When we refer to “A Spitfire” on a well read website concerned with cars and learning to drive, you would be forgiven if you thought that we were referring to that ubiquitous sports car the Triumph Spitfire, popular some years ago and still seen on the roads today. However, in this context you would be wrong as we are talking about a different kind of “Spitfire”, one that became very famous in 1940 along with its sister fighter plane the Hurricane, both of which along with a Lancaster Bomber can be seen flying with the Royal Air Force’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Bill Plant has lent his support to the Royal British Legion, North Yorkshire Ripon Branch, providing much needed funds to assist the volunteers of RBL in constructing a full size replica of this Supermarine Mk V iconic fighter aeroplane. To see, touch and to actually sit in this Spitfire, will be made possible this coming weekend Saturday 17th May 2008 when it will be displayed, along with other World War 2 memorabilia on Ripon’s Market Square, for the annual VE Day celebrations.

You may have successfully completed your driver training, just started off and enrolled at one of the Bill Plant Driving Schools, or like many of us have been driving for years. Maybe it is the latter category that could do with some refreshment on the pages of The Highway Code. Bill Plant has always been to the forefront in keeping up with the very latest in cars and constantly ensuring that the Qualified Driving Instructors are aware of new legislation, and checked to ensure their performance is kept up to hi high standard. 

So it is no surprise that this highly rated School of Motoring has made available online the full pages of the Highway Code that can be easily accessed through their online pages. The revision of these can help when taking the Driving Test, or help mature drivers keep up to date with changes that may have taken place over the years since they took the practical test. The online Highway Code is free to access, why not look at it today, you may be surprised how it has changed!

A new driver feels successful and confident upon getting their driver’s license.  They have passed many tests and have learned practical driving lessons.  This is just the first step.  Driving is a very large responsibility and one that must been taken seriously.  Taking unnecessary risks while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle could result in property damage, injury, and maybe even death.  By understanding what some of these mistakes can be, driving schools are able to offer many of their students advanced driving lessons once they have received their license.

Young drivers who have just got their licenses need to understand that peer pressure will cause them to make costly mistakes.  Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, being distracted by those around them or by other things such as cell phones and the radio, and simply being a show-off are all things that will make a young driver less responsible.  Advanced driving lessons will help young drivers understand that these are situations they can avoid while driving and will teach them how to overcome these obstacles.

Bill Plant’s qualified instructors have the patience and expertise to help out new drivers, our Pass Plus programs are structured and in a relaxed atmosphere that helps the student feel comfortable.

Being in business on your own is something that most people would like to happen at some time in their lives, so why not make it become a reality? Achieving this is not as difficult as it might be if you take up the outstanding offer of becoming a franchised driving instructor with The Bill Plant School of Motoring.

Firstly you would receive full instruction from the Bill Plant Driving Instructor Training College, tailored around you so you do not lose valuable income, completing parts 1, 2 & 3 of the Driving Standards Agency tests to become a fully Approved Driving Instructor. After qualification you can take up a franchise with Bill Plant Ltd., and be part of national driving school with over 300 cars on the road. Full support is part of your franchise and the stress is taken out of running your business. What are you waiting for?

Materials need to be shipped from place to place and sometimes the only way to ensure that this happens is to ship via commercial truck.  By taking approved training lessons through our Fleetcraft course you can be on your way to driving safely and efficiently for the company you work for.  These fleet driving courses have helped reduce the amount of accidents their drivers have been involved in and many of them have seen their commercial automobile insurance policies reduced.

Company representatives who take these classes have afterwards found that they are more comfortable, more relaxed, and more composed behind the wheel of their vehicle.  They do not feel the nervousness associated with meeting a new or existing client, and they are able to concentrate on the meeting at hand without worry.  They are more productive and efficient.  Many businesses encourage fleet drivers to take these classes to help reduce costs due to accident repairs, insurance premiums and compensation claims, injuries, litigation, fuel consumption, and other company financial concerns.

Most companies have policies that cover the management aspect of driving and then the actual driving itself.  Procedures should be put in place for your safety as a fleet driver and it is up to you to follow them to the best of your ability.  A zero-accident atmosphere at a company is the best there can be and by being proactive, your career as a fleet driver will be a long and safe one.  If you are a fleet driver, we are currently recruiting qualified fleet trainers. Click here for more information.

If you looking for a new career and you enjoy helping younger people learn how to drive, you may want to consider a career in driving instruction.  The Bill Plant School of Motoring offers individuals the opportunity to franchise their own driving school business or work with an established business to teach anyone interested in learning how to drive.

The driving instructor course is designed for each individual to learn at his or her own pace.  You will be assigned a regional trainer who will support your progress and all the materials you will need to complete your assignments will be provided.

By becoming a driving instructor, you get the opportunity to not only develop your own driving skills more, but you get to get help younger people learn how to drive as well.  You can use your wealth of practical experience to teach and pass on a positive driving attitude.

When we where learning to drive our driving instructor emphasised the need for 100% concentration on our driving and in those halcyon days we had few if any distractions. Since we left the driving school behind many things have happened to us, one of which is the possibility of children coming along.

Driving to a holiday destination with young children on board is possibly the number one distraction that drivers have to deal with, driving experts acknowledge that internal distractions can be every bit as dangerous as the external distractions. To prevent the driver going on to “auto pilot” how is the best way to deal with this? Plan your journey, take on plenty of food and drink, and if it is a long journey allow more stops than you would allow for adult passengers. Electronic games are ideal along with books to help keep the children amused.  “I spy” games with another adult also help to pass away the journey time and allow the driver to give the road the attention it deserves.

With the winter slowly receding and the clocks going forward, springtime is more compatible for the morning routine than those frosty snowy mornings of late. When you were learning to drive your qualified instructor will have explained how you should check your car before setting off on your planned journey and this will have included a clear and clean windscreen.

We all perhaps take wipers for granted although often, polish from the car body finds its way onto the windscreen blades; this also applies to resin from nearby trees. It may not be necessary to replace the wiper blades  some thing as simple as a thorough wipe over with a bit of kitchen roll can extend the life of the blades considerably, take away those lines, and stop the smearing effect that destroys vision to effectively. Be a safer driver just as you were when you attended the driving school and make sure that you have a clear view of the road ahead at all times.

If you have ever misjudged a bend and found yourself braking in the corner, you would not be on your own. Getting this wrong can mean the consequences are potentially very serious, particularly on rural roads, which still dominate crash statistics. Statistics clearly show that it is not just the young or newly qualified driver that gets caught out, most single vehicle accidents occur in these situations.

Your Bill Plant Driving School instructor will have given you tips and advice how to spot a severe bend, road signs are the most obvious. There are other signs to look out for though and these include; line of trees, hedges, buildings, street lights or telegraph poles, but remember sometimes telegraph or electricity poles can cross fields, so don’t try to follow them! If you have been caught out why not consider a Pass Plus course featuring advanced driving lessons. Pass plus covers all types of driving conditions and gives you added confidence.

The debate is raging and it is likely to become more vociferous in the coming years as it has been announced that all new cars are to be fitted with automatic daytime headlights within four years. Government has been against the idea, arguing grounds that using lights in the daytime would increase fuel consumption and emissions.

Motoring groups are united in their opposition to the move claiming that fuel consumption will increase by three percent, a figure that the European Union refutes claiming that it is only 0.3 percent a figure which would not be noticed by vehicle users. Anything that makes a vehicle more visible to all road users, and that includes cyclists and pedestrians, can only be a good thing. However what could be more important is if road users used dipped headlights in fog and poor visibility, something that all students learn during their driving lessons at the Bill Plant School of Motoring.