Location Overview: Bristol is a city and unitary authority situated on the river Avon, and the counties of Gloucestershire border it to the north and Somerset to the South. Bristol is the most populated city in the Southwest, and the wider Bristol built-up area is one of the most populated urban areas across the UK.
Bristol has a wide range of roads where we can provide driver training. It sees the M5 from the Midlands to Cornwall, the M4 from the Capital to South Wales, and the M32 connecting this route to the centre of Bristol. It has a number of A roads, the A370, which takes you to Weston-Super-Mare and into North Somerset, and the A38, which runs from Gloucester to Taunton. The A420 will take you to Chippenham, and the A37 through to Wincanton. All routes from the Midlands to Devon and Cornwall will take you through the outskirts of Bristol.
Courses we offer:
* General advanced and defensive training
* Motorway training
* New employee induction
* Post RTC Confidence
* Confidence and refresher training
* Pre-court advanced courses
Bristol is split into 34 wards, from Avonmouth at the Northwest and Bedminster to the South, Clifton, Eastville and Knowle centrally located, with Southmead and Hillfields to the North of the city.
Our advanced and other driving courses are always tailored to individual specific needs and requirements, whether a full or half day or multiple half days or if we are training one driver or many. Here are the things we cover:
* Observing the road ahead
* Having an improved appreciation for speed
* Developing a positive mindset for continual improvement when driving
* Understanding what you need to do as a driver to become safer on all roads
* Looking at specific vehicle controls – including new technology and how they are designed to help you.
* Understanding the rules of the road
* How to deal with the problem of road rage – and how to manage other drivers’ emotions
* Reversing and manoeuvres – ideal for vans but also very useful for cars
* Being aware of the extra safety precautions when driving in urban traffic
* How to identify and deal with skids – and more importantly, how to stop them before they start
* Eco-safe driving to save fuel (effective use of speed, gears, planning)
Once the training has ended, a PDF report will usually be sent 3-5 days after the course with specific things assessed such as confidence, forward observations, attitude, speed awareness and much more. We rank a driver from Poor to Excellent in these areas at the beginning and after training. This report is beneficial as it is bespoke to the driver and gives valuable tips for safer driving in the future. Each report is verified and documented with us – proof a driver has had training with a DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency) registered professional driver trainer.
Key points of driver training:
* Become a much safer, and skilful driver
* Rectify issues which could be impacting your driving
* Demonstrate your intention to become an improved and safer driver
* Deal with and address issues which has held you back
Training is slightly different for commercial clients – the end client, the person receiving the course, is very often not the person who decides to organise the training. Whilst we help your driver to improve performance from a commercial perspective, your business will also benefit from:
* Demonstrating your Duty of Care
* Potentially lower your fleet insurance costs
* Providing the opportunity for an employee to develop driving skills
* Showing your responsibility towards your drivers and the general public
Lowering fuel costs
We have carried out hundreds of driver training courses for companies and private individuals in the Bristol area. We have found that with the excellent transport routes in and around Bristol, we can teach our clients the best methods to drive on Motorways, A roads and the smaller country lanes surrounding the outskirts and into North Somerset and Gloucestershire. Cabot Circus and Saint Agnes are ideal locations to train for large urban roundabouts and the motorway network. From Bishopston and Henleaze, there are accessible locations for training on the A38. Redfield and Kingswood are ideal for practising routes along the A420. Our tutors will always come to you, taking you out in your own vehicle, whether a van or a car.
Half day or Full Day?
The half-day is ideal for those with quite a few drivers to undertake training and want to take full advantage of the time and cost savings associated with such. The full day is also ideal for private drivers who wish to experience an intensive advanced driving course and want to iron out any bad habits they may have.
We find many clients opt for the full-day session – and book one driver in the AM and one in the PM – there is no additional charge for this, and is the best costing option.
When we train all drivers, we look at building the course around their specific requirements. We start by letting them drive for a short period. Then after a friendly debrief, we look at introducing several advanced driving techniques such as forward planning, the system of car control, advanced observation and much more.
The central part of the course is designed to improve the driver, and we find the best approach is working on their specific driving style and requirements and adjusting the training to fit.
Talk to us:
We have several training options and packages. Please call us for more information. The team member manages your enquiry right through to training. This includes private individuals and business customers.
If you’re looking at a quote for a large number of drivers, we will be happy to provide such, along with how we can best arrange the training based on your organisation’s specific requirements.
Road Safety Risks and Information – Bristol
Bristol is an extremely busy city based in Avon and is served by the M5 motorway from the Midlands to Devon. The M4 Skirts the north of the city and links London to South Wales, and the M32 links the inner-city areas throughout Bristol centre. All of these routes have very high accident statistics, and care should be taken at all times when using them, especially during rush hours when traffic volume is incredibly high.
The main route into Bristol city centre is the M32 leading to the A4032. Many crash sites are noted along this route, with numerous collisions noted on the roundabout intersection of Lower Ashley Road and the A4320. Most accidents occur near traffic lights and roundabout junctions where impatience and a lack of good observations can lead to catastrophic collisions that can be life-changing. Further along into Cabot Circus and the A38, the collision rate is very high as the route also has many public transport routes sharing the space, so it is vital to take care when driving behind slow buses and watch for pedestrians alighting when they are stopped. The A38 enters Bristol from the Gloucestershire region and travels through Filton and Bishopston, and numerous severe collision sites are noted along this route, with the worst being centred around the Gloucester Road between Horfield Common and Cheltenham Road.
The A420 travels from the centre of Bristol towards Warmley and Wick, where it joins the A46; this route has many crash sites and is a fast commuter route for many drivers in and out of Bristol. The A37, Wells Road, leaves Bristol centre towards Knowle and Whitchurch, and again, this is another fast and busy commuter route with numerous collision sites. Observations and indications are critical to safe driving when using such routes.
These are only a brief outline of collision sites in Bristol and across Avon. Don’t hesitate to contact us 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. We offer a free-of-charge service to anyone interested.