Here are the details of the BIG TOM Under 17 Driving Experience
Owner of BIG TOM Driving School, Tom Ingram answers questions about this new great opportunity!
What is it?
It will be an opportunity for 15 and 16 year olds to experience driving in a totally safe environment under the watchful eye of a qualified driving instructor
Why would anyone do it?
Someone might just want to experience what it is like to drive, what is involved, how does the car work – that kind of thing. However, for some, this is a fabulous opportunity to prepare for the next stage of learning to drive proper. It will save them (or their parents) heaps of money as they will be learners who have already gained confidence and competence with learning to drive. No-one should underestimate how powerful the feeling is of being familiar and comfortable in a learning environment rather than fearful and nervous of the unknown.
How does it work?
We will simply be asking customers to register with us first and then they can start attending these experience days.
Where is this happening?
We have teamed up with a superb organisation in Peterborough who can clearly see the benefits of this early introduction to road safety. We are in the final stages of completion and once we are there, we will announce it via the BIG TOM social links and this website. It is an incredible venue to do this, there are a number of different locations that customers will get to drive around the venue, all with different objectives to broaden their experience and familiarity of driving in varying conditions.
How much will it cost?
It’s not possible to put an exact figure on it just yet as we have not completed the negotiations with the Landlord of the venue, I am making every effort to keep the cost below the £50 marker. This will mean that despite us being the only provider within a very great radius of Peterborough, the sessions will still be within the price range of as many customers as possible. I can assure anyone interested in this that it is my goal to keep the costing of this significantly lower than any competitors, in much the same way that I keep my 5 Day Intensive Driving Course at a price that represents great value and undercuts my main competitors in Peterborough.
What will the experience include?
We want it to be fun and interesting for the casual customers who just want to try it out. But we also want to make it worthwhile for customers who are intending to learn to drive in the near future. This is why customers get to receive a BIG TOM Driving Licence that is theirs to keep; it will record all the sessions that they have attended, the experience they have had, and as is our way at BIG TOM we will reward loyal customers so that when they come on to the BIG TOM 5 Day Intensive Course they will automatically receive a discount from the price. It is a great opportunity for the key concepts of road safety to be introduced to our customers at an early age, and they will be encouraged to consider who and what are the major influences in their life that will mould and affect their attitudes to learning to drive, the laws of the road, and the types of scenarios that can crop up that affect road safety. This is known to be a very worthwhile process to go through as it helps young adults appreciate that there can be the world of difference between their intended driving behaviours and what happens in reality. As such, these experience sessions will include free access to a nationally recognised theory study resource, the driving experience itself, and further “homework” that encourages customers to think deeply about their personal beliefs and attitudes around road safety.
Are there any restrictions to who can attend?
Yes. In much the same way for learners and qualified drivers on the roads, these experiences do need to be properly monitored for safety reasons. The safety of BIG TOM customers is the number 1 priority This is why we do encourage all interested parents/carers/guardians to initially make contact with us via our contact page just so that we can answer any questions relating to this subject.
You mention about safety, I think this will be important to many readers
It is important to me too – since starting my driving school in 2009 I have not had a single accident of any kind, and this demonstrates that I take the safety of my customers very seriously. These experience sessions are not about flying round at 40-50mph doing dare-devil things in a car, there are other “experience” providers that cover that. This is all about getting familiar with how a car works, getting confident doing the types of driving that all of us have to do in the real world so that the position is correct, the gears and speed are appropriate, the steering is under control, and the driver is aware of what is around them. There is an optional BIG TOM test for any customers to take for their last module but I must stress these BIG TOM under 17 driving experience sessions have absolutely nothing to do with driving tests and formal assessments. This is all about gaining confidence and experience in a safe, stress-free environment – there is no form of grading for participants, the goal is for them to start learning a life-skill in a positive, constructive manner that breaks down fear and anxiety.
BIG TOM Driving School provides 5 Day Intensive Driving Courses in Peterborough, Grantham, Lincoln, Sleaford, Stamford, Boston, Spalding and Bourne. Contact us HERE
