Following some well publicised and recent criticism of road rules where Queensland drivers we’re slapped with fines for rules they didn’t know existed, we’ve tracked down a list of the some of the confusing, lesser known and obscure road laws that you might be breaking without even realising!

While the enforcement of many of these is likely to be lax, it’s often not worth taking your chances, especially with some sharp eyed traffic police officers on the lookout hoping to make their monthly targets. 

1.     Holding a phone is any way is illegal while driving. If it’s not hands free you could be slapped with a fine – even if it’s for legitimate navigation using the in-built GPS.

2.     Failing to indicate when exiting off a round-about can cost you 100.00.

3.     Smoking in a vehicle with a child less than 16 years of age can now see the enforcement of penalties if it attracts the attention of a traffic officer.

4.     A forty dollar fine applies if you fail to secure your vehicle properly. This includes leaving the window down more than 5cm, in what has been one of the most recent controversial laws that people have been drawn attention to.

5.     You must stop at a yellow light unless it’s not safe to do so. Failure to do this can see a whopping 300.00 fine and 3 demerit points.

6.     Overtaking a vehicle with a ‘do not overtake turning vehicle’ sign while turning can cost two demerit points and a 140.00 fine.

7.     From this year it will also be law for motorists to give cyclists at least a 1 metre space when overtaking with penalties applying if this is neglected.

8.     Pedestrians who are not using a footpath must walk (or run) on the side of the road in the direction of oncoming traffic. (The right side of the road) or be faced with a small penalty.

9.     It’s often misunderstood that motorists merging onto roads where lanes are marked have right of way. In reality those who are merging must give way to traffic already in the lane.

10. Pets on your lap are another driving no-no. Pets need to be secured in a harness or small pet carrier.

Other things that can see you slapped with a fine:

• Using Fog lights when there is no fog.
• Using your horn in frustration.
• Flashing lights to warn other motorists of nearby police

Our Brisbane driving instructors here at A Grade Driving School will explain all the rules of the road for learners – even these lesser known ones. Not only will this help you feel confident that you’ll go into your driving test equipped with the theoretical and practical knowledge to pass first time, you’ll also avoid some expensive penalties.

To book a driving lesson call us today on 1300 885 585. 

The post 10 Lesser Known, Obscure Queensland Road Rules appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

It may come as a surprise for some, but L platers statistically represent the safest group of drivers around the world! This says something about the benefits of supervised driving, and the work of all the fantastic driving instructors out there.

However, what paints less of a pretty picture is a statistic that we’re unfortunately far more familiar with – P platers who graduate from being a learner driver then become the most at risk group of drivers on our roads and are over represented in road fatalities in Brisbane and around Australia.  

So how does a group the same group of drivers go from being the safest to the most at risk? And why does the law determine that P plate drivers have all the necessary skills to drive independently and have the skills to operate a vehicle, when often they are still at risk? The reasons are many, but the issue is complex.

First 6 months most deadly for P Platers

A significant reason comes in the design of the driving test itself. Too much focus is put on doing what is needed to pass the test, but less on the driving skills and techniques that take longer to master. Many young drivers may be able to pass the test on the day, giving them a false sense of security that they are now the same as all the more experienced drivers on the roads. The fact is however that learning to drive continues long after a young driver gets their P plates, and the first 6 months are most deadly for newly licensed drivers. Here are some other sobering statistics

- Drivers between 17-25 years make up only 14 per cent of road users, but 26 per cent of road fatalities.

– The first year that drivers are on their P’s are the most accident prone with the risk decreases significanty each year for the next 5 years.

– 33 percent of fatal crashes in the first 6 months occur between 10pm-6am despite P platers doing only 9 per cent of driving between these hours.

Research points that the reasons behind these statistics are complex and include many reasons:

– Teenagers have increased risk taking behaviour in all areas and this unfortunately extends to driving.

– Driver training focuses too much on manoeuvres and less on defensive driving techniques

– P plate drivers are more often driving older, less maintained cars, with fewer safety features that assist savings lives.

Here at A Grade Driving School we support young driver education about the risks on the roads and strongly encourage parents to look for ways to reduce the risk to their kids, especially in the first 12 months of getting their P’s.

This can include having the safest possible car to drive,  providing transport to social events and look for alternatives to night time driving including taxi money and car-pooling while negotiating and encourage teens to gain solo driving experience in less risky situations. Contrary to what many parents might think, most teens have a good level of respect and consideration for their parents, especially in situations where it’s clear that the parents are looking after their best interests.

We make a point to reduce any risky behaviour on the roads in our practical driving lessons and encourage the best skills – all without using a lecturing approach. A Grade Driving School can be positive influence and provide valuable road safety experience from the outset. To book a driving lesson today in Brisbane, Forest Lake, Logan and Beenleigh call 1300 885 585

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Many heated moments have been had between kids and their parents when learning to drive. But it’s actually one of the most dangerous places to have an argument. Often parents feel stressed, anxious and these emotions transfer to their kids, ultimately affecting concentration and taking attention away from the roads. The worst thing about this pressure and stress is that it could be ruining your child’s ability to feel confident on the roads, and may even hinder their desire for further lessons and driving practice. 

While this might not even seem like such a bad thing for the parents who find often find giving lessons a point of tension between them and their kids, the need to stay calm and teach good habits is fundamental for parents teaching their kids to drive effectively.  The example that parents set and the way they handle stressful situations on the roads is ultimately what their kids will pick up.  There is much research which shows that teenagers often learn bad habits from their parents while on the roads. To bring awareness to these, A Grade Driving School shares a list of common list of these bad habits that parents may need to self-assess.

1.     Using mobile phones and other devices when driving.

2.     Telling kids to hold the steering wheel at 10 and 2. This does not give the best control of the vehicle despite what has been formerly taught. Some parents also set a poor example by not holding the wheel in both hands or having the elbow out the window while driving.

3.     Not signalling properly (especially on roundabouts including when exiting)

4.     Not wearing seatbelts consistently.

5.     Failing to check mirrors when merging and reverse parking.

6.     Consistently exceeding speed limits in residential areas and school zones.

7.     Swearing at other motorists, using the horn, and other displays of road rage.

Getting frustrated at your kids on the roads for the things they probably learned from you WILL NOT make them a better driver. Neither will dwelling on their mistakes. The fact is mistakes happen when learning to drive and parents need to remember to accept this truth and remain calm.  Getting anxious and stressed at each mistake will just lead to tension on the roads, will not help your teenager learn, and can even damage their confidence.

For this reason professional driving lessons with a driving instructor can identify and correct bad habits before they become entrenched – all in a calm and supportive environment. Many parents also find it much easier (and less stressful) to continue giving driving lessons once their kids have picked up some of the basics after having a few professional lessons with a certified driving instructor.

Don’t let bad habits define the way your kids drive. Give them a good foundation right from the beginning with driving lessons from A Grade Driving School. Call us today on 1300 885 585.

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It’s one of the most popular questions: What do I need to do to pass my driving test? But the answer isn’t as simple as the question. The simple fact is there’s no secret recipe to passing your practical test. Multiple skills are tested and you’ll need to display competence in all of these.

SO WHAT THINGS ARE ASSESSED?

•    Vehicle Preparation – How you start the car, locate controls and observe instruments.

•    Gear Changes (Manual Vehicles Only.) Choosing the right gear for the right speed and the smoothness of gear changes. Using the clutch to slow down and start after stopped.

•    Steering technique and correct steering timing around bends and corners.

•    Observation – checking blind spots over both shoulders, rear vision mirror and directly in front of the vehicle.

•    Following Distance – Does the driver maintain a safe distance between other vehicles on the road?

•    U Turn – Can the driver perform a safe and legal U turn manoeuvre?

•    Changing Lanes and Merging – Is the driver comfortable changing lanes including checking blind spots and judging gaps in traffic to confidently merge?

•    Giving Way at Intersections/Roundabouts – Does the driver follow the correct rules of indicating and giving right of way to other vehicles at intersections and roundabouts.

•    Reversing – Can the driver reverse safely in a straight line?

•    Reverse Parallel Park – Can the driver perform the correct manoeuvre of stopping alongside a car parked on the kerb, and reverse behind the car to be parallel to the kerb without leaving too much space between kerb and front tyre?

•    Hill Start – Can the driver start safely on a hill without rolling backyards with correct use of handbrake if needed?

•    Overtaking – Can the driver properly overtake safely? Or wait until it is safe to do so?

•    Perceiving Hazards – Does the driver respond to potential hazards by slowing down, indicating to move around the obstacle and taking other hazard reduction measures?

Note: Not all things will always be assessed in all tests, depending on the testing area and the traffic conditions on the road that day. Some things however such as reverse parking and following road rules correctly will always be tested.

MOST COMMON REASONS PEOPLE FAIL:

Breaking the rules of the road constitutes an instant fail. These might be seemingly minor infractions such as not coming to a total stop at a stop sign, or going over the speed limit by a kilometre or two, but are grounds for an automatic fail. If a driving assessor needs to intervene at any time it also means an instant fail.

HOW CAN I PASS FIRST TIME?

We’re not saying you’re parents aren’t good instructors we’re just saying as professional driving instructors, we are better!

We know EXACTLY what assessors will be looking for, and in a test where every point counts, our driving instructors here at A Grade DRIVING SCHOOL can replicate the Q-SAFE driving test to give you a real feel of what the test will feel like under exam conditions.

If there’s even been a time book driving lessons, it’s before you sit the practical driving test in Brisbane. Give Michael on 1300 885 585 and get that A Grade on your Queensland driving test.

Click Here to Book Your Test

with A Grade Driving School

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Think getting your driver’s license is difficult here in Brisbane? Spare a thought for many other countries where getting your driver’s license is not only a long process, but also extremely costly. Even with the recent announcement that driving tests in Queensland are set to get tougher, going for your license in the countries below is a whole different kettle of fish. We bring to you the 5 toughest jurisdictions in the world to pass the driving test.

1.     Finland

Finland has some of the strictest driving regulations in the world. Everyone must go to a driving training centre to get their license. Safety is given a huge focus, and students also learn how to maintain their vehicles and how to drive in slippery and icy conditions. Learners also must take 2 different tests one in summer and one in winter. Additionally with all this the government requires 20 theory lessons and 30 hours practical instruction, making getting a license a very costly exercise.

2.     Montreal, Canada

 Practical driving courses are compulsory for all people wanting to get a Quebec Driver’s license and the city of Montreal has one of the highest fail rates of all cities in Canada with only 61 per cent of people passing the test on the first try. This pass rate decreases to only 47 per cent for learner drivers who have had no professional lessons, making the busy city a challenging place to pass the test.

3.     Germany

Like Finland getting your driver’s license requires professional lessons with a driving school and taking a written theory test. Up to a third fail the written exam on the first try. In Germany narrow roads and ‘priority roads’ mean that you have to give way to cars exiting from smaller side streets where you would typically be given right of way in other countries. However one perk new drivers in Germany receive after the long process of mandatory lessons is being able to drive without speed limits on the country’s impressive Autobahn network.

4.     Singapore

People who can afford to do so in Singapore undertake a formal driving training program which involves many hours of practical driving to help them pass the test and even though they would pass in other locations, the pass rate is still an average of around 60 per cent – quite low considering it costs a couple of thousand dollars to enrol in the program. The pass rate without the formal driving program is only 33 per cent. Some believe the test is made intentionally difficult to limit the number of cars of the road in the very densely populated country.

5.     South Africa

There’s a whole range of things that constitute being marked down when taking the K53 driving test in South Africa that do not apply in other regions of the world. Drivers can lose points for not checking leaks beneath the car, and not engaging the handbrake silently. Even if the car rolls back less than an inch the candidate will automatically fail.

Here in Australia while rules for learner drivers have no doubt become stricter in recent years, the practical driving test can still be passed with flying colours if you practice. Professional lessons have been proven to increase first time pass rates, so get an A Grade on your driving test and call Michael Milos and A Grade Driving School today.

The post Where is the most difficult driving test in the world? appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Even if you don’t yet have your L plates, or finding a supervisor for some practical experience is proving difficult, there is still some valuable learning by observation that can be undertaken from the passenger seat. Every time you sit in a car, it’s an opportunity to observe what the driver and other motorists on the road are doing. As good observation is one of the primary cornerstones of good driving, A Grade Driving School share some observation exercises for learner drivers that they can undertake whenever they are on the road.

1. Spotting potential hazards.

Training yourself to be a hazard detector can help you see hazards earlier, and minimise the risk of a crash. Count how many seconds to takes to reach the potential hazard once you’ve spotted them, and try and lengthen the time it takes for the vehicle reach the site of hazard once it has been spotted. Over time you can train yourself to spot hazards earlier, and determine what the appropriate reaction to them should be. Common hazards include:

Cyclists and pedestrians

Children in school zones

Potholes

Animals and debris                                                    

2.Recite the Road Rules

Test your knowledge by reciting the rules for road signs, including taking note of speed limit changes and who has right of way at intersections. This can be out loud, but might be preferred for the driver if you do it silently. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and speak to the driver if there is a sign or manoeuvre that you are unsure of. Take our road sign test to check your knowledge.

3.Watching the Driver

Take note of when the driver slows down and speeds up, when they begin to turn, and if they check blind spots when merging and changing lanes. Assess csituations where things were missed or could have been done differently. Play the role of police and watch for bad driving habits from others on the road including following too closely, speeding up through orange lights, and improper judgement of gaps in traffic and signalling on round a bouts. Pay attention to other’s use of the brake. Is it engaged too suddenly or too late?

4. Watch the speeds

Part of good driving is being able to judge what speed you are travelling at without always referring to the speedometer. Sitting where you can see the speedo, look ahead several cars ahead of you to count how long it takes to arrive at that point and take a guess at how fast the vehicle was travelling. Then check the speedo to see how close you were.

When the car speeds up or slows down guess the speed and check the speedo to see how close your judgement was. Overtime you accuracy of judging the correct speed will become much easier.

When you’re ready to take the reins (or the wheel in this case) call A Grade Driving School for comprehensive driving lessons that help to make all learners including YOU a competent and confident driver.

Call Michael at A Grade Driving School on 1300 885 585

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You’ll always remember your first car. Maybe it was the sense of freedom as it finally meant you didn’t need to rely on your folks anymore. Maybe it was a memorable first date on the backseat. Maybe you remember it purely because it was completely all yours!

Hopefully the reasons you remember your first car are good ones, and not because you wrote it off from too few driving lessons or because you bought a lemon. Let the following points be your guide to smart first car buying – brought to you by A Grade Driving School.

Don’t buy something that you cannot afford to maintain. Even a car in good condition can quickly become unsafe if you do not invest money in it and have tyres changed and the car regularly serviced.

Looks are only part of the equation. While we understand that young drivers want a car that reflects them, but practicality and functionality should be weighted more heavily than the way the car looks. There are many ways they can later personalise a car and make it their own.

Most young drivers don’t have the funds to buy new model cars so purchasing something around 10 years of age is often needed to find something within their set price range. Since older vehicles may often require replacement parts, purchasing Australian or Japanese makes compared to European cars will have a significant impact on the costs of servicing and repair and spare parts.

Consider the size of the vehicle, where it will be driven and the costs of fuel. 6 cylinder vehicles have extra power but the research shows that with 6 and 8 cylinder cars these are more dangerous for young drivers, not to mention an added expense to insure.

Learn to drive in a manual car if possible. It not produces a more competent and well-rounded driver, it also increases the number of cars available in your search.  Manual models are also usually cheaper to buy and there is evidence that they consume less fuel

Look into the safety features of the car including crash protection features like airbags, ABS brakes and stability control – especially in 4WD’s which are more prone to rollovers.

It always pays to look into the history of the car. You can do a vehicle history check online to see whether the car has been involved in any crashes. If you do find a second hand vehicle you should always make sure it comes with a safety certificate.

There’s no doubt that a car is probably the biggest expense to continue to run, so making sure that you can afford the ongoing costs (petrol, registration, insurance and repairs) and these are factored into your choice of vehicle. These will vary and they should be considered when making a sensible purchasing decision.

When it comes to the cars we conduct our driving lessons in throughout Forest Lake, Sunnybank and the greater Brisbane region, all are routinely serviced and selected for their safety features so learning to drive in one of the cars in our modern fleet will not be a great learning experience but a safe one too!

To book a driving lesson, call Michael today on 1300 885 585.

The post Car Buying Advice for Learner Drivers appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

As well as having driving lessons with professional driving instructors, much of the lessons young learner drivers will have will be in the ‘hot seat’ next to their parents. In the early stages of the learning to drive, the can be a particularly stressful time for learners and their parents. However, it can be made even worse by parents who quickly forget some of the basics when supervising a learner driver. Brought to you by Brisbane’s long established A-Grade Driving School, let this list be your reminder…

1.    Start with lessons on quiet streets or empty car parks where there is no other traffic. The first things to master need to be starting the car, steering and using the brakes, and clutch if applicable. Have more frequent but shorter lessons to start with.

2.    Before attempting a new task, always discuss this first with the learner before and confirm their understanding of what the steps of the manoeuvre are.

3.    Never have a lesson when feeling tired, stressed or emotional. Also be very careful not to shout or criticise as this discourages the learner and can lead them to second guess everything they do. It’s important for learners to be as confident as they can be on the road.

4.    Don’t use the radio or your mobile phone when instructing a learner driver. Not only does it make it harder to teach effectively, it’s distracting and potentially dangerous.

5.    Don’t use the “deep end” or “sink or swim” approach. Learners should gradually step up their tasks on the road to more complex conditions once they have mastered the basics.

6.    Make sure all the directions you give are clear and well in advance if it is to perform a certain turn or merge. Always be as clear as possible with these and if necessary check for understanding.

7.    Make sure that the importance of sticking to the speed limit is always emphasised. This can be a particularly challenging thing for learners to judge and their speed can quickly creep upwards, particularly in 50km/h residential streets

8.    Always give feedback that’s constructive after the lesson and rehash what was learned before the next lesson.

9.    If something is difficult for the learner to get a grasp on switch seats and demonstrate it yourself by breaking the task down. Often parents are so familiar with driving and it has become routine, they forget the different checks and steps involved.

10.     Do not have the learner perform the same or similar drives each time round – even if it is convenient. The aim should always to try driving in different conditions and areas once the learner has mastered more basic driving situations.

FINAL RULE: Keep the logbook and pen handy in the glove box and fill this out at the conclusion of every drive. This will only keeps you on top of your entry’s and make sure no important experience is missed, helping you meet your 100 hours of experience faster.

There are many instances when it might be most suitable to book driving lesson with a professional instructor, especially in the weeks after learner has first gained their learners permit. Another crucial period where the learner will benefit from professional lessons is in the lead up to sitting their practical driving test where the instructor can equip them with all the skills and advice necessary to pass with flying colours.

To book a driving test in Sunnybank, Mount Gravatt, Coopers Plains or other areas of Brisbane, contact A-Grade Driving School today on 1300 885 585.

The post Ten Rules for Parents Supervising a Learner Driver appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Driver etiquette is an interesting and sometimes controversial topic that everyone seems to have an opinion on. This includes none other than our favourite family man, Sunrise’s very own David Koch who blogged about his pet peeves while on the road. But we’ll spare you another whinge about the ‘good old days’ when motorists were nicer. Instead we’ve put together our wish list of what we envisage a utopian driving society to look like.

1.    Everyone gives the courtesy wave

It’s a great thing when you get acknowledgement for letting everyone merge, and slightly disappointing when a courtesy wave is overlooked. In our utopian driving society every courteous action on the roads is acknowledged with a courtesy wave.

2.    Motorists flash lights to warn of speed cameras

Warning of police activity ahead by flashing lights is looking out for your fellow motorist at its best. It also instils a sense of camaraderie between drivers since motorists are all on the same team and just trying to get where we need to go safely and in one piece.

3. Night Drivers remember not to leave high beam on

Sometimes people forget their high beam lights are still on, others just don’t seem to care that they’re blinding oncoming traffic.  In a perfect driving world this would never happen since motorists would always consider how their actions affect other drivers.

4.    People think twice before flipping fingers and horn honking

Wouldn’t it be nice to see horns only used as they were intended – to alert other motorists instead of being used to unleash frustration? Speaking of frustration it would also be nice if raising the middle finger symbolised a loving action instead of a hateful one. We think If you don’t have anything nice to gesture, (like the courtesy wave mentioned above) don’t gesture anything at all.

5. People in car parks followed normal road rules

In our ideal driving world, the same rules of the road applied to car parks. That means keeping to the left and giving way in shopping centre car parks, as well all the other regular driving rules. Good etiquette also means not stealing other people’s parks that they have been waiting for before you arrived.

6. Waiting your turn is the norm

Trying to cut in front of traffic by racing up the inside lane is not considered patient. Pushing in has never been accepted in regular queues, and it’s something that wouldn’t even cross people’s where good etiquette and patience on the roads were the norm.

Share the love on the roads

Imagine if everyone shared the love around on the roads a little more. Would it mean ultimately safer roads, and happier drivers? While we do understand that at times things grind our proverbial gears on the roads, the roads are never the time to unleash your frustration since it could be not only a costly but also a deadly manoeuvre.

Here at A Grade Driving School we teach learner drivers positive driving habits and help them identify and eliminate the negative ones. Our driving instructors don’t nag, but teach and encourage. If we hope to do anything right it’s to teach young people good driving etiquette one learner driver at a time. To book a lesson with one of the friendliest driving schools in Brisbane, call 1300 885 585 today.

The post Our Driving Etiquette Wish List appeared first on A Grade Driving School.

Learner drivers can expect tougher practical driving tests after the Queensland Government’s transport division announced changes to the format of practical driving tests in Queensland beginning next year. In May, state transport minister Scott Emerson announced that the changes to the Q-SAFE driving test would make it tougher to get a license with the aim to produce better young drivers, a group who continue to be statistically overrepresented in road fatalities.

The current pass rate for learner drivers is about two thirds of all drivers who go for the test, but this is expected to drop under the more challenging test.

What is being changed in the new Queensland practical driving test?

Instead of the dreaded reverse parallel park continuing to be a major focus on the test the new test will examine high risk manoeuvres on the roads including:

- Merging into lanes at high speeds, including onto motorways and major arterials

– Judging gaps in traffic when turning right on a two way streets

- Reduced weighting on reverse parallel parking

- A review of ‘easier’ testing locations such as the Wynnum testing area

- New qualifications required for driving examiners

- Cooling off times before learners can re-sit the practical driving test.

Here at A Grade Driving School we’ve always tailored our driving lessons in Brisbane to mirror the setting of the practical driving test and this will include the new tests that will be implemented from the middle of next year. We also follow the same routes that your practical testing officer will direct you on, meaning that you’ll know exactly what you need to do to pass the test before the testing day comes.

Since the tests are becoming more challenging, it means learner drivers especially those learning to drive in high traffic areas like Brisbane and surrounding suburbs will need the help of a professional driving instructor to teach them the more complex and high risk manoeuvres necessary to pass the test.

The good news is that after just a couple of professional driving lessons we see vast improvements in our learner drivers and with extra confidence on the roads this translates into more likelihood of passing their practical test the first time around. To book a lesson, call Michael at A Grade Driving School today on 1300 885 585

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