A YOUNG driving instructor has recommended ways for newly qualified drivers to follow her example and stay safe on Herefordshire's roads.

Jo Williams, aged 24, believes recently qualified drivers can become safer if they ease themselves into the demands of unsupervised driving.

"New drivers have to get used to thinking for themselves for the first time and that can be quite daunting to begin with," said Jo, who works in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye for GT School of Motoring.

"Don't run before you can walk. The first time you go out and drive somewhere make it somewhere local and build up from there.

"The last thing you should do is go out on a road trip on roads you have never driven before."

Jo, of Newton Farm, Hereford, said new drivers often struggled with roundabouts and motorway driving.

"Roundabouts can be a problem as there are a lot of different things going on and lots of different places to look which can be confusing. It's also possible to struggle with motorway driving as new drivers are on their own without any back-up.

"I tell people to anticipate the worst thing that can happen. If you plan for the worst then at least you are prepared."

Jo said many new drivers may not appreciate how cars with bigger engines need to be driven differently to those they learn in. "We only teach in cars with small sized engines and if people go straight into a sports car they can assume it is the same as the car they learned in.

"It's important to be aware of the capabilities of your car. A car is quite a powerful machine and many people don't realise how fast and how powerful they can be.

"Don't go in all guns blazing - get to know the car first and take it steady to start with so you can fully appreciate what you are driving."

Jo feels she is able to relate well to the drivers she teaches as many of them are close to her age.

"Most of them are 17 or 18 and we can relate to each other."