In-Tuition Driving School

I’ll be at the ADINJC & Intelligent Instructor National Conference & Expo ’26! 😊

It’s taking place at Cranmore Park, Solihull on Sunday 27th September, and I’ll be spending some time in the Well-being Area during the day.

If you know me through my blogs for Intelligent Instructor+, through the industry, or even if we’ve never met before, please come over and say hello!

I’d genuinely love to meet people, have a chat and talk about anything from mindfulness and well-being to driver training, anxiety, difficult pupils, difficult days… or just life as a driving instructor! 😄

There’s no need to have a particular question. Just come and have a chat!

The conference is free to attend, so if you’re going, please come and find me. It would be lovely to put some faces to names. 🙋🏼‍♀️

Sunday 27th September 2026
Cranmore Park, Solihull, West Midlands



https://events.intelligentinstructor.co.uk/national/

On day 4 of National Road Victim Month, we are sharing some words from Helen Muskett - an incredible mum who has been campaigning for change in memory of her son. Last month, Helen met with Ministers from both the Department for Transport and Ministry of Justice. 💙

'In the Rain think Aquaplane'

"My son, Adam Muskett, 27-years-old, and his girlfriend, Katie Worrell, 25-years-old, were heading on holiday on the afternoon of Thursday 13th June 2024. It was raining heavily, when the driver of a Jaguar XKR travelling in the opposite direction and accelerating up the hill, lost control and crossed into Adam's lane of traffic, hitting his Ford Fiesta head-on and killing Adam instantly. Katie died later that day.

Every day since is a battle to survive...the trauma and devastation to both families is never-ending. Like other road collisions it need not have happened. Adam and Katie should still be with us...our lives are altered forever.

It is like living in a parallel universe, functioning, sometimes barely, longing for the day to be over, but dreading getting into bed in the knowledge that sleep does not come easily and the nights are long, lonely and hauntingly difficult.

Daily anchors get me up, get me going, and I have to work as bills still need paying. Managing my day practically helps me attempt to manage my emotions - together with medication, GP visits, therapy and peer support from Lucy and all at Road to Change.

There are still multiple triggers every day; people, places, objects, memories, thoughtless comments, news of more road collisions, sirens, and in particular poor driving and rain...

Every aspect of life has changed...routines, thoughts, friendships, attitudes, values and beliefs.

I am motivated by a need to improve road safety, reduce road danger and achieve better justice when innocent lives are taken or forever-changed.

I believe there is a need for a change in attitudes and the perception of road crime. It could be anyone’s loved one who is taken next. An average of 4 or 5 road deaths a day is unacceptable and needs to change.

I would encourage every driver to think, is there a need for speed, and in the rain think aquaplane. Every decision made is important. Make sure you make the right one.

Adam and Katie should have lived much longer lives, and when their lives were taken from them they deserved a better response from the justice system.

Road crime is real crime." 🦋

Fear and capability can sit in the same car. 🚗 💪🏼

One of my lovely clients came to me because she had a genuine fear of motorway driving. The thought of joining the motorway filled her with anxiety, and overtaking felt completely out of reach.

Over the last few sessions, we’ve worked together using practical driving strategies alongside simple techniques to help calm the nervous system. The goal wasn’t to eliminate fear overnight. It was to stop fear being in the driving seat.

A few days ago she sent me a message.

Not only had she driven on the motorway by herself again… she’d also overtaken another vehicle.

That might sound like a small thing to some people, but if you’ve ever experienced motorway anxiety, you’ll understand just how significant that moment is.

It’s a reminder that courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is doing the thing despite the fear.

I know this because I’m not just a driving instructor. I also manage my own motorway anxiety. I understand what it feels like, and I also know that with the right support, it doesn’t have to stop you living your life.

If motorway driving makes you anxious, please know you’re not alone, and it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Fear and capability really can sit together in the same car.

If you’d like some friendly, understanding support, feel free to get in touch. 💙🚙

“That was actually quite fun - I’d take that over roundabouts any day” - Tyra 😊🫶🏼

Huge congratulations to my lovely pupil Jenifer on passing her driving test today in her own car after managing to grab a cancellation! 🎉🚗

Although I wasn’t there in person today due to being on holiday, it genuinely feels as though we crossed the finish line together. Learning to drive is never just about passing a test. It’s about showing up consistently, working through the doubts, building confidence and developing the skills to drive safely and independently for life.

Jenifer put in the effort every step of the way, and I simply kept turning up, guiding, encouraging and helping her move forward. Watching that hard work pay off is one of the most rewarding parts of this job. 🥰

Every time one of my pupils passes, I’m delighted because they’ve gained something so valuable: freedom, independence and new opportunities. If I’m honest, there’s always a tiny part of me that feels a little sad too. After spending months working towards a shared goal, I’ll miss our lessons.

Wishing you many years of safe, happy driving Jenifer. You’ve earned every bit of this success. Enjoy your new adventure! 🚙✨

One of my favourite parts of this job is helping full licence holders rediscover their confidence.

This is Katerina. She already held an international driving licence and had driven many years ago, but after moving to the UK she had lost the confidence to drive independently.

Together, we worked on both the practical skills and the mindset behind the anxiety. We drove to places that mattered to her – the supermarket, her daughter’s nursery, and the everyday journeys that can feel overwhelming when confidence has disappeared.

By the end of our session, I felt a bit like a mother bird gently encouraging her baby to leave the nest. I knew she could fly… she just wasn’t quite convinced yet.

For our final drive, we used Katerina’s own car. When we got back, I asked her to do one more circuit around the block completely on her own.

She did it.

A few minutes later she pulled back onto the drive, just as her sister arrived. She climbed out of the car absolutely beaming. Her first words were, “My husband won’t believe I’ve done it!”

If I’m honest, I don’t think she quite believed it herself.

That’s the thing about driving anxiety and driving phobias. They can make you believe that this is simply who you are now. But confidence isn’t fixed. It can be rebuilt with the right support, practical strategies and gradual exposure.

I don’t just teach these techniques—I use them myself. Having experienced motorway anxiety personally, I know what it feels like when your mind tells you that you can’t. I also know that those thoughts don’t have to have the final say.

If you’ve been avoiding driving, whether it’s motorways, busy junctions or simply getting back behind the wheel, please know that change is possible.

The hardest part is often making that first phone call. After that, we’ll take it one journey at a time. ❤️

[Katerina was happy for me to share her story because she was inspired by another similar story on my page and this encouraged her to contact me.]

Today I received a text message that absolutely made my day. 🥰

A lady I've been working with to help overcome her motorway anxiety messaged me to say that she had driven on the M5 by herself... and she'd stayed calm.

Not only that, she said she'd been singing as she drove! 🎶🎶😎

A week earlier, we'd spent some time together on the motorway talking about ways to keep her nervous system settled rather than letting anxiety take over. One of our strategies was to sing a completely random made up song as we joined the motorway. We both ended up laughing, which made it impossible to stay stuck in fear. 😊

What was even more interesting was that she managed to stay on the motorway for around 25 minutes - much longer than she had expected. The thing she'd been dreading wasn't nearly as overwhelming as she'd imagined.

As someone who has experienced motorway anxiety myself, moments like this are particularly special. I know how frightening it can feel. I know the physical feeling as panic sets in, the racing thoughts and the urge to avoid it altogether.

But I also know that confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you build. 💪🏼

If you're someone who avoids certain roads, motorways, roundabouts or driving situations because they make you feel anxious, please don't assume it will always be this way.

It's never too late.

You are not "bad at driving".

You are not beyond help.

And you don't have to wait until you feel confident before you start.

Sometimes confidence arrives afterwards, when you've done the thing you thought you couldn't.

One small step at a time. ❤️🚙

[Image generated by AI. I would add that she was not reversing down the motorway - as the picture shows the cars behind going in the opposite direction! 😅🤭]