NNSL (Mar 18/98) - Norm Pottinger teaches others how to avoid accidents -- and he does it in a "cool" car.

As a driving instructor for Arctic Defensive Driving School, he provides students with accident-prevention tips and emergency control techniques. And the practical part of it is done in a white 1998 Pontiac Sunfire, a vehicle some teenage students are quite impressed with, according to Pottinger, a former miner who has been giving driving lessons for the past three years.

Unfortunately, some other drivers don't have the time of day for the clearly marked "Student Driver" car. Pottinger occasionally gets anonymous messages on his business answering machine from irate drivers who had to slow down because of them.

"Everybody had to learn to drive sometime," Pottinger noted. "Be patient. We get out of the way when we can."

As a driving instructor, he'd have to be a patient guy himself, right?

"I guess," he laughed. "Sometimes your patience wears thin."

The wintry conditions in Yellowknife -- especially on the ice road --present treacherous conditions that prepare students for the worst.

"The winter drivers are the best drivers of all," Pottinger said.

At about 30 metres wide, the utterly slick ice road allows for near ideal skid-control practice. Despite its width, he has had to call a tow truck to get the car out of the snowbank on occasion.

Many of his students ask him why he has a passenger-side brake in addition to the regular brake.

"Because I need that brake about three times every two-hour (session)," he tells them.

Students at Arctic Defensive Driving School get 15 hours of class time and 10 hours of one-on-one driving instruction. Upon completion of the course, they also get a certificate that leads to cheaper insurance rates.

Male drivers are generally overconfident, according to Pottinger. The majority of female drivers tend to be more cautious, but some lack confidence, he said.

The most common error that all novices make is forgetting to shoulder-check, Pottinger said.

What about his own driving habits? Is he infallible behind the wheel?

"Everybody does things wrong on a regular basis. We're not perfect, that's for sure," he said. "I realize my mistakes and I go, 'Oh my, look at what I just did."