Our Emotions effect our driving
‘Attitude’ is a word that’s bandied around a lot when people are talking about driving, but what does it mean? I’ve just tried to find definitions for ‘good attitude’ and ‘bad attitude’ and it’s all a bit vague.
Whatever your ‘attitude’ is, it’ll be influenced by your emotions on any given day, so perhaps it’s more helpful to think about how different emotional states affect your driving and what you can do about it.
What happens to your brain when you’re upset?
You’ve probably been told that you shouldn’t drive when you’re angry or upset, but have you been told why and what effects these emotions could have on your performance?
Well, neurologists and psychologists have discovered that our brains process emotion in two stages.
We unconsciously evaluate the significance of an emotion. This is like your brain asking itself ‘How does this make me feel?’ This will happen hundreds of times a day, usually without you even knowing it.
If the emotion is strong enough, then it comes to the front of your mind and you must attend to it. It competes for your attention, whether you want it to or not.
We all have a limited capacity for processing information and, when the brain is dealing with strong emotion, it’s not so able to deal with other demands – like concentrating on what’s happening on the road ahead, responding to hazards and making quick decisions.
Who says so?
There’s been lots of research into the effects of emotion on attention. Very simply, here’s what happened in one study.
There were two groups of people; one was put into a ‘sad mood’ by the researchers, using music and by asking the individuals to recall their unhappiest memories. The other group was kept in a ‘neutral mood’ – neither particularly sad nor happy.
Both groups then took part in various tasks involving emotionally-neutral sounds and images and the ‘sad group’ was 50 percent less able to carry out the tasks. The researchers said
‘Our findings suggest that sadness can significantly increase distraction.’
What can you do about?
Of course, we can’t prevent ourselves from feeling emotions. As the scientists have discovered, they’re triggered automatically and it’s not usually practical to put everything on hold until we’re feeling perfectly calm and happy. What we can do is recognise when our emotions are diverting our attention to the point that our concentration will be seriously affected, and find a way to deal with them in safety, ie not when we’re behind the wheel of a big metal machine!
Now you know how your emotions are processed and the effect they can have on your attention, you may think twice before driving when you’re really wound up. There are ways you can calm yourself down, of course. You can’t beat a bit of deep breathing, but here are a couple of other suggestions for dealing with emotions that may affect your concentration.
Examine how you feel and give your emotion a name: ‘frustration’, ‘disappointment’, ‘rejection’, etc.
Once you know exactly what it is you’re feeling, see if you can change its angle (this is sometimes called ‘reframing’). For example, you could ask yourself what you’ve learnt from the experience that made you feel this way. This takes some effort, but the more often you do it, the easier it’ll become.
Take charge; as Oscar Wilde said
‘I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.’
Driving School / Instructors in Wigan
With so much choice how do you choose a Wigan based Driving Instructor?
There is no shortage of driving instructors to choose from in Wigan? How do you go about choosing the one that is right for you?
You are buying a service and need to ensure you get good value for money.
How to find an instructor
If you are reading this then you have found the internet, which is always a good place to start. It is best to ask your friends and family for recommendations as they are likely to have taken driving lessons or know someone who has taken driving lessons.
Most Driving Instructors and Driving Schools now have a presence on the internet and all of the websites say much the same.
Hi I am a driving instructor and I charge £xxx per hour.
Look out for referrals, testimonials and reviews about each school and instructor.
Flexible
Does the instructor cover the areas you require?
Does the instructor have space available when you are available for lessons? You need to be fresh and alert when learning to drive so you need to fit lessons into your diary on days and times which allow you to perform at your best.
Can the instructor pick you up and drop you off at the locations you require?
Check Qualifications
Ensure that you employ a DSA registered instructor, it is illegal to charge for driving lessons unless the instructor displays a valid instructors badge in the windscreen of the tuition car. Fully Qualified Instructors have a green badge with an octagon on it. This has a photo of the instructor on one side along with the instructors ADI number and the expiry date. The badge is valid for 4 years from the date of issue.
Partly trained instructors can apply for a trainee licence which has a red triangle on the front, this fades in the sun and can look pink, it is known in the industry as a “pink” badge. A trainee licence is only valid for 6 months to allow the potential instructor time to pass the part 3 teaching test. Many people start the training to become a driving instructor but don’t qualify yet they are let loose on the unsuspecting public for 6 months and sometimes longer on a trainee licence. Always ensure that an instructor is displaying a valid badge, as it is illegal to provide tuition for money without it. Here at A49 Driving Academy we only use high grade ADI’s, no trainee’s (PDI’s).
Some instructors have taken additional training and have extra badges, a buff coloured badge with an octagon on it is the Fleet trainer badge, this is used to provide training to company car and van drivers. There is also an ORDIT instructor trainer badge which is white. This is a voluntary badge for an instructor who trains other instructors. None of these additional badges are valid without the green ADI badge!
It is also worth noting that there are companies out there that pretend to be driving schools, but are simply a booking service with no instructors, they will take a booking for an intensive course, take payment and then if they are unable to find an instructor available for the course phone you days before the start date to say that the instructor is not available and the course will not go ahead!
Here today gone tomorrow
The average trading life of a driving school and a instructor is 2 years, this doesn’t give the instructor much experience them selves! I myself have been a top grade instructor since 2008. Be very careful of limited companies as they can close one day and open up as a new business the next day taking your hard earned money with them!
Two of the biggest driving schools in the UK have gone into administration in recent years being sold on for just 1p to their competitors. BSM was sold to the AA and RED went into administration before being bought out.
Good Luck with your quest for driving lessons and good luck with your driving test.
If you are interested in more information about driving or to book lessons please feel free to visit http://www.a-49.co.uk and to fill in our contact form.
Thank you.
Inconsiderate Drivers
Inconsiderate drivers are a cause for concern for experienced drivers but for many learner drivers is a source of anxiety and stress. This guide will help you handle even the most inconsiderate of fellow drivers.
As a learner driver there will be moments where you make mistakes and it is important to always remember that no matter how unforgiving other road users are, they started out just like you.
When you do make a mistake and a driver is particularly hostile about it then it is best to ignore their behaviour and focus on what you are doing at that precise time and how you can ensure maximum levels of safety for you and other drivers.
Under certain situations you may find yourself close to freezing up or reacting angrily to the behaviour of other drivers. In these circumstances you should do these three things:
Let your driving instructor know that you need to take a short break
Focus on the instructions that your driving instructor gives you
Once in a safe place with your instructor discuss what made you feel that way and what you can do to protect yourself the next time
Communicate. Follow. Learn.
Under no circumstances will an inconsiderate driver learn the error of their ways by somebody shouting abuse. This will often cause escalate a situation putting you, other drivers and pedestrians in potential danger.
The most important rule to follow, when encountering inconsiderate drivers is to listen to your driving instructor. They will guide you through a stressful situation and it is them, not anybody else that can help you become a better driver.
Do not be scared to tell your driving instructor if you are struggling to cope in any situation. It benefits them if they know which situations you struggle with and they know above anything, safety is paramount.
Remember. Safety first. Keep calm. Communicate with your driving instructor. That is the key to handling even the most inconsiderate of drivers.
Winter Sun
Improve vision by making sure that the windscreen is clean both inside and out. Scratches, abrasion and chips on the outside can also worsen the dazzling effect of the sun.
Greasy smears on the screen that don’t go with use of a normal screen wash additive will require a little elbow grease. Try using a cream glass polish with a slight abrasive action. If that doesn’t work then try dishwasher powder dissolved in a little water – Use clean kitchen paper to clean a small area at a time and try not to go back over a patch you’ve just done.
Use air conditioning for faster demisting and to reduce condensation on cold windows.
Check windscreen wipers and replace if necessary.
Make sure that wipers are switched off in the park position when leaving the car, when there’s risk of freezing. If you don’t and the blades freeze to the screen, you could damage the blades or wiper motor when you turn the ignition on.
Top up Windscreen washer fluid and treat with a suitable additive to reduce the chance of freezing. Don’t use ordinary engine antifreeze as it will damage paintwork.
Visibility
Make sure that all bulbs are working and that lenses are clean. When roads are really mucky you might need to clean lights after every journey. Keep the number plates clean too, as you can be fined if they are dirty and illegible.
New car. Committed to bringing you the best!
We feel it’s important that when people learn to drive they choose the right instructor first time. We’ve heard too many stories of people paying a fortune for driving lessons… and sometimes the quality of lessons and knowledge of the instructor can be questionable.
And we want you to learn knowing that you’ll be safe whilst doing so.
Book now.
Extended offer for driving lessons in WIgan
Teenagers face having to wait an extra year before being allowed to take a driving test under proposals being looked at by the Government.
Tighter rules aimed at cutting the number of accidents involving young motorists have been put forward that include only issuing probationary licences from the age of 18.
The Government commissioned report by the Transport Research Laboratory suggests introducing a 12 month “learner stage” that would require drivers to clock up at least 100 hours of daytime and 20 hours of night time supervised practice.
For the first year, newly qualified drivers would be hit by a curfew that ran between 10pm and 5am unless they were carrying a passenger aged over 30, as well as a ban on carrying anyone younger than that age if they are under it themselves.
Here at A49 Driving Academy we always knew the 5 for £50 would be a popular offer, but we never could have expected the response we got.
We feel it’s important that when people learn to drive they choose the right instructor first time. We’ve heard too many stories of people paying a fortune for driving lessons… and sometimes the quality of lessons and knowledge of the instructor can be questionable.
To help ensure more pupils make the right choice first time when learning to drive, we’re extending our offer for a limited period.
If you’re a new learner driver, get in touch to reserve your 5 driving lessons for £50.
Offer limited to New pupils only.
www.a-49.co.uk
5 hours for £50
Extended offer for driving lessons in WIgan
Here at A49 Driving Academy we always knew the 5 for £50 would be a popular offer, but we never could have expected the response we got.
We feel it’s important that when people learn to drive they choose the right instructor first time. We’ve heard too many stories of people paying a fortune for driving lessons… and sometimes the quality of lessons and knowledge of the instructor can be questionable.
To help ensure more pupils make the right choice first time when learning to drive, we’re extending our offer for a limited period.
If you’re a new learner driver, get in touch to reserve your 5 driving lessons for £50.
Offer limited to New pupils only.
www.a-49.co.uk
Summer is here!
Summer is here. There is no hiding from this heat.
To celebrate we are offering the first three lessons for £15 each for new clients.
For further offers visit our website at
Driving Lessons in Wigan this summer
Learn to Drive in Wigan this summer with A49 Driving Academy
Summer is fast approaching, and although we don’t get much of it here in Wigan, we’re sure to be in for some sunny days.
There’s no feeling quite like the freedom of being behind the wheel of a car on a sunny day with your friends or family. A drive round Knowsley Safari park, a quick trip to Southport beach maybe, or simply a drive around one of the many scenic country roads to be found in and around Wigan.
If you can’t drive yet, don’t worry too much… Summer is also an ideal time to learn to drive. With longer days and nicer weather, driving conditions are usually better meaning there’s no better time to start learning to drive.
If you live in Wigan, or any town around Wigan (Bryn, Ashton, Leigh, St Helens, Warrington, Billinge, Garswood etc) and need high quality professional driving lessons take a look at some of the fantastic deals on offer from A49 Driving Academy www.a-49.co.uk.
With some of the areas cheapest driving lessons we’re sure you’ll find a deal that means you can start learning to drive sooner than you thought.
Our driving instructors tailor lessons to the level of each pupil and are happy to plan the lesson so you can be picked up and dropped off around most of the Wigan area. What better way to get home from college and learn to drive at the same time. 🙂
You’ll find some fantastic deals on our offers page here – http://www.a-49.co.uk/blockbookingdrivinglessons.html
Extended Offer – 5 hours of driving lessons in Wigan for £50
Extended offer for driving lessons in WIgan
Here at A49 Driving Academy we always knew the 5 for £50 would be a popular offer, but we never could have expected the response we got.
We feel it’s important that when people learn to drive they choose the right instructor first time. We’ve heard too many stories of people paying a fortune for driving lessons… and sometimes the quality of lessons and knowledge of the instructor can be questionable.
To help ensure more pupils make the right choice first time when learning to drive, we’re extending our offer for a limited period.
If you’re a new learner driver, get in touch to reserve your 5 driving lessons for £50.
Offer limited to New pupils only.
A49 Driving Academy 