28/12/2023
A new year is upon us. It is almost 24 years since I first started work as a driving instructor teaching in East and South Auckland , and three years since I formed my own Bryan Drake Driving School. I do want to thank all of you who have entrusted your teenagers or yourselves to me to set you up to be safe on the roads, and delighted at the steady stream of folk who have enjoyed the experience.
A point of interest this year has been the increase in the number of students wishing to qualify with a licence to drive manual cars. Most have found that it doesn’t need to be difficult. One of my young gentlemen decided, only a week before his Restricted Licence test was due, that he wanted to switch to manual. We had two lesson together,separated by a couple of days serious practice by the student, and he sailed through the test with nice smooth gear changes.
Also, I was approached last September by the TV One Breakfast Programme. They had been talking on air about whether people still drove manual cars, and how difficult it was to do. Lucy, one of their production team, had a Full Licence but had only ever driven automatic. Would I be willing to teach her, live on the Breakfast Programme, for her first time ever in a manual car? Of course I would! So the Breakfast Programme the next morning, the 26th September, had two live segments; in the first, she learnt to take off-smoothly, and in the second she demonstrated a smooth take-off and a perfect change into first gear.
My normal lessons are for one hour in my modern, dual control car, but I am very flexible and lessons in your own car can be arranged. Pick-up and drop-off where convenient for you. I cater for those who are terribly nervous and never been in a car before, and equally for the experienced driver who just needs a bit of fine-tuning. I do much more than sit and make sure the learner doesn’t hit anything. I observe driver behaviour and give specific advice on how you can better manage your car and the other drivers, and be competent and comfortable while driving.
Bookings are available now for January and the new year: www.bryandrakedrivingschool.co.nz or 01 274 1918
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