Newslink October 2021

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BOOK REVIEW
Insight to Drive – to create
better driving for life
One of our most long-serving and loyal
members has put pen to paper and
produced a fascinating guide to her life
as an ADI in her first book.
Kathy Higgins’ An Insight to Drive has
been written to address the old saying of
‘once you’ve passed your test, that’s
when you start to learn to drive’, as well
as challenge some of the other out-ofdate
beliefs and myths about passing the
practical driving test.
Higgins, an ADI who will be wellknown
to many MSA GB members,
wrote the book to not just help people to
pass their driving test and drive alone
with confidence, but to ignite a passion
for people to drive well for life. The pages
are full of advice and suggestions to
make the roads safer for all road users,
and to cut down needless deaths on UK
roads.
An Insight to Drive is a funny and
informative read, full of top tips when
looking for an instructor, how to find a
good instructor and how to spot if a pupil
is getting scammed by their driving
school.
The advice is delivered in Higgins’
typical warm but straight-forward style,
and true to her character she’s littered
the pages with lots of funny anecdotes
from her many years of being a driving
instructor and owner of her own driving
school.
An Insight to Drive isn’t just for people
passing their driving test. It is for pupils
and parents who are trying to find
the right driving instructor and for
driving instructors themselves.
There is also lots of advice and
information on how to remain confident
and take pride in being a good driver for
life after gaining a full driving licence.
On why she wrote An Insight to Drive,
Kathy said: “I wrote the book because
too many think all driving instructors are
the same, and those looking for lessons
would constantly try to find the cheapest
possible driving instructor, thinking all
that instructor would need to do is teach
them to pass their test.
“To me this is totally wrong. Mums and
dads will, for example, go to great
lengths to keep their children from harm,
yet many will scrimp on paying for driver
training for something that takes away so
many lives, including young ones, in a
very violent and sudden way. So that’s
the main reason why I wrote the book; I
want to put the record straight, to tell
readers, parents and future drivers not to
just go with a driving instructor because
they are cheap or friendly.
“But most of all I am here to help and
educate people on making an informed
choice, so they don’t just pass their
practical test, but they are better more
confident drivers for life.”
Higgins decided to write An Insight to
Drive when, while delivering a speed
awareness course in Knowsley,
somebody remarked to her that all
driving instructors are the same, and the
class agreed.
Knowing this simply isn’t the case
Higgins wanted to put the record
straight, not only to tell people that there
are some fantastic driving instructors, but
how to find them, what to ask them,
who to complain to if as a learner you
are not happy, and to switch instructors if
it’s necessary too.
Packed with stories and real-life
experiences from her decades as an
instructor, Higgins delivers lots of sound
advice for students and instructors alike.
As well as hilarious anecdotes and myth
busting she exposes scams made by
some driving instructors and how to spot
them if they are happening to you.
It’s a great read and will provide even
the most experienced ADI with
something to think about – and plenty to
laugh along with, too.
For more information, please visit:
https://insight2drive.co.uk/home/
an-insight-to-drive-buy-the-book/
An Insight to Drive by Kathy Higgins
Publisher: Book Bubble Press
ISBN: 9781912494064
Available from: Amazon
Pandemic sees big rise in anxious motorists
Research by the AA has found that
three-quarters of drivers suffered from
nerves behind the wheel during the
pandemic – and over 300,000 gave up
driving all together as a result.
Three in five of those who felt
increased anxiety levels said they did
nothing to address their anxious feelings
(67%). Seven per cent cut down on
driving and one per cent stopped driving
altogether.
Older drivers (65+) were the least
likely to have sought help (69%) and
nearly half of younger drivers said they
had done nothing about it (18-24s
48%).
Men were more likely than women to
not address their anxiety; 72% of men
compared to 59% of women said they
did nothing about it.
Drivers can lose their confidence for a
number of reasons. Crashes, nearmisses,
or just being out of practice can
develop into driving phobias if left
untreated.
Mental health charity Mind advises
people with phobias such as a fear of
driving should seek help from their GP
in the first instance, as they can advise
on treatment options which may include
talking therapies or medication.
Promisingly, some drivers had taken
steps to manage their nervousness. One
in ten (13%) had tried relaxation
techniques, 3% took a passenger with
them on their next drive, 6% had talked
to someone about their worries (such as
a friend) and 2% had sought
professional help.
One in five younger drivers said they
had tried relaxation techniques to help
them calm down (18-24s 23%).
A handful had also tried refresher
driving lessons, which aim to boost
confidence in experienced drivers by
addressing specific concerns or areas to
work on, such as handling motorway
driving.
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