued. Part 3 of the exam is a practical test that tests the trainee's instructional ability. These are the facts. The choice is yours.
You should also make sure that your driving instructor has the legal amount of insurance. All instructors require specialized instructor insurance - Class C hire and reward. If an instructor does not have this level of insurance then in the event of accident or injury, you the learner driver will not be covered.
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John’s Driving School - Choosing Your Driving Instructor

2008-03-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

When choosing a UK driving instructor it is of great important that you make sure your instructor is legal.
Teaching someone to pass the UK driving test may seem easy but it is not. It is a skilled job that is best left to qualified professionals. In fact it is illegal for unapproved instructors to receive payment for driving tuition.
Money motivates most crime. This is certainly true of bogus driving instructors who can earn up to £25 per an hour for their deceptions.
By UK law, all correctly licensed driving instructors have to display an appropriate licence clearly in the windscreens of their instruction car or the pupil's own car if using it for driving lessons. Failure to do so can result in a fine of up to £1000.
The license will be either a green octagon or a pink triangle. The green octagon indicates the driving instructor is fully qualified. The pink triangle indicates that the instructor is still a trainee however is legally permitted to instruct. Each license will show a photo of the instructor, his name and number.
You can check that your driving instructor is on the Driving Standards Agency register by calling 0115 901 2618 or emailing them at adireg@dsa.gsi.gov.uk

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John’s Driving School - Driving Lesson Car

2008-03-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

No matter what car you may wish to drive, or what car you may own or have access to, at the John’s Driving School Macclesfield, I am interested in only one thing, and that is as your qualified driving instructor to patiently guide you through your driving lessons until you are ready to take and to pass the practical driving test.

When learning the necessary skills to achieve your objective we want you to feel safe and confident in a car that is small, has good visibility and is responsive. Our years of experience has taught us that if you have confidence and are familiar with your car, you will be a better safer driver and will not only gain in confidence when you get behind the wheel, but will respond to the driving lessons more quickly and your road safety will become more proficient.

Currently I teach my students in a brand new BMW Mini Cooper S which nimble and efficient and has light precise controls, vitally important when negotiating the clutch and accelerator functions for the first time.

One piece of advice that you should take home with you after you have torn up you “L” plates and you are rushing out to buy that powerful sports car, is to register with John’s Driving School Macclesfield for a Pass Plus course, not only will you be a safer driver, you could save money on your car insurance.

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Lessons for life

2008-03-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

In today’s demanding driving conditions of high traffic levels and frustrated drivers we know that you will need to be prepared for all this when you pass your driving test.

Lets face it, anyone can just drive the real answer is to get comprehensive driving instruction on a one-one basis to really learn to drive. On your driving lessons I will not only teach you to drive but to really learn the subject of driving which will in turn help you cope with today’s traffic demands and even the most stressful driving situations.

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Driving Lessons

2008-03-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Take the first step to getting your full driving licence and the freedom of being able to drive a car unrestricted from place to place, forget the bus or train, and just join the many that have successfully passed through John’s Driving School Macclesfield

To help you on your way to taking your practical and theory test, you can book your driving lessons with me on a single lesson basis of 1hr,1.5hr or 2hr duration, or save money by paying in advance for a block booking your driving lessons. Although there will be a lot for you to learn, you need not worry as a qualified driving instructor I am at hand to help you pass your driving test and become one of the many safe drivers that have passed through my hands.

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Speed Camera Locations UK

2008-03-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

Whether you believe that the speed camera is a safety device, a revenue raising device, or do not have an opinion, one thing that you can be sure of and that is that they are here to stay. They certainly raise revenue; about that there is no argument, for as long ago as the year 2003, cameras raised £120 million from the 2 million motorists who were caught by camera, exceeding the speed limit.

For a number of years now, the fixed speed camera has been easily recognisable, as by law they had to be painted a bright fluorescent yellow, with reflective paint making them visible even in the dark. This is now no longer the case and the camera can be neutral in colour and it can even be placed unobtrusively, or in other words hidden! As always here at John’s Driving School Macclesfield, I emphasise that the law and the Highway Code should be obeyed at all times for both the sake of other road users and to keep your all important driving licence clean, breaking the speed limit means three points on your licence, or in the case of excessive speed six points.

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John’s Driving School - Welcome

2008-03-07T03:33:00.000-08:00

This is the first blog entry from John’s Driving School Macclesfield and I aim to bring you lots of useful information about driving and learning to driver in the UK in the coming weeks. My information is dedicated to all people who would like to know more about learning to drive, so whether you are a first time driver, looking for more lessons or an experienced driver I’m sure you will find this information useful.

Other entries in this blog will include UK Driving News, details about the online theory tests, hazard perception and driving lessons. I hope to update this blog with lots of relevant information will be updated regularly so please re-visit from time to time for the latest update.

John’s Driving School Macclesfield has been around for a number of years now and I aim to make your learning experience as enjoyable as possible and my ethos has always been to treat each learner driver as an individual with just the right amount of patience with a relaxed and friendly approach.

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