“Three years ago, my wife and I were returning around midnight from visiting friends in Peterborough.
Just north of Orono, in a sweeping curve on Hwy 115 southbound, a woman on foot suddenly appeared in the middle of the right lane, my lane!
I was travelling at the limit since the road was dry but dark and with oncoming traffic glare, the low beams did not pick her out until we were almost on top of her. It was instinctive, but firmly based on the training I got from ILR, to do the “brake, steer, brake” around the woman.
I kept control of the vehicle and avoided hitting her or hitting the median barrier and possibly rolling the vehicle.
We stopped on the shoulder and reversed back to where a following car had come to a stop beside the confused and disoriented woman who was now at the shoulder of the road.
We called police and the lady was taken to a local hospital for further care and observation. I firmly believe that had I not had the Car Control School training and practiced what I had learned, that one, but possibly three people, would not have gotten home that night.”
Stuart D. Brear, CD
We have posted our 2012 schedule for our schools. Please note we will be adding dates for the Car Control Schools for summer and fall at a later time. We will be happy to accommodate corporate or club groups and we can also book week days for your group.
RoadAwareness.org Founder Shaun de Jager discusses the coming winter driving season and shares a few tips and some of his favorite videos to remind us what winter driving is like. Just in case you forgot.
Shaun is also one of our lead instructors!
Click here to read his post
Tom Reynolds and The Weather Network crew came out to our Car Control School on Saturday, Nov. 19th to see how we train drivers as well as pick up some important winter driving tips. They also got to see the new Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT winter tire as used by the ILR instructors. Keep an eye on your local Weather Network channel to catch some scenes of the ILR Car Control School in action. It is to be aired nationally.
They’re back! The very popular ILR Car Control School Gift Certificates. Why not give your family members, friends, co-workers or staff the gift that could save their life. We will mail out to your address a Gift Certificate to any one of our courses with the lucky recipients name on it. They can choose to use it at their convenience at any of our courses (except exclusive corporate or club events).
Have a look at this sample.
We are proud to announce that Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT tires are the Official Tire of the ILR Winter Driving Schools. We were introduced to this leading edge technology winter tire last year and gave them a thorough testing. All of our instructors were so impressed with the performance of this winter tire that we asked that Goodyear name this the Official Tire for our winter driving courses.
Ian: I would like to thank you and all of the instructors who worked with me on Saturday May 14. I started class that morning very nervous, and afraid of failing. As you know, I was a nervous driver for over twenty years and I avoided driving as much as possible. In the short space of one day at your Car Control School, I went from being so nervous that I couldn’t even drive my car across the parking lot to the skid pad, to being able, just after the first exercise, to drive my car without fear.
One of the most important things I learned was the importance of concentration when I am driving. I learned that concentration is an important, if not the most important tool a driver puts to use. When I got into the car with my first instructor, Peter, one of the first things he said was that when I get behind the wheel of my vehicle, my job is to drive it, and not to worry about anything else. When I was driving my car in a controlled skid, I was not thinking about my prior driving experiences; I was entirely focused on the present. As I made the car go faster, I felt afraid for a second, then the fear vanished. After the skid pad exercise, I had no problem driving across the parking lot to the next exercise. For the rest of the day, I was able to drive my car without hesitation, from one exercise to the next. Each instructor stressed the same thing: concentrate on the task at hand; think about nothing else but what you are doing. For me, this was key to how, in the short space of one day, I became a safer and more confident driver.
I hope that anyone who reads this who is suffering with driving anxieties will give him or herself a chance to put an end to their fears. Don’t spend twenty years being afraid of driving. Feeling like I was not capable of driving was embarrassing and depressing. For years it kept me from visiting my family and friends. After one day at the Car Control School, I had let go of a huge burden. Learning about my car, and how to handle it in routine and emergency situations has given me tools that every driver should have. I now understand what it means to not only drive my car, but also how to safely avoid being the victim or cause of a collision.
I would like to thank all of the instructors for your patience, guidance and encouragement. I now feel like I can really drive my car.
Gratefully yours
A.M., Toronto
ILR CCS graduate Julie C writes:
“I did not want to attend the Car Control School class but my hubby enrolled me. I have had my license for a very long time, but only drove enough to get my license and have not driven in that equally long time. (I will not admit it to my hubby) but the driving exercises were almost fun and this course should be mandatory to all drivers. The course was good for me. I know if my hubby “asked” me, I would have declined enrolling in the course – but that’s because I do not enjoy driving. I’d rather be a lazy passenger. It was good that the class “pushed” me out of my comfort zone”.
“I think one “Ah Haaa” moment was realizing the different types of driver (ie. Child, Parent, Adult). Of course, I am an adult driver (ie. just want to get from A to B, “accident free” and alive), but my hubby is sometimes the Child/Parent driver. He wants to “teach” other drivers a lesson from his car sometimes – if they cut him off. Everything was great. Too bad there’s not a school in Toronto/North York.” [ED NOTE: we are working on that – stay tuned by watching the newsletter]. – Julie C.
See that big blue rectangular button on your right? That’s how you subscribe to ”Ian’s Laws for Better Driving”. This e-newsletter is an extraction from the over 500 driving tips contained in Ian’s book “The Seven Deadly Sins of Driving”.
When you subscribe to receive the e-newsletter we will send you one or two driving tips every week or so, along with information about other driving events, driving education and special offers that our contacts have asked us to present for your consideration.
You may opt out at any time and we will NOT share your e-mail address with anyone else.
We are very responsible and do not want to SPAM people so we have decided to use the AWEBER double – opt-in mailing list service to verify that you would like to receive Ian’s e-newsletter.
We invite you to sign up so that you will be on the mailing list. Please also add “ianslaws @ aweber.com” and ”communication @ carcontrolschool.com” to your spam filter’s ‘safe senders’ list.
Better driving is no accident. Please click on the big blue button to subscribe, and then check your e-mail and click on the confirmation link.
ILR CCS graduate Diana B writes:
“I was almost in an accident on Friday and the only thing that saved me was the hard braking and avoidance training your course taught me. The other drivers nearby rolled down their window at the light and commended me for my heroic reaction (I told the lady in the car next to me to Google ILR Car Control School); meanwhile the errant driver didn’t have a clue what I had done to avoid him.
Thank you, and keep up the good work!”
Diana B.