The Highway Code

The Highway Code is one of the most boring audiobooks out there. By the way did I mention you can get it in audiobook form, no really. Unfortunately, it sounds like one of those information films, where everyone wished they could be somewhere else. Although what should I expect from a legal document. It is hardly going to be a riveting listen. It was only saved from entering my worst audiobooks list by being incredibly useful. Since it contains laws that all drivers need to know.²

I went on the hunt for something better. However, every audiobook I came across was around an hour long. You might as well watch a YouTube video at that length. The truth is that audiobooks that are less than two hours are really audio-dissertations and not audiobooks.

As I calculated a couple of years ago, that an average audiobooks covers 31 pages every hour. I did this by dividing the pages by run time, for several books. Therefore, audiobooks of less than two hours should be less than 62 pages long.

How to Drive

Then I came across How to Drive by Ben Collins better known as the Stig from Top Gear. I will refer to Collins from here on out as the Stig, simply because I can. More importantly, How to Drive aims to help people to learn to drive safely. Therefore, I can highly recommend it for anyone learning to drive. With a mixture of first-hand accounts and know how, in an upbeat fashion. Well compared to The Highway Code.¹

How to Drive should be the very last book you would expect from the stig. Nor from any racing driver for that matter.¹

The Stig’s identity was kept secret for my most of my childhood, and now I could find out who here really was. Although it would seem that, the Stig is equally proud of his stunt driving on multiple Hollywood film sets like James Bond. Well this is the stig.¹

How to Drive is split into four parts, but with parts one and two being the most important for learner drivers:¹

Part 1 provides a short history of driving and the diving test. Going into the limitations of the driving test for preparing people for the open road.¹

Part 2 goes over every part of controlling the car, from the brakes to engine power. Covering how to operate the car in such a way to maximise both speed and safety.¹

Part 3 covers how to drive on the open road, with step-by-step guides and examples. The stag provides a common sense guide regularly pointing out hazards that could be fatal.¹

The first half of Part 4 covers how to drive in hazardous conditions like snow and mud.¹

The second half of part 4 goes into stunt and rally driving. The Stig uses examples of driving in James Bond and The Fast and the Furious film sets to show how they can done.¹

I would not recommend How to Drive, if you have driven for thousands of miles without a problem. As the audiobook is primary aimed at learner drivers or those who have trouble driving. Unless you are looking for a refresher.¹

The narration by the Stig, is ok, but not that good for someone who has spent many years on a hit TV show. Although he never uttered a single word, well until now!¹

By Arran Wilkins © 2021 (text only)

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Biography

(1) Collins, Ben. How to Drive (Audible Original, 2017) Amazon Audible, Available at: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/How-to-Drive-Audiobook/B071ZQTN48?ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_&pf_rd_p=7bf74090-5cb9-4f5e-bc6f-6ea28d055287&pf_rd_r=B6C0WQ5HQCCR0G2RYXFG [Accessed on 6^th April 2021].

(2) Waterson, Matthew. The Highway Code (Drivinged, 2013) Amazon Audible, Available at: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Highway-Code-Audiobook/B00UB3IZXA?ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_&pf_rd_p=7bf74090-5cb9-4f5e-bc6f-6ea28d055287&pf_rd_r=NXAF78XW89A3DA6E0W7Z [Accessed on 9^th April 2021].

(Image one) strikers. Pixabay. Pixabay License. Accessed at: https://pixabay.com/photos/miniature-car-model-toy-automobile-1802333/ [Accessed on 5^th April 2021].

(Image two) Anindo Rudro. Pixabay. Pixabay License. Accessed at: https://pixabay.com/photos/miniature-cars-photography-2437613/ [Accessed on 5^th April 2021].

(Image three) kunal mukherjee. Pixabay. Pixabay License. Accessed at: https://pixabay.com/photos/miniature-car-rain-5141627/ [Accessed on 5^th April 2021].