A1-4U School of Motoring

11/06/2023

A useful tip - most vehicles have a recirculation button with the AC controls in their cars but many of us are unsure when to use it.
Well, the easy answer is to use it in the summer and turn it off in the winter.
The recirculation button simply takes the air from inside the car and recirculates it inside instead of pulling fresh air from outside. On days like today when it is really hot outside, if you do not recirculate the cooler air in the cabin, than your AC system is pulling hot air from outside and trying to cool it. Using the recirculation feature will get your car cooler and will decrease the wear and tear on your AC system.
Note, if your car has been baking in the sun, its better to roll the windows down and turn recirculate off for the first minute or so to get rid of the super hot air inside the car before turning the recirculate on.
Also, any time you are stuck in traffic ( summer or winter) be sure to use the recirculate. If you are pulling air from outside, then you are pulling in all the pollutants and carbon monoxide from all the traffic. Studies show that recirculating your AC can cut down on the pollutants entering your vehicle by 20% when stuck in traffic! Happy summer motoring.

04/07/2022

We are looking for qualified driving instructors to join A1-4U School of Motoring - we are extremely busy, having many recommendations from past and present pupils. We are a well known independent driving school established in 2002 covering the Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay areas. If you are interested in having a chat with us about joining A1-4U, please contact me.

Diane Tomlinson
A1-4U School of Motoring
07814644127

03/01/2022

We wish all our pupils a very happy, healthy new year. We want to let you know that there are changes to the highway code as follows:

Rule H1: New Hierarchy of Road Users (left) Drivers of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger to others. This principle applies most strongly to drivers of HGVs, LGVs, cars/taxis and motorcycles. Cyclists and horse riders likewise have a responsibility to reduce danger to pedestrians.

Rule H2: New priority for pedestrians at junctions At a junction, drivers, motorcyclists, horse riders and cyclists should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning. You should give way to pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing (currently you only have to give way if they’re already on the crossing), and to pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross a parallel crossing.

Rule H3: New priority for cyclists when cars are turning You should not cut across cyclists, horse riders or horse drawn vehicles going ahead when you are turning into or out of a junction or changing direction or lane. This applies whether they are using a cycle lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on the road and you should give way to them. Do not turn at a junction if to do so would cause the cyclist, horse rider or horse drawn vehicle going straight ahead to stop or swerve. You should stop and wait for a safe gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary.

27/11/2021

This is a very good article on electric vehicles - what will happen to fuel vehicles from 2030 etc. -

The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars has been brought forward to 2030, here's what it means for you

24/11/2021

Here's some useful facts and figures if you're thinking about buying an electric car:

Find out how much it costs to charge an electric car, both at home and via the network of EV public chargers.

22/08/2021

This will be of interest to people who will be driving in Europe.

Changes to European Driving Rules that UK motorists must be aware of:

Following Brexit, UK drivers were required to carry a ‘Green Card' (an International Motor Insurance Certificate) when driving in Europe. This document, issued by the motor insurance providers, certifies that the holder has sufficient motor insurance cover to allow them to legally drive in the country that they are visiting.

Motorists in Northern Ireland were particularly inconvenienced when the protocol was introduced, as it meant they were required to apply for, carry and present the Green Card when crossing the border into the adjoining Republic of Ireland.

On 30th June 2021, the European Commission announced that, with effect from 2nd August 2021, this would no longer be the case. The announcement stated that the UK would be able to participate in the Green Card Free Circulation Area (GCFCA), which consists of all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) countries, as well as Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Switzerland.

UK drivers will still be required to obtain a Green Card, for the period to 2nd August 2021. Failure to present this documentation upon request, can result in fines, prosecution or having your car impounded.

Holidaymakers and business travellers alike can breathe a sigh of relief, as they can scratch one more thing off their pre-travel to do list.

Another change motorists will see in the coming months, is the replacement of the GB stickers/magnets. From 28 September 2021, the United Nations (UN) has advised that the GB stickers, that have been in use for 111 years, will no longer be valid for driving abroad. Instead motorists will need to display a UK sticker/magnet to drive their vehicle on foreign roads.

For those with the GB emblem printed on your number plate, you can either order one of the new UK plates or simply use a UK sticker/magnet alongside the old GB printed number plate.

The new UK sign will be inclusive of Northern Ireland, which is not included in the term ‘Great Britain’.

This change is the second alteration number plates have had this year. In January, new number plates went into circulation, with the Union Jack Flag and GB sign which were created to allow UK drivers to drive on foreign roads without the GB stickers. However, these too will no longer be valid.

The new UK stickers will be available online, in the run up to 28th September 2021 for £1.50 each. You will also be able to purchase them in post offices and garages.

Do I need an International Driving Permit after Brexit?

The International Driving Permit (IDP) is a document that validates your licence to be able to drive abroad. Please check local driving restrictions before you travel to see if you need this.

30/03/2021

Are you confused about the different types of electric vehicles? Here's a guide to hopefully help:

Electric vehicles – EVs and BEVs
An EV is simply an electric vehicle. An EV has a rechargeable battery, almost exclusively lithium ion, and an electric motor.
EVs are sometimes known as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), or as ‘pure electric vehicles’ in order to distinguish them from hybrid vehicles.
Hybrids
A hybrid vehicle has a petrol or diesel internal combustion engine plus a rechargeable battery and electric motor.
Non-plug-in hybrid vehicles, usually just called hybrids, cannot be plugged in. They have relatively small batteries and short electric-only ranges of perhaps 2 or 3km.
This type of hybrid recharges its batteries when it brakes, and sometimes by using the petrol or diesel engine to power a generator which provides electrical power.
Recently some manufacturers have begun calling this type of (non-plug-in) hybrid vehicle a ‘self-charging’ hybrid, although this term has the potential to confuse since all hybrids, whether plug-in or not, and all EVs have the ability to ‘self-charge’ their batteries when they brake.
Plug-in hybrids – PHEVs
A plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) also has an internal combustion engine plus a rechargeable battery and an electric motor.
They have much larger batteries than the non-plug-in hybrids described above (typically around 12kWh instead of just over 1kWh) and they can be plugged in and charged like an EV.
PHEVs typically have electric-only ranges of around 20 to 30 miles on a full charge. A plug-in hybrid can be a good choice for a vehicle that fulfils two very different roles, for example frequent short distance local journeys that can be driven on electrical power only, but also occasional longer distance trips for which the two power sources would be used.
Mild hybrids – MHEVs
A mild hybrid (MHEV) usually refers to one that cannot be driven in electric-only mode, but which has an upgraded (often 48V) battery and electrical system.
The primary purpose of adding mild hybridisation is to increase efficiency by allowing the vehicle to achieve some regenerative braking when slowing down and to use the additional power source to assist with acceleration and other electrical loads in the vehicle.
What EVs are available?
These are exciting times for EVs with the number of vehicles available increasing rapidly and new models launched almost weekly.
Models currently available in the UK include the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, BMW i3, Kia e-Niro and Soul, Hyundai Ionic and Kona, VW e-Golf, Jaguar I-PACE and Tesla Model S, Model X and Model 3.

25/02/2021

We hope all our pupils are keeping well. Good news - we can start teaching again from 12th April. It's been a difficult year but we can now look forward to some sort of normality. Learning to drive is so important, giving independence and freedom to travel without having to rely on others or public transport. We are very happy to be able to provide our pupils with lifelong safe driving skills and look forward to welcoming you back soon. We will be in touch to arrange lessons. With best wishes, A1-4U School of Motoring.

12/12/2020

Good morning. There is still time to get a gift voucher for that perfect Christmas present. If you would like to discuss anything to do with driving lessons, please get in touch with us. Stay safe and here's hoping that 2021 will be a good year!

27/11/2020

To all our pupils who have been patiently waiting to recommence lessons - we are able to teach again from next Thursday 3rd December (all tiers). We look forward to seeing you again and preparing you for your driving test and lifelong safe driving skills. We will, of course, stay extremely vigilant to keep you as safe as possible from COVID-19, ensuring our vehicles are cleaned with antibac wipes between pupils, masks used and windows open. Keep well and safe, best wishes from all at A1-4U School of Motoring.

14/11/2020

Good morning to all our pupils and instructors. We hope you are all keeping well and safe at this difficult time. We want to make sure all our pupils know that lessons will be £27 per hour (£250 for 10 hours paid for in advance) from 1st December. We haven't increased our prices for many years and our lessons are still very competitively priced. We hope to see our pupils after 3rd December, when we will continue to provide lessons with COVID safety very much in mind. Best wishes to you all.