Archive for News on Driving Lessons in Gateshead

EU Road Death Target At Risk

Progress towards meeting the EU target to halve road deaths by 2020 has all but ground to a halt, with a dismal one per cent drop in the number of EU road fatalities in 2014. Read More →

Have You Lost Confidence Behind The Wheel

One of the biggest challenges for many learner drivers is overcoming the apprehension that affects them when they sit behind the wheel of a car. This lack of confidence can seep into all your actions on the road, leading you to execute moves in a hesitant manner and freeze at the sign of something unexpected. Read More →

AUTOMATIC TUITION OR MANUAL DRIVING LESSONS

Helping to pass your Driving Test in Newcastle.

AUTOMATIC TUITION OR MANUAL DRIVING LESSONS

Debates have been observed among ambitious motorists and experts as to which is better to learn between automatic Tuition or Manual driving lessons.

Manual transmission vehicle also known as standard transmission; typically is driver-operated wherein the driver uses the gear stick and clutch to be able to move.

Automatic transmission also known as automatic gearbox can automatically change gears as the vehicle moves.

Everyone has a different viewpoint on which is better between manual and automatic. Some look for convenience while others consider car’s management as well as control. In either situation, it is just a driver’s choice that creates the distinction.

Understandably, everybody wants the best of the best, and if you are considering making an investment in buying an automobile, then there is a lot to consider.

Vehicle Cost and Maintenance

A manual transmission ideally is likely to cost less than an automatic one. It is considered to be inconvenient because the driver is in charge of moving through the gears. It requires one hand on the wheel and one to adjust the shift. Because of the way a manual transmission is set up, it is easier to work on than an automatic. This means that it will take a technician less time to repair and in turn, the cost will be less. In older models, fluids need to be removed and replaced according to the manufacturer’s specification.

Automatic vehicles can be more costly to be overhauled and serviced. Additionally, the unit price is more expensive for automatic compared to that of a manually operated vehicle, the parts cost high as well.

But the decision to choose a manual driving lesson or automatic tuition is not made based on the cost of the vehicle.

Fuel Efficiency

As automatic vehicles are designed to give more convenience in function, its pitfall exists on the fuel efficiency part. If you are price conscious, you will want to get on a manual instead and preserve up to 10% in gas mileage. A manual generally uses less fuel while the automated ones use more. It has to do with the amount of management that the car owner has in speeding up and reducing down using the gears.

Vehicle Control and Operation

When a person learns how to drive, there are so many different aspects that need to be taken into account. There are mirrors to observe, steering wheel to handle, traffic hazards to look out for and navigating to your destination. Manual vehicles require the driver to have complete management over the gears whereas for the automated, the function is restricted only on the two pedals, the most practical way to learn to drive is using an automatic.

Learning Manual or Automatic

For new students, setting lessons on automatic tuition is much simpler. It is not always easy to understand the moment between pushing and releasing the clutch which is common in a manual car. A manual uses a stick shift to change the gears.

In order to make the transition, the driver needs to press down on the clutch, located to the left of the brake. Every time the gears are moved, the pedal needs to be pressed.

Some students opt for having training in both manual and automatic. That way they are not restricted in their choice of vehicles to drive  later on.

Controversial changes to driving test are put on hold

Helping to pass your Driving Test in Newcastle.

By Rick Kelsey
Newsbeat reporter

Radical plans to change the driving test have been put on hold by the government.

The Department for Transport says it doesn’t want to restrict the lives of young people but road safety campaigners have accused them of being scared.

A Green Paper outlining stricter rules for drivers under 30 was supposed to be released last year.

It would have meant new young drivers getting a probationary licence.

During that 12-month probation there would be a curfew between 10 at night and five in the morning, unless someone else over 30 was in the car.

Learners would be tested on motorway driving and there would be a ban on all mobile phone use behind the wheel and a lower legal alcohol limit.

The idea was to cut the amount of accidents involving young people.

Department for Transport statistics show that more than a fifth of deaths on British roads in 2012 involved drivers aged 17-24.

Sophie Morgan, 29, was paralysed from the waist down after the car she was driving was involved in an accident after the end of her A-levels in 2003.

Sophie Morgan wants the government to change the rules for learning to drive
She says she is disappointed the government is going back on plans to make learner drivers do a minimum number of hours behind the wheel.

“I don’t know how many more young people have to die or sustain serious life-changing injuries like mine before the government does something,” she says.

Ministers were due to publish a green paper last year after considering the Transport Research Laboratory’s report which suggested a new system could cut casualty rates.

We are wrestling with how to make things safer, while not unduly restricting the freedom of our young people
Department for Transport spokesman
“The safety of young people on our roads is very important to us,” a Department for Transport spokesman said. “Too many young people die, too often.

“We are wrestling with how to make things safer, while not unduly restricting the freedom of our young people.

“We want young people to be able to get to work and training, to education and to leisure activities, and we want them to do so safely.

“We are finding this a difficult balance, with passionate voices on both sides. ”

Overall, the number of people dying on British roads has halved in the last 10 years.

In 2012, 24,793 people were killed or seriously injured on British roads, according to Department for Transport figures.

The report suggested that implementing the new system could cut annual casualty numbers by 4,471 and save £224m.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists has told Newsbeat that it is disappointed with the delay.

Director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “Government has copped out due to fears that a new system will add to cost for young people and limit their job opportunities.

“Road deaths cost the economy almost £16 billion a year so improving safety for the highest risk group would actually have helped the economy.

“Young drivers need help. Graduated driver licensing could deliver that.”

Driving instructor Ryan Collin, 28, is a driving instructor with the AA in rural Berkshire

Some drivers thought the plans were too restrictive.

Jay Singh, 21, is in a band and finishes late at night.

He said: “I’m really pleased that I’m not going to be limited by these rules that have just appeared really.”

Some restrictions are a good idea but the ones they were proposing just wouldn’t work
Ryan Collins, Driving instructor in Berkshire
He added that he would not be able to learn under the proposals because of the extra number of hours that would have been needed before taking the test.

“Considering I’m a student and my income is nothing but loan from student finance, I just wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

One of the main concerns with the proposals was how they would affect young people in rural areas when it comes to working and training.

Ryan Collins is a driving instructor in Berkshire.

“Some restrictions are a good idea but the ones they were proposing just wouldn’t work,” he said.

He says he would have liked to have seen motorway training in the changes.

“A lot of people think they pass their test and they are a good driver,” he said.

“I think additional training at the highest speeds, like on motorways, would help.”

The AA motoring group says it is disappointed that a paper was not published but has also expressed some relief.

A statement read: “We are generally in favour of education over restriction.

“At the radical end of some of the restrictions proposed, there would be a significant impact on young people’s freedom.”

In Northern Ireland there have already been some moves towards bringing in graduated licencing.

Earlier this month Stormont environment minister Mark H Durkan said: “Radical measures are necessary if we are to pursue an ambition of zero road death.”

The Driving Instructors Association in Northern Ireland says it is unhappy with the changes.