Car

The Best Way to Get Into Driving

In a world emerging from the horrors of the pandemic, it is important that people resume doing the things that they were passionate about before COVID struck the world. Most people have a hobby that they love to do, be it collecting trading cards or gambling at the best casinos, everyone will have something. Cars especially have proven to be not just a mode of travel but a lifestyle, and many interested teens across the world will eagerly be awaiting the day they are of legal age and can finally drive a car. But what is the best way to get into driving?

The first aspect one should consider is of course price. The most cost-effective way into driving would be to buy a very cheap car and some learner plates and then let a family or friend teach in that car. This way has the advantage of making lessons cost zero, with the only expenses being the car and the plates. This would appeal to those who do not have a large cash flow but does entirely depend on someone having the time and willingness to teach someone else. Further, if an adequate amount of research on current learner practice is not carried out the learner may not be taught things that will come up in their test, as the person teaching may have an outdated view from when they learned to drive.  Continue reading “The Best Way to Get Into Driving” →

Choosing a course of Driving Lessons

You can save both time and money by making sure the course you choose suits your needs and abilities. Keep reading this article and find out what choices you have when choosing a course of driving lessons.

What are the options?

Hourly Tuition

What is it? This is the traditional and most popular method of learning to drive. A qualified instructor would give you a one-to-one in-car tuition that usually lasts for one hour, once or twice a week. The training period would continue for as long as you and your instructor consider necessary.

Advantages: Using this method, you will be given as much time as you need to get to grips with driving and will have plenty of opportunities to practice your road skills with family and friends in between lessons. This method affords great flexibility to those with hectic lifestyles as lessons can be scheduled to fit with your own timetable.

Disadvantages: Not always the most time and cost-efficient way of learning to drive. It is important to keep sessions regular so as not to slip back. Faster methods exist for those in a hurry to pass their driving test.

Suits: Total beginners, cautious learners and/or those with busy, demanding lives who can afford to take their time learning to drive.

Home-based Intensive Driving Course

What is it? An intensive course is an accelerated version of the traditional ‘weekly lesson’ method. The learner receives multiple hour-long sessions within a short space of time and is exposed to intensive driving.

Advantages: Tends to be the fastest, most cost-effective method for confident drivers with previous experience of the roads. Many such courses include a practical driving test as part of the package.

Disadvantages: This is a high-pressure style of course which can increase the risk of failure. Students do not have as much opportunity to consolidate their learning in between lessons and tend to clock up fewer hours behind the wheel in total. A less-rounded training can sometimes result from the pressure to achieve a pass in a short space of time. Learners must be free to dedicate a considerable amount of their time to driving for the duration of the course. Many instructors require students to have passed their theory test before embarking on this type of training, leaving them free to concentrate on practical driving.

Suits: Confident drivers and people who respond well to pressure; those in a particular hurry to obtain a driving license. You can visit https://www.intensive-driving-school.co.uk for more information on everything you need to pass your driving test. They offer affordable courses that suits all driving skills. Continue reading “Choosing a course of Driving Lessons” →

How to Read a Tyre Sidewall

A tyre’s sidewall has a plethora of information listed. This article will illustrate how to decipher the majority of the information listed on the sidewall. This article will also show how to convert the more common metric sizing method into inches for overall height, width and sidewall height. Besides tyre sizing, there are many safety related markings on a tyre’s sidewall that will be covered. Cheap tyres can be found online by visiting Europe´s biggest online retailer – eiretyres.com.

Reading Tyre Size on the Sidewall

The size can always be found on both sides of the tyre sidewall. Using the correct size for the vehicle is important for safety, fuel economy and ride characteristics. Under most circumstances the tyre size should be the same for all four wheels. Tyres should always be the same size on the same axle. The correct tyre size for the vehicle can also be found on a tag on the inside door jam of the vehicle,

For illustration purposes, the following tyre size will be used to demonstrate tyre type, size, speed and load range. The tyre size listed below is how it would appear on a tyres sidewall.

P205/60R16 98S

  • P stands for a passenger rated tyre, T would be temporary spare and LT would indicate light truck.
  • 205 stands for the road surface width in millimeters
  • 60 indicates the aspect ratio for the sidewall height to the width. In this example the sidewall height would be 123 millimeters (60% of 205)
  • R stands for radial
  • 16 indicates the wheel size or inside diameter of the tyre in inches
  • 98 indicates the load index, LT load ranges would be an alpha designation like C D or E.
  • S indicates the speed rating

Calculating Tyre Height and Diameter in Inches

To convert millimeters to inches simply multiply times .03937. In the above example size, the sidewall height in inches would be 4.84 inches (123 X .03937). To get the overall height or diameter of the tyre double the side wall height and add the wheel size. This method of calculation can be used for tyre plus sizing to get the same height of the original tyres.

4.84 + 4.84 + 16.00 = 25.68 or approximately 25 5/8 of an inch

Reading DOT Quality Codes on the Tyre Sidewall

The U.S. Government developed a Uniformed Tyre Quality Grading (UTQG) system that is printed on the sidewall. This grading system shows the uniformed tests of three safety categories. These safety scores can be found on the tyre’s sidewall.

  • Treadwear
  • Traction
  • Temperature

Treadwear grade shows treadwear life. The grades are generally graded from 60 to 800, with 800 being the best.

Traction is based on the tyre’s ability to stop in a straight line, on wet pavement with a locked wheel. Tyre traction grades range from AA to C with AA being the best.

Temperature grade shows the tyre’s ability to dissipate heat. Temperature grades range from A to C with A being the best.

There are also sidewall markings for mud and snow tyres, usually marked with M & S. Snow tyres that are rated for severe weather winter conditions have a special marking. Tyre sidewall markings can help the car owner choose the right car or truck tyre for their vehicle application.

The Top benefits of Intensive Driving Courses

There are many ways to learn to drive. Many people choose to have a parent, friend or family member teach them, because it is cheaper, for example. Some people do not have a willing person to help them or they feel they need professional guidance alongside help from a friend or family member. Then they have to make a decision as to who to go to for this help.

One choice open to people is the intensive driving course. These give you lessons in a block, close together so that you have a lot of lessons in quick succession. There are a few companies that offer this sort of course such as http://intensivedrivingcourses-bennetts.co.uk/. They operate in many places across the UK and you are able to get help from Bennetts, both with the practical side of driving as well as the theory test, which is also a big aspect of learning to drive and not often a part of driving lessons these days.

There are many advantages of taking an intensive course and therefore it is well worth considering. You will have lessons in close succession. This means that you will not forget things from one lesson to the next. Even if you go out and practice with someone else regularly, which could be helpful but it could also give you time to develop bad habits, which they might not pick up. The person with you is unlikely to be as experienced as a qualified instructor either and they might not even take much notice of what you are doing or worse, may give you incorrect information. Continue reading “The Top benefits of Intensive Driving Courses” →