No matter how many lessons you take, nothing can quite prepare you fully for the frustration of city centre driving!!
Navigating their way through the often-packed streets of towns and cities is absolutely unavoidable for many drivers. When completing your driving lessons in Chertsey with us, you can be sure to rely on the calming influence of your instructor but when you are out on your own, the whole experience can be a little more stressful.
Fortunately, whilst something of an acquired taste, city centre driving is something that you will get used to the more hours you spend driving.
To help guide you through some of the pitfalls of city centre driving, we have drawn up a list of some of the things that you will likely encounter and what you should do to counter them.
Plan Your Journey Ahead
One of the most important tips that we can give is to ensure that you plan ahead when you know what your journey will involve going into town or passing through a city.
Regardless of the time of your journey, more often than not, you will encounter traffic on city streets, so it is wise to give yourself some extra time to get to your destination.
Complicated one way systems also mean that knowing exactly where you are going also helps, both with time and stress, so a sat nav could prove a worthwhile purchase.
Queues, Queues & More Queues
Anyone who is used to driving in and around city centres will know that they go hand in hand with queues and traffic jams, especially during rush hours.
If you find yourself queuing (there is every chance that you will!) always ensure that you leave enough space between you and the car in front – this will allow you enough room to manoeuvre if there is an unexpected stop.
Tip – Leave just enough space when queuing to see the rear tyres of the car in front.
Keep Your Eyes Open
Towns and cities are full of pedestrians and many will not hesitate to cross roads between queuing cars and slow-moving traffic, often popping out from behind parked cars to do so. As a driver this is something you will need to be aware of at all times.
Watch Your Speed
Speed limit changes are very common in towns and cities, especially near schools, where 20 mph zones are generally enforced. Therefore it is important to stay vigilant for any road signs indicating a change of speed limit.
Further Information
If you would like any further details regarding the driving tuition available from Surrey Driving Force, please give us a call on 0845 190 2012 & we’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.