Andy Dawson Driving · Lincolnshire
Practical advanced-driving, Roadcraft and road-safety guidance for learner drivers, newly qualified motorists, experienced full-licence holders and anyone who wants to become safer, smoother and more confident on Lincolnshire roads.
Created by Andy Dawson, a retired Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant, IAM Advanced Driver, RoSPA Gold Advanced Driver and Lincolnshire driving instructor. This is an independent educational website and is not an official RoSPA, IAM RoadSmart, police or Roadcraft website.
Start where you are
You do not need to be an advanced driver to benefit from advanced-driving ideas. Good observation, planning, vehicle control and decision-making are valuable from the first lesson through to a lifetime of full-licence driving.
Understand the reasons behind what you are being taught. Explore observation, mirrors, junctions, roundabouts, positioning, speed choice, rural roads and the skills needed to become a safe independent driver—not merely to pass a test.
Develop confidence after the test. Learn about night driving, motorways, unfamiliar roads, passengers, poor weather and the additional responsibility that comes with driving without an instructor beside you.
Refresh habits that may have become automatic, rebuild confidence after a break, understand modern vehicle technology and examine how anticipation can make everyday driving safer, calmer and less tiring.
Explore Roadcraft, IPSGA, observation links, limit points, systematic driving, spoken thought and preparation for an advanced-driving assessment or the RoSPA Advanced Test.
About Andy Dawson
I am Andy Dawson, a retired Metropolitan Police Detective Sergeant, police response-trained driver, RoSPA Gold advanced driver and driving instructor based in the Lincolnshire Wolds.
I served with the Metropolitan Police for 33 years. That career taught me the value of remaining calm, gathering information, making balanced decisions and communicating clearly—qualities that are just as valuable in driving and driver education.
After moving to Brookenby with my wife, Anji, I established Drive With Andy and began teaching learner drivers across Lincolnshire. I also continued developing my own driving, achieving a RoSPA Gold result and taking a deeper interest in Roadcraft, advanced-driver coaching and road safety.
I created this website to make those ideas accessible. The aim is not to make everyday driving sound unnecessarily complicated. It is to explain why good drivers look further ahead, plan earlier, communicate clearly and leave themselves options.
What this website is about
The Driving Journal explores the principles behind safer driving and shows how they apply to everyday situations. The emphasis is on understanding and application—not simply learning phrases.
Information, Position, Speed, Gear and Acceleration explained clearly, with worked examples from ordinary driving.
Learn to identify observation links, recognise developing hazards and create a plan before a situation becomes urgent.
Advice on junctions, roundabouts, mirrors, positioning, manoeuvres, test preparation and safe independent driving.
Guidance for motorways, night driving, rural routes, difficult weather and driving without an instructor beside you.
Rural bends, farm traffic, mud, cyclists, horse riders, wildlife, fast A-roads and changing weather across the county.
Driver-assistance systems, automatic lights, sat-nav, speed limiters and why responsibility still remains with the person behind the wheel.
Advanced driving in Lincolnshire
Advanced driving is about using better information to make better decisions. A good advanced driver looks further ahead, recognises risk earlier and selects a safe position and speed before the situation demands a sudden response.
The result should normally be a drive that feels calm, smooth and controlled. Passengers should notice the comfort and consistency—not a display of unnecessary speed or overconfidence.
A local perspective
Lincolnshire offers a remarkable variety of driving environments. The county’s open scenery can appear straightforward, but rural roads often demand particularly careful observation, speed choice and forward planning.
Crests, changing gradients, tightening bends, concealed entrances and restricted views make limit-point assessment and a safe stopping distance especially important.
Tractors, mud, wide machinery, field entrances and seasonal activity can transform a familiar road. Observation links allow the driver to anticipate the hazard earlier.
Parked vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, schools, junctions and changing speed limits require the driver to constantly reassess the developing picture.
Routes such as the A15, A16 and A46 demand effective separation distances, lane discipline, mirror use, anticipation and safe joining and overtaking decisions.
Cyclists, horse riders, walkers and motorcyclists may be encountered on narrow or high-speed roads. Good drivers create time and space rather than forcing a close pass.
Fog, low sun, darkness, standing water, frost and exposed roads can change stopping distances and visibility. The plan must change with the conditions.
Learner-driver tuition
Drive With Andy is my dedicated driving-school website, where learner drivers can find information about lessons, prices, availability, areas covered and how to get in touch.
I provide calm, structured and pupil-centred manual driving tuition, helping learners understand the road, develop independence and build safe habits for life.
Lessons are available across parts of the Lincolnshire Wolds and surrounding areas, including Market Rasen, Brookenby, Binbrook, Caistor, Louth, Horncastle, Wragby, Lincoln, Grimsby and Cleethorpes, subject to current availability.
Common questions
The website is designed to make advanced-driving ideas accessible without assuming that every reader is already an expert.
No. It is for learner drivers, newly qualified motorists, experienced drivers, people returning after a break, parents supporting a learner, driving instructors and anyone preparing for an advanced assessment. The level of each article will be made clear.
Roadcraft is the police driver’s handbook for better, safer driving. It explains systematic driving, observation, anticipation, vehicle control and the principles commonly represented by IPSGA. Read more on the Police Foundation’s Roadcraft page .
IPSGA stands for Information, Position, Speed, Gear and Acceleration. It is a flexible system used to approach and negotiate hazards safely. Information continues throughout the entire process.
No. The articles are available to anyone interested in safer driving. Drivers who want practical coaching or to work towards the RoSPA Advanced Test can contact their local RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders group.
No. Andy Dawson Driving is independently written and operated by Andy Dawson. References to RoSPA, Roadcraft and other organisations are for education and signposting. Official information should always be checked with the relevant organisation.
Driving-lesson information and enquiries are handled through my separate business website, Drive With Andy .
No. Written and video material can improve understanding, but unfamiliar techniques should be practised safely with a suitably qualified instructor, tutor or observer. Drivers remain responsible for complying with the law, the Highway Code and the conditions in front of them.