Here’s everything you need to know about dual control cars.
What are dual controls?
- Dual controls are a set of pedals on the passenger’s side of the car, in addition to the regular pedals on the driver’s side. Dual controls allow the passenger, normally a driving instructor, to stop the car using the extra pedals.
- If it’s a manual dual control car, there will be two pedals on the passenger’s side: brake and clutch. If it’s an automatic dual control car, there will only be a brake pedal.
Are dual controls compulsory?
- The government doesn’t state that dual pedals are legally required but you will struggle to find an instructor that doesn’t use them. They may not be legally binding, but it makes much more sense to have them.
- Imagine you were teaching a student who is judging the speed of a car at a junction. Without being able to stop them, you could end up in a difficult situation.
Benefits of a dual controls
- Sometimes learners make mistakes or other road users get Impatient and do something that can cause a serious incident. When this happens, instructors need to be able to take control of the situation as they usually have a quicker reaction time, dual control cars enable instructors to do exactly that.
- In a worst-case scenario, an instructor can use the dual controls to stop the car and prevent anything more serious from happening. It’s a great safety net for learner drivers and minimises the risk of an accident during lessons. They also make the student feel much more comfortable knowing the instructor can take over if necessary.
How long do dual controls take to fit?
- We know the importance of time for a driving instructor, time of the road is money lost, therefore we endeavour to have the dual controls fitted and the vehicle prepped at our earliest convenience.
Do you have to be an instructor to have dual controls fitted?
- anyone with a driving licence can technically drive a dual control car, it’s primarily designed for learner drivers under the supervision of a qualified instructor.
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