Location Introduction – Basildon is one of the largest towns in Essex, and it is located 26 miles east of Central London, 11 miles south of Chelmsford and 10 miles west of Southend-on-Sea. Small towns nearby include Billericay to the northwest, Wickford to the northeast, and South Benfleet to the southeast. The earliest historical reference to Basildon is in records from 1086, and it is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Basildon was created as a new town after World War II to accommodate the London population overspill from gathering the small villages of Pitsea, Laindon, Vange and the most central Basildon.

Basildon has great access to the City via road, with the A127 and A13. Since 2011 we have been delivering driver training across Basildon and the rest of Essex for company drivers and private clients.

During an Advanced Driver session, we typically look at the following:

* Understanding observational elements of driving (seeing) and building these into your driving plan
* Developing a much-improved attitude towards driving
* Becoming a more skilful driver on all types of roads
* Understand your own limitations and at-risk factors – most of which you won’t be aware of
* Car control (looking at gears, steering and use of signals)
* Undoing years of ingrained bad habits
* Manoeuvres and driving in tight, restricted areas
* Driving in busy urban environments
* The system of car control – IPSGA
* Learning to see and not just look on the road
* Learning how to anticipate the actions of other road users
* Learn how you and other drivers think when behind the wheel
* Coping and defusing with road rage
* Coping with bad weather
* Learning why skids happen and controlling them confidently

Once the training is complete, a PDF report is sent to you with several things assessed, such as confidence, forward planning, attitude, vehicle control etc. This report is beneficial as it’s completely tailored to the driver and provides valuable tips and insights for future safe driving. Each report is verified and documented and proves you have had driver training with a DVSA-registered professional.

Personal benefits of our Advanced and Defensive driver training:

* Identify and remove any higher-risk characteristics with your driving
* Consider issues specific to your driving style
* Increase vehicle control on every road type
* Upskill your levels of skill and overall confidence
* Lower fuel costs
* Reduce wear and tear on your vehicle

Driver training for business clients provides many benefits that include:

* Demonstrate to your drivers that you care
* Possibly reduce your fleet insurance costs
* Lower fuel costs
* Help employees who have specific issues (confidence, speeding, collisions)
* Managing your occupational road risk
* Demonstrate your Duty of Care

The two major roads, London to Southend, the A13 and A127, both pass through Basildon, and both are important routes, giving easy access to the M25. More locally, the A13 provides access to Pitsea and Vange, and the A127 provides access to the town centre and Laindon. The town has six main roads linking to and from the A13 and A127. Our advanced driver training courses run well in and around Basildon due to the excellent network of roads. Our tutors will come to the address of your choice, and you can use your own vehicle for the course duration.

Half or Full Day?

The half-day is ideal for those wishing to brush up on driving skills or as a taster into advanced driving skills. Further half-day durations are great for those who are looking to increase confidence over a period of time.

The full-day day split for two drivers is ideal for those with many drivers to train and want to take advantage of the time and cost savings associated and for those who wish to experience an intensive advanced driving course and want to iron out any bad habits they may have developed. We tend to find many clients opt for the full-day session – and book one driver in the morning and one in the afternoon – there is no additional charge for this, and it works really well.

When we train drivers, we look at building the course around their specific needs. We initially let them drive for 20 to 30 minutes. Then, after a friendly chat about the findings, we introduce several Advanced driving techniques such as forward planning, car control, and advanced observation to encourage much safer and more skilled driving.

The central part of the course is designed to improve the driver – and we find the best approach here is to work on their specific driving style and requirements and adjust the training to fit their needs.

Contact us:

If you want more information on how our courses work, we would be delighted to hear from you with your exact requirements. Our friendly team have a non-judgemental approach for those wishing to open up and discuss specific issues. For some nervous drivers, this is the first step in reaching out on their journey to confident driving. Please call or email for more information and advice.

Road Safety Risks and Information – Basildon

Basildon lies between the A127 and the A13 in the county of Essex and is a highly populated town with many accidents occurring daily, some severe and a few fatal. Knowing where the worst places for collisions are is essential when considering your journeys, as forewarned, it is often helpful for staying safe when driving.

The A127 runs through the North of Basildon from the A12 at Gallows Corner to Southend on Sea and has many crash sites. Numerous severe accidents are noted along the entire route of the Southend Arterial Road, especially near the junction areas. The Junction near Pound Lane is especially dangerous as it turns directly onto the fast A127. The A13 skirts the southern edge of Basildon, which also carries a lot of traffic volume from the A130 from Chelmsford, where it crosses the A127 and links to the A1089 towards Tilbury. The A130 junction merging into the A13 has numerous crash sites, some severe and life-changing, and it is vital that you understand the directions and lane positioning for your journey as it would seem that many accidents occur when drivers are hesitant to know what lane they should be in for their exit. The intersection of the A176 is another very high-risk area, and again, lane positioning is vital for safe exiting.

The main routes through Basildon are the B148 St Nicholas Lane and the A1235 Cranes Farm Road. They are both high in crash statistics, and most accidents occur near the junctions of other road crossings.   This is a bustling area, especially during rush hours and school run times, and extra caution should be applied when driving in such areas. These routes also have busy public transport lanes where passengers are always alighting and possibly crossing roads. The A176, Upper Mayne, and the A1321 Broadmayne are also very busy routes, with the roundabout of South Mayne, East Mayne, and Ashlyns being particularly hazardous. Clayhill Road leading to Roundacre and Southernhay are also areas to pay attention to as these roads tend to be very bustling, and many drivers may use such roads as shortcuts across the town. Whitmore Way is another road of concern as it travels north from the centre of Basildon. It is also well-crossed by public transport routes and can be slow and congested. There are numerous crash sites along this road, and many are slight due to slower speeds, but some have been fatal, so it is vital to ensure that busy roads are driven with care.

This is only a very brief outline of collision sites in Basildon. If you have any specific roads you travel on in the area and are keen to discover what parts are at higher risk of collisions, please contact us. We offer a free-of-charge service to anyone who is interested.