Before a driver can take to the road behind the wheel on their own, they must pass the Department of Transport driving test. This is now in two parts, the practical driving test and the theoretical driving test. Your qualified Bill Plant Driving School Instructor will take you through a routine designed to bring you to the standard to pass both parts of driving test.

Driving on the roads will make passing the practical test a reality. The theoretical test can be practised at any time through the FREE online theory test at the web pages of Bill Plant. This is a great way of gaining valuable experience as to what the real theory test will be like, with over 900 different questions to test your driving knowledge. Bill Plant students can log on with the password given by their instructor, but if you are not a student yet, just login with your name and email address, it’s that easy!

As one of the most successful driving schools in the UK the Bill Plant Driving School is well established throughout the major conurbations in the country. Unlike some other Driving Schools, Bill Plant’s ethos is that every part of a major city has to be treated as a local area.

An example of what is meant by this is when taking driving lessons in Bradford, which is a major conurbation with two major test centres at Eccleshill and at Heaton, because of Bill Plant’s reputation for excellence in driving tuition, it does not have to be daunting. For someone who wants to learn to drive in Bradford to be concerned that they will be pitched into the city centre straight away you need not worry, if you live in Shipley on the one hand or say or Laisterdyke of Wibsey for instance you will be collected in your area and your driving lessons in Bradford will be pitched at the right level for you, supporting you and bringing you to the standard needed to pass your two part driving test.

When you are about to take driving lessons there are many things to be considered, foremost is the need for the security of a major national company. Equally though, what is required also is that the Driving School should be local to your particular area so that you can be collected near to your home or work. Fortunately for the ever increasing numbers of people who are now taking driving lessons, the Bill Plant Driving School fit these requirements.

An example of this has to be the Bill Plant operation for those who wish to learn to drive in Birmingham, which is one of the most comprehensive in this vast conurbation. Even if you have never sat behind the wheel of a car before, the Bill Plant fully qualified driving instructor will put you at your ease and collect you from your chosen locality, whether this is from diverse points such as Aston to Cradley Heath or eastwards to Chelmsley Wood. Relax; learning to drive in Birmingham and taking the two part driving test at one of the six Birmingham Driving Test Centres is taken care of through sympathetic and understanding coaching by the Bill Plant Birmingham Driving School, you will soon be a qualified driver.

New proposals to reform the way people learn to drive and how they are tested has recently been announced by Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and the Bill Plant School of Motoring will be ready and ahead of the game. It is a sad fact that whilst road deaths have fallen by 33% since the mid 1990s, but the casualty rate for young drivers has not changed. One in five people have an accident within six months of passing their test, and another 70% report near misses in the same period. Alongside this newly-qualified drivers and their passengers account for one in five of all car deaths in Britain.

We always stress to the newly qualified driver that they have just reached one milestone following there successful driving test, and we emphasise the need to continue to learn roadcraft to ensure their own and other road users safety. An example would be to enroll for the pass plus course which will make them safer drivers and can reduce their insurance premiums.  

In order to get your driver’s license you may have to demonstrate the ability to parallel park your vehicle.  This controlling of your vehicle’s forward and backward motion requires you to be able to steer, use your mirrors, and possibly change position in your seat for the best view.  Your tires and how they grip the road when you speed up, brake and steer also has a lot to do with positioning your car in any situation.  In order to steer well, you should always be seated properly in the driver’s seat and use the hand over hand method of turning the wheel.

Parking is not the only time you need to be concerned with how your vehicle is positioned.  Traversing corners on country roads is a good example.  On some lanes you can see far enough ahead that you will be able to take the turn at the posted speed limit.  On other roads you will need to slow down due to poor visibility.  Curves and turns have a vanishing point – the point where offside and nearside converge – and being able to assess any potential hazard will allow you to position your vehicle properly in the turn.

When you are driving you always need to make sure that all four wheels of your vehicle remain on the road surface to keep the vehicle stable.  Make sure you take your bends as close to the right or left hand side of the road as applicable and try not to cross the centre in case of oncoming traffic.  Steer well clear of cyclists and horse back riders if at all possible and slow right down when you pass them. Driving safely and knowing where your car is positioned at all times will keep you from getting involved in an accident.

As a car or commercial vehicle driver, or someone who is taking driving lessons, we have to be particularly aware the there are other road users, those of the two wheeled variety the biker. Cycling and motor cycling have seen a recent revival due to more predictable journey times and better fuel consumption, especially in urban areas.

Drivers of cars and commercial vehicles have to pay particular attention to these other road users, who for various reasons fail to see the motorcycle coming towards them. Often the car driver looks but fails to see the biker, particularly acute at junctions and that is why it is the subject of an advertising campaign. “Sorry mate I didn’t see you” is for too many bikers the last words they hear before they are put in the ambulance. Pay particular attention to your nearside mirror do not compromise the safety of the cyclist on your near side.

You will have worked hard when taking your driving lessons and the all important practical driving test awaits you. We strongly recommend that  when you pass the test a Pass Plus course be considered which will make you an even better driver as well as giving the benefit of lower insurance premiums, so don’t spoil it all by collecting penalty points by being caught exceeding the statutory speed limits.

Modern cars are so powerful and comfortable they give drivers little sensation of their speed, and many drivers find themselves exceeding the speed limit without realising it. None more so than when coming off a high speed road such as a motorway when dropping down to 40 or 30 mph can feel like going at snails pace. Remember to check your speedometer regularly and do not rely on a feeling of speed which can be very misleading. Speed limits are set as a maximum for safety reasons, they are not targets.

You can put it off no longer the time has come when the teenager in you’re family takes thier driving lessons, quite rightly so, they will need to be independent one day and not rely on you to ferry them around. But the way that they are being taught is to come under scrutiny this month as the Government is still rightly concerned about the number of young driver deaths on our roads. So what can you do as a parent when the time comes for them to take to the wheel? Professional bodies believe that there is no substitute for proper professional driving tuition.

You, as a hands on parent, can help by allowing them as much practice as you possibly can, but if you want to help your youngster learn to drive, you may need to go back for a refresher to driving school yourself as you have to realise that your driving style may be an effective one for you as an experienced driver, but not necessarily a direct fit with the syllabus that the ADI will be working to preparing your youngster for the test. Remember that your vehicle has to be suitable for practising in; your large automatic transmission car is entirely different from the friendly manual Vauxhall Corsa they will eventually take their practical driving test in.

Driving a motor vehicle is not about just one technique, as your qualified driving instructor will have taught to you when you were taking your driving lessons. A good, safe drive is about a mixture of techniques, but high on the list must be the need to use the vehicle’s brakes in a smooth and progressive way.

The way we drive begins to change as we become more confident, often within a few months after taking the practical driving test, not if you practice advanced driving techniques. Good drivers develop observation and anticipation, braking or slowing earlier as the need arises.

Many drivers leave their braking late, possibly causing that “cascade” of lights so often seen, a good driver will have left enough gap to allow gentle braking, letting the speed of the vehicle fall away without the need to brake hard. It is better by far to learn to read the road ahead, you can do this by taking the free Hazard Perception Test on Bill Plants website. Not only do you get early warning of developing hazards, you can respond by adjusting your speed using only your throttle, this technique will also help save fuel.

Learning how to drive can be both exciting and harrowing. Most students take driving lessons from an accredited driving school, like the Bill Plant School of Motoring. It helps if learner-drivers can have some extra practice between lessons with their instructor. In order for them to be able to legally get behind the wheel with only their provisional license, learner-drivers must be accompanied by an adult who has a license.

Anyone wishing to accompany their learner-driver on the road must be 21 years of age or older. They must also have had their own full driving license for at least three years, and special ‘L’ plates on the front and back of the car.

According to the Driving Standards Agency, it takes the average learner driver forty-five hours of driving lessons and twenty-two hours of private practice before they are ready to take their driving test. If you are willing to help your learner-driver, no matter what you do you must always remain calm and patient. Remember, you were a student once too.