Braking is not just about pushing the brake pedal. The ability to predict situations ahead of you is one of the most important skills you will need for a lifetime of safe driving. Drivers with good anticipation and planning, often use their brakes less frequently, and rarely brake excessively.

If you push the brake pedal hard, you will come to a stop, but you will probably find that your face is right up against your windscreen!

Progressive braking is a technique where you vary the pressure that you exert on the brake pedal. It should start off with slight pressure, increase the pressure, and then finish the braking very lightly.

When you have mastered progressive braking, you will have stopped where you intended to stop, the entire braking process will have been smooth and when you finally come to a stop, there will be no aggressive jolt at the end. Try out the progressive braking technique the next time you are driving and see if you can perfect it. Your instructor will definitely notice, and there will be even more praise coming your way!