Learn Smart Driving School

20/10/2026

Visual noise — when there’s simply too much visual information competing for your attention.

As a driving instructor, I’ve had learners describe very different situations where they felt overwhelmed by what they were seeing.

In this Short, I look at what visual noise can feel like. In Part 2, I’ll look at some practical scanning and filtering techniques that can help.

🚗 Learning to drive is about understanding, not just doing.

Have you ever been driving and felt like there was just too much to...

15/10/2026

🚗 Learning to drive is about more than remembering what to do.

Take a simple example: checking your right door mirror before turning right.

You could teach someone to do it because the examiner expects it. Or you could explain that another vehicle might be overtaking, and checking helps the driver assess the risk before turning.

The difference is understanding.

As driving instructors, our job isn’t just to prepare learners to pass their test. It’s to help them develop the knowledge and judgement they need when they’re driving independently.

Because knowing WHAT to do is important. Understanding WHY can make all the difference.

🎬 Watch this short video for a simple example.

Why do we teach learners to check their right door mirror before tu...

13/10/2026

🚗 Reading the road: spotting patterns in traffic

Good driving involves more than simply reacting to what’s directly in front of us. It also involves observing other road users and anticipating what they might do next.

In this short video, I explore how pattern recognition, something I experience as an autistic driving instructor, can help me make sense of traffic situations.

It’s a reminder that we all process information differently, and understanding those differences can help us become better drivers and better teachers.

🎬 Take a look at my latest Short!

Have you ever noticed a line of cars going around a roundabout, alm...

10/10/2026

Well done to Finlay on an excellent 1st 🥇time test pass today! With just the 3️⃣driving faults. Its been a long wait for the test date to come around, but it proved worth it. An excellent, confident drive today! 🚗🏁

09/10/2026

Why can a learner manage something one lesson but struggle with it the next?

As an autistic driving instructor, I’ve learned that sensory sensitivity isn’t necessarily an on/off switch.

Our ability to manage sensory input can depend on how much capacity we have available. When that capacity is low, things that felt manageable before can become overwhelming.

In this short video, I share my own experience of sensory sensitivity and why understanding the individual learner matters.

🎬 Watch my short video here:

As an autistic person, I’ve learned that my ability to manage senso...

07/10/2026

Congratulations to Raul on a lovely test pass in Grantham today. Just over 6 weeks since his 17th birthday, a great achievement to pass so fast! 🚗🏁

06/10/2026

Something a little different from the usual driving school post…

This week I gave a presentation to other driving instructors about my experience as an autistic driving instructor and how understanding my own autism has changed the way I think about learning and teaching.

I’ve been teaching people to drive for almost 20 years, but I’ve only known I’m autistic for the last couple of years.

The presentation isn’t about telling instructors how to teach autistic learners. I’m not an autism expert, and my experience isn’t representative of every autistic person.

Instead, it’s about something much simpler:

When you’ve met one person, you’ve met one person.

Every learner has their own way of processing information, dealing with pressure and developing their skills.

My approach is to notice, ask, understand and adapt — while helping learners become increasingly independent.

I’ve recorded the presentation and have now put it on YouTube. If you’re a learner, instructor, parent or simply interested in how different people learn to drive, you might find it interesting.

Different method. Same destination.

In this presentation I share my experience as an autistic person wh...

01/10/2026

Congratulations to Isaac on a lovely 🥇 1st time test pass in Grantham today. Its been a bit of a wait to get to the test day, but worth it in the end. A great drive with 4️⃣ driving faults 🚗🏁

01/10/2026

🚗 Defensive driving: you can’t control them, but you can control you

One thing I’m increasingly seeing on the roads is impatience.

- Tailgating.
- Unsafe overtaking.
- People pulling out when they shouldn’t.
- Drivers becoming aggressive when someone makes a mistake.
- And unfortunately, learners can sometimes receive very little forgiveness from other road users.

So what can we do about it?

We don’t get involved in their world.
If someone is driving aggressively behind you:

➡️ Keep a safe space in front.
That gives you somewhere to slow down if you need to.

➡️ Don’t allow them to dictate your speed. Their impatience isn’t your emergency.

➡️ If it’s safe, let them pass.
There’s nothing to be gained by preventing them from getting past.

➡️ Don’t retaliate.
No staring in the mirror, gestures, shouting or trying to “teach them a lesson”.

➡️ Once they’re gone, let them go.
Don’t allow their behaviour to affect the next five minutes of your driving.

As an instructor, I often tell my learners:

“You can’t control what the other driver does. You can control the space you leave, the decisions you make and how you respond.”

Defensive driving isn’t about being frightened of other road users.

It’s about anticipating that other people will sometimes make poor decisions — and giving yourself the time and space to deal with them safely.

And perhaps the most important lesson of all:

You don’t have to prove that you’re right. You just need to get there safely.

09/09/2026

Well done to Alex on a stressful but ultimately successful test pass in Grantham yesterday. Battling through the test day nerves to get the deserved result! 🚗🏁