Making Sure Your Test Vehicle Is Suitable

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

Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has issued a notice on using space saver tyres on the learner driver cars during the practical driving test. The notice was prompted by increasing number of complaints from candidates whose test didn’t go ahead because their cars were fitted with space saver tyres. That also means they lost their driving test fee.

While it’s become a common feature for modern car manufacturers to use space saver tyres, Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) guideline clearly states that the tyre cannot be fitted to a leaner driver car. Following DSA notice we feel it necessary to remind all driving instructors and their pupils of essential vehicle safety requirements at the driving test.

1. Vehicle recall 
   DSA may prevent a candidate from taking practical driving test when the car is subject to a manufacturer recall or safety notice. If the recall occurs, the car automatically becomes unsuitable for the test unless a candidate provides evidence showing the test car has been checked and rectification is not necessary. If you car does need remedial work, you should rebook your driving test.
2. Electronically operated parking brakes 
   It is one of the key driving skills to be able to coordinate the gas, clutch and parking brakes control, which a candidate should demonstrate on the driving test. Electronically operated parking brakes make it much easier to handle so the test cars with electronic handbrakes are not suitable for the test.
3. Space saver tyres 
   You should ensure the test vehicle is fitted with the same size tyre on the same axle and that tyres are not speed rated. No space saver tyres permitted!

A test car should also be fitted with a speedometer that measures in mph and km/h, L-plates on the front and rear, a passenger head restraint, an interior mirror and seatbelt for the examiner.

Good luck on your driving test!

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Everything You Should Know About Independent Driving

Posted on August 24th, 2010 by admin, under Driving Test.

Driving Instructor Training blog continues to update you on what’s happening in the industry. From Monday the 4th October, the changes to the driving test as part of DSA’s Learning to Drive Programme come into effect. Candidates will be asked to drive independently for about ten minutes following directions, traffic signs or a combination of both.

The reason behind the introduction of this part to the practical driving test is to assess the competence of a learner driver to handle driving through the route independently. Please, be aware that it is not to assess your ability to remember directions. If you get lost, it won’t be considered as a driving fault as long as your driving is safe.

If you do go off the pre-determined route, your examiner will help you find your way back. You may also ask the examiner to remind directions while driving. This new section is not expected to add to the driving test duration.

Good luck on your driving test!

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How much does it cost to get a driving licence?

Posted on June 4th, 2010 by admin, under Advice for Learner Drivers.

In our last post we were talking about getting a driving licence in the UK. Today we will look at a financial side of learning. I guess nobody would expect learning to drive could be cheap. Check out how much you will have to pay and how you can cut your tuition expenses.

Statutory fees

Your overall expenses can be divided into two groups. One group includes statutory fees. In other words, fees you will pay to driving authorities. Your first pounds will go to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for your provisional licence. You are not legally allowed to start learning to drive without provisional licence. So you will need to pay £50 to get started. The next fee is £31 – that much you pay to take your theory test. Be aware that if you fail to pass your test, the fee is not refundable. You will have to pay again to get a second chance. Finally, you will have to part with £62 before you can book your practical driving test. It works the same way as with your theory test. Failed test means you’ve lost your money. There is no way to cut on your statutory fees other than passing your tests with flying colors.

Tuition fees

It is this portion of your expenses that may greatly vary. The total of your tuition expenses will much depend on a driving school or driving instructor you choose and your driving experience.

Choosing the right driving school or driving instructor is crucial if you want to get value for money. Make sure you avoid two equally disadvantageous extremes – overpriced offerings from heavily advertised schools and underpriced bargains from self-employed driving instructors. What you need to search for is a driving school that is able to provide a combination of the highest pass rate and reasonable price for value. But what is that reasonable price?

We have done a research on the web, asking industry professionals and driving instructors about a basic cost of driving lesson. The cheapest you can find is about £10-12 and the most expensive may reach £25. Remember the extremes? Right! We are looking for a reasonable average, which is actually a fair market price. That average stands at about £17-19.

Having calculated an average fee for driving lessons, we now need to find out how many lessons you need to get enough practice for your practical driving test.  We will look at a learner who is between 17 and 25 years of age with no or little driving experience. Based on our extensive teaching experience we can say that a person from this group will need to get up to 25 lessons. With 25 driving lessons and £17-19 average, we arrive at £425-475 to complete your driving courses.

Note that more experienced learners will need fewer driving lessons so their expenses would be lower.  More lessons are required for learners who are too nervous or timid. Another thing that can add to the number of lessons is your age. Experienced driving instructors say that learners older than 25 basically need to get more hours of training.

Driving lessons are not the last thing a learner has to pay for. Obviously, you will need plenty of training aids to get ready for your driving test. It will depend on each individual learner how many aids he or she would use. The basic cost of training aids that you REALLY need is around £10-15.

Interested to have a look at the total?

Statutory fees: £143
Training aids: £15
Driving lessons: £425-£475
TOTAL: £583-£633

Cutting down on your costs

We said earlier that a key to saving your money is choosing a driving schooloffering a reasonable price for driving tuition. Instead of bombarding you with sales pitches, we invite you look at what Surepass driving school has to offer and think for yourself.
Operating a vast network of schools and employing its own staff of qualified driving instructors, Surepass is able to charge from £15.5 a lesson. That is almost £5 less than an industry average so you can save up to £125 with your entire driving course. For this money you are getting tuition from reliable driving instructors who are carefully assessed by the company. Instead of one-size-fits-all approach, each learner can get a tailored course based on previous experience and personal abilities.  School will also provide the training aides you need for your theory test for free. And, finally, Surepass uses the new air conditioned Vauxhall Corsa for their driving lessons, making your driving experience a pleasure.

The choice is yours!

Stay tuned to driving-instructor-trainings.co.uk for driving news and helpful articles for learners and driving instructors.

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Getting a Driving Licence in the UK

Posted on May 23rd, 2010 by admin, under Advice for Learner Drivers, Driving Test.

I guess one of the things lots of young people want to get out of their 17th birthday is to start learning how to drive. Our post will brief 17-year-olds and anyone wanting to get a full driving licence on what they need to do to make it happen.

Provisional Licence

For starters, you need to apply for a provisional licence. You are not allowed to take driving lessons until your provisional licence has been accepted and in your possession. Application process is easy. You simply need to fill out a driving licence application from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and pay a provisional licence fee of £ 50. Provisional licence, however, puts drivers under certain restrictions.

1. You must clearly display L-plates on the front and rear of your car.
2. You can’t drive a car alone. Learner driver must be supervised by a full driving licence holder aged at least 21.
3. Learner drivers are not allowed to use motorways.

Driving test

If you are not the Queen, who’s not required to have a driving licence in order to drive a car, you will have to pass the UK driving test before you can get your desired full driving licence. Worried about deteriorating road safety, Driving Standard Agency (DSA) continues its efforts to improve the ways learner drivers are tested. We have seen some changes introduced over the past several years and further revisions are on the way. Below we will try to clarify the driving test process and new DSA requirements. The driving test currently consists of two basic parts: theory test and practical driving test.

Theory Test

Your theory test will include two parts: multiple-choice questions test and hazards perception test. These are not separate parts. If you pass one and fail the other, that means you’ve screwed up the whole test and you will have to start again. A fee to take the theory test is £31. If you fail the test, you lose your money with it.

During the multiple-choice part you will be asked 50 questions in 57 minutes, which makes about one minute per question. To pass the test, you need to have 43 right answers. Since last September, DSA introduced one case study-style question to this part. There is nothing new about case studies as you’ve had plenty of them at school. The hazard perception tests starts a few minutes after multiple choice questions part. You will be shown 14 driving episodes with developing hazards. You task will be to identify the hazard as soon as possible. The highest score you can get for each hazard is five. The pass mark is 50 out of 75.

Practical Driving Test

Once you’ve passed theory test you are allowed to take practical driving test that is also made up of two parts. Before you can do that, you need to complete your driving lessons schedule and pay a fee of £62 (weekday fee). The first part of driving test was introduced in 2003 and is called show me/tell me. Your examiner will ask you some maintenance related questions. It is called show me/tell me because you will be challenged with one “show me” question and one “tell me” question. For example, your examiner may ask you to show him where to check oil level and then ask to tell him how to change a tyre. If you fail to answer either one or both questions, this would count as 1 driving fault. After show me/tell me challenge you will proceed to your practical driving test. What happens during the test? Your examiner will give you directions which you should follow. You driving will demonstrate to the examiner how safe you are on the road and how well you can read the road signs. You’ll be also asked to perform manoeuvres including reversing around the corner, turning in the road and reverse parking. A candidate is allowed to make no more than 15 driving faults while the test lasts 40 minutes. Here is important update for those are only planning to get their driving licence. As part of Learning to Drive Programme initiated by DSA, from October 2010, a new part will be introduced to the practical driving test, Assessment of Competence to Drive Independently. During this part, the candidates will be driving on their own without directions from examiner. DSA says the new part will not add extra time to the test.

This post covers basic steps you need to take to get your full driving licence in the UK. Follow updates on the blog to get some useful advice on how to deal with your theory and practical tests and ensure your first pass.

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No Driving Instructors In the Back Seat On L-Tests

Posted on October 15th, 2009 by admin, under Driving Instructor, Driving Test.

Driving Standards Agency (DSA) initiative to force an observer into the back seat of learner car during driving test has been reversed earlier in the week. That mandatory requirement was dropped, though candidates may still ask their driving instructor or a parent who learnt them to drive to be present in the car on theirpractical driving test.

DSA planned to revise driving test regulations last May when officials announced their intention to make it mandatory for the candidates to take an observer on-board during their practical test. The idea behind new rule was that an observer could be valuable during the learning process, which in turn would bring road safety benefits.

Driving Instructor Association (DIA) representatives and other stakeholders, however, saw it as the initiative could do exactly the opposite of what DSA officials were trying to achieve. The revamp of driving test regulations generated hot debates. There was even an E-petition from candidates to stop DSA from introducing the rule. The final round of debate was the meeting of DSA and DIArepresentatives late in September, just weeks before the rule was scheduled for introduction.

Finally, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis announced DSA put a hold on the revamp to avoid unnecessary regulation. But the choice whether to have observer sitting in during L-test still remains with candidates. In his statement, Adonis insists that having someone sitting in will enhance learning experience and, in turn, improve road safety.

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