Congratulations you’ve just got, or are almost about to get your learner license. Before you hit the roads, whether it’s with professional driving instructors in Brisbane, or with a licensed supervisor, are you up to speed with your road signs? While you might have seen a few of these in your theory test, here’s a few that you might have missed. Take the test and see how you do.

1. What does this sign represent?
a) Intersection Ahead
b) Hospital Ahead
c) Helicopter Landing Ahead

2. What does this sign represent?
a) Slippery Road Ahead
b) Steep Hill Ahead
c) Winding Road Ahead

3. This signs means?
a) Fork in the road ahead
b) Modified T-intersection ahead
c) Divided road ahead

4) When turning right at an intersection with this sign, you should?
a) Slow down and give way to all traffic including pedestrians crossing the road you are turning into,
b) Give way only to traffic on your right
c) Come to a complete stop and give way to all pedestrians and vehicles

5) What does this sign mean?
a) Do not stand during the hours of 8:30am-4:30pm
b) You can only park short term in the space covered by the sign
c) Do not stop in the space covered by the sign
d) Do not speed

6) This signs means?
a) Stop completely then slowly accelerate
b) One way street ahead
C) Stop sign ahead.

7) What does this sign mean?
a) Road ends, turn around
b) Sharp bend to the right
c) U turns allowed
Answers:
1. Intersection Ahead
2. Winding Road Ahead
3. Divided Road Ahead
4. A)
5. C)
6. Stop Sign Ahead
7. Sharp bend to the right

How did you do? When it comes to the rules of the road and safe driving techniques we are the driving school with all the answers. Call today and get on the get the answers to gain your license and with it complete independence. 1300 885 585.

The post Take the Queensland Road Sign Test appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Here at A Grade Driving School, we’ve seen more than a few bad driving habits when out on the roads. However with that said, in our experience learner drivers are often not the ones most responsible for the bulk of bad driving habits. Instead it’s experienced drivers who have had more time to form these habits and are some of the biggest culprits of our top five worst driving habits. Since helping drivers to form good driving habits is one of our top priorities here we’d like to share bad driving behaviours that learners can be aware of and avoid when on the roads.

1) Tailgating

One of the most common aggravating and aggressive behaviours on the roads is also one of the most dangerous. Following too closely behind a vehicle can easily cause accidents if the driver in front needs to stop suddenly. While most of us experience tailgating at some point (learners included) drivers can minimise the chance by sticking to the speed limit and keeping in the left lane while on open roads.  Those who tailgate remember – patience is a virtue and it might save you and your car too.

2)    Accelerating through Orange Lights

You might think you’re being clever by putting the foot down and rushing through a busy intersection, but this is a recipe for disaster since people often misjudge the time it takes to get through an orange light especially on wider intersections. Do yourself and others a favour on the road – if the light turns yellow use the brake pedal instead of the accelerator. If you have enough time to speed up, you also have enough time to slow down.

3)    Sloppy and Inconsistent Indicating and Signalling

Forgetting to signal or signalling too late is a pet peeve for many on the road and represents a bad driving habit. Drivers should form habits of indicating at EVERY turn or lane change. This is as a courtesy to other drivers but also helps to prevent rear ending accidents occurring.

4)    Speed up, Slow Down, Speed Up Again

Many drivers don’t realise this habit and that changing speeds is aggravating to other drivers and can cause accidents. Speeding up then slowing down (whether intentional or not) affects the flow of traffic and can cause people to make dangerous manoeuvres out of frustration. Stay at a constant speed and stick to it since frequently changing speeds represents erratic driving behaviour.

5)    Texting While Driving

This tops our list as the ultimate driving no-no. Despite extensive media coverage, heavy fines and documented cases of accidents caused by mobile phones, this is still one of the most common bad habits of drivers. While all handheld phone use while driving is dangerous, texting is even more so as it diverts your eyes away from the road for frequent and extended periods. If you’re addicted to your phone get a hand free device and talk – NOT TEXT.

How many of these behaviours have you done on the roads? Are they frequent enough that they are becoming a habit without you even realising? Here at A-Grade Driving School we aim to form good driving habits in our driving lessons and eliminate the bad. Don’t let bad habits define your driving in the learning stage. Let us help you stay safe on the roads.  Call us today on 1300 885 585.

The post The 5 Worst Driving Habits appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

At A Grade Driving School we strive to create a positive learning environment while providing constructive feedback and ongoing support to our learner drivers. We believe this to be the best and most effective approach in educating young drivers, rather than resorting to over critiquing and lecturing.
With that said, today’s article is serious in nature in that we would like to stress the importance of the log book system and gaining the required 100 hours driving experience before sitting the practical exam. While one hundred hours might seem a huge amount, the figure has been developed with safety in mind so learners can gain an appropriate amount of practical experience in a variety of conditions.

A recent article in the Sunday Mail has highlighted the growing trend where learners are applying for exemptions to have these hours reduced as well as instances where learners are forging logbook entries and fabricating situations where they have been ‘unable’ to gain the required experience.

More experience means safer drivers and safer roads

Despite the fact that gaining 100 hours experience can be time consuming, here at A Grade Driving School we believe gaining adequate experience is absolutely necessary in equipping beginner drivers with the needed skills to drive safely under different circumstances. RACQ safety advisors told the Sunday Mail they also backed the logbook system, citing research which has shown logbooks improve learner driver safety.

Falsifiers Beware – It could cost you

If increased safety and better driving ability isn’t motivation enough to complete the required 100 hours, tough penalties for falsified logbooks may prove to be a deterrent with fines of up to $6600. While no prosecutions were recorded last year, more than 8000 incomplete logbooks were returned to learner drivers. Professional driving lessons have proven effective to gain extra experience, since a one hour professional driving lesson with a qualified instructor accounts for 3 hours of regular logbook experience. Because of this, a few professional driving lessons can quickly make a difference in gaining the required hours.

The reasoning behind the logbook system is not to make it difficult for learner drivers but to protect and help them gain the required experience before flying solo on the roads. Applying for exemptions and falsifying logbook entries can undermine the purpose of the system. Since logbooks and the graduated driving system was introduced in 2007 there has been a marked decrease in reported decreases of young drivers in serious crashes which is down from figures in 2006 before the system was introduced.

A Grade Driving School helps learner drivers gain valuable experience across Brisbane by equipping them with confidence and the skills they need to pass the practical exam in a positive and supportive learning environment. Please call 1300 885 585 to speak with one of our instructors and to arrange a professional driving lesson today.

The post Learners Caught Falsifying Logbooks Face Penalties appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

It’s an unfortunate truth that not all driving teachers are created equal. Due to differing personalities some instructors are more prone to stress, while others might think they are helping a young driver when their approach can discourage and even hinder learning of a beginner driver. Here at A-Grade Driving School we’ve put together a list of strategies to equip parents and other non-professional instructors when conducting driving lessons.

These tips and strategies are based on the insights and wealth of experience our professional driving instructors possess when conducting driving lessons throughout the Brisbane area. We hope they help to make the time spent behind the wheel as productive as possible and a positive learning experience for everyone involved.

Tips and strategies to implement during the lesson:

- Stay calm. If you are stressed, anxious or uptight, it’s going to affect the learner driver and impact on the way they behave on the roads. When stressed, a drivers’ concentration is lowered and as a result they are more prone to making mistakes.

- Be positive. Aim to look at the positives of situations to encourage the driver. This assists with building confidence. If any faults need addressing they should follow the formula of: praise—constructive criticism—praise. This training method is one of the best for positive reinforcement while still communicating to the learner any areas that need work.

- Give any instructions and directions to the driver well in advance, in a clear and specific way so they have time to prepare for the manoeuvre.

- Do not contradict techniques given by a professional driving instructor. Even if you disagree with the techniques, professional instructors know what the licensing department are looking during practical driving test, and base their lessons around this.

- Ask questions to determine what the learner is ‘seeing,’ to gauge whether they have noticed something that may develop into a hazard. – What seems obvious to you may not be obvious for the learner.

- Encourage the habit of Mirror Check – Indicate – Manoeuvre when making any turns or changing lanes. Throughout the drive remind the learner to check speedometer regularly.

Tips and strategies to communicate after the lesson:

- After each drive review the major learning points and road conditions that formed the lesson. Where did you go? Did the weather play a part in the drive? What were the conditions on the road? What challenges were there? Remember to stay positive.

- If there are several faults to address, start with the issues that pose a higher risk, and leave the other issues for later or another time to avoid discouraging the learner.

- Before the next lesson review again the major issues from the previous lesson, and highlight the importance of working on these issues.

These are just a few tips to assist instructors in running a smooth driving lesson that is a positive learning experience for all. Often though, particularly at the very early stage of learning to drive, beginner drivers benefit from professional instructor who is equipped with the knowledge to lay the foundations for good driving habits. To book one of our professional driving lessons from the team here at A Grade Driving School give us a call today on 1300 885 585.

The post Helping young drivers behind the wheel – tips and strategies for the instructor appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Here at A Grade Driving School we understand that learning to drive can be both a stressful and nerve wracking experience – especially at the beginning. When taking driving lessons, learners can feel under pressure in the driver’s seat and because of this can forget important road rules and observation requirements. These might seem like small mistakes, but are often the difference between safe driving and dangerous situations occurring on the road. For this reason we’ve put together a list of common mistakes made by learners to help make new drivers aware of these errors and to reinforce their responsibilities on the road. They are as follows:

Signalling

Many new drivers can forget to indicate when concentrating on other things on the road. Additionally an indicator should not be simply flicked on and off, but left on long enough to give other motorists a good opportunity to be made aware of your intentions. Similarly, indicators should not be engaged too early or left on too long as it can confuse other drivers on the road.

Blind Spots

Not being in the habit of checking blind spots regularly can be another area that lets beginner drivers down while on the roads. Blind spots need to be checked in many different situations including when merging, changing lanes and when performing turning manoeuvres. Observation is a crucial testing area in the practical exam, with examiners awarding extra marks for using good observation practices at each opportunity.

Stop Signs

While it may seem simple enough, mistakes of not completely stopping at a stop sign, and not stopping before the line frequently occur among learners drivers. Not stopping completely usually constitutes an automatic fail in the driving test, so they are an important for learners to get right.

Roundabouts

An intersection with a roundabout may be preferred by a learner driver over one with traffic lights, however for many beginners on the road, roundabouts can also be a cause for confusion. Depending on the traffic volume, taking the opportunity when there is a gap in traffic can be difficult for learners to judge. Problems can also arise when giving way, as learners may assume other road users are exiting off the roundabout, when they are still continuing.

Another mistake is not staying in their designated lane when using the roundabout, and not indicating when exiting the roundabout – even if going straight through. When it comes to roundabouts practice makes perfect and it is advised to begin with basic roundabouts in residential streets, rather than high volume ones.

There’s no doubt about it – there is a lot for learner drivers to remember and stay aware of when hitting the roads. Taking in all this information and advice can seem overwhelming, but the team here at A Grade Driving School are available to help and can take some of the stress out of driving by teaching you the best driving habits right from the start. We hoped you learned something from today’s blog post and look forward to helping you become confident and at ease on the roads in Brisbane. Call us to find out more about our professional driving lessons and instructors today on 1300 885 585.

The post Common Mistakes Learner Drivers Make appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Here at A Grade Driving School we are committed to equipping learner drivers with all the necessary skills to ensure they go into their practical driving exam with the best possible chance of success. While some of the tips below may seem obvious these can often be forgotten under the intense pressure of the driving test. Here are some top tips to help ensure you pass your driving test with flying colours.

- Keep calm and try to relax. While the driving test can be a highly stressful experience the more calm candidates are able to stay, the more focused they will be on the test and the road. Learners should aim to drive as if they normally would with their parents or driving instructor.
- Familiarise yourself with the relevant resources provided by the Department of Transport including road rules, structure of the practical test and which manoeuvres you will need to correctly perform.
- Know what the assessor is looking for. This includes signaling, perceiving hazards, steering and staying centred in the road, and smooth movement of the vehicle. Know specifically what constitutes an automatic fail so you know to focus on NOT doing these.
- Check blind spots when turning corners, changing lanes or pulling over to the kerbside. Do this as often as possible as it indicates good driving habits and examiners are likely to award extra marks.

At the end of the day, the old adage ‘practice makes perfect’ could not be truer when taking the practical driving test. The more practice that you have had the more comfortable you will feel and the better you will be able to perform. Practice from a professional driving instructor helps to best identify where to improve and gives specific advice that is tailored to you. This gives you the best chance of getting your license the first time round and with it – ultimate freedom! To book a driving lesson with one of our professional team give us a call today on 1300 885 585.

The post Tips to Remember Before Taking the Practical Driving Test in Brisbane appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

There are three types of Heavy Rigid License that you can obtain; these are based around gearbox restrictions. The Heavy Rigid or HR License is the highest class you can obtain from your car license.

The license conditions will be dependent on these 3 factors:

Heavy Rigid Condition A (HRA): Can drive only Automatic gearbox

Heavy Rigid Condition B (HRB): Can drive Automatic and Synchromesh gearboxes only. (Synchromesh is a single clutch movement the same as a clutch in a manual car)

Heavy Rigid Unconditional / Open: Allowed to drive any HR truck – Synchromesh, Automatic and non-synchromesh gearboxes e.g. road ranger.

These factors will dictate which type of truck you will take your practical test in, and deciding factors are often what your long term goals and budget constraints are. If you are taking your test for employment then the HR Open is a preferred option as there are no restrictions on the gearbox type of Heavy Rigid vehicle you can operate. Taking you practical test in a HR Open truck will also help you increase your chances of future employment.

You no longer need to apply for a learners; your practical test can be undertaken as soon as you meet the age/experience criteria. At the time of taking your practical test you will be expected to complete an application form at the Queensland Transport office. You must also take the Queensland Transport written knowledge test and pass a minimum of 8-10 questions. Click here to practice some example exam questions.

For your practical test you will have your driving skills assessed, the test usually last 75 minutes. You will be assessed on driving skills, reversing exercises, hill starts, gear changes, and working knowledge of long vehicles.

A Grade has years of experience helping people pass their HR License. If you would like more information on how achieve your Heavy Rigid License please get in touch on 1300 885 585.

The post How to get HR license in Brisbane appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Here at A-Grade Driving School, we really take pride in not only teaching our students what they need to do to drive safely on the road, but also to teach them why they should do it. By doing our driving lessons this way, we hope to provide all of our driving students in Brisbane, Logan and beyond with a thorough understanding of their automobile and the world around them. In today’s blog post, we will continue this education by answering one of the more popular questions which we receive here at A- Grade – that is of course:

‘Why should I bother driving a manual??’

Practical

One of the main reasons that may steer you towards your manual license is based solely on practicality. If you are able to earn your manual license, this means that you will not be restrained to a select group of vehicles like automatic drivers are. This is due to the fact that manual license holders are legally able to drive both automatic and manual vehicles. Even if you don’t intend on buying a manual car, you may find that this is particularly useful if you ever need to drive someone else’s car (perhaps even in an emergency!).

Performance

A lot of people that drive a manual car will note that they love the greater performance that their car offers. You will notice better vehicle control, whether it be accelerating, steering or decelerating.

Cost Effective

The final well known benefit of driving a manual vehicle over an automatic is the lesser running costs that are associated with the former vehicle. Manual cars cost less to buy, are cheaper to run and are generally cheaper to fix should they play up.

In today’s blog post, we have outlined some of the main reasons why many of our students are choosing to take manual driving lessons. If you have any more questions on the topic, or would perhaps like to book in for a lesson in Brisbane, Logan or any of the surrounding suburbs, please don’t hesitate to give A-Grade Driving School a call today on 1300 885 585.

The post Why might you consider manual driving lessons? appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Benefits

If so many people are going for their automatic licenses, it begs the question – Why? Well according to the research that has been conducted, many young people are choosing automatics as there is a common pattern of thought that they are a lot easier to drive than their manual counterpart. This ease of driving allows the learning driver to concentrate on the traffic around them, rather than splitting their attention between the road and the car.

Disadvantages

While it is admittedly slightly easier to drive an automatic car, learning drivers must remember that holding a manual license presents the driver with much more opportunities than the somewhat restricted auto license holder. For example if you have an auto license but your parents own a manual car, you will never be able to drive or learn in their car. There is also the issue that you will not know how to operate the car if absolutely required, such as in an emergency situation.

As you can see, there are definitely pros and cons of the following the current trend in automatic driving lessons. If you would like to find out more, or perhaps find out more information about it, please don’t hesitate to contact our Brisbane based team at A-Grade today on 1300 885 585.

The post Are you planning on taking automatic driving lessons? appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Experienced Instructors

At A Grade Driving School, our driving instructors have been handpicked to cater for a wide variety of clients. We have both male and female instructors of different ages, all of which are fully accredited and experienced in working with new drivers.

Personalised Experience

Our team at A Grade understands that there is no one set in stone routine which must be followed for every client. Some people have more experience than others, and some people are more cautious and timid behind the wheel. We strive to teach all of our clients how to drive the correct way, breaking bad habits along the way, and while doing so we make it a point not to rush or push anyone out of their comfort zone.

Affordable Pricing

We consider our prices at A Grade to be highly affordable and competitive. At just $50/hour, we consider this a steal! We do have one of the highest first time pass rates in Brisbane after all.

In today’s blog post, we have outlined some of the main factors which have contributed to our continued success at A Grade Driving School. If you would like to find out more information about our driving instructors or perhaps book a lesson, please give us a call today on 1300 885 585.

The post Our Driving Instructors are the best in Brisbane! appeared first on A Grade Driving School.