Pushing The Limit! - Advanced Driving Days

There are many of us who think we are good drivers, indeed we tend to take as much pride in our driving skills as the condition of our vehicles.

Remember when you took your driving test? The months of preparation, the nervous feeling of the test itself and the feeling of relief on being told that you've passed.

However, there are always some aspects of our driving that we are less confident about than others - such as driving in icy and wet conditions.

But what if you want to take your driving further? The thought of tearing round a circuit in a vehicle with a powerful V8 engine is the dream of many petrolheads.

Indeed, there are now a range of courses that allow you the opportunity to practice advanced manoeuvres - such as limit handling - in a safe environment.

During the days at the track you are tutored by experienced driving coaches - such as the internationally recognised Don Palmer - and there are a wide range of aspects of driving that you can learn and familiarise yourself with.

Many of us are familiar with programmes such as Top Gear, in which everyday cars are put through gruelling courses and a variety of terrain.

Normally, such experiences would not be possible on the roads of the UK. However, driving courses allow the chance to not only learn a bit more about driving, but also about how to find the vehicles' limit and use it for effective cornering.

Advanced driving techniques, such as drifting, are a part of the course, but they also seek to give you a better understanding about how far you can push the car - in terms of grip and steering.

It's a little like taking your driving test again, however, this time the car has a little more 'oomph' to what you're used to. Many of the vehicles used are high performance, which have been designed to be powerful and responsive.

During the course of these track days you get to learn about how these cars perform - including aspects such as grip and steering - as well as how much they can be pushed to the limit.

As well as the physical aspect of driving, these courses also help to prepare your mindset for driving, encouraging you to think about how the car is reacting to your driving.

After you are coached on how to react to certain situations, you're taken round the track in order to demonstrate the abilities - such as managing weight distribution and advanced gear shifting - whilst having an understanding as to how your actions affect the performance of your vehicle.

Track days can be an exhilarating experience, but they're as focused on keeping the car under control as the speed you travel at - pushing the limits of the vehicle to achieve optimum performance in the cornering.

Rather than focusing on improving your driving, which could lead to cheaper car insurance; these combined lessons are designed to give you a better understanding as to how these cars work and handle in certain situations - making for a day of heart-pounding exhilaration.