The Hendon System of Vehicle Control

The Hendon System

At City-Cross, we teach the Handon System of Vehicle Control which was developed in Handon England. This is a provensystematic approach to driving and dealing with any hazards, recommended to be taught to new drivers within the ACT.

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A Framework For Your Safe Driving Future.

The Hendon System of Vehicle Control is a sequence of actions which, when consistently followed when faced with a hazard or potentially dangerous situation, ensures the driver is always in full control of the vehicle, and prepared for almost any unexpected action by any other vehicle. A Hazard is a could be as simple as a busy intersection, or an upcoming potentially dangerous situation or road blockage.

Below are the 10 elements of the system as described by the ACT Learner Driver Standards. Each element is part of a sequence, and must be considered in order.

1. Course

Consider and plan the appropriate course eg
path/action/speed through the hazard. Situations can change quickly so continue to watch carefully as you approach.

2. Mirror

Consider the evidence in the mirror to assist in your decision of which course. Base your decision on what is behind you, how far away it is and how fast it is travelling.

3. Indicator

Consider indicating your intention to others to inform them of your plan. This will help other vehicles as they also continue to control their vehicle around the hazard.

4. Brake

Consider the timing and amount of brake pedal pressure to get your vehicle to the appropriate speed to deal with the upcoming hazard. Make sure the brake is applied as smoothly as possible.

5. Gears

Consider the best gear for the new speed, the wrong gear at this point will mean the vehicle may not be balanced properly to negotiate the hazard or you wont have the power to accelerate away.

6. Mirrors

Consider the vehicles to the side and rear in the mirror again, you need to check the impact your change of speed has had on the traffic around you.

7. Evasive

Action Consider the most appropriate action/s for you to take. You may simply be deciding when to join traffic at a give way or you could be steering the car away from a danger. Your action will usually be the course you decided upon in point one, or sometimes another action which has become possible since that first decision.

8. Accelerator (Throttle) Pt1

Consider your foot pressure on the accelerator pedal (Throttle) at this point (NOT for the purpose of gaining speed), but in order to keep the car balanced though the hazard. Ideally, you would maintain an even balance on the front and rear pairs of tyres as you steer through.

9. Accelerator (Throttle) Pt2

After the hazard is passed, consider the rate of acceleration, where inertia is no longer pushing to the side of the vehicle and the risk of skidding is very low. You need to accelerate away from the hazard, always being aware of the traffic behind and around you.

10. Mirror

Consider the new view in the mirror to see what affect you had on other vehicles as you negotiated the hazard. Eg. Possibly you cut off another vehicle as you changed lanes. You might need to accelerate quickly in order to maintain a safe distance.

What People Have to Say About City Cross Driving School

“Darryl, Many thanks for your support & guidance shown to Megan, Leah, Joshua & Emma during the many driving lessons. They are all certainly enjoying their independence of having their licence.”

Bernadette Clarke

“Before learning to drive I had been in a serious car accident, this left me with anxiety to driving. I started off with another driving school which every time I got into the car and had a panic attack would just tell me I was silly and yell at me whenever I did something wrong. I only went to a few lessons with this school until I couldn’t cope anymore. After having the courage to try another school I phoned City-Cross Driving School. The first time I hopped into the car with I felt safe. I had an amazing teacher who would never yell or cause me to have a panic attack. Instead we would pull over and assess the problem together. I felt so comfortable learning with City-Cross Driving School that I always keep in touch as I feel like I made a good friend. My father was overseas when I was learning to drive so my lessons were my only practise. They were always available morning and night and from any location!”

Jessica Caldwell

“Learning to drive was scary – until getting in the car on my 1st lesson! My instructor made learning to drive so much fun, and exciting. There was never any pressure, and I never felt scared to make a mistake. City-Cross made the lessons fun and this made my learning experience much better. My instructor was always positive, happy & taught in a friendly way – perfect for learning to drive! I still play some of the games we used to! I’d recommend them to anyone!”

Kelsey Ogilvie

“City-Cross Driving School gave me such an excellent teacher while I was learning to drive! They made sure to let me know how I could make every one of my skills for driving absolutely perfect. I felt comfortable to make mistakes because I always knew it would be taken in a positive way to help me become a better driver instead of feeling less confident. Overall, learning with my instructor was actually really fun and didn’t feel like a lesson, but I ended up learning so much!”

Maxine Monus

“I attended City-Cross Driving School a couple of years ago. It was a very enjoyable experience with my driving instructor. She made me feel very comfortable learning to drive, and very confident on the road. I always think of her advice when I’m doing a reverse parallel park!”

Jess Vink

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