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At BusinessCar we are always conscious of practicing what we preach.
At BusinessCar we are always conscious of practicing what we preach.
If we recommend drivers and managers regularly check their vehicles it would be hypocritical if we didn't check our own fleet's tyres and fluids.
And as we've suggested driver training on several occasions in the past, it made sense for us to sample the process as well.
As a result, I recently spent the morning with DriveTech to experience a training day.
My instructor Keith started with the basics by checking my licence and knowledge of the car I was driving. I used my long-term Hyundai i30 due to its simplicity. With a five speed gearbox, a manual handbrake and well-spaced gear ratios, it's as close to the cars I grew up driving as possible.
Despite working in the industry, my under bonnet knowledge isn't great. I was therefore relieved to discover that all I had to do was check the screen-wash, oil, coolant and brake fluid levels. The battery terminals were also given a quick once over to make sure there was no corrosion on the contact points.
As we had checked the tyre pressures only a few days previously, a brief walk around the car was all that was required before we got in and prepared to set off.
I'll spare you the minute-by-minute breakdown of my session, but there were several key points that warrant mention.
Like the majority of motorists, I considered myself to be quite competent behind the wheel - not the best driver but a long way off being the worst.
In my assessed drive, I tried really hard; I concentrated and attempted to be as safe and considerate a driver as possible. You might say this is warping the assessment, but I figured that a driver who had been sent for training because they had been deemed a risk would do just the same.
Despite this, there were several things that Keith highlighted about my driving. Thankfully none flagged me as a danger, but having put his recommendations into practice I can already see the benefits.
My motorway lane changes are now more fluid, and I leave a brief pause after indicating to ensure that all drivers around me are aware of my intentions. Keith also pressed home the importance of looking ahead around town. Instead of braking heavily and accelerating again, I now look ahead for anything that might hold me up. A gentle reduction of speed means that often the obstruction has cleared or the lights have changed by the time I have got there. My journeys are now proving much smoother just by keeping the car's momentum going rather than constantly stopping and starting. I haven't completed enough tanks of fuel to do the maths and see if there's any mpg benefit yet, but the difference could well be there to see soon enough.
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