Renowned high performance driving coach, Hugh Noblett – Director of Training and founder of Cadence Driver Development appeared a recent edition of the BBC TV "Real Story with Fiona Bruce" current affairs programme.  You can see the video by clicking here.

Three recently qualified new drivers were under Hugh’s watchful eye, gaining vital skills, which many critics feel are lacking in our current practical driving test. Recent reports have identified that our new drivers consider they are being let down by the focus of the test. Rather than performing basic manoeuvring techniques they want to see a far more stretching test of their ability to safely deal with real-life situations.

Hugh helped develop their concentration and on-road risk management strategies; country road and night driving (where so many new drivers have crashes); and finally motorway procedures, where the new drivers will learn how to create the space and time needed to safely deal with an increasingly hostile environment.

Asked by the producer to adopt the persona of the fierce headmaster rather than his usual genial self, Hugh was at times in danger of wearing out his rear-view mirrors, as he searched for problems that had been missed by these inexperienced drivers!  Night driving, motorway and roundabout approaches and creating a safe space were the major problems for the three drivers and unfortunately there was insufficient time for Hugh to demonstrate safe, systematic, smooth and enjoyable driving.

Hugh’s instructing career started at The Metropolitan Police Driving School at Hendon, teaching police drivers, safe high-speed and pursuit methods.  After Hendon he worked with the first advanced driving course in the UK teaching the public similar risk management strategies to those he had been instructing the police for the previous twenty years, as well as developing anti-hijack and high-speed skills for the SAS and close protection agencies. 

In 1996 he founded Cadence Driver Development to address the need for a modern method of high performance driver coaching, aimed at the development of thoughtful, safe and enjoyable motoring. He spends the majority of his time working with performance car owners – encouraging them to match their driving abilities with those of their cars.  Other training outlets are now following his lad and are increasingly adopting his coaching style and ethos. 

Hugh and his team are currently finalising a presentation to the Minister for Transport offering a cost-effective and workable solution to the shortcomings of the current pre-test driver-training regime and the ongoing need for all drivers to improve their driving abilities.