Barnes Driving Academy

This lane layout doesn’t seem to make sense! 😲
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If you’re getting in the designated lane for Fareham (F’ham) here then it suddenly becomes not the lane for Fareham anymore. -
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Obviously moving lanes is fine if it’s safe to do so but if the other side of the underpass is going to be designated lane for “City” and “Fareham” then making it the same as you join would make more sense surely?
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What do you think? 😬

I reckon most people will get these signs mixed up.

Without the signs you’d probably be wrong. ❌
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One of these roads is a 30mph max with speed cameras and the other is a 60mph max (vehicle dependant) national speed limit road.
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Most people would think it more appropriate if the signs were switched round. Why don’t think these narrow country roads are marked up as national speed limit?

The BIGGEST reason for failing a driving test!
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‘Observations at junctions’ is the number one reason for candidates failing driving tests. ❌
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This image shows a closed junction, if you compare the position of both the red 🚗 and blue 🚙 cars you can clearly see how a few feet can make a massive difference to your visibility into the new ‘major’ road.
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My tip is that if your visibility into the new road is not clear 2-3 car lengths back from the junction then bring the car to a slow walking pace, select gear 1 and anticipate that you may need to stop to gain more visibility.
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Give Way junctions don’t require you to stop 🛑 by nature but if you can’t see 👀 then you definitely can’t commit to emerging.

Do you like to just get away sometimes?
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Read the first comment.

Ever wondered why driving instructors don’t have a dual accelerator? 🚙❓
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Most driving instructor cars do have dual controls, but those controls almost always include only a brake (and sometimes a clutch in manual cars), not an accelerator. There are a few reasons for that:
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1. Braking is the safest intervention. If a learner is about to hit something, the instructor’s priority is to stop the car. A second brake pedal lets them do that immediately.

2. An extra accelerator could make things worse. If both the learner and instructor could apply throttle independently, it could be confusing or even dangerous. Imagine the learner trying to slow down while the instructor accidentally (or necessarily) adds power.

3. Throttle isn’t usually needed to prevent danger. If the learner isn’t accelerating enough, the instructor can coach them verbally. If the learner is accelerating too much, the instructor can use the dual brake.

4. Modern engines don’t need much help. Cars today have enough torque that gentle use of the accelerator is usually sufficient, and many learners are taught in automatics where managing power is even simpler.

There are some specialized dual-control systems that include an instructor accelerator, but they’re uncommon. They’re typically used in niche situations such as advanced driver training, testing, or adaptations for drivers with disabilities rather than routine learner instruction.

So the short answer is: a second brake can prevent an accident, while a second accelerator rarely provides a safety benefit and can introduce new risks.

After watching Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift yesterday, this road sign now looks like it has a whole new meaning to it. 😂😬

Did you know you can be fined for stopping in a yellow box?💰
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Key Rules to Remember;
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Going straight ahead or turning left: You must not enter the box until there is enough space on the other side for your vehicle to clear the criss-cross lines completely without stopping.
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Turning right: It is legal to enter and wait in the yellow box if your exit is clear but you are temporarily stopped by oncoming traffic or other vehicles waiting to turn right.
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Roundabouts: At signalled roundabouts, do not enter the box unless you can cross over it entirely without stopping.
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‼️Stopping in a yellow box when your exit is blocked by stationary traffic (rather than just waiting to turn right) is a traffic offense. This can result in a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) enforced by local authorities using traffic cameras.‼️

Most people would not necessarily get this! 🤯
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Why is the yellow box only over one lane? Now presumably the box is there to allow traffic to safely merge out from the right hand side? But if they’re looking to emerge out and then join the left lane ready to turn left then would it make sense to have the yellow box across both lanes?
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Also a question here, would you be allowed to emerge from the minor road on the right and sit in the yellow box or would you need to clear it? 😬🚗

I’ve LOST 5mpg 🤯😬
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This is what difference the air con makes when having it almost permanently on for a week when driving.
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I normally get around 43mpg from my car and that is an average across all driving styles and situations. The big drop last week when the air con has been needed pretty much all the time means it’s dropped to around 38mpg.
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Every full tank of fuel ⛽️ is roughly 10 gallons of fuel which means each full tank I’m losing around 50 miles of travel per tank. This equates to around 2-3hrs of lessons worth of mileage (depending on the target lesson) that’s being lost in every full tank.
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This isn’t a complaint but just an awareness piece. I wouldn’t be able to not have the air con on, even with open windows it just wouldn’t have been comfortable through the heat 🥵