Driver Training Taken To A Whole New Level

Cones on road

The BC Driving Center and Driving Unlimited Academy takes driver training to a whole new level. Located in Pitt Meadows this private facility offers a variety of driver training courses from the novice to the experienced car enthusiast.

At 15, I started to learn to drive in my brother-in-law’s big pick up truck. I could barely see over the huge steering wheel let alone learn mechanical requirements, rules of the road, and at the same time navigate the traffic, pedestrians, street lights and signs. Talk about overload. Needless to say, I was smart enough to go enroll in driver training. Although, incredibly helpful, the model still relies on a novice learning to drive in public.

The BC Driver training facility has the right approach to driver training. Owned and operated by Melanie Paterson and partners, this group of former racecar drivers saw a real need to promote safe driving skills in a way that has not been commonly adopted. The focus is on: how to operate a motor vehicle. Because they have a private facility this can be done without the distractions of busy city driving. The second part of training then focuses on the rules of the road. How smart is that? ICBC should adopt this type of driving training, as I am sure it would lead to a complete reduction of traffic accidents both for novice drivers and experienced drivers alike. Having solid driving skills from the beginning is key to safety.

The half-day collision avoidance courses are geared to improving driver skills. They teach the philosophy of good driving skills such as how to use your vision to control your driving. According to Melanie Paterson, driving is all about eye-hand coordination and with proper training your eyes will guide your hands to control the car. Sounds easy, but in practice this can be daunting. Think about skidding on black ice and the car is careening towards the guardrail. Most drivers will look to the guardrail, but is the one place you should not be looking.

This is a great place for drivers to gain back their confidence if they have been in a serious accident. It helps people overcome their fears of driving. In our practice, we often see situations when a driver has been in an accident numerous times even though they are not at fault. I always chalked it up to being unlucky, or frequently being in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to Paterson, “there is no suchthing as not being at fault in an accident”. Even though ICBC has to allocate liability, any driver in any accident is partially to blame. Collision avoidance courses can help you avoid an accident. She explains, “it is sometimes just a small bad habit we may have adopted in our driving behaviors that can lead to continually unsafe driving skills”. With instruction and practice, anyone can overcome bad habits and become a defensive and safe driver.

Interested in becoming a better driver? Sign up for the Klein Lawyers newsletter and your name will be entered to win a 3-hour driving course valued at $99. Draw will be June 15th, 2011 by random selection of all valid entries. Use Promotional Code: DUA0611

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