While on holiday in Cornwall last week, it struck me how different the driving conditions are in various parts of the country.
In Birmingham we have to deal with big multiple lane roundabouts, dual carriageways, congested areas such as Kings Heath High Street and Northfield in the rush hour, not to mention un-sympathetic van drivers and boy racers.
In rural Cornwall it’s all about quiet, narrow, twisty lanes, big hedges, ramblers, horse and bike riders and trying to find somewhere to stop for a cream tea!
But in both cases you still have to use the same skills of observation, awareness and planning in order to stay safe. Instead of expecting there to be a pedestrian crossing just around the next corner, we may have to expect there to be a horse, or a tractor turning out of a farmyard. Instead of streets with parked cars and skips causing “meeting traffic” situations, we may have to find a way of making space for an oncoming motor caravan on a narrow lane.
Wherever you learn to drive and take your driving test, use the same skills and apply them to every situation you come across, anywhere in the world.
