Driving tests

How distracting is talking on a mobile phone when driving?

It’s well known that we’re not supposed to drive while using a hand-held mobile phone to talk or send an SMS, but you can drive while talking on a hands free kit. But what about driving using a hands-free phone

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Guide to driving in hot weather

The Road Code contains nothing about driving in hot weather, only a small section on driving in bad conditions (fog, heavy rain, etc). However, hot weather can be as treacherous. This article explains all the risks of driving in hot

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Overhauling the driver licensing system

It was announced by the Transport Minister, Craig Foss, that the driver licensing system will be overhauled to try to make it simpler (read: less costly to run). This is partly because the current price of obtaining a driving licence

Posted in Car, Heavy Vehicle, Motorbike, News

Effects of dehydration on driving

Now we’re starting to get into the warm weather you are more likely to be travelling places either on holiday or for day trips, and you will be losing water from your body more rapidly. If you don’t replace your

Posted in Advice, Car, Driving Instructors, Heavy Vehicle, Motorbike

Career opportunities in driving

If you love the idea of driving for a living, or having an occupation that involves a lot of driving, this article explains what career choices you can make. Car Delivering goods Courier – deliver parcels and goods usually in

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Commentary drives: what are they and how can it improve your driving?

If you are just learning to drive you might be feeling inundated with everything you have to take in – road signs, other vehicles, lane markings and more. Once you’ve been driving a while, trying a commentary drive can take

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10 ways to improve your fuel economy

If you need to save some money, looking at how and what you drive can help. Most of us don’t drive in the most fuel economical way, but we look to try to buy a more fuel economical car to

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Driving after taking medicine

At some point in your life you will take some medication. It might be for a headache or to alleviate the symptoms of a cold or virus, or it might be for something like high blood pressure. Certain types of

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Smoking while driving – physical and physiological dangers and risks

What happens when you smoke and drive? The physical process of smoking The act of taking a cigarette out of the packet, finding your lighter and coordinating your hand or hands to light the cigarette means you are likely to

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New driver licence format changes

If you have a car (class 1) or motorbike (class 6) licence there are new time limits being introduced from 1 December 2014 and a newly designed licence. The class 1 and class 6 learner and restricted licences will be

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Using a life coach to help you pass your driving test

If you’ve been struggling to find the motivation or confidence to go for your driving licence, or you have fears and phobias about driving, perhaps a life coach can help you. Having a driving licence will give you added mobility

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Can you drive with diabetes

Diabetes creates some risks with the things you’ll need to do while driving. Knowing them allows you to manage them so that you can continue driving without causing a risk to other road users. If you are a young person

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Using hypnotherapy to help you pass your driving test

There are a few techniques and therapies you can use to give you more chance of passing your driving test and in this article we cover hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy can be used to improve your confidence, reduce nervousness, improve your spatial

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Six ways you will fail your heavy vehicle practical test

If you’re taking your heavy vehicle licence you’ll have spent a lot of time and money practising, so you want to get it right first time. We spoke to two senior heavy vehicle instructors, Iain at Passrite in Auckland and

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Using visualisation techniques to help you pass your driving test

Visualisation is a technique commonly used by sportspeople and musicians to accustom their brains to performing a particular action. It is simply the process of imagining something happening – a kind of mental rehearsal just like you would rehearse for

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Use affirmations to help with your driving test

Affirmations or ‘self-talk’ is a common and simple way in which you can improve your performance. You can use it to help you improve your memory so that you remember the Road Code quicker and more effectively, reduce nervousness when

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Skidding explained: oversteer, understeer, hydroplaning and wheelspin

A skid is where your vehicle’s tyres lose traction on the road surface and it can be caused by too much acceleration, too much braking or too much turning force for the road surface. Some of the advice you will hear

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Eight new vehicle technologies for safety and convenience

As vehicle manufacturers constantly attempt to outdo one another in convenience, comfort and safety, new features appear on premium models and then gradually trickle down to the mainstream models. While automotive manufacturers sometimes develop their own systems, many of the

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Rumble strips: what are they used for?

Rumble strips, raised profile line markings or audio tactile profiled (ATP) road markings, are road markings that generate noise and vibration when you drive over them. The lines are painted like normal road markings except the machine drops ridges (also

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Spring and Daylight Saving bring more risk of truck crashes

Spring starts today and Daylight Saving starts on the last Sunday of September. Both of these have the effect of increasing the risk of accidents among truck drivers. Truck drivers often work the kind of hours that gives them an

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