Sometimes it can be the little things that make or break your road test success. It can be a nervous or anxious time, but if you are prepared, confident, and smart, you can pass with flying colours! Here are some crucial tips to keep in mind when you approach getting your driving test.

Get Plenty of Practice

Practice makes perfect – it is true! For the best preparation possible, enrolling with a driving instructor or a driving school will be the best decision for you. Getting practise with a teacher can not only successfully prepare you for your driving test, but also for being a driver in day to day life.

Pre-Car Ritual

Make yourself a little miniature ritual to perform before you start your car. Take a quick inspection of the car and its wheels, adjust your mirrors once seated and buckled in, have the radio turned off, and check to see if your signal lights are fully functional. This kind of precautionary behaviour reflects excellently on you when you meet up with your driving tester for the first time.

Always Obey Signage

No matter what it is, keep an eye on the road signs during your test. Paying close attention to speed limits in your area is only prudent. Driving too fast is dangerous for obvious high-velocity reasons, but driving too slow can also be hazardous to drivers around you – keep just under the speed limit by about five kilometres (no more!) and you should be set.

Put Your Parking Break in Practice

You are going to need to use your parking break, especially when parking on hills, whether the car is parked facing uphill or downhill. Point your wheels so that if the car were to start moving, it would roll/steer away from the road and stop safely on the curb or somewhere similar. Remember to take it off before resuming your test! Driving with the parking break on is very bad for your car.

Don’t panic! Follow what you learned, remember these tips, and your driving test should be a roaring success. Happy driving!

Everybody loves road trips. People piling in the car together, getting all physically close, listening to the same music, and taking hours to get some place … oh wait, that sounds potentially awful.

Road trips can be a fond memory that lasts a lifetime, or a terrible experience that ruins friendships and causes family trauma. Here are some handy tips to keep your road trip as drama-free and painless as possible.

Have Food / Water

• Nothing shortens tempers faster than lack of food and water – and those who are in a hurry are not going to want to stop at a gas station right away. So pack some snacks and a water bottle.

Chip in On Gas Money

• If you’re all in the car, you all share the cost. You’re never going to get a ride again if you don’t pitch in (and remember, owning a car has far more expenses than just gas, so you are paying only part of the price).

What’s Your Role?

• Okay, so you got shot gun. That doesn’t mean you can fall asleep – now you are in charge of making sure that the driver is alert and awake throughout the whole drive. Better take charge of the music and make sure that you keep the conversation going! (You’re also in charge of directions.)

Change Drivers

• Driving can be a tiring task. If you can, offer to take turns driving. (If you can’t, start the process of getting your license at Ambitious Drivers today!)

Take Breaks

• I know you want to get where you are going, but take the time to enjoy the road. Stop at that cool park or sanctuary you pass, pick up some fruit from the roadside market, get out and breathe the air. You’ll all feel refreshed and you’ll get to experience the beauty of the journey, not just the destination.

Stock Up On Energy

• At the end of the journey, everyone’s going to get tired. Make time to stop and get coffee, juice, tea, or whatever it is you need to keep going. Driving while drowsy is dangerous, and if the whole car is sleepy, the driver will be too.

Bring Comfy Items

• Pillows and blankets will make your trip so much better.

At Ambitious Drivers, we know that road trips can be the best if you are prepared. Stock up on all the items you need to make this trip pleasant one and get on the road this spring break!

We all know that drinking and driving is bad news. But what do you do when someone you care about is about to get in the car and you know they are not in a fit state to drive? Telling someone not to drive can be a tricky thing. People get sensitive about their judgement and may even get aggressive. You know that you are doing the right thing by preventing them from getting in the car, but how to do that when they are unwilling to listen to you?

1) Be nonjudgmental and non-confrontational. This is not the moment to give them a lecture or appeal to their morality. Keep it simple and friendly.

2) Suggest alternatives (taxi, sleeping over, a ride home).

3) Get their keys (this is important, as many drivers will go back to the car even after agreeing to an alternative plan).

4) Get help. This is one case where peer pressure can be a good thing. It’s harder to ignore several people, and in the unfortunate situation where you might have to physically take their keys away from them, you will have backup.

5) Distract them. Get them to stay in their home or in a taxi cab through conversation about something else.

6) Get them water. (Increased sobriety may help you reason with them.)

7) Have information on possible free services to get your friends home (around the holidays there are usually several volunteer organizations and initiatives that will make getting home cheaper or free).

8) Don’t give up. Even if your friend is mad at you in the moment, it is better than them risking their life (and the life of others).

9) Talk about it when sober. Many drunk drivers are repeat offenders, and this is a dangerous habit to get into. Open up the conversation before they get drunk. Let them know that you are concerned for them and want to talk about what occurred.

Taking a long drive on a sunny afternoon can be a relaxing adventure. However, driving in extreme conditions, particularly in winter weather, can be stressful and frightening. Understanding some basic principles about how to avoid some of the biggest pitfalls in winter driving can make the difference between a safe trip and an unnecessary tragedy.

Never warm up your car in an enclosed space.

If you’re starting the car in sub-freezing temperatures, it can be tempting to let the car warm up so that you can slide into the driver’s seat and turn on the heat right away. However, if you do this, make sure that the car isn’t inside the garage with the door down or inside another space that lacks ventilation. The carbon monoxide in your car’s emissions can build up into a deadly gas that can fatally poison your system.

Don’t use cruise control when driving on slippery surfaces.

Setting the cruise control can take the pressure off your foot on a long drive. However, you want to maintain constant vigilance as to your speed when you’re driving on wintry roads as you may hit an icy patch. For this reason, keep your foot on or near the gas and brake pedals at all times, and don’t rely on the cruise control.

Keep your tires the same type and monitor the air pressure.

The cold temperatures at night can bring your tire pressure down so that the pressure sensors activate when you start the car in the morning. Resist the temptation to go fill them up right away, as the rising temperature during the day can make the air inside expand and damage the tires. Instead, make sure that the sensors do not go off when you’re driving the car later in the day.

Also, make sure that you do not mix radial tires with different types of tires on your car. That way your car will respond uniformly when you have to stop, start or turn on the ice.

Have cold weather gear in the car.

Hopefully you’ll never get stranded in the cold, but if you do, you’ll be glad that you packed a kit with food, water, hats, gloves and blankets in the trunk. Also, if you are on maintenance medications, you’ll want to pack an extra few doses in that trunk. That way if it takes hours for a wrecker to find you, you will be safe and as warm as possible.

These are some tips to help you be as safe as possible when Jack Frost is driving the weather. Leave the house with confidence even on snowy days with this advice in mind.

Driving through windy and rainy conditions can be a serious test for even the most experienced and qualified driver. Essentially, it requires that the individual adopts a much more ‘defensive’ approach while on the roads. This is because potential hazards are more than just the other vehicles sharing the roads, but also the rainfall that can cause slippery conditions, poor visibility and significantly reduced braking speeds to name just a few.

In this two part blog series, we’ll take a look at the main points that need to be highlighted when driving specifically in rainy conditions, and how they help ensure a safe journey on the roads.

Be Prepared

Wet conditions can really test the quality and maintenance of any vehicle so it’s important to carry out a few quick spot-checks on vital components before you head out. If the weather is especially difficult and requires taking more challenging routes always consider if it is absolutely necessary to drive in the first place – sometimes a couple of hours delay can save a great deal of unnecessary stress!

But assuming you need to drive – here’s a list of the essentials to check first:

Plan the journey ahead of time, and where possible consider alternate routes should roads be closed due to bad weather or accidents. If you’re travelling during a storm pack a blanket, waterproof clothing, and some water and food just in case.

Let others know your route and make arrangements to call when you have arrived, or in case of severe delays. Always carry a mobile phone.

Fill up with fuel. Lights and slow/stopped traffic will use more fuel than usual, so allow for plenty of spare fuel to account for this.

Check your windshield wipers and consider replacing them if they are showing excessive wear – after all it’s the perfect opportunity to do so! Keep an eye out for our next blog for more practical tips on driving during rainy conditions.

The truth of the matter is that ‘road rage’-related accidents, i.e. accidents caused by aggressive or intentionally careless driving, account for more than half of driving accident fatalities. Aggressive driving qualifies as anything from tailgating, to racing, to failing to observe road signs and regulations, to seeking confrontation with other drivers.  It’s important to keep a clear head on the road, because given enough emotional turmoil, driving angry can be just as bad as driving drunk.

Speeding

If you are ever speeding, that is one of the times where it is most easy to lose control of your vehicle.  Whether or not you feel justified in speeding – if someone keeps drifting into your lane or you are simply running late – speeding is highly dangerous and punishable with steep fines.  Remember: ‘slow and steady’ became a proverb for a reason!

Tailgating

No matter how frustrated you may be at the driver in front of you, it is never prudent or wise to tailgate another driver.  Since you cannot see what is in front of said driver, you have no way of knowing if they will need to stop suddenly.  If that happens, your aggression becomes the real issue; it is no longer the fault of the driver in front of you if you’re the one who rear-ends their car through carelessness.

Confrontation with Other Drivers

A good rule of thumb is that all drivers are just trying to get where they are going.  It seems laughably obvious, but it is good to keep in mind that however annoying or frustrating another driver on the road seems to be, they are simply trying to get somewhere and not trying to get your goat deliberately.  When getting on the road or interacting with other drivers, keep the philosophy of ‘live and let live’ close to your heart.

It is important to remember that, when you are driving, you are controlling thousands of pounds of heavy machinery as an extension of yourself.  If you are feeling angry, reckless, and impulsive, that will be precisely what your style of driving will be until you calm down.  If you are just having one of those rough days, take a few deep breaths, drink some water, and clear your head before setting out onto the road – for the sake if someone else’s life, if not your own.

Here at ambitious drivers, we don’t just teach what you should do while driving, we also teach what you should not do. Part of being a great driver is doing the right things to keep yourself and everyone else on the road safe. You might be tempted to use your phone when behind the wheel, but make sure you read the statistics of using your phone while driving before you do.

First, know that it is illegal

The fines are going to vary depending on which province you are in, but you should know that it is in fact against the law. The fines are increasing every year and it could even result in some major penalties when it comes to your license. Don’t do it. It isn’t worth it.

23 times

Those who engage in using their cell phones for texting while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in a car crash or near car crash when compared to non-distracted drivers. Keeping your eyes on the road is one of the  basic components of safe driving.

Four million

This is the number of motor vehicle crashes across North America that have been attributed to driver inattentiveness, most of which is caused by cell phone use. Talking on your phone and especially texting while driving is the worst kind of driver distraction.

104 fatalities

This is the number of fatalities in British Columbia alone just a few years ago that were attributed to distraction. Most of which were caused by phone use. Someone who isn’t paying attention to the road won’t be able to brace themselves for an impact or realize dangers when they are coming.

One of the biggest issues facing drivers young and old is the distraction that cell phones cause. Here at Ambitious Drivers, we have some of the best instructors here to help you get your license. This means telling you what you should not do behind the wheel. Take these statistics to heart and remember that it is not worth it.

So you’ve passed all of your tests, gotten your license, and are ready to get out on the road. Now what? Driving is more than just getting your license and getting behind the wheel. Nobody has it harder than young drivers, either. Not only do you have to navigate the rules of the road for the first time, learn to adjust to other drivers, and get over any nerves that might be in the way, you also have to do so usually under the scrutiny of your parents and the law. Here are some great driving tips for young drivers to help you adjust better.

Take it slow

You are probably excited to have gotten your license and proud to have passed your test. You should be. Still, you should probably take it slow. Don’t just jump right in the car and go gallivanting across town and the whole province. Try heading down to the local store first or driving to a close friend’s house during downtime. This will help you get used to being in the car alone and taking care of things. If you are brave enough to jump on the highway alone, then do it. But it’s sometimes best to slow things up a bit.

Learn to say no to friends

There is good chance that if you are very young, then you are the first among your friends to get a license. This means that people are going to be asking you for rides everywhere. Why walk when you can take a car? Not only can they be a drain on gas money, but they can also be a distraction. It isn’t their car or their license that is at stake. It isn’t that they are bad friends, it’s just how a lot of people act. Tell them that you aren’t going to drive everywhere and don’t give in to pressure.

Take the car as little as possible

If you are commuting to school, driving long distances, or doing big shopping, then take your car. That’s what it is there for. But don’t become dependent on it like so many people do. Don’t be lazy. Walk to close places, take public transport if you can or get a bike to cruise around on in the warm months. Many people take cars as a license to be lazy. Not only does this cost gas money, pollute the environment, and make you dependent, but it is also lazy. A car is a privilege. Treat it like one.

Getting your license is a rite of passage and one of the most important events in a young person’s life, but starting to drive is just the beginning. In order to get better at driving and become more accustomed to the road, use these great tips for young drivers. Congratulations, and have fun driving!

The number of road accidents tends to go up during winter. This is because some drivers are overconfident in their driving abilities in snowy conditions while others are totally unprepared for it. Whether you are an accomplished driver or one who has just cleared driving courses, you must change your driving style during these cold months. Here are some tips on how to do just that.

Get Your Car Properly Equipped

Before you leave for a snowy trip, there are basic checks that you must carry out during winter to ensure that you are leaving your home with a properly equipped car. Ensure that you have enough antifreeze and windshield washer fluid. Another important check should be directed to the tires. They must have the right pressure. You also need to equip your car with a flashlight, extra batteries, warm clothes and a first aid kit.

Avoid Tailgating

Tailgating is one of the leading causes of accidents in winter, especially in stop-and-go traffic. The driver in front is probably driving slowly because he knows the roads are slippery and thus can stop when he needs to. To avoid accidents, exercise a lot of patience and stay well behind and only overtake when it is safe to do so. Remember, that your car will also take longer to come to a stop under these conditions hence the need to keep your distance.

Slow Down

All the driving courses you have attended have certainly told you to drive slowly and smoothly in winter. Whether you have an SUV or a four-wheel-drive vehicle, you can never do 100 KPH safely under a snowstorm. You should also avoid sudden acceleration or braking because the car can easily lose traction. Therefore, before you leave the house, accept that you will have to spend more time on the road to reach your destination.

Avoid Cruise Control

Cruise control prevents leg fatigue, but it is a recipe for disaster during winter. With cruise control on, your car can spin the wheels when attempting to maintain a constant speed. This could be very dangerous.

Winter is mainly the time when you should stay at home but if you must drive, exercise the following guidelines for your safety.

Taking a driver’s test can be very stressful, and on top of that there is so much that you need to learn before you even get a chance to take it that sometimes it can seem impossible. We are here to help you every step of the way so that you can pass with flying colors. Not only do we have the best instructors around, but we also offer flexible courses to fit your busy schedule. The different types of courses that we offer are:

Our standard course

Our standard course is taken by people who have who have enough time to complete the course before needing their license. It must be completed within 6 months. The certificate that you earn from our course is recognized by the insurance industry, and your waiting period will be reduced to 8 months. Our standard course includes:

• 10 hours of driving
• 20 hours in class
• 10 hours of homework

You will learn the ins and outs of the techniques of driving, as well as the rules of the road and how to react to other drivers. This is the course that the vast majority of our students take.

Mini packages

If you are someone who has taken a course before but feel like you need a little bit more practice or instruction, then we can happily accommodate you with one of our mini packages. These offer limited instruction and road time, but are designed only for people who need a little bit more to get them over the hump. With this course you will receive either 4 lessons and a road test or 2 lessons and a road test depending on which package you choose. You will not be given an insurance discount certificate upon completion.

Intensive courses

Our intensive courses are designed for people who are short on time, and need to get their certificate and instruction right away. It could be that you need your license before going away, or simply won’t have time to study in the upcoming months. Whatever the reason, an intense course could be the right answer for you. It takes place over 4 days so be prepared to do all of the hours of driving and classroom work in that short time. It takes place over holidays, weekends, and other times outside of normal scheduling. You will need to complete the driving as well as the classwork in order to receive your insurance discount.

Getting your license to drive is a major step in life, and one that can be a little stressful on people at times. Doing all that work while juggling other things in your life isn’t easy. That’s why we not only offer great instruction, but we also offer it at flexible times to accommodate your needs. Ambitious Drivers is here to help you get that driver’s license.