Your Car or Mine - DrivingCoach Instructor Stories

As a driving school based in the Western Cape, we are committed to provide the best quality service. We provide driving lessons of the highest standards and offer true value for your money.

We are confident and have a passion in what we do. In fact, even the company directors still go out on the road doing driving lessons with some clients. So why would they do that even thou we have 11 driving coaches on the road?

Quite simple, they love what they do and still get great satisfaction when a client pass their drivers test. They even ask to be booked whenever they have a free moment. So do not for one minute think they are not in touch what is happening on the road or don’t know K53.

We offer all new clients a special for the first 2 hours. We get to access you and you get to rate our service. We can then advise you how many lessons you need and we plan according to that. No more, no less. If you for whatever reason don’t like us, we then part ways.

May the month of March be as good to you as it will be to us.

Happy K53

Delme Petersen

Director

The Driving Coach

January 2010 started with a bang for the Driving Coach. As a Driving school we clocked the highest number of hours ever. I cannot say we are surprised as we have been spending a lot of effort getting our name out there.

From our website to flyers to facebook to mention but a few, our marketing team has been busy with what they do best. The credit must however go to our coaches. They have spent their entire day on the road making sure each and every client receives the best instruction possible. All of them at some point have gone the extra mile. We are based in Cape Town but we have made every effort to ensure that every person that calls in to book a lesson, no matter where they are, gets the best lesson possible.

We believe in great customer service. We believe that if we, the best Driving School in the Western Cape do not fulfill that promise, you the client have every right to make us aware of this. We will ensure you get your moneys worth.

Check our testimonials and pass rate on our website and give us a try!

Have a great days and be careful out there

Delme, The Driving Coach

1 January has come and gone. Most people are now back to work and the holidays are something of the past. Schools will restart next week and we will face our regular traffic jams again.

Now add to this that construction companies will step up the pace at which they work to complete all road related construction for the Soccer World Cup. So we are going to have a very exciting, busy year. A year where traffic jams will be an every day occurrence.

As you all know, Green point Traffic department will be closed for all tests and administration as that building will be used as a support building to manage activities during the soccer world cup. Taking learner drivers in the CBD will be hazardous and just not feasible as there will be no available space to practice. From a learning to drive in traffic perspective it will be fantastic thou.

 We at the Driving Coach are ready for these and other challenges. Are you ready? Contact us if you are not. We will gladly assist you to become the best you can be!

Have a great 2010!

Regards, the Driving Coach Team

Greetings fellow drivers and loyal clients. I thought i would share this testimonial with you today. We normally dont do this but it may just be the motivation you needed to book some lessons with us.

“This is a “BIG THANK YOU” to Dave, for his commitment and patience while teaching me to drive.

Being 40 years of age and hardly having driven a car at all, Dave was the perfect instructor to teach me from scratch to drive.

In a matter of three months going from a novice driver, to passing my driver’s test, first time, on 23 November 09, is testament to his commitment and encouragement.

Unflappable, even in stressful situations, caused by me, never losing patience when I made stupid mistakes.

I would be tense before a lesson, but once I got behind the wheel with Dave, I’d be calm and focused.

Thank you Dave and The Driving Coach.

Joao Potgieter”

be safe out there!’

Delme

The Driving Coach

I cannot believe that we are but 3 weeks away from Christmas. This year has really gone by super fast. They call this time of year the silly season. Seems to be they should be calling it the “reckless” season. All drivers seems to loose their driving ability.

One comedian said that all drivers in Cape Town remove their indicator bulbs and give it to the Bothasig residents to use as Christmas lights. Drivers don’t signal at all when changing lanes. (Must admit. I myself forget sometimes) After December 16 traffic volumes increase as people head off to their holiday destinations. All roads leading to the shopping malls are full of cars. Not to mention the parking areas, or shall i say the lack of it.

And then we still have road works and road closures. It is going to be fun being on the road this festive season. We at the Driving Coach are however always willing to assist you to overcome the nerves of driving on our roads. So come on in and let us take you for a “ride”

Safe driving

Delme, Driving Coach/MD

Four way stops, traffic circles and then traffic lights. I am amazed at how many Capetonians and I am sure all other drivers from different areas do not know what to do at these intersections.

The rules are very simple. Stop at a RED traffic light. Go when it’s GREEN. Slow down and be careful when AMBER. At a 4 way stop, those that stop first can go first. A traffic circle, cars in the circle have right of way. Easy, right? In many ways this is not the case. Let’s take a taxi for example. Most of them and please note I say “most of them” seem to have no idea that they should stop at a RED traffic light. They seem to completely ignore a 4 way stop. They even get annoyed when a person who has “right of way’ drive before them.

Traffic circles are an absolute nightmare. Some people just don’t know what to do here. Then there is speed limits and overtaking on the shoulder of the road. Our clients are challenged with this every day. Their main goal is to pass their drivers test. We as DRIVING COACHES have to prepare them for that and teach them how to survive on the road. We do “damn” good job because by the end of their lessons they are able to dodge that taxi and avoid that bus.

Is driving fun? It is indeed. We are challenged every day and at the end we can sit back and smile because today, we have survived to tell yet another tale.

Its Friday afternoon lunchtime. I decide to take a drive down to Montague Gardens Makro to buy some motor oil for my trusty but thirsty 1990 steed, a Nissan Skyline. After covering 320000 km I find myself filling her up with more oil than petrol, but that is another story.

The drive down is about 15 minutes depending on traffic. There was minimal traffic to my destination. At Makro I pick up the motor oil as well as a 6 pack of premium lager for the owner (me) for the rugby, SA vs. some other team J

On my way back I find myself stuck in traffic and at an intersection wanting to turn right. Cars are screaming past me at while I wait patiently for a gap so I can turn right and head back as I find myself with 10 minutes of my lunch remaining. There it is, the gap. I step on it, smoke bellowing behind me. All of sudden a motorbike appears out of nowhere. I brake as hard as I can to avoid running over this guy. He sees me as well but freezes up.

I stop and miss him by a few centimeters. I apologize as does he and we move on. Close call, yes I would think so. As I drive back, now at a much slower pace, I think about what could have happened. I somehow also once again realize that accidents can happen within a few milliseconds. If you do not see the danger in time then boy, are you going to get a nasty surprise.

I consider myself to be a reasonably good driver as well as a good driving instructor. My business partner and well as my fellow driving instructors may even agree with me. I however realize that it does not matter how good a driver you are, if you do not concentrate and take note of your environment and surrounding while driving, you are putting yourself and other road users at risk.

My message to all you learner and experienced drivers is this: We at the Driving Coach (the best Driving School this side of the equator J) cares about you and will give you the best possible training to not just prepare you for your drivers test, but also prepare you for that moment when you too have to brake really hard to avoid hitting that other road user. Some of us are old and some may even talk too much, but all of us at this driving school have one goal, to make you a better driver and as our slogan says, “Changing the world one driver at a time”

Have a fantastic weekend!

Ps, I was late for work. Anybody wants to buy my trusted steed? It can stop on a dime.

      *No motor cyclist was harmed during the writing of this article.

Doing driving lessons weekends is sometimes not really ideal. I sometimes want to go to the beach, pop into the pub or visit my friends. Instead I work from early morning till late at night coaching clients to park. My job is therefore to prepare them for their drivers test.

Sure, it is not the easiest thing to do at times. Elements like rain and the wind can sometimes throw a spanner in the works. So why do I do this besides earning an income? The satisfaction I get when my clients master that alley docking or do a perfect incline start.

Yes, there are clients who give us driving instructors a hard time. That however changes when they pass their drivers test.

Let us salute the driving instructors out there, let us salute the Driving Coach…Available 7 days a week…book now!   

Yes it is that time of the week again when I have the opportunity to express myself.

‘’Nothing can stop the man/women with the right mental attitude from achieving his/her goals…’’

Have learners? You are excited and eager to go out there and drive.  You call around with stars in your eyes, with loads of optimism. You book an appointment with the first driving school you lay your eyes on. After the first session you will know if that driving school is for you. You may either enjoy the experience or end up with a bitter taste in your mouth.

You have gone thru a lot of trouble to get to this point. Finding the right people to train you is sometimes not that easy. You may have even gone for a few driving tests and failed because you were nervous. I too had to go thru all of this but you should never give up. I just kept going and will keep on until I have reached my goal.

The Driving Coach understands where you come from. We therefore will give you all the tools you need to achieve your goals. Pick up the phone or e-mail us and put us to the test. We have an introduction special so you can give us a try without spending too much money. Really looking forward to my next blog. I hope you are too.

Samantha Petersen

1.                 Dress casually as for any pleasant outing. Resist the temptation to wear a padded suit or protective headgear. Be sure to breathe and keep muscles relaxed. Placed folded hands in the lap.

2.                 Step 2

Explain to the new driver how to adjust the rear view and side view mirrors. Make sure that seatbelts are securely fastened. Talk about turn signals, the horn, the emergency brake, and various dashboard controls.

3.                 Step 3

Start small by driving in an empty parking lot. Discuss the plan first: e.g., drive to a specified point, turn right, drive back to the starting location. Talk it through before commencing.

4.                 Step 4

Compliment the driver. Use a calm, moderate voice. Reassure the driver by focusing on the things he’s doing correctly.

5.                 Step 5

Trust the driver. Resist the urge to grab the wheel or the emergency brake, honk the horn or make adjustments for the driver. Make calm suggestions to the driver and let her decide.

6.                 Step 6

Increase the driving challenge by moving to a neighborhood to practice starts, stops and turns. Talk about defensive driving. Move eventually onto the main roads as the driver’s comfort level increases.

7.                 Step 7

Conclude each driving session with an evaluation period. State what he/she’s doing right. Allow the driver to identify error(s) and express ways to correct

 Or call the Driving Coach and we will train your teenager for you