Expensive Lessons?

From time to time I hear complaints that driving lessons are too expensive and that instructors are 'ripping off' those who wish to learn to drive.  "£20 per hour is exorbitant - they're making a fortune!".  I've had potential pupils haggle with me, trying to get the price down and occasionally encounter the attitude that they are doing me a favour so I should be grateful.  It's time for the instructor to bite back :-) or at least have her say on the matter.

As with any small business I have running costs.  Fuel is a variable which will change depending on the lesson content but on average I do about 20 miles per hour's lesson.  The fuel consumption of the car is not at its most efficient, as the driver is a learner and there tends to be some over-revving, incorrect gear usage and sitting by the side of the road.  I also have to travel between lessons which sometimes can be quite a distance.  According to the statistics from last year, it worked out overall at £3.90 per hour.  I lease my car, which costs me almost £350 per month but does include servicing and road tax plus insurance at £450 per year, comes to £4.88 per hour.  Other expenses, including marketing, materials and phone comes to £2.58 per hour, in total £11.36 per hour's tuition.  So assuming I get £20 per hour, I will actually make £8.64 per hour.  Of course, in reality, I don't actually get £20 per hour when you consider discounts etc. - the actual amount per hour earned last year was £17.67 thus reducing my earned income to £6.61, not that much above the minimum wage!

In addition, the business of being an instructor starts long before a pupil ever sits down in the car and finishes long after they get out.  Yes, they may only be paying for an hour of my time but the work that I do on their behalf goes well beyond that hour.

I start work on a lesson by reading up my notes from the previous lesson, possibly more than one, and looking at the subject of the current lesson.  The lesson may consist of something new, consolidation of something recently learned, dealing with specific problems, revisiting something learned some time ago, practising roadcraft, preparing for a test or, frankly, anything in between.  This is not something that can be done on the fly - some forethought needs to be applied and that is best done before setting out to pick the pupil up.   I plan the route, at least in part, considering where I want to be to teach the subject matter of the lesson.

Okay, so planning the route is easy, isn't it?  Well, no, not always.  If the most direct route to the target area means going across, say, a horrendously tricky roundabout and the pupil hasn't yet tackled such things, then an alternative route may have to be chosen.  This is not because I do not believe that the pupil would be able to handle the roundabout, particularly with guidance, but because the roundabout may cause the pupil's confidence to be shattered or fear to set in, neither of which will help in the long run.  So, an alternative route may be necessary - the roundabout can wait for another day!

Once the lesson is over, I then have to update the records to show what has been done.  This extends to confirming that the most recent lesson has fulfilled its purpose, making notes about any problems that have arisen, detailing the areas driven and the subject to be covered in the next lesson.

So, having done these 'before' and 'after' activities, all that I then have to do is the lesson itself - phew!  That's alright then. So my £6.61 per hour actually ends up covering probably 2 hours allowing for pre- and post-lesson activities, planning, travelling to and from locations so that's just £3.30 per hour.

Why on earth do I do this job then?  Well it's because I love it.  I get a huge amount of job satisfaction and the joy of helping people to achieve success by passing their test is just brilliant.

So, the next time someone suggests that driving instructors must be raking it in and are charging exorbitant prices, you can now put them right and tell them that we do it for the love of the job :-D


www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk

How to stop people speeding...

I have a real problem with speeding!  Speed can be a killer; of this there is absolutely no doubt.  But as humans, we constantly engage in activities that have an element of danger.  The problem with the speeding motorist is that they are not only endangering themselves but other road users as well.


So the authorities attempt to reduce this risk by attempting to enforce speed limits through such mechansims as speed limits, cameras and 'speed reduction methods' (humps to you and me!).  Any such techniques are only ever going to be partially successful.  Everyone has seen drivers who slow down on the approach to a speed camera (sometimes lower than the limit) and then speed up against once they are past it.  To a lesser degree people do the same between speed humps.

Solving the problem of speeding is easy.  Get rid of all the static speed cameras or stop painting them yellow and hide them from sight.  Issue a decree at Government level as follows:-  "Please note that as from today all speed limits are mandatory and absolute.  If you are caught speeding, you will automatically receive a considerable fine and points on your licence.  There will be no mitigation and no excuses.  If you decide to flout the law and are caught, you will receive the punishment, regardless of circumstances."  Then employ mobile speed camera vans and allow them to park anywhere to catch speeding motorists.  Fines should vary depending on the type of vehicle, the excess speed and any previous convictions.  Multiple repeat offenders and non-payers should have their cars confiscated and crushed.

There would be uproar but I am utterly convinced that this would see a general lowering of speeds right across the country.  If drivers simply didn't know where or when their speed was likely to be checked they would be more inclined to stick to the limits.  A few high fines, signficant bans and cars crushed would soon convince the general public that enough is enough and speeding is no longer acceptable.

Hark, what's that I hear?  The 'Human Rights' brigade bleating loudly about their rights being ignored by the Government being surreptitious and harsh.  Well, tough.  The law is the law and it is about time the Government stopped pandering to the speeding minority and did what is indisputably right!

 www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk

No Respite

Instructors can never be at anything less than their best.  From the moment that the lesson starts we have to be the epitome of 100% concentration - to be anything else is, at best, discourteous to the pupil and, at worst, downright dangerous.  So, if I am not performing at my absolute best, due to tiredness, illness, personal circumstances or anything else, why does that matter?  Well, I may be less observant, lacking judgement or even lazy, none of which is particularly clever when in charge of a lethal weapon - the car, not the pupil :-)  It is so easy to think that it doesn't matter... when actually it does.  Getting too close to the left hand side for example.  It's easy just to ignore it and assume that it will be alright rather than reacting as necessary to avoid a potential collision.  It may be easier not to offer a prompt or guidance rather than doing so, potentially leaving the pupil to make a decision which is outside their skillset.  Alternatively, instructions may come later, too late for an inexperienced pupil.  Being safe on the roads, whether as a driver or instructor, relies on a certain amount of anticipation.  If anticipation suffers as a result of impaired performance, then it must follow that safety is compromised too.

Not only do I have to concentrate 100% of the time, I also have to remain utterly calm in any given situation, allowing my pupil the latitude to make mistakes and not panicking if they do.  When I am expecting the mistake to occur, for example, trying to pull away in the wrong gear, it's not usually a problem.  If it will cause danger or inconvenience to other drivers, then I may try to preempt it with some appropriate guidance, but if it will not, then I may just let it happen.  A lesson is always easier to learn through experience rather than being told!  However, if I am just not paying attention and the problem occurs, it could cause mayhem.

This happened today - the reasons do not need to be divulged but I didn't think I was off form at all.  My pupil made a simple mistake, using 4th gear instead of 2nd at a roundabout and stalled as a result.  I failed to notice the gear problem until after it had happened and then proceeded to issue a series of instructions to get us out of the situation - which unfortunately just made matters worse!  No major problem resulted but that does not excuse my poor instruction in that situation.  I subsequently apologised to the pupil concerned, an apology understood and accepted.

So what of the aftermath?  It has reaffirmed my belief that being anything other than perfect is simply not good enough.  Unfortunately, mistakes happen but the reaction to that has to be to try to do better the next time.  I need to work hard constantly; there is no room for complacency at all.  I need to stay fit and healthy, looking after myself properly, getting enough sleep and being in the right frame of mind.  I am duty bound to give my best to my pupils, other drivers, the DSA and the public at large.  I am determined to do that and if that means that I have to admit a mistake from time to time, so be it.

I have learned a lesson today and ultimately I hope and trust that it will make me a better, more professional instructor.

www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk

Nerves of Steel

One of the most common questions that I am asked when people find out that I am a driving instructor is "How do you keep calm?  You must have nerves of steel."  usually followed by "I could never do your job".  In truth, I don't have nerves of steel at all...and actually I don't need them.  Although I am not 'in control' of the car I always have the option to exercise full control if I need to, either by using the dual controls or grabbing the wheel if necessary.  In fact I encourage all my pupils to adopt the attitude very early that they are driving the car, not me.  I would rather they made decisions about driving.  If they are going to make the wrong one, I will advise them otherwise, or stop them.  Sometimes I'll let them make the wrong choice, as long as it is safe, in order to learn from the mistake.

So am I ever frightened?  Very occasionally, yes, and the reason is always the same.  Most of the time, I can anticipate the mistake that the pupil is going to make.  For example, I know when there is a likelihood of rolling back towards the car behind and I can anticipate and deal with it before or as it occurs.  There are hundreds of similar examples.  However, occasionally a pupil will do something that is completely and utterly random and that makes me jump!  For example, if the pupil is turning right at a roundabout, has checked right mirrors, signalled right and taken up a position in the right lane, they have done everything that I expect in respect of turning right.  If they then turn left, with no warning, without looking, cutting up whoever is in the left-hand lane and confusing everybody on the roundabout - that's frightening.  No warning, no mitigation - just a sudden, inexplicable change of mind.

I'm sure there is some psychological reason why someone just makes a completely random choice like that and I wish I understood it better.  Then perhaps I could anticipate and prevent it.  Until such time as I can I'll just have to go on collecting missed heartbeats.

Fortunately this kind of thing happens very rarely and has never resulted in an accident although I imagine there are one or two drivers out there cursing my learners!  Most of the time and with most of my pupils I feel very relaxed and never feel the need to even consider the dual controls.  When I do, it is always for the best possible reasons and I try to make it clear why I have intervened in the way that I have.  At the end of the day, my safety, the safety of my pupil and the safety of all other road users are my priority.

Emma

www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk

About as blind as they come...

A pupil of mine went to test today and failed! :(  This is obviously a great disappointment to me and to him although not a huge surprise as he wasn't really as ready as I like my pupils to be.  The reason for the failure is not the subject of this blog however.

As is usual following a test failure, I sit and discuss with the candidate the reasons for the fail and any other faults that have occurred during the test.  This particular candidate had a couple of safety faults on moving off.  When discussing these he said "I don't believe in the blind spot!", completing the justification for not checking it with "I check my mirrors constantly and can see everything in there".

I was and still am quite shocked by these comments, particularly the former.  He then justified this stance by saying that his previous instructor didn't believe in it either.  Very often pupils cannot initially see the need for it but, if it is explained correctly, ultimately most people do understand it and the importance of checking it in certain situations.  Now either my ability to explain things well is off this morning or he just wasn't receptive to what I was saying.  He acknowledged what I was saying but just repeated over and over again that he didn't need to check it because he didn't believe in it. 

Regardless of what he thinks he can see, he's wrong.  He will probably do it to get through his test, but then stop doing it and ultimately will either have an accident or, in the worse case scenario, kill someone for the sake of a glance into the blindspot.

I always advise pupils, regardless of what bad habits they may pick up after they pass, to ALWAYS check the blindspot when pulling away.  In my experience, doing so is highly likely to save someone's life and if that happens even once, it is definitely worth it.


www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk

Smarter Driving

Back in August I was contacted by the Energy Saving Trust asking whether I would be interested in attending a meeting about Smarter Driving.  At that time I had never even heard of Smarter Driving and so I thought I ought to find out more.  A number of meetings followed and then in October I attended a training session to become a Smarter Driving trainer, endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust.

The purpose of Smarter Driving is to try to encourage as many drivers as possible to drive more economically, saving fuel and reducing pollution.  As a technique it has been successful across the world and has already been passed on to more than twenty thousand fleet drivers in the UK.  The statistics show that the savings can be quite significant, usually reducing fuel consumption by somewhere between 15% and 40% and there is also a corresponding drop in accidents.

Having listened to all the statistics and then been trained myself (showing a potential 15% saving on fuel), I must admit I still didn't believe in the principles being taught.  So I tried it out on a couple of volunteers.  I was amazed at the savings that both of them showed.  One showed potential savings of 27%, and the other 15%.  The former reckoned that was worth a holiday to her over the course of a year.  So I signed up to the Smarter Driving programme.

The principles are simple, within the abilties of all drivers, and take very little time to learn, usually within a single hour.  The cost is relatively low, £25 and, in my opinion supported by the staistics above, is definitely worth the money.

So what is involved?  Well, you drive my car in your normal driving style over a pre-determined route and we measure the fuel consumption and the average speed.  We then discuss a number of different techniques which may reduce fuel consumption and drive the route again, applying some of the techniques as we go.  At the end of the route we see what difference it has made to the fuel consumption and average speed.  Then, time permitting we drive it a third time, this time with you just applying the techniques on your own.  At the end, we compare the fuel consumption figures from the various runs and see how much you could save if the same techniques were applied to your driving.

No-one likes the idea of someone sitting next to them watching them drive (including me!), but I'm really not interested in any little bad habits you may have picked up - that's not the purpose of the Smarter Driving training.  I promise I won't criticise you or think badly of you when it's all over.  I'm just interested in trying to promote a more economic and safer way of driving and turning out as many Smarter Drivers as I can.

If the potential savings are not enough of an incentive, on completion of the Smarter Driving training you receive a certificate from the Energy Saving Trust detailing how much you may be able to save, and a Smarter Driver sticker for your car.

So, if you are interested in Smarter Driving for you or someone close to you, you can get more information here or drop me a line.  It really is worth it!


www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk

Absolutely Avoid Absolutes!

One of the things I have wondered about over the last few years is whether driving is an art or a science?  By that I mean, whether you can learn to drive by learning and applying a set of rules alone i.e., science, or whether there is an element of judgement and interpretation i.e., art.  Of course the reality is that it is a combination of both.  I find that many people when starting to learn to drive tend to think of it as purely a science, a set of rules which must be applied in each and every situation, and application of those rules can deal with every road situation which might occur.

However, whilst the initial learning is predominantly scientific in nature, the good driver will learn to be more flexible in the application of the rules learned, adapting them when required so that they more aptly fit different situations that the driver encounters on the road.   I call this roadcraft - the ability to interpret and appraise different driving situations and apply learned skills appropriately according to the circumstances.

So often I see drivers applying their learned skills rigidly, usually because that is what they have been taught to do.  Whilst technically correct, this unbending application does not necessarily make for good driving.  We all have to be flexible, allowing conditions on the road to influence our decision making and our subsequent actions when behind the wheel.

On some of the forums I frequent there are often requests for advice about how to deal with common difficulties such as stalling when pulling away or how to handle roundabouts.  Very often these requests elicit responses which contain advice such as 'When you get 30 metres away from the roundabout change into 2nd gear at about 20 miles an hour...'.  The problem with this is that whilst the advice may be valid for some roundabouts, it is not necessarily valid for all and to suggest that it is, is very unwise.  Every roundabout has to be judged on its merits because every roundabout is different.  Regardless of the actual layout of the roundabout, the traffic will vary hugely between roundabouts and also on the same roundabout.  Therefore, there is no absolutely cast-iron method of defining how to handle a roundabout.  Yes, there are guidelines for how to do so, but these guidelines need to be applied with judgement.  Therein lies the problem, and the difficulty for most learners.  Roundabouts require judgement and judgement cannot be learned in a scientific way.  It is an art.

There are no absolutes in driving, other than the law (arguably), and it is unwise to think that there are.  Each of us has to drive with an open mind, observing, assessing and reacting to dynamic, fluid and constantly changing situations.  This is the art of driving!

My advice to any driver, learner or experienced, would be to absolutely avoid absolutes - because there aren't any! 

www.ashleyschoolofmotoring.co.uk