IN HEAVY rain some motorists put on their headlights and some don't then there are those who can't decide, so they put on their sidelights.

Next time you are driving in poor visibility, notice how easy it is to spot the cars with headlights on compared to those sporting low-powered sidelights (which are for use when parking at night on a road with a speed limit above 30mph).

I tell my pupils "if you think it's gloomy enough for lights, then it is the headlights you need." But I remember one occasion when I wished I hadn't mentioned this.

It was a gloomy day so Miss Learner switched on the headlights at the start of her lesson and, stupidly, I forgot to remind her to switch them off when we parked in Bridge Street car park at the end. After a long chat, Miss Learner turned the key to drive home and all we heard was brrszz'.

"Oops! We left the lights on and now the battery is flat," I said, trying to sound as upbeat as possible, despite knowing that my jump leads were in the boot of my husband's car.

"Never mind, this is a great opportunity for you to learn how to push start a car, in case you ever need to in an emergency!" I smiled.

As we pushed the car around to a long, straight stretch I told Miss Learner how lucky she was to get some extra tuition for free - but she wasn't convinced. I also told myself that the spectacle of a Wycombe Driving School car being pushed by a customer didn't really look all that unprofessional but I wasn't convinced either!

Luckily two passers-by offered to help push and we were soon back on the road - thanks lads.

I would not recommend that you push start your car because it can damage the catalytic converter - using jump leads is a far better idea. But here's how to do it, incase you have no other options.

Firstly, turn off all accessories (radio, heater etc) and turn the ignition on. Select second gear, keep your clutch down, release the handbrake and instruct your helpers to push at jogging speed. Then release the clutch pedal while pressing the accelerator gently and the engine should start.

Of course prevention is always better than cure, so the best advice is to get into the habit of turning off all accessories before switching off the engine.

I'm hoping I won't find myself stuck with a flat battery again as I have now bought breakdown cover, a new car with clever lights that turn themselves off and a set of jump-leads for my husband.

As I'm always telling my pupils, a mistake is only a stupid mistake if you don't learn from it.