Learn With Cal

12/10/2026

Overtaking another vehicle
Drivers - Before pulling out, turning, overtaking or changing lanes, actively search for motorcyclists. Don’t rely on a quick glance. Because a motorbike is much smaller than a car, it can often be closer and travelling more quickly than you think.
Remember, pillar blind spots in a vehicle can obscure an approaching motorcyclist.
Riders - Don’t assume you’ve been seen, your safety is your responsibility too. Always be alert to hazards and be ready to take action.

Department for Infrastructure Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Air Ambulance Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service NI Road Policing and Safety The Road Ahead NI Road Safe NI Charity New Driver NI

06/10/2026

This is a question that pops up frequently on forums and Facebook groups and it always raises the same question in my mind.

Why on earth would you want a cheap driving instructor?

Responsible parents and pupils who are serious about learning to drive and being able to do so safely long after passing their test, tend to want good instructors, patient instructors, recommended instructors, successful instructors, experienced instructors, qualified instructors, reputable instructors or a hundred other superlatives I could include

Learning to drive and become a safe driver isn't a cheap process but as with many things in life - buying cheap often results in buying twice. I've lost count of the number of pupils who have eventually arrived with me desperate to pass their test who have sometimes wasted thousands of pounds on cheap driving instructors. They'd have saved themselves a fortune and a load of time, if they'd just bought quality in the first place.

Now you might imagine that the cheapest instructors would be the busiest and have long waiting lists but the opposite is often true which begs the question, why is this instructor so cheap and how come they are immediately available?

ADI's play a vital role in road safety. Passing the driving test is only the start. Far too many newly qualified drivers are killed and seriously injured every year because they didn't have the skills, understanding or experience to deal with a developing situation. More than 1 in 4 crash within the first year.

Is saving a few quid on lessons really worth seeing your son or daughter being cut out of a crumpled vehicle.... or worse. Only last week, a 17 year old driver drove into the harbour in Sunderland killing 3 of his friends. He now faces a charge of causing death by dangerous driving and a long prison sentence, whilst his friends are never coming home.

Responsible, reputable and talented driving instructors don't tend to be cheapest. We keep our prices fair and we deliver value for money which is why we are in demand and others are desperate for work.

So do you really want recommendations for a cheap driving instructor or would you like a really good one?

06/10/2026

Tyres are the only part of your vehicle in contact with the road.

Worn or under-inflated tyres can affect: • Braking distances • Steering control • Fuel efficiency • Grip in wet weather.

New, inexperienced drivers will be relying even more on their tyres to stop them in time as they may not react to a hazard as quickly as a driver with more experience.

Show them how to check tyre tread and pressure and make it part of a weekly routine.

As a newly qualified driver, they are more likely to hit a kerb, drains or pot holes. Explain to them the importance of checking for tyre damage if this happens or a least telling you so you can help them check for any splits, tears or bulges.

Taking a few minutes to check your tyres could help prevent a collision.



Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service
Warwickshire Police
WCC Road Safety Education & Active Travel
TyreSafe

06/10/2026

“DRIVING LESSONS ARE EXPENSIVE.”

Funny how an hour with a driving instructor gets treated like we’ve quoted for a private jet, when plenty of other professional services cost similar money.

Every profession on a list deserves to earn a living. Hairdressers, nail technicians, riding instructors, trainers you’re paying for their skills, equipment, experience and business costs.
Driving instructors deserve that same understanding.
Except our workplace moves.
We sit beside someone who is still learning to control a vehicle, while sharing the road with people who passed years ago and apparently consider mirrors an optional accessory.

We’re watching the learner, the junction, the pedestrian, the cyclist and the driver behind who thinks an L plate is a personal insult.
We’re explaining, reassuring, anticipating and deciding whether to intervene, sometimes all within a few seconds.
We put our own safety on the line every working day.
“Yes, but you’re just sitting there.”

So is an airline pilot.
Presumably you’d prefer them to keep doing their job.

Your lesson fee pays for far more than our time.
There’s the tuition car, fuel, specialist insurance, servicing, tyres, repairs, training and the running costs of a business.
The amount you pay is not the amount we take home.

After 22 years, you’re also paying for the experience to spot a situation developing before you even realise there’s something to spot.
I teach people to drive for life.
To make safe decisions when my seat is empty and their family is in the car.

You’re allowed to have a budget. Of course you are.
But please stop confusing “more than I want to pay” with “not worth it”.

Just tell me you can’t afford me.
You don’t need to devalue my profession to explain your budget. 😉
Your welcome to share your thoughts 💭

Share and tag your friends in 🫶🏾

Sheena Ahmed

03/10/2026

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

🚶‍♀️Zebra crossings: slow down, stop and stay safe 🚗

Whether you’re driving or walking, we all have a part to play in keeping zebra crossings safe.

🚗 Drivers – Highway Code Rule 195:
As you approach a zebra crossing, look out for pedestrians waiting to cross and be ready to slow down or stop. You should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross and MUST give way once a pedestrian has moved onto the crossing.

🚶 Pedestrians – Highway Code Rule 19:
Give approaching traffic plenty of time to see you and stop. Wait until traffic has stopped in both directions, or the road is clear, before you cross. Keep looking and listening as you cross.

⚠️ Never assume you’ve been seen.

A few extra seconds of patience from drivers and pedestrians can help prevent a serious collision.

See. Slow. Stop. Cross safely.

30/09/2026

Passing your driving test is one of the proudest moments in life.
For many it represents freedom, independence, and a doorway to opportunities that were once out of reach.
But that day, as special as it is, is not the end of the journey.
It is only the beginning.

The real test does not end with an examiner.
The real test begins the moment you drive away on your own.

Every day you are tested in ways that do not fit onto a mark sheet.
You are tested on your patience when traffic slows you down or when the driver ahead hesitates.
You are tested on your judgment when conditions change in an instant, when the rain falls, or when the unexpected happens.
You are tested on your empathy when you see a learner struggling, when a pedestrian crosses without looking, or when another driver makes an error.

Unlike the DVSA examiner, life does not give you a neat box ticked with “pass” or “fail.”
Life gives you consequences.
A safe arrival or a near miss.
A calm journey or an argument on the road.
A choice that protects or a choice that harms.

That is why every decision you make behind the wheel matters.
Every signal.
Every speed choice.
Every glance in the mirror.
Every act of patience or kindness.

The driving test might be one of the hardest days of your learner journey.
But the truth is, the harder tests come later.
They are the tests that no one announces, no one times, and no one grades.

They are the silent tests of character.
The ones that prove who you are when no one is watching.
The ones that reveal not just the driver you are but the person you are becoming.

So remember this.
The examiner is no longer sitting beside you.
But the test continues every single time you sit behind the wheel.
It is a test of judgment.
A test of patience.
A test of respect.

Pass those tests each day, and you will not just be a driver.

You will be the kind of driver that makes the road safer for everyone.

Please like, share and follow 🫶🏾

Sheena Ahmed
Motorvation school of Motoring

29/09/2026

We’re changing how learners can swap their driving tests Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency sent this bulletin at 29-09-2026 03:19 PM BST We’re changing how learners can swap their driving tests From 1 October, the process for how learner drivers can swap their driving test is changing. The cha...