Location Review – Chesterfield is a traditional market town in the Borough of Chesterfield, Derbyshire. It is 24 miles north of Derby and 11 miles south of Sheffield at the convergence of the River Rother and River Hipperin at the eastern foothills of the Pennines. By 2011 the built-up-area subdivision had a population of over 88,000, making it the second-largest settlement in Derbyshire after Derby. Chesterfield is located on the A61, 6 miles from the M1. Its built-up area extends outside the borough boundaries into the neighbouring Northeast Derbyshire district. It includes the town of Staveley and the villages of Cutthorpe, Holymoorside, Wingerworth and Calow.
Chesterfield Routes and Roads – Junction 29 on the M1 at Heath links Chesterfield to the motorway network towards the south via the A617 dual carriageway with junction 29a at Markham Vale, which opened in June 2008. Chesterfield also has links to the M1 at Junction 30 and the north with the A619. Major roads include the A61 Sheffield Road (north)/Derby Road (south), with a dual carriageway from the town centre right into Sheffield, and the A619, a major entry to the Peak District, eventually joining the A6 near Bakewell) and the A632 to Matlock. We can provide driver training on all these roads – we don’t follow a specific route but individually plan one based on the driver’s own needs and requirements.
Our courses are bespoke to the driver’s needs, regardless of being a private individual or business. The courses we offer range from general advanced and defensive driving courses to more specialist sessions to help a driver with confidence, motorway, post-RTC training or speed awareness.
Each course is unique, but below are some of the key things we help a driver with:
- Forward planning and observation
- Developing a positive mindset for driving
- Identifying and ironing out any at-risk habits
- Reviewing past driving experience and how that’s impacting (positively or negatively) the client’s approach to driving.
- Being aware of the impacts excessive speed can have
- How to use speed safely
- Learning how to understand better and anticipate other road users
- Creating a positive learning environment in rural, urban and motorway settings
- How to use commentary driving to improve your powers of planning and observation on all road types
While a course may only last a half day, a full day or several half days – the things you learn will last a lifetime. The report we send for each driver not only reviews their driving but also provides valuable hints and tips for the future. Each report is assigned its unique verification number, so anyone reading it can trust its integrity as a genuine, original report; this is especially important if you have been asked to do the training from an external party such as an insurer or employer.
Benefits of our advanced and defensive driver training:
- Increases your level of skill and overall driving confidence
- Removes any risky driving characteristics you may have picked up
- Considers issues that may be specific to your own driving style
- Increases your car control on all roads, including motorways
- Reduces wear and tear issues with your car or van
- Improves your MPG – get more miles from your fuel
Other courses we can offer (aside from advanced driving courses):
- Motorway and dual carriageway confidence
- Post RTC training
- Confidence driver training
- Pre-court training
- Van driver training
- Younger driver training
Chesterfield is ideal for those wishing to take an advanced driving course – or any form of driver training. It has excellent access to a fantastic network of roads perfect for gaining extra confidence on motorways and urban and country road driving.
We have carried out driver training in and around Chesterfield over the past few years, including Bampton, Upper Newbold, Whittingham Moor and Sheepbridge. The junctions of the A61 and A677 are ideal areas to take driver tuition for motorway and dual-carriageway training.
Our driver training courses are door-to-door. Our tutor will come to you, taking you out on the road in your own vehicle.
Full or half days:
Whether you are a corporate client training several drivers or a private individual – we have many tailored courses to increase the skill and safety of any driver. Our courses are available for both car and van drivers.
3.5hr – Half day –The benefit of this course, the shortest in the range, is that it’s the lowest-priced option. The disadvantage is that it’s too short for some drivers to get them out onto all road types. This course is mainly for companies training two or more drivers on the same day.
2 x 3.5hr – 2 half days – This is very beneficial for customers who find a full day too intense and need the split to help them absorb more over a more extended period. Often, a driver gets homework in from the first session so they can practice and start to use what has been taught in session one to help them with session two. Mature and unconfident drivers will often opt for this set of courses.
7hr – full day – Although it can be hard work for some, a full day is cheaper than 2 x 3.5hr. It’s suitable for those who are on time restraints, or if your company has asked you to do this course, or perhaps you feel a 7hr session will work better for you. Talk with us if you are unsure of the best way to move forward. For business clients, we can split a full day so one driver is trained in the morning and then one is trained in the afternoon.
We do offer a longer set of courses for those with specific issues and offer 3, 4 and 5 x 3.5hr options. These are often taken over a few weeks and are ideal for more deep-rooted issues or have not driven for a long while.
Please do not hesitate to contact us:
We have several training options and packages. Please call us for more information. The team member you talk with will, more often than not, manage your enquiry right the way through to training if that’s what you decide on doing. This includes private individuals as well as business clients.
If you need a quote for a larger number of drivers, we will be happy to provide this, along with how we can best arrange the training based on your organisation’s specific requirements and area.
Road Safety Risks and Information – Chesterfield
Chesterfield is located in Derbyshire and is served by three fast A road routes, the A61, A617 and the A619, all littered with numerous collision sites. The A61 runs through the centre of Chesterfield from Alfreton to Sheffield and carries a high volume of through traffic as well as commuter traffic in and out of the town.
The Horns Bridge intersection is a very challenging roundabout linking the A617 to the A61 and Braidwood Way. It has numerous collision sites, which can probably be blamed on poor lane exiting. There are traffic lights on this roundabout, but the crash rates are still high, so it is vital to ensure that you are fully observant of not only your lane exit but are watching other drivers who may be hesitant with theirs. From the Horns Bridge roundabout, you can link the A619, Markham Road, which travels through the centre of Chesterfield and into the Ravenside retail park. There are many collision sites along this route, which is also a hectic route, especially during rush hours. The B6543, Lordsmill Street, also runs from the Horns Bridge roundabout and heads north, joining Beetwell Street and Church Way to enter the town centre. These are narrow streets shared with public transport routes and can be congested at times. There are numerous crash sites along these routes, and although many are less severe due to lower speeds, they can be very costly with insurance claims and can lead to temporary road closures. One of the worst affected areas in the town centre is the set of traffic light junctions along Corporation Street and Saltergate, so care should be taken when crossing this area.
Saltergate merges into Ashgate Road, but there is a traffic light junction at Foljambe Road and West Street that shows numerous collision sites. There is also an area with several obscured carparks for nearby residential areas to be aware of. Accidents that have occurred here may have been due to drivers leaving these areas and not taking adequate observations when merging onto the main road. The B6051 Newbold Road is another area that has high collision rates. It is another residential area, but the majority of accidents have occurred near the retail area of Queen Street and the Chesterfield Arms. These accidents often happen when drivers are pulling away from parking on a busy main road, so observations and indications are a must when driving along busy streets such as these.
If you have any specific roads you travel on in Chesterfield and you’re keen to discover what parts are at higher risk in terms of collisions, please contact us. We offer a free-of-charge service to anyone who is interested.