LJ's Learners

Well done Charlie Stanford for a great drive much earlier on today; accompanied by Dad to & from his test, in Exeter, he achieved a first time pass in his own car, in Exeter to achieve this great result.

Between myself, Dad Tim & Mum Sasha (& Nan) we collectively combined our efforts to help this able young man get to this result today! Delighted for everyone involved. 😀

Charlie also earnt his Gold, Duke of Edinburgh award this week too, which is no mean feat! Congratulations all round, & enjoy your independence. Remember to keep assessing your mirrors, checking them frequently will keep you & others safe. 👏

A tremendous drive today for Daniel Peacock, taking his 1st test today in Exeter, on a busy bank holiday Monday, & just 2 driver faults, with examiner Mike.

Daniel came to me a few months ago & has taken to his driving so well; we did a semi intensive training plan for Daniel & with his commitment & his parents support, managed to accelerate his learning with multiple lessons weekly, to cover all his training areas, to independent driving & finally his mock tests.

Daniel, you’ve been a delight to coach, you watched all the videos I sent you, read all my handouts, & feedback notes & came back each lesson with determination to overcome any problem areas. I could not have been more proud today, at such a confident & accomplished drive. Daniel asked me to sit in on his drive, & it’s incredible what he’s learnt, experienced, questioned & achieved in such a short time. Not everyone suits accelerated training, & I don’t often have the space, but you aced it today, for sure.

Good luck in your studies & all you do in the future; you have a great can-do attitude & will go far in life. 😊

I’ve seen some shocking tailgating & poor, dangerous driving from other drivers on all kinds of roads, all this week. The constant accidents on motorways & dual carriageways can pretty much be put down to exactly this issue….back off more, keep a safe distance & double the distance recommended

Exeters area….

Due to several students passing tests recently we have spaces available for manual driving lessons starting immediately in EXETER. Spaces available are for Tue afternoon, Thur and Fri evening.
Please message here or text Pennie on 07971 088925 for more information.

LOL 😂😂

This Wednesday….

A truly well deserved & earned 1st time pass this morning, for Phillip Enderson in Exeter, with examiner Caroline & just 1 driver fault.

Phillip came to me to learn to drive a car, but had a huge advance in having driven a tractor before, so had great spacial awareness, reversing control & towing experience, particularly on country roads. You’ve been a pleasure to coach & we even found out in conversations, that we are distantly related! 😀

I’m grateful to Phillip & his parents for continued support all the way through meeting me in Exeter & more recently he was due to sit his 1st test on 19th July but my car that morning flagged up an engine management light, which despite kind efforts from my colleague Ray Fanson, to delete the code, it didn’t work. Phillip decided he would wait to resit his test rather than drive a strange car kindly offered by Ray, & was also feeling the after effects of Covid, few weeks before. Arriving home afterwards, he discovered an email saying his test had been changed to today, from that Friday, so it does seem it was meant to be. Definitely a case of “keep calm & carry on!”

Our job as ADI’s can often be difficult & frustrating when cars let us down, test dates get changed at short notice etc, but the co-operation from everyone here including the offer to help from so many of my kind colleagues, can make all the difference.

Enjoy you’re well earned independence Phillip, you’ve been lovely & Fridays won’t be the same now xx

Cranbrook & Exeter area

We are looking forward to Rob joining our team shortly!

He has a lovely manual Volkswagen Tiguan to learn in, which will soon be expertly pinked up by our friends Jay Signs!

Rob has a wealth of experience having been a qualified instructor for over five years.

He covers Exeter as well as having some lesson times where he can also help customers in Cranbrook.

Rob is joining us with some spaces in his diary for new learners so please get in touch if you'd like to learn to drive!

Welcome to the team Rob, we are really looking forward to you being part of the pink side 👑

Powered wheelchair and mobility scooter retailer training comes to Inverness - Driving Mobility City Mobility, Inverness is set to host the PWMS Retailer Training in Inverness on the 23 August 2024 with the support of DriveAbility Scotland.

For auto enquiries in Exeter…,

Due to so many passes we have slots available in EXETER for automatic lessons so if your looking please contact us on 07980 019474

A good friend & colleagues post, that I totally endorse…..

A student said something interesting today and it has made me want to do a post here..

We are preparing for an upcoming test and we’ve had discussions about whether or not they are ready. During the conversation the student said

“I’d really like to go to the test, even if I fail. I know you don’t want a negative mark against your badge, but I want to try anyway”

I’m sure many instructors will agree that this is something we hear a lot. But I just want to say that the negative mark against my badge is the least of my concerns. Students have a misconception that because ADI’s now have test results tracked, that that’s all we care about. Trust me when I say, many instructors won’t be thinking about this. It’s definitely a factor, but we are thinking about way more than just this. Here’s what we really consider:

❗️The expense to you if you fail and have to rebook. At £62 a pop, why waste your money? And don’t forget, a driving test isn’t just £62, it’s also the fee to use our car on top of that!
❗️The expense to you if you fail and have to invest in more lessons.
❗️Your future on the roads.. maybe you’ll be driving with children in the car? As a mother myself, I want to make sure that when you get on the roads, you and your family are safe.
❗️The effect on you mentally if you fail a test. It’s not always easy to pick yourself up and go back again.

These are just a few of the things we think about when assessing readiness for test, but for most instructors, the priority is always the student.

The only thing worse than failing your test, is passing when you’re not ready and something bad happening beyond the test.

There’s a difference between being ‘test ready’ and being prepared for a lifetime of driving 🙌🏼

For a limited time, during the summer holidays, I will be offering spaces at short notice, to aid anyone with their theory learning/training; this is because many of my clients will be taking holiday & for a very short time, but resuming their training on their return.

This service is open to anyone, not just those learning, or waiting to learn with me, but who require help in understanding the theory process. The spaces will be a choice of 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 90 minutes & can take place either in my training car, (if the weather is suitable), your own home with parental agreement, prior, or at a quiet cafe. I am DBS checked ongoing, as part of my job.

I can help with car & motorbike theory. I have completed level 1 training in BSL (& have experience of training deaf students in theory & practical. )

** this week (1-5th July) I have space on Tuesday pm, & Thursday am. **

Please DM/PM me for prices & more details. Please DO NOT post on my page. Liz.

Sharing this for a colleague in Exeter, she teaches automatic……

The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England, is a ring junction constructed in 1972 consisting of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circle.

Well worth a watch…..

We had an accident... | Advance Driving School We had an accident! One of our instructors was hit by another car as they passed a dual-carriageway slip road. In this video, we’ll take a look at what happe...

Hay fever sufferers….

Steer clear of sneezes. It’s hay fever season, and it can bring misery to millions. 🤧🍃

We have put together some expert tips to help combat and deal with the symptoms for safer driving.

Our Chief Examiner, Richard Gladman, shares a statement - https://media.iamroadsmart.com/news/banish-the-pollen-blues-with-these-top-tips-from-iam-roadsmart-484070

Last weekend, several motorcyclists were sadly involved in serious collisions in Devon and Cornwall.

Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups of people on our roads, so we’re appealing to all road users to look out for each other and help us to prevent further collisions from happening.

There will be an increased number of motorcyclists on our roads at this time of year, so, if you’re a driver:
• Take extra time to look for bikers when waiting to enter or exit a junction
• Check your blind spots for motorcyclists before changing lane or direction of travel
• Don’t let a distraction, such as a mobile phone, be the reason for not seeing a biker

If you’re a rider, please drive in accordance with the road conditions and:
• Always wear a helmet, suitable footwear and protective clothing
• Make sure you are always able to stop on your side of the road within the distance you can see in front of you
• NEVER overtake whilst travelling through a junction

To learn more about staying safe as a motorcyclist, visit: https://orlo.uk/motorcycle-safety_NgJlK

https://www.facebook.com/TheoryTestExplained

Theory Test Explained Online 1:1 live training to support you with your studies for the theory test. Individual training v

After today’s pass (and two tests in hand over the next few weeks) I have space for a new learner! Drop me a message on WhatsApp if you’ve been thinking about getting your automatic driving license 🚘✅

Sharing for a colleague

Please share: Do you have your own car already or a car to practice in outside of lessons? If you do, get in touch ♥️
🌟 Beat the waiting lists
🌟 Ad-hoc lessons (no regular commitment)
🌟 Halve the amount of paid hours
🌟 Full guidance and help to supplement home learning done the right way
🌟 Confidence for the co-driver as well as the one learning this valuable skill.

This one caught the attention of our enforcement officers. 👀

It was one of 2 tractor and trailer combinations we stopped on the A11 on the morning of Saturday 20 April. Even for Norfolk, this was unusual!

It was carrying a load of organic chicken waste on a 134 mile roundtrip to the nearest organic farm .

The distance travelled to deliver may seem a bit extreme but it needed to go to the correct type of processing facility.

The effort devoted to the trailer’s brakes was exactly the opposite.

3 brakes not working and neither was the parking brake.

The second combination was without fault. The farm reacted promptly to the issue with the manager and fitter quickly on site to adjust the brakes. Advice was given on servicing timings.

If you’re carrying loads like this, the least you can do is make sure your vehicle and trailer are roadworthy.

Check your vehicles with the help of GOV.UK here: 👇 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-maintaining-roadworthiness

You’ve waited for this day for a while now Max Lewis, second time lucky, but the extra training & private practice you’ve put in, has made you a much more confident, aware & experienced driver. Thank you for listening to my advice, & to your family for their extra support to help you achieve this.

A lovely calm, smooth drive today according to Dylan your examiner, with 3 driver faults & some good feedback.

With perfect driving conditions today, cloudy skies & lighter traffic, you breezed through your route, including some recent changes at the Devon Hotel roundabout.

You can now look forwards to a summer of full independence; I know how much achieving this will help you so much. You’ve been lovely to train, & asked some great questions, wishing you all the best in everything you do.

We have WEDNESDAY morning spaces available for manual driving lessons starting immediately in EXETER.
Please message here or text Pennie on 07971 088925 for more information.

A huge achievement today for Dean Stanbury passing his 1st test, in Exeter in horrible weather, with examiner Chad & 7 driver faults.

This is a tremendous accomplishment as Dean is profoundly deaf, & although he passed his tractor test in 2009, only really started driving lessons 3-4 years ago, with a few breaks in between, with 3 other instructors before me.

Unfortunately, Dean wasn’t given any assistance previously with his theory studies, & unable to pass his car theory, but always did well with his driving.

Dean’s parents have been incredibly supportive throughout the time I met them, & from the start, agreed we should set about tackling the unfamiliar terminology often used in theory & driving.

Dean passed his theory 1st time in 2023 with flying colours. He has put so much time & effort into his training that, just over a year after starting with me, he has more than earned his licence today.

Thank you for teaching me more sign language Dean, & for your patience with me when I got it wrong! Luckily, you usually knew what I meant. It’s been a long journey to get here, but I couldn’t be prouder. Stay safe & enjoy your independence! 😃

To support the safety of farm workers, the Health and Safety Executive has launched the 'Your Farm Your Future' campaign with advice, free checklists and downloadable maintenance guidance for improving while using farm vehicles 🚜

The HSE note that the most common cause of serious and fatal injuries in agriculture involve moving and overturning vehicles ⚠

The campaign is aimed at those new to , and to serve as a reminder of what to consider for experienced farmers. Read more below 👇

https://workright.campaign.gov.uk/campaigns/safe-vehicle/

Let's make 2024 a safer year on farms by working together 🤝