Traffic-Light Controlled Junctions

You must stop and remain stopped behind the white ‘stop’ line on your side of the road unless the green traffic light is showing. It is only permitted to proceed on amber if you have already crossed the stop line or if stopping may cause a collision. 

Under no circumstance should you pass the white stop line whilst the red light is showing. Only proceed when the traffic lights are showing green provided that there is room for you to cross the junction clearly and with no risk of blocking other traffic. 

An additional traffic light signal that you may come across is the green filter arrow.  This permits traffic in that filter lane only to proceed.

Advanced stop lines allow cyclists to be positioned in front of other traffic at junctions. Motorists have to stop at the first white line reached if the traffic lights are showing amber or red. Blocking this area should be avoided at all times, if the junction ahead is blocked, remain behind the first white line until you can proceed. When the traffic lights show green, allow cyclists time and space to move off safely. 

Turning Right

Turning right into a junction can be tricky and overwhelming. A lot of safety precautions have to be carried out to prevent an accident occurring. Well in advance of your right turn, ensure that you’ve used your mirrors to assess your position and the flow of traffic behind you. Use your right indicator to announce your intention and then move into an appropriate position which will allow you to turn right when the oncoming traffic allows but also allow the free-flow of traffic to the left of you. When there is a gap big enough between you and oncoming traffic to allow safe passage, check your mirrors once again and proceed into the road. 

You may have a situation where you’re turning right at a cross-road and an oncoming vehicle is also turning right. In this instance you should proceed with caution but there are two main options:

• Turn right side by side to the other vehicle, ensuring that it is always to your right and that you turn behind it
• Turning in front of one another- this can be dangerous in terms of blocking your view so if this method is chosen proceed with caution

*NOTE that road markings (shown by white arrows painted on the floor) may be present to indicate which of these methods to use- this MUST be adhered to. 

Box Junctions

These are square boxes with criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road. They are used to prevent congestion at junctions by allowing traffic to take alternative exits whilst allowing the free-flow of other traffic. You are not permitted to enter a box junction unless your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right. 

Staggered Junctions

A staggered junction occurs when a minor road reaches a major road but the continuing minor road is not directly opposite. The continuing minor road is usually offset slightly from the major road. Drivers are urged to exercise extreme care and make extra observations when dealing with these types of road junctions.

Precautions to take when approaching junctions

• Reduce your speed well in-advance of the junction to allow yourself time to assess the traffic flow before proceeding.
• Look early and be aware that other vehicles may not always use their signals to announce their turning intention, prepare for last minute decisions.
• Be aware of your position. Whether you are turning right or left, other vehicles should be able to position themselves alongside you at most junctions. Don’t sit in the middle of the junction.

If approached with care and attention, junctions are a relatively straightforward part of driving. Whilst you may encounter certain struggles at first, regular practice will ensure that you are able to navigate junctions safely and without problems.

The post A Guide to Junctions appeared first on RED Driving School.

We train our ADIs so that RED learners are the best prepared they can be for a lifetime of safe driving, with a good foundation of knowledge and responsibility. For our advice about choosing your instructor, watch the video below, read on to find out how easy it is to find and choose the Perfect instructor.

Step 1 – How to find an instructor, wherever you are

RED Driving School has one of the largest fleets of instructors in the UK, which means you’re never far from quality driving instructors. To find your local instructors, simply search for your local area and view the names of our instructors. So whether you want a driving instructor in Birmingham or Leeds (or both!), it’s never more than a few clicks away. You can even find instructors in the surrounding towns or boroughs, and the instructors which serve them for example, Leicester or Colwyn Bay.

Step 2 – Choose a driving instructor, whoever you are

Our top tip is to find someone you feel comfortable with, who suits your learning style. At RED we bring you the knowledgeable and experienced instructors you’ll need to make the grade.

In 2013 we matched teen celeb Tyger Drew-Honey (of Outnumbered fame) with instructor Paul Danby, you can read more about his progress elsewhere on the RED Driving school blog and by watching his video diaries on the ingenie Youtube channel.

The post How to find and choose your perfect driving instructor appeared first on RED Driving School.

Tell us what makes the Perfect Instructor by filling out our survey today.

Your driving ability and therefore your ability to pass the driving test can depend upon the driving instructor that you choose. Making sure that you choose the right instructor for you is one of the most important decisions of your driving life.

Teaching this fundamental life skill requires many different characteristics, but what are these and which make the perfect driving instructor? We’re looking for your personal experiences with fantastic driving instructors so that we can strive to that goal.

We’ll be giving away £20 Amazon gift vouchers every week to a lucky entrant for the next month. Send in your survey answers now for a chance to win. See below for the competition Terms and Conditions:

• The Competition, between 28th January to 25th February 2014 will offer four winners a £20 Amazon gift voucher, notified directly.
• The Competition is only open to persons who are currently students at RED Driving School that complete a survey and provide a valid e-mail address. It will not be open to employees of RED Driving School or its promoters, Arena Media.
• Prize winners will be chosen at random on each Tuesday morning from all valid and correct entries received.
• Prizes are as stated, non-transferable and there is no cash alternative.

Tell us what the Perfect Driving Instructor means to you today for a chance to win! Be sure to share your results with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Or, if you are an instructor who is looking for new opportunities, visit our driving instructor jobs page.

The post What makes the perfect driving instructor? appeared first on RED Driving School.

2012 will be remembered for a number of firsts: first sub-37-second relay, first song to be played on Mars, first person to pass a driving test in an electric car…

OK, so the last of those didn’t get quite the same coverage, but it was an important development nonetheless. Navdeep Pandher, a teenager from Hull, took his test in a Vauxhall Ampera this October, and drove his way to a little piece of automotive history in the process. We salute him!

His success got us wondering what driving lessons of the future might involve. Feel free to add your own thoughts and predictions in the comments below, but we’re thinking robots will have to play a role somewhere (this would be a sorry “future” blog if they didn’t).

Driving with RED, lessons for the future  

Naturally, futuristic driving instructors would also come with in-app, add-on purchases. You could rock up to RED and choose to have your lesson delivered in the dulcet tones of Jeremy Clarkson (could you bear it?), or perhaps Alan Partridge (would the robot come with string-backed driving gloves, “for a bit of extra purchase”?). Not that we’d ever advocate doing away with our human driving instructors of course, but the future is about nothing if it’s not about change (and robots – have we mentioned the robots?).

Learning to drive responsibly, with RED

In truth, driving lessons of the future are already upon us, and it turns out they’re not entirely given over to electric cars and gadgets. Eco driving plays a very big part going forward, and much of that has to do with common sense. We’re fast moving towards a world where the roof rack is a thing of the past (a nightmare for aerodynamicists, and a major stress on your gas-guzzling engine), and where good quality route planning apps can make a significant difference to your carbon footprint as well as your wallet.

Having a better understanding of your car and how to keep it in good condition is essential to the modern driver, and this will be reflected in your driving lessons. It’s no longer enough to be able to perform a hill start or reverse into an empty space, a good eco driver will know precisely the kind of oil their engine requires, or the pressure at which their tyres should be maintained, without having to Google the answer. And while we accept that this may be like learning Greek for some people, a future-conscious driver will put in the effort. There are first times for everything, after all.

The post Driving lessons of the Future appeared first on RED Driving School.

Recent statistics released by The Department for Transport reveal nearly a 10 per cent fall in people taking their driving test. In the 17-24 age group, just under 320,000 took their test between 2011 and 2012, a fall of nearly 50,000 compared to the previous year.

For many of you, I know learning to drive is, or at least used to feel like, a natural step to becoming a fully fledged grown up, helped by a bumper pack of lessons from mum and dad for your 17^th birthday.

It is clear that money doesn’t come as easy these days and young people have had a lot to contend with over the past couple of years, with the UK’s tough economic situation making life difficult. It costs a fortune for education, the job market is poor, living costs have risen significantly and I am sure you have heard how expensive it seems to be to run, maintain and, of course, insure a car especially as a young driver. It is easy to understand why driving test figures are declining.

In the short term, many young people might think learning to drive is a cost they can do without and view driving lessons as a nice to have rather than a must have. However you need to realise now, rather than later, that not having a driving licence can have a big impact on your earning potential when you do enter the world of work. In many industries and across many sectors, a person is at an automatic disadvantage over other potential employees if they do not hold a licence and this can mean they are overlooked for a great job opportunity in favour of someone who can drive.

What’s more, driving is possibly the single biggest step you can ever make in becoming independent, not having to rely on anyone or anything to take you anywhere. You are free to go where you want, when you want and with whom you want. To get you started, have a look at our range of introductory lessons here. And if your birthday is approaching, you know what to ask for.

The post Learn to drive and stick to it! appeared first on RED Driving School.

BEFORE YOUR FIRST LESSON 

• Provisional licence – you will need to present both the card and valid licence check code on your first lesson.  If you need to apply for a licence you can pick up an application form from you local post office or you can apply online at http://bit.ly/dsalicenceapplication.
• If you have lost part of your licence you need to replace this; you can do this online, by telephone or by post.
• Financial backing – before starting your lesson you will need to have a plan on how to pay for a full driving course whether this is through savings, work or family.  It does not pay to have lessons and then stop due to no money as it will take you longer to pass your test if you do not have regular lessons.
• Time – ensure you have sufficient time to dedicate to learning to drive – after all it is a new skill that you are acquiring that will require regular practice in order for you to progress.
• We recommend you have one, two hour lesson each week under the supervision of a professional driving instructor.
• Attitude – you need to be confident that you will learn how to drive but have the ability to laugh at yourself if you make mistakes, most of us do.
• Drink – avoid caffeine-based drinks such as tea and coffee before your driving lesson as this accelerates anxiety and you will already be nervous.  It goes without saying that alcohol should be avoided both on the day of your lesson, but also the night before.
• Clothing – make sure that your clothing on your lesson is comfortable; you will be sat in thecar for at least an hour.  Also make sure that you wear suitable shoes that you can feel the pedals through – no walking boots, heels or flip flops.
• Sleep – make sure you have a good night’s sleep the night before your lesson.  You want to make sure you are alert as there will be a lot to take in on your first lesson.
• Be prepared – on the day of your lesson make sure you have both parts of your licence, payment for your lesson and your glasses, if you need them.

BETWEEN YOUR LESSONS

When your driving lesson is over the learning does not have to stop there.  To enhance your learning you could:

• Fill out a learner driver journal or diary – once your lesson is over, fill out the journal with what you have covered in the lesson, what went well and what didn’t.  You can use this to reflect on the lesson and prepare for your next lesson.  If you have someone to practice with between lessons, you can use the journal as a guide on what needs practising.
• Theory and Hazard Perception practice – use the internet and books to revise for your theory test and hazard perception test.  The sooner your theory is passed the better.

Finally, do not forget that if you have any questions about your lessons, your driving ability or anything else then just ask your instructor.

The post How to prepare for your driving lessons appeared first on RED Driving School.

A survey published this week found that more than one in four drivers have at some point not felt fully in control of their vehicle – because of their footwear.

We’ve compiled our list of the ‘top ten most ridiculous driving shoes’ on our Official RED Driving School facebook page.   Clearly it’s not advisable to get behind the wheel in any of the options featured!

Vote for the one you hate the most by ‘liking’ your chosen image from the extraordinary collection we’ve put together.

The post The Top Ten Most Ridiculous Driving Shoes appeared first on RED Driving School.