Crowthorne and Sandhurst

With accident figures still showing that the greatest age group at risk of being involved in an accident are the 17 - 25 year olds, it comes as no surprise that the authorities concerned (Driving Standards Agency) are looking at ways to improve these figures. We all benefit from having safer roads whether as a pedestrian, cyclist or a driver and therefore we all share that responsibility.

Many initiatives are currently being implemented to help improve these accident rates such as extending the current Theory exam from 35 to 50 questions, aimed at giving potential new drivers a better understanding of the hazards they will meet on our busy roads.

With this in mind a new local business has started up based in Crowthorne, home of the Transport Road Research Lab that is taking this challenge head on with Defensive Driving Techniques as a central core to their teaching practices.

Chris Gregory from the Mini School of Motoring says that "it's not enough to just learn the basics of car control with a few lessons from a relative, after all when was the last time that relative or friend studied the Highway Code. We often hear boasts from the older generation that in their day they only had five or six lessons and went on to pass the test first time. But consider how many more cars are on our roads today and it's little wonder that the accident rates are not improving. If we still cling to these misplaced principals that driving is down to a few basic techniques then poor driving habits will continue to have a direct affect on us all. These manifest themselves as higher insurance premiums, increased traffic delays due to poor use of signals such as at roundabouts, with the vast majority of older drivers not signalling their exit, even when travelling straight across.

Bad driving is not only confined to larger towns and the lower social groups, even driving around the leafy lanes of Crowthorne and Wokingham I see many new cars being driven by both young and old trying to negotiate roundabouts while holding a mobile phone, poor parking especially outside schools which is a particular danger area for accidents. Why is it that when we park outside a school to collect our loved ones we ignore that fact that our actions of inconsiderate parking are placing our very own children at risk? Do we still think that accidents don't happen to us!

It's these simple observations that have given cause to Chris to re evaluate the needs of the new driver and to have a planned teaching approach that has Defensive Driving Techniques at its core and teaching their pupils to drive safely. Having driving lessons with us is not just to pass a test. Holding a driving license is a privilege and one that needs to be earned after all the consequences of bad driving can affect us all and are too horrific to contemplate. So when you next look at the cost of a driving lesson, don't just compare it to what you paid all those years ago rather make the calculation based on the time that this life skill will last ,which is circa 50 years and then it's less than the price of a Cappuccino once every 6 weeks!

How much to you value your children?

Chris Gregory
Mini School of Motoring
4 Eagle Close
Crowthorne
RG45 6TP
Tel: 01344 750621