General information about road traffic accidents: stats and precautions

Posted on January 6th, 2012 by admin, under Driving Research and Statistics.

The multiple crash on the M5 in recent days should serve as a warning to us all of the inherent dangers of driving.  Collisions can happen to anybody at any time no matter how prepared, we can only try and legislate against catastrophe by doing our utmost to abide by safety rules and be constantly vigilant with regard to hazards.
The figures regarding road traffic accidents have showed a promising reduction of the amount of people seriously killed or injured in recent years.  Road safety groups highlight that this should not make us complacent to the dangers that are ever present.
As the government seemed to be receptive to talk of increased speed limits, the M5 tragedy has highlighted the fact that safety should always be the number one priority and we shouldn’t jump into believing that increased speed limits will make our roads safer by way of decreasing congestion or the like.
The Department for Transport collate statistics regarding RTAs and their results are heartening yet staggeringly brutal.  A tragic 24,517 people were reported killed or seriously injured in 2010, 9% less than the 2009 figure.  Despite the drop in total, this is still a staggering figure that highlights the ever present threat of tragedy.
The number of people killed fell by 16% over the years 2009 to 2010 which seems a significant drop.  This could be due to huge advances in road safety technologies and it’s the lowest figure since records began in 1926.  This should not encourage complacency.
The statistics also show that deaths through drink driving are decreasing year on year.  This is probably due to increased awareness, social stigmas, and effective advertising campaigns.  Between 2008 and 2009 total drink related casualties fell by 8%.
Driving is inherently dangerous and we are all constantly exposed to its risks so must make a concerted effort to stay vigilant. If you are however involved in a road traffic accident and you weren’t at blame, you can seek expert advice from lawyers on how to make road traffic accident claims.

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Drink Driving – Is it Worth it?

Posted on September 16th, 2011 by admin, under Driving Research and Statistics, Driving Tips.

Some car owners have ended up in that unfortunate predicament of when they’ve had one too many alcoholic beverages, and something has popped up requiring their need to step foot into their vehicle and attempt to drive. Maybe that hot date needs a lift home, and you’re all too eager to flash your skills behind the wheel? Perhaps that demanding neighbour of yours has rang you in a matter of urgency, claiming they’re locked out yet again and you’re the only person who can help.

In some cases, drivers would jump into their car without a second thought, risking their driving licenses, putting their life at risk and endangering other motorists and pedestrians. Before jumping behind the wheel consider, is your ego boost or neighbour’s dilemma worth the possibility of losing your driving license, or worst – your life?

Well, let’s first look at what the legal drinking limit is for driving. According to “Think!”; The legal maximum amount of alcohol for a driver to have is;

“35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath
80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood
107 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine”

Although these facts are in place, they are just empty figures with no real indication of what the limit is. Typical thoughts include “I’m well-built, I can handle a drink” or “I ate a large dinner that should have soaked all my alcohol up”. Well, there’s no sure-fire way of calculating how alcohol will affect your body, as there’s so many different variables it depends on. But you begin to wonder whether that forgetful, locked out neighbour will ever forgive you for failing to assist? Before answering this question you have to consider whose mistake would potentially be more costly: your neighbour’s key misplacement or being stopped by the police for drink driving – no contest there.

If the Police breathalyse you and decide you are over the limit, this could result in you being charged with a drink driving offence. This not only gives you a criminal record, but could lead to you having to pay a hefty fine, or receiving a driving ban. In the worst cases, a fatal accident could lead to a prison sentence. You would definitely need to be in contact with some good motoring offence solicitors then. Also, If you have a drink driving conviction according to Think!, it could result in “career loss, strain on personal relationships and higher insurance costs”.

So instead of risking your and other’s safety, and the possibility of a criminal record amongst other consequences; DO NOT drink prior to, or whilst, driving. Not only could it affect you, it could affect those around you. Your friends and family (hot dates and ailing neighbours included) would not be impressed with you endangering your life. So if you do have an alcoholic drink and something crops up; utilise your legs (burn some of those calories from that beverage!), call a taxi, or hop on a means of public transport.

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What do you do as a driver instructor?

Posted on August 18th, 2011 by admin, under Driving Instructor.

Have you ever wondered about becoming a driver instructor? Not only is the pay wonderful, but the hours are extremely flexible. This type of job is becoming more popular as many people are looking to become a driver instructor because of its stability. The good thing is that there’s also no previous experience required so everyone now wants to become a driver instructor.

What do you do as a driver instructor? Your job includes teaching new drivers the rules of driving, having them understand the Highway Code and also help them develop the skills they need to pass their driving test. You will need to provide every student with training depending on their skill level. What about the pay? It all depends on you since as a driver instructor you get to decide your hours and when you want to work. However, if you are willing to work full time you can easily receive over £600 per week.

How do you become a driver instructor? The very first thing you need is to have held a UK driving licence for more than 3 years and have less than 6 penalty points. Believe it or not, that is the only requirement other than being willing to work. You do need to undergo training, this can be quite hard as you will need to learn and become an expert in order to teach others about driving. It is a perfect job for those who enjoy working with individuals, is very patient, and has the discipline to work and study hard. It’s a great feeling to teach someone such a life changing skill as learning to drive, and then seeing them pass the driving test. If you are looking for a job that is rewarding, fun and flexible then this job is right for you! Start Instructor training now and become a driving instructor!

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Career Tips: Self-Employed vs Franchised – Part 1

Posted on January 11th, 2011 by admin, under Driving Instructor.

When your driving instructor examinations are drawing to an end, you start really thinking of how you are going to benefit from your new career. Indeed, every ADI trainee must decide between two options – taking out a franchise from a reputable driving school or going independent. This decision is crucial so you don’t have to be hasty. Driving Instructor Training Blog launches a series of posts dedicated to providing ADI trainees with some insights into ways they can build their career on.

So you want to go independent…

Self-employment is more of a vocation than a way of making a living. Getting an independent operation up and running isn’t easy. So we tried to make a summary of what it would take to start up a driving instructor business on your own.

Think Backward

90% of start-ups in driving instructor business fail within their debut year of operation. The same is true with start-ups in any industry. If you still reading this post you may wish to know why.

Major reason behind failing is not knowing what you want out of your business or how you are going to get what you want. Wait a minute! You know exactly what you want, isn’t it? You want to teach people how to drive and get paid right? So you find a car, place an ad or put up a website and wait for learners blowing up your phone. But nobody calls. Or people call but never call back. Or you car’s broke down. Or you have a pupil to teach but haven’t worked out a proper lesson plan yet. Problems keep piling up until you are left confused and frustrated. Finally, you fail.

Before you even start doing anything towards building your own business you have to learn to think backward. It means you should start with your desired goal. It’s not teaching how to drive. It’s what you want to get out of it. How much can you earn in the current climate? How much can you earn in your area? How many pupils you need to achieve you financial goal? These are questions you need to answer, to name a few.

Research

One of the key things about setting yourself a desired goal is aligning it with reality. Start with a simple market analysis to find opportunities you could seize. First of all, you need to look at driving instructor industry as a whole. You may wish to read some dedicated posts featured in our blog (http://driving-instructor-trainings.co.uk/category/driving-instructor/page/2; http://driving-instructor-trainings.co.uk/driving-instructor-earnings.html).

It is very important to do a special research for your business area. You need to analyze your competitors. How many are they? What are they charging? How are they offering their services? Who are their clients? Digital Data Direct launched a valuable solution for driving instructors called Local Instructor Insights. The solution can provide you with detailed information about driving instructor business in your area.

Estimates

Based on what you’ve gleaned from your research you can reasonably set your fees and strike your selling points. You can first take an average area fee and deduct all your business expenses from it to know what your profit would be. Your expenses as a driving instructor include fuel, monthly car maintenance and repair, insurance, taxes and marketing. Final pricing will depend on how you much you can reasonable charge in your situation.

Marketing

After estimating your costs and fees you know exactly what value you are offering and at what charge. Marketing is how you telling people about it. Most common ways are placing an ad in local newspapers, business directories and launching a website. Most of your audience will be young people. So it would be smart to serve up something entertaining.

Managing day-to-day operations

Even before you start working with your first customers you need to have clear work schemes in place. How are you going to handle business phone calls? How are going to manage your schedule? What are your lesson plans? How is your accounting and financial reporting arranged? These are questions you need to answer in advance.

We hope our post will help you build a successful business. Stay with us for more posts and tips.

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Tips for Trainee ADI: Part Three of the Approved Driving Instructor Examination

Posted on January 8th, 2011 by admin, under Driving Instructor, Driving Test, Driving Tips.

The third part of the Approved Driving Instructor test is the final and most feared step in your entire examination process. It assesses how well a trainee ADI is in teaching pupils. This post will look at what to expect at the test and brief you on some helpful tips to pass it.

Core Competencies

Core competencies are the most important areas in your Part 3 test. During the test, the Supervising Examiner (SE) will take on a role of a learner driver. As a candidate, you will be examined on your skills of identifying, analysing and rectifying the pupil’s faults.

Identifying

One of the most helpful things about identifying faults is to prioritise them. You should be able to distinguish between minor and major faults. Another good thing is to observe your pupil more than the road. You can practice in identifying faults with your instructor or, as a passenger, in other cars.

Analysing

Well, you’ve identified the fault! Your learner driver has just cut the corner. So you would naturally say – “You cut the corner”. Unfortunately, this would demonstrate you as a poor teacher. Instead, you need to analyse WHY your pupil did something wrong. The best way to detect the reason behind the fault is to use question and answer (Q&A) technique.

Correcting

Once you’ve established the fault with your pupil and he/she understood the reason, you should move to correcting the fault. There are three basic methods of doing this – Q&A, explanation and demonstration. A method you choose largely depends on a situation and the character that SE is assuming. For example, SE can play the role of nonresponding learner. In this case, Q&A would probably be a bad idea. On the other hand, if SE seems outgoing, Q&A will be the best solution.

Instructional techniques

Supervising Examiner will also assess you on how you plan and give instruction. Instructional techniques include an ability to grade the level of instruction, planning the lesson, communicating with the pupil, giving feedback and encouragement.

Finally, let’s look at some of the most common failures of trainee ADIs when passing Part 3 test.

• Tiresome briefing. Keep your pre-lesson briefing as short and concise as possible.
• Unrealistic expectations. Your instruction must fit the level of a pupil. Expecting more than your pupil can actually do would demonstrate your inability to teach.
• Weak performance in core competencies. Any weakness in identifying, analysing or correcting driving faults.
• Over-instruction. Try to answer your pupil’s questions as short as possible. Stick to concise and logical pattern during entire training session. Giving over-detailed explanations will surely confuse your pupil.
• Discouragement. Discouraging your pupil is like a cardinal sin. As an ADI, you are expected to radiate positive approach and drive you pupil to improve his or her performance.

Good luck at your Part Three Test!

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DSA will stop publishing theory test questions

Posted on December 10th, 2010 by admin, under Latest News.

Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is restless about improving the entire driving test regime. Following the introduction of independent driving in October, DSA officials announced its plan to stop publishing the theory test questions and answers.

The move will be introduced in an attempt to enhance learner drivers’ understanding of the principles behind driving theory. As you know, DSA is now publishing the multiple choice questions and answers used in theory test. DSA officials believe this to be ineffective practice with learners focusing on memorising right answers instead of understanding them.

In September 2011 DSA will change learning materials for theory test, adding more sophisticated case studies. Then, from January 2012, DSA will introduce theory tests using questions which will not be available to learners.

Will this push the pass rate down? Or will it improve road safety? The answer is yours.

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What is fleet training

Posted on October 1st, 2010 by admin, under Driving Instructor.

Introduction Into Fleet Training

No need to say many approved driving instructors are struggling financially in this bad economy. Some quit, some are cutting down prices, some are trying to diversify. One way is to branch into fleet training business. We’ve recently seen a massive increase in the number of fleet training providers and AIDs getting fleet training qualification. Read on for introduction on this opportunity.

Why’s the buzz?

Until recently, merely holding a driving licence was enough for fleet drivers to get the job. Employers simply looked at licence and insurance. This means that fleet drivers didn’t received any occupational training or assessment. With the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act that came into effect on April 6, 2008, the things changed a great deal. The Act holds a company responsible for the actions of its employees, including fleet drivers who potentially expose the public to the risk of unsafe driving. Companies that do not have risk assessment or driver training in place may well be prosecuted. So more and more businesses are approaching fleet training providers to complete such assessment. This means more job opportunities for driving instructors who are qualified as fleet trainers.

Fleet Training: Highlights

So what is actually fleet training business is about? There are now a few dozens of fleet training suppliers who hire approved driving instructors to provide assessment and training to fleet drivers. Typically, it is part-time employment paying around £100-150 a day. It doesn’t mean nine to five thing, five days a week. You get paid for a session which could last one or more days depending on the scope and objectives.

Some approved driving instructors try and go independent. If you have nice qualifications and business skills you can get from £250 to £500 for a session.

Whichever is your choice, in order to be competitive, you will need to go through DSA qualification process to become DSA approved fleet driver trainer. It’s voluntary but any company or fleet training provider would rate this one as priority requirement.

This post is merely aimed at getting you introduced to fleet training. If you wish to consider this opportunity further we strongly recommend you to visit one of the largest driver instructor forums here www.drivertrainingtoday.co.uk.

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Why Join DSA’s Voluntary Register of Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Driving Instructors?

Posted on September 24th, 2010 by admin, under Driving Instructor.

Holding a category C driving licence may be a good asset as it opens up plenty of job opportunities. If you feel for some reason that trucking is not good for you, or you lost your job due to the recession, or you retired, this post should be of interest to you. Why not look at the idea of starting a career of LGV driving instructor?

Why bother?

Driving training is a tricky business indeed. While driving instructors for category B licence face lengthy and costly qualification process, the category C (or C+E) licence is all LGV driving instructors need to teach others to drive. Rather odd, isn’t? LGV driver operates vehicles that weight up to 44,000 kgs. Talk about safety with anyone who simply holds a truck driving licence being able to teach others to drive these monster vehicles. Nevertheless the Department of Transport is quiet about making LGV driving instructor qualification compulsory. So why bother?

However, if you are set to start up a sustainable and rewarding business, you’ll be better off being on the DSA’s Voluntary Register of Large Goods Vehicle Driving Instructors. Firstly, many driving schools providing LGV driving courses have it as a requirement for their driving instructors. Secondly, your prospect learners can get suspicious over the lack of qualifications. And, thirdly, the Register gets you noticed among unqualified competitors. It is an investment that would pay back fortunes.

How to join the Register?

In order to apply for DSA qualification, you should hold the following category licences:

• C1 – medium-sized goods vehicles
• C1+E – medium-sized goods vehicle with trailer
• C – rigid large goods vehicles
• C+E – articulated LGVs or LGV/trailer combination

A candidate should not have been disqualified from driving within four years prior to application.

To initiate application process candidates should obtain a starter pack from DSA for £6.99. Starter pack includes application form, notes for guidance and theory test questions.

Large goods vehicle instructor qualifying process consists of a three-part examination: theory test, practical driving test and test of instructional ability. Candidates are expected to pass all three tests within one year with a maximum of three attempts at each qualifying test.

Theory test is made up of multiple choice questions and hazard perception element. The hazard perception test is carried out on computer and assesses candidates’ ability to react to developing road hazards. Part two of the examination will assess your driving ability. DSA examiner will ask you to perform several exercises at a test centre site. Your practical driving test will also include independent driving following directions from DSA examiner. The most important part of the entire examination process is part three, the test of instructional ability. Your examiner will assess how good you are at teaching pupils. During the test, the examiner will take on a role of a pupil and will evaluate how skilled you are at giving instructions, correcting driving errors and dealing with a learner’s nervousness.

Once you have passed your examinations and paid registration fee, your name will appear on the LGV Instructor Register. You will also receive a certificate of registration as a proof that you have qualified as LGV driving instructor.

Below are test fees charged by DSA:

Theory test – £64.63

Practical driving test – £139.83

Test of instructional ability – £139.83

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How to Obtain Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) Driving Licence in the UK?

Posted on September 15th, 2010 by admin, under Advice for Learner Drivers, Driving Test.

There is a certain type of men for whom trucking is a life’s calling. Others may look at it as a good money-making opportunity. According to the Road Haulage Association’s latest survey, an averaged pay for a class C+E licence holders stands at £478. However, whatever your personal reason for becoming LGV driver could be, you would need to obtain a LGV driving licence. This post here gives prospect LGV drivers a through account of every aspect of obtaining C+E category licence in the UK.

Understanding licence categories

Before you start looking for LGV driving courses, you have to understand the difference between licence categories. This will help you plan your career and costs. Category C licence holders are entitled to operate rigid vehicles only. With C+E licence in hand, you can drive both rigid and articulated vehicles. You must have it in the back of your mind that getting C+E licence would create more job opportunities while having more impact on your wallet.

Entitlement

From the 10th September, revised rules for LGV drivers have come into effect, changing entitlement and test requirement. In order to apply for a provisional licence, a candidate must be in possession of a car driving licence and be at least 21 years old. New laws demand candidates to have Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC), but if you don’t have one it will be part of your LGV theory and driving tests.

Applying for LGV Provisional Licence

You can’t start learning to drive LGV without obtaining provisional licence. In order to do so, you need to fetch a copy of D2 application form from any post-office or order it from the DVLA. Next, you should get your D4 medical form completed. It can be done through your local General Practitioner. GPs charge an average of £50 for D4, although fees may vary. Good news that applying for LGV provisional licence is currently free.

LGV Theory Test

Now that your LGV provisional licence has arrived you can book your theory test. With new rules in place, LGV theory test currently includes two Modules. Module 1 consists of multiple choice questions and hazard perception part. The multiple choice part contains 100 questions. Candidates would be expected to score at least 85 correct choices to pass. The hazard perception includes 19 clips of on-road episodes with developing hazards. Each clip features two scoreabe hazards, 5 scores for each hazard identified. A score of 67 out of 100 is required to pass the hazard perception part. Candidates will have 2 hours to complete multiple choice questions and 30 minutes for hazard perception.

Module 2 is what is actually new to LGV theory test. It consists of Driver CPC case studies. These case study questions use real life scenarios and test a candidate’s ability to put theoretical knowledge into practice. Each test will challenge candidates to do 7 case studies with 6 to 8 questions with a possible score of 50, of which pass score will be 38.

Multiple choice and hazard perception test fees are £35 and £15 accordingly. These fees are not refundable in case you’ve failed.

Training for LGV Driving Test

Once you have obtained your theory test pass certificate, it’s time to proceed into the most exciting part – driving! And this is exactly the point where you should be particularly careful about your decisions and spending. There are a lot of driving schools and independent driving instructors offering LGV driving lessons. Basically, candidates must avoid two equally disadvantageous options – overpriced solutions and underpriced deals. LGV driving training courses may greatly vary in what they can offer. However, candidates must be aware that a national average for LGV driving lesson is in a range of £30 to £35 per hour with a minimum of 20 hours of training. LGV driving test fee will add another £115 to your expense list.

LGV Driving Test

LGV driving test includes two Modules.  Module 1 combines on-road driving and carrying out maneuvers at your test centre. While doing on-road driving your examiner would expect you to demonstrate safe driving in varying traffic and road conditions. The set of exercises at the test center will include reversing into a restricted opening, braking and uncoupling and recoupling for those who upgrade to C+E category.

Module 2 is made up of Driver CPC tasks. During the test candidates will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge and practical skills in the following areas:

• loading the vehicle with regard to safety
• checking the vehicle safety
• preventing criminality and trafficking in illegal immigrants
• assessing emergencies
• preventing physical risk.

Each area is covered by one question where candidates should actually demonstrate their knowledge. Each correct answer scores 20%. Candidates must achieve 80% to pass the test.

Once you have qualified as a C category licence holder you can immediately proceed to C+E category training without the need to pass theory test again. However, you will have to look for C+E driving lessons and pass your driving test. Obviously, getting C+E category licence is more expensive, but this kind of licence opens up better career opportunities.

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Driving Instructor Training

Posted on September 2nd, 2010 by admin, under Driving Instructor, Driving Research and Statistics.

Driving Instructor Training: What To Look Out For

One of biggest nation-wide instructor training provider, Red Driving School, went into administration. The number of complaints from disillusioned driving instructorsunder training is soaring. Driving instructor test failure rate is jaw-dropping. – It sounds like a daunting undertaking to get a decent driving instructor training these days. Here in this post we are going to talk about getting driving instructor training in the UK and…. getting it right.

Before you shell out your hard-earned money to any driving instructor training school, it’s important that you know the reality of the industry and are able to distinguish between providers. So have some patience and do lots of research before making your choice. Read on to know what to look out for.

Don’t Watch TV

We won’t go about the realities of driving instructor industry or dispelling all of those TV advert myths from instructor training companies here. Simply check our dedicated post before you proceed.

Read Between the Lines

Get it? When a driving instructor school promises a guaranteed placement, it doesn’t mean anything near job security, salaried employment or steady supply of work. What they really offer is to take out a franchise with them. Taking out the franchise means you will pay a fee on a monthly basis to a driving school in exchange for the right to use their name, company logo and often a vehicle. Franchise typically involves the responsibility of a franchisor to supply a franchisee with pupils, handle advertising and provide business-related services. The problem with franchise thing though is that you have to pay your franchise fee whether you earn it off your pupils under franchise deal or not. And fees can be high enough to leave you working just to cover the amount. So make sure you fully understand your franchise offer and it is economically viable.

ORDIT or Not?

Once you start looking for a driving instructor provider, you will surely come across the acronym ORDIT. It stands for The Official Register of Driving Instructor Training. The Register was set up by DSA to ensure standards of driving instructor training are met and maintained. It’s voluntary. However, one of the good things about DSA approved providers is that you can complain to DSA if there is a problem with your training. Typically DSA requires ORDIT registered driving schools to establish clear refund and complaint procedures.

Word of Mouth

There are a great many of organisations out there, small and giant, offering a driving instructor training. And it’s a minefield to walk on. The best way to get informed is to ask other approved driving instructors for advice or visit professional internet forums where people speak from their experiences. Below is a link to driving schools reviews:
http://www.drivertrainingtoday.co.uk/forum/index.php/board,296.0.html
You may also wish to consider what Surepass Driving School has to offer. If so, please, go to our previous post here.

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