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THE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Joy ridesFun at Croydon Young Driver week...

...but there’s a serious message

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05/09/2012 10:04

GETTING 2014 OFF TO A GOOD START.

BUSINESS PLANNING ADVICE FOR ALL ADI’S

INSIDE

DrivingInstructor

THE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

ISSUE ONE 2014

The driving forecastPredictions and professional resolutions for the year ahead

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DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

DrivingInstructor

ISSUE TWO 2015

What driving test lessons can the

UK learn from the rest of the world?

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16/02/2015 2:06 pm

DrivingInstructor


The impact of 75 years of road safety campaigns

ISSUE THREE 2019

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13/03/2019 11:45 am


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Driving

Instructor

Insurance for ADIs

Are you covered? The lowdown

on all you need to know

Franchising

Don’t sign your life away until

you read our handy guide

Road Safety Framework

How the government’s

proposals will affect you

A bravenew dawn

for driver

training

JULY / AUGUST 2011

Joy ridesFun at Croydon Young Driver week...Joy ridesFun at Croydon Young Driver week...Joy rides


BUSINESS PLANNING BUSINESS PLANNING ADVICE FOR ALL ADI’S

INSIDE

DrivingInstructor


The The driving driving forecastforecastforecastdriving forecastdriving


DrivingInstructor


The impact of 75 years of road safety campaignscampaigns


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Instructor

A bravenew dawn

Driving

GETTING 2014 OFF GETTING 2014 OFF TO A GOOD START. TO A GOOD START.

BUSINESS PLANNING BUSINESS PLANNING BUSINESS PLANNING ADVICE FOR ALL ADI’SADVICE FOR ALL ADI’S

INSIDEINSIDE

THE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL DRIVING INSTRUCTOR driving driving

forecastforecastforecastforecastdriving forecastdriving driving forecastdriving driving forecastdriving Predictions and professional resolutions professional resolutions professional resolutions for the year aheadfor the year ahead


L on Earth


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Driving

Instructor

A brave

DrivingInstructor


The voice of the industry is changing

ISSUE TWELVE 2019

Goodbye

get ready for Driver Trainer in 2020

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Driving Instructor 13

A Driving Instructors Association Service

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Not only is it goodbye to 2019 and hello to 2020, we also bid farewell to Driving Instructor and welcome a new era of Driver Trainer! � e world we live in and our industry have changed hugely over the last few decades, and January’s relaunch is designed to re� ect the modern face of our industry.

We’re launching Driver Trainer as a magazine, but also online at drivertrainer.org. � e magazine and website will arrive at the same time in January, so keep your eyes peeled!

To pay tribute to Driving Instructor, we have found a selection of articles from the archives that re� ect the biggest changes over the last 15 years. Have a look to see how many you remember; our ‘Bye to DI’ section is on pages 21 to 34.

In December we re� ect on the past year and look to the future. We also celebrate as it’s the fun and festive Christmas season! Some of us indulge too much, and unfortunately drink driving is always a problem in the holiday season.

� ough we think we can have one or two drinks and still be safe and legal to drive is this the case? Alcohol levels and serving sizes are vastly di� erent to when the law was � rst introduced. Nick Heath explores this issue in his feature on page 52.

We’re also celebrating two successful regional conferences. Bristol and Cardington were a great opportunity to mingle with your fellow driver/rider trainers, and also speak directly to decision makers at DVSA, as well as meet DIA sta� . Carly Brook� eld delivers a round-up of both events on page 36.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kathy MansonEditor

03

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DRIVING INSTRUCTOR




05/09/2012 10:04



INSIDE

DrivingInstructor


ISSUE ONE 2014




DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

DrivingInstructor

ISSUE TWO 2015




16/02/2015 2:06 pm

DrivingInstructor



ISSUE THREE 2019


13/03/2019 11:45 am


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Driving

Instructor

Insurance for ADIs



Franchising






A bravenew dawn

for driver

training

JULY / AUGUST 2011

THE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL Instructor


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DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Driving

Instructor


21

21 GOODBYEDRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Next month we relaunch our magazine as Driver Trainer. To celebrate, we’re looking back over the years to see how we’ve evolved.

36

INSTRUCTOR

Driving Instructor04

CONTENTS

32 CHANGINGTIMES

It’s a very different world today than it was even a few years ago. Let’s take a look at how we’ve progressed.

27 PLUSÇA CHANGE

The more things change, the more they stay the same. We look at some of the topics that crop up time and time again in the industry.

16 CHIEF EXECUTIVE REPORT

Carly Brookfield tells us it’s all change in January as we launch DIA Academy and Driver Trainer magazine and website.

18 KING’S COMMENT

Edmund King OBE reminds us to look out for road users more vulnerable than ourselves, particularly during the darker evenings.

06 ADINEWS

Speed awareness courses reduce re-offending rates, campaign to say no to learner abuse and more.

15 BUSINESSHELPDESK

Keith Halstead clears up confusion about payments on account when completing your self assessment.

17 GUESTCOMMENT

30TAKE YEARS OFF

In this snapshot from 2010, Anthony Fuller discusses the industry and his predictions for the future. How have things changed?

Jim Milton discusses the perils of driving in adverse weather and advice you can offer to pupils, friends and family to help.

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52


36 DIA REGIONALCONFERENCES 2019

Carly Brookfield gives us her round up of the DIA Regional Conferences in Bristol and Cardington

52 DRINKAWARENESS

Nick Heath explores the history of drink driving laws and how important it is to be aware of how drinking culture has changed.

42 WINTERDRIVING TOPICS

James Whalen outlines theory test questions that are relevant during the winter months and how to expand these into conversations.

FINAL WORD70

And fi nally... enjoy a look at the strange and silly stories we’ve featured in Driving Instructor over the last 15 years.

48 MONTH IN NEWS

Ford turns coffee into car parts, charge your EV for free at Tesco, most dangerous Christmas hits for driving and more.

51 DIAMONDCOMMENT

Chloe Denny prepares us for the madness of the festive season with her top tips for safe driving on Christmas Eve.

34 MOTORINGHISTORY

It’s not just the industry that’s changed over the last decade or so, cars have too. Take a look at earlier versions of this month’s cars.

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Speed awareness courses slightly reduce the likelihood of re-offending, according to new research by Kwik Fit.

A study of more than 2,000 British adults found that more than half of all people caught speeding (54%) go on to reoffend. That number fell to just four in 10 (40%) for those who went on a speed awareness course.

Six in 10 (58%) of those who received a talking-to by the police for breaking the limit went on to speed again, while 55% of those who received three points and a fine were caught reoffending. Of those who received six penalty points and a fine for their offence, 90% went on to be caught speeding again.

Kwik Fit believes more education is needed for motorists, as 44% have been caught speeding, while a quarter (24%) have committed multiple speeding offences. However the research found that many drivers think a speed awareness course would have less impact on their behaviour than other factors.

Just a quarter (24%) of drivers said going on a speed awareness course would have a large impact on their speeding, while four in 10 (39%) said the same of penalty points, and 43% said a limited-time driving ban would have an effect. Almost half of respondents (49%) said the biggest impact on their speeding would be involvement in an accident where speed was a factor.

Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “It is vital that we all focus on the ways we can improve safety for all road users.

“One of the biggest dangers on our roads is excessive speed, and the findings of our research indicates that speed awareness courses have a greater impact on drivers’ behaviour than many perceive. Of course, while any measure which reduces the number of drivers repeatedly speeding is hugely welcome, we must focus on educating drivers not to speed in the first place – drivers should not need to be caught to be given a wake up call.”

Speed awareness courses reduce re-offending rates

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A group of ADIs has set up a Say NO #Learner Abuse campaign and they’re looking for support from others in the industry.

The group explained their campaign: “Every day, thousands of driving instructors go to work in order to not just earn a living but to improve the lives of the individuals they work with. It is fair to say that most driving instructors are passionate about helping new drivers succeed and improving the standard of driving on UK roads. Unfortunately, during the course of our working day, many of us experience abuse from other road users. Some of this abuse is verbal but some is also physical. Yes, some driving instructors have reported being punched, kicked, dragged from their car and spat at. All because they may have held someone up for a few seconds.

“Although the physical abuse has not yet become commonplace, the verbal abuse has. Most driving instructors also report dangerous overtakes, aggressive sounding of the horn and brake checks.

“All of this abuse not only puts the driving instructor at risk but also puts the learner driver at risk as well as surrounding road users. Some learner drivers have stopped taking lessons through the fear of being attacked. Some fall apart and

burst into tears after being abused and some simply let go of the controls putting everybody at an even higher risk. There is even a risk that once the learner driver passes their DVSA driving test, they will see this behaviour as the norm and will become part of the problem.

“As Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs), we work hard to judge what roads to use and when. For example, that very first driving lesson will take place on a quiet residential road. As the learner progresses, the ADI will move into a slightly more complex area. Occasionally, we misjudge this, and the learner driver cannot cope. In these rare circumstances, the ADI will guide the learner back to the sanctuary of the quiet estate. In these cases, all we ask of other road users is a little patience and a little tolerance. Unfortunately, some road users are not willing to give us those things.

“The administration team does understand that there are already laws in place to protect all road users, offences such as careless or dangerous driving or driving without due care and attention. However, reporting these incidents is virtually impossible. Roads Policing teams are so stretched, they simply do not have the resources to add us into their remit and in many cases do not have recourse to view

and act on our dashcam footage. “Where does that leave us hard working

ADIs? A shop worker is entitled to feel safe at work. If they get attacked in any way, the police are called and will respond. This is the same with all other service providers, including the very agency that governs us, the DVSA. But when an ADI feels at risk, there is nobody to listen. All we want is a safe working environment and to feel safe in everything we do.

“This is where you come in. We are not asking for personal bodyguards and we are not asking for financial support. What we are asking for is recognition and support. This support could be as simple as displaying one of our stickers on your vehicles. It could be a mention during the next sixth form presentation that you deliver. In a perfect world, the support we really need is the ability to report abusive drivers to a central department with the knowledge that action will be taken.”

Say NO #Learner Abuse

If you can offer support or would like the opportunity to discuss this further, email James Hinkins at [email protected]



Demand for automatic cars has doubledSignificantly more used car buyers are searching for automatic cars rather than manual, new figures reveal.

The proportion of searches for automatics on AA Cars has risen from 9.9% in 2014 to 18.6% this year. An AA Populus survey of 20,000 drivers also found more than half think automatics are easier to drive.

Over the same period since 2014, the proportion of automatic cars listed for sale has increased from 23.4% to 32.1%.

Meanwhile, in the decade between 2007 and 2017, figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show the number of new automatic cars registered each year has jumped from 20% to 40%.

James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars, said: “Automatic vehicles are being manufactured in greater numbers, but it is pleasing to see that drivers are responding positively to this added supply with even more of them actively searching for these cars.

“It is also no surprise to see that congested London is one of the best-stocked areas for automatic cars as they require much less effort to drive when someone is stuck in stop-start traffic.”

Insurance costs for young drivers fallingAverage car insurance premiums for drivers aged under 25 are falling.

In the first eight months of 2019, the average comprehensive car insurance premium for a driver aged between 17 and 24 was £1,453.31 – a drop of 6% compared with the same period last year, when the same coverage cost £1,519.03.

The Volkswagen Up! is the cheapest car to insure, with £888 being the lowest average premium. This is followed by the Citroen C1 and Skoda Citigo 1.0 MPi with £903 and £913 respectively.

Lee Griffin, founder and chief executive of GoCompare, who conducted the research, said: “Car insurance for young and inexperienced drivers can be eye wateringly expensive when you compare it to the premiums paid by older drivers with a few hundred thousand miles of motoring under their belts.

“However, as our research shows, it is possible to save hundreds of pounds as a young driver by doing your homework and comparing first cars as well as first car insurance.”

Premiums have likely been driven down by the increase in the use of black box technology, which monitors a motorist’s driving and adjusts the costs accordingly.



The UK had 122,635 recorded accidents in 2018 – that’s around 336 a day.

New research from Holts Auto also found:

■ Most road accidents happen in November

■ 20% of all road accidents are serious or fatal

■ Birmingham is the city where most road accidents occur, followed by Leeds, then Westminster

■ Most road accidents occur on 30mph roads in clear, good weather conditions (this is the same for most fatal accidents)

■ Friday between 5 and 6pm is when motorists are most likely to have an accident on the roads

While you might expect that the winter months would see the most amount of accidents – with bad weather and dark nights making driving more hazardous – spring and summer months account for three of the top five when it comes to the greatest number of accidents:

1. November – 11,1682. May – 11,0503. June – 10,9954. July – 10,9855. October – 10,897

This could be due to there being more cars on the road, as people head out and enjoy the sunshine. Or, it could be due to things like sun dazzle, when light bouncing off dirty windscreens causes dangerous visibility issues.

Four out of five of the dates with the most accidents all happen in winter months, with 19 January being the most common.

1. 19 January – 5042. 2 November – 4983. 4 December – 4914. 30 November – 4885. 27 June – 488

Friday is the day when most car accidents happen, with Sunday being the safest day of the week on UK roads. Evening is the most common time of day, when people are commuting home after a long day at work.

Despite all of this, the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, with only a handful of countries ranked above Britain in terms of road user safety.

November worst month for accidents



Drug driving convictions quadruple in less than two yearsThe number of motorists convicted for driving under the influence has quadrupled since 2017.

DVLA figures show around 20,000 motorists have been convicted after using substances in the last 12 months.

This equates to approximately 60 people per working day of the year. In 2017 this figure was 17 people every working day.

The police caught 40 teenagers aged between 15 and 16 driving under the influence of drugs, while the oldest driver banned was a 74-year-old woman.

The most common age for disqualification is 25 and most offenders are men. There were 18,175 men banned from January 2018 to March 2019, compared with 1,440 women.

West Midlands police and crime commissioner David Jamieson said: “These figures are staggering. The reality is drug driving is a hidden epidemic. A lot of people think they can get away with it because so few police are on the roads and the likelihood of being stopped is really low. What we need is tougher enforcement.”

The recently published statistics reflect an increase in enforcement and may include those motorists convicted for driving under the influence of prescription drugs.

Driving under the influence of drugs carries a one-year minimum ban, an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison. The details appear on your licence for 11 years.

It is illegal to drive in Scotland, England and Wales with legal drugs in your body if it impairs your driving.

Third of adults have had collision or near missNearly a third of adults have been in a collision or near miss on the road in the past year.

Brake published this research during Road Safety Week to highlight the level of danger felt on UK roads and to encourage people to ‘Step Up for Safe Streets’.

Brake’s survey of 2,000 people highlights the high numbers of the population who have experienced danger on the roads first-hand, with 1 in 3 of the adults surveyed, a UK total of more than 15 million people, experiencing a collision or near miss with a vehicle on a UK road in the past year. This proportion rises to more than half when just young adults (18-34-year-olds) are concerned.

Brake delivers support to road crash victims and knows the devastation that these incidents cause to families every day – on average, there is a death or serious injury on a UK road every 20 minutes.

The charity believes that every road death and serious injury is preventable and is urging everyone to think about how they can Step Up for Safe Streets for Road Safety Week, and is sharing inspiring stories of supporters who are campaigning to reduce the danger on roads, to help inspire others.


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Ice, snow, freezing rain and fog are drivers’ most feared winter weather nemeses.

New research from the AA Charitable Trust found that overall, the conditions in which drivers were most likely to say they lacked confidence were:

1. Icy roads (32%)2. Snow (28%)3. Freezing rain (22%)4. Fog (22%)5. Sleet (10%)6. Heavy rain (7%)7. Strong winds (6%)8. Thunder and lightning (6%)Older drivers are twice as likely to feel

unconfident in fog than young drivers, perhaps due to visibility (16% compared to 29%).

Young drivers are far less likely to feel confident than older drivers in snow (27% compared to 43%) and ice

(26% compared to 35%) – perhaps an indication that confidence in these conditions comes with experience.

Casualty figures show there was over three times as many drivers and riders aged 17 to 24 who suffered injuries as the result of a crash in snow than those aged over 65.

Male drivers were considerably more likely to say they felt confident driving in any wintry weather condition than female drivers. Yet government figures show there were nearly twice as many male driver/rider casualties in snow as female in 2018.

Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: “Most parts of the country have felt the first bite of winter now and drivers need to adapt their driving to suit the conditions.

“It’s really interesting to look at drivers’ levels of confidence in

conjunction with casualty statistics.“There are some demographics who

say they feel confident in various wintry conditions, but they are also more likely to have a higher casualty figure in crashes in those conditions.

“Either their confidence is misplaced or those drivers who do not feel confident in those conditions simply do not drive in them – and therefore contribute fewer casualties.

“The overall message for drivers should be one of caution – some wintry weather conditions are really best avoided unless absolutely necessary – however confident you feel driving in them.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly drivers in Scotland (48%) and the North East (49%) were the most likely to say they felt confident driving in snow and those in London (37%) were the least.

Snow confidence on wintry roads



DVSA results have shown April had the highest male and female practical driving test pass rates between 2018 and 2019.

The team at Bill Plant Driving School analysed data from the DVSA which discovered that Pitlochry Driving Test Centre in Scotland had the highest first time pass rate for male learners (94%), while Mallaig Driving Test Centre, also in Scotland, had the highest first time pass rate for female learners (92.3%) between August 2018 and July 2019.

The data found that April 2018 had the highest percentage of male and female learner drivers passing their practical test, on average, between 2018 and 2019.

Bill Plant Driving School also polled more than 2,300 British drivers aged 18 and over, about their driving lessons and practical tests.

Wednesday was found to be the most popular day of the week to pass a practical driving test, with almost one in five passing on this day of the week (19%).

Asked if they felt anything contributed towards helping them to

pass their driving test, British drivers stated the following: ■ I’d practised driving the various test routes – 26% ■ I thought I had failed, so I was more relaxed – 21% ■ I’d kept my driving test a secret – 20% ■ My driving instructor had carried out mock driving tests

with me – 15% ■ My driving test examiner was friendly – 4%

Drivers were asked how soon into their test they thought they’d failed, before relaxing and continuing with their test, with the average time feeling they’d failed to be within the first 15 minutes. Not checking their mirrors and blind spots (23%) and taking too long to complete a manoeuvre (22%) were the top factors that led drivers to believe they’d failed, even though they hadn’t.

Peter Brabin, head of training at Bill Plant Driving School, said: “Don’t get me wrong: I love a good statistic but I wouldn’t read too much into the most popular day or month to pass. As a true fact, good safe drivers taught correctly by professionally trained driving instructors will successfully pass their driving test on any day of the year!”

Wednesdays in April have highest driving test pass rates



One in 10 drivers has had an accident driving at nightAround one in 10 British motorists has had an accident at night, according to a new survey from Green Flag.

The study found that 9% of drivers admit to having been involved in a road traffic accident after dark. That could mean as many as 3.6 million drivers have had a crash at night.

A similar number (11%) profess to know someone who has been in a car accident due to driving in the dark, and six in 10 drivers say they would rather take an alternative form of transport than drive in the dark. Almost half (44%) say they avoid driving in the dark.

Mark Newberry, commercial director at Green Flag, said: “Drivers need to know how their vehicles are being affected by the seasonal drop in temperatures as well as the dangers of driving in the dark.

“Some aspects of the impact on fuel efficiency can’t be avoided. Oil will be thicker in colder weather, until the engine warms up, increasing friction in both the engine and the gearbox meaning that the engine will always have to work harder to make things move. However, there’s still a lot that can be done to maximise fuel efficiency.”

Majority of motorists support zero tolerance for drink drivingOver two thirds of motorists would like to see a zero tolerance approach adopted to drink driving in the UK.

A web-based poll from Motorpoint found 70.6% of people would welcome a blanket ban on consumption of alcohol behind the wheel just as police forces embark on their annual drink driving awareness campaigns. Over 830 motorists took part in the poll on the Motorpoint website.

The news comes as the number of people killed in drink-driving incidents has risen to an eight-year high, according to government figures. The latest available figures from the Department for Transport revealed that the number of fatalities in incidents where at least one driver was over the drink-drive limit rose to 250.

The drink drive limit in England and Wales is currently 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – the highest in Europe. The drink drive limit in Scotland was reduced to 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood almost five years ago to fall in line with most other European countries. Poland and Sweden have the lowest levels, at 20mg, effectively adopting a zero tolerance approach.

Mark Carpenter, chief executive Officer of Motorpoint, said: “There is still real confusion among motorists with regards to drink drive limits and what’s safe and what’s not.

“The results of the Motorpoint poll clearly show motorists feel that drinking and driving don’t mix in any shape or form and that the best way forward for all concerned wherever you may happen to be in the UK is simply to adopt a zero tolerance approach.”


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HELPDESKBUSINESS

KEITH HALSTEAD CLEARING UP CONFUSION ABOUT PAYMENTS ON ACCOUNT

Have you received your self assessment statement of account from HMRC and remain confused by payments on account? Have a look at our explanation

below.Self assessment and payments on account are the

bane of many ADIs’ existence. The annual rush to get your tax return in on time, only to be presented with an unexpected bill, is not welcome, especially when it comes just after Christmas.

Payments on account are one of the most commonly misunderstood elements of the self assessment process, especially for the newly self-employed. Profits are often gradually increasing in the first couple of years, and under these circumstances, 31 January can be a very painful date.

Although payments on account were devised as a way of helping self-employed people spread out their tax bill, it often results in increased financial hardship for those who are already having difficulty paying.

What are payments on account?Payments on account are tax payments made twice a year by self-employed people to spread the cost of the year’s tax. They’re calculated based on your previous year’s tax bill, and are due in two instalments. The payment on account can be thought of as a way of paying off some of your tax bill in advance.

The first instalment is due on 31 January (the same day as your ‘balancing payment’, which clears your tax bill for the previous tax year), and the second is due on 31 July. It’s meant to help you spread your payments out during the year – and simultaneously provides the Exchequer with a financial boost in the middle of the year.

How do they work?Each of the two payments on account will normally be 50% of your previous tax bill. Suppose for example,

Keith Halstead MA (Oxon) FCA has been a partner in the chartered accountancy profession for more than 20 years. He is responsible for a wide range of owner managed businesses, including driving instructors. He currently heads up the DIA Tax Service for members.

ABOUT THE WRITER

your bill for the 2018 to 2019 tax year is £3,000 and you made two payments on account last year of £900 each (£1,800 in total). The total tax to pay by midnight on 31 January 2020 is £2,700. This includes:

Ä Your ‘balancing payment’ of £1,200 for the 2018 to 2019 tax year (£3,000 minus £1,800)

Ä The first payment on account of £1,500 (half your 2018 to 2019 tax bill) towards your 2019 to 2020 tax bill

Ä You have to pay your second payment on account of £1,500 by midnight on 31 July 2020.

Payments on account will include class four National Insurance contributions where applicable, but not student loan repayments or Capital Gains Tax.

There are some circumstances in which a payment on account will not be due. If your tax bill for the previous year was less than £1,000, you won’t need to make a payment on account.

Reducing your payment on accountADIs’ income can fluctuate from year to year. If you think that your income for the next tax year will be lower than in the previous tax year, you can apply to have your payment on account reduced.

You can reduce your payment on account by logging in to your online HMRC account and clicking ‘Reduce payments on account’. Or, you can send form SA303 to your tax office.

In practice, many people choose to do this if they are having trouble paying their tax bill. Some ADIs reduce their payment on account, presuming that they will be in better financial shape later, and will therefore find it easier to settle the remainder of their bill.

You should think carefully before doing this. Remember, if your income is the same or higher in the next tax year, you will still have to pay the same amount

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home, at a time and pace to fit around your life. We’ll still be out on the road though, delivering classroom based workshops for those who prefer learning alongside colleagues in a group setting.

On and offline we’ll be offering training in crucial topics like safeguarding and delivering on the national standards and standards check, coaching and understanding the diverse needs of our learners. However, we’ll also be adding to our offering with new courses in other equally important subjects across areas such as risk management, business management, teaching, learning and assessment strategies. Every January we send all members a free CPD voucher, so there’s never been a better time to make a New Year’s resolution to develop your knowledge and skills.

Another big change you’ll see in the New Year is to our magazine and industry news resources. Driving Instructor has served the industry well for over four decades now as an authoritative and expert source of news and views, but moving forward we need to evolve to better reflect the diversity of our audience.

In January you’ll see a complete rebrand of our online and print publications, more relevantly reflecting the variety of roles of the modern driver and rider trainer, and alongside that, evolving the content to ensure it meets the needs of trainers working across a huge span of driver education.

So, looking forward into 2020, I’m excited about evolving what we do at DIA and what we do as an industry as well. In the meantime, however, I wish you all the very best for the festive season and a prosperous New Year – and thank you for all your support in 2019

Rounding off the year with our two regional conferences, visits to local associations and an Open Day for trainers to meet the team and look behind the scenes at DIA HQ has

been a real treat for me. I love meeting our members and hearing their views about how we can develop both DIA and driver education as a whole.

I’ve also spent a lot of time on our helpdesk speaking with members and helping them work their way through a huge range of challenges. What’s clear from all of this interaction is that you’re all very busy but still keen, in the midst of a mad diary and juggling all these demands on your time, to develop professionally and grow your own skills and knowledge as your business grows.

And that is the key – it is the trainers who want to develop personally and professionally, and put time and effort into that, who will see their business, training performance and pupils positively develop. Simply stopping learning and training when you get your ADI qualification would be questionable when you’re in the profession of learning and development. And we take the same approach here at DIA. We need to evolve what we do so we can better support what you do.

So watch out in 2020 for a number of developments from us in terms of professional development. In January we’ll fully launch our new online CPD platform, DIA Academy, which will bring you the best of our accredited courses, workshops and nationally recognised qualifications, delivered by eLearning so you can learn in the comfort of your

REPORTCHIEF EXECUTIVE

CARLY BROOKFIELDIT’S ALL CHANGE IN JANUARY AS WE LAUNCH DIA ACADEMY AND DRIVER TRAINER MAGAZINE AND WEBSITE

Carly has over 18 years experience in senior management helping to develop and promote both private and public sector bodies including professional membership and industry bodies in the medical, education and financial services arena. She is also an experienced campaigner and lobbyist on road safety issues and member of the DfT’s Road Safety Delivery Group and a board member of the research and knowledge hub The Road Safety Observatory.

ABOUT THE WRITER



And so it begins! The weather has started to take a turn for the worse. Most of the UK has had a change in the weather recently. How many of us offer courses in

dealing with the effects of the changing weather? It is, of course, a difficult subject get practical training in. Not to mention, some situations we would not want our learner drivers exposed to.

Quite often tests are cancelled and we have to decide if it’s safe to continue lessons. Of course it depends on the situation, the severity of the weather, the conditions within the practice area and the level your students are at. None of us would choose to put ourselves, our students or our car at risk. After all, who wants to put our insurance premiums or no claims bonus at risk. We still have to earn a living though.

I’m sure most of us remember “the beast from the east”! As a result I had quite a bit of time free from students. I’m sure many of you had too. During my spare time I offer help to a local charity that transports anything the NHS requires ( free of charge) in the Lanarkshire area and sometimes beyond. When the level of weather warnings escalated to “red” our response cars continued with the work we do, supplemented by several of our drivers in their own vehicles, some 4x4s.

All of the drivers were required to have an advanced driving/riding qualification. We have trained mentors who assist the drivers and riders to attain the standard and we regularly assess them. Not one of our cars got stuck, in some of the worst

weather I’ve ever seen. Which was testament to their skills rather than luck.

It’s difficult (as I often bang on about) to get people to take up post test training. I think offering practical advice to our pupils, family and friends by way of small group chats or in car discussions, backed up with factsheets, advice and practice when safe to do so, might help us maintain our income. Although, I understand many of us use this ‘downtime’ to take a break or go on holiday.

It’s becoming more and more obvious that it’s not just snow and ice that’s the problem. Often floods and severe winds are the issue. To enable us to coach in these areas may mean we have to get some further training ourselves. Having said that, building up a portfolio of advice and factsheets should be well within our capabilities. Handing over such information would also show that we have a holistic approach as driver trainers.

I’m not suggesting that ADIs or bike instructors should be training our customers to ford rivers or streams or traverse snow drifts that would frighten an arctic explorer! Perhaps just enabling our customers or their friends and family how to recognise areas of danger in order to prevent the loss of their vehicles or worse still, their lives. Most, if not all of the accidents involving flood water, ice or snow are preventable by early recognition and an understanding of how to deal with these dangers.

Stay safe

COMMENTGUEST

Jim Milton is a car and motorcycle trainer, and Diamond examiner.

ABOUT THE WRITER

JIM MILTON WHAT TO DO IN ADVERSE WEATHER


It’s hard to believe this is the final column of 2019 – another year that has passed in a blur.

At risk of falling back on seasonal clichés, it’s always a time when a message of goodwill

on the roads seems appropriate. For many years the AA Charitable Trust has

run an awareness campaign called Think Bikes, the overriding message of which is tolerance and awareness of vulnerable road users on two wheels.

For more than five years we have campaigned to educate all road users about the importance of looking out for those who are more vulnerable than themselves. Encouraging harmony between different road users is vital for everyone’s safety.

Since the campaign launched, we have designed and distributed millions of innovative stickers to go inside cars to remind drivers to do a double take for cyclists and bikers. We still have thousands of these available so if you would like some for your pupils please do get in contact.

We created an eye-catching award-winning video starring a naked cyclist, with the strapline “If you don’t check your mirrors, you don’t know what you’re missing.” Our driving schools introduced a cycling awareness training module and we have recently shone the media spotlight onto the importance of people opening vehicle doors using the Dutch Reach.

The Dutch Reach is due to be included in the next round of updates to the Highway Code – something around half of drivers agree with, according to our own AA/Populus research.

More than that (62%) think it should be taught in all driving lessons to help reduce the number of ‘car-dooring’ incidents.

COMMENTKING’S

Edmund King is best known for media appearances on the subject of motoring and transport policy. He is president of the Automobile Association and a visiting professor of transport at Newcastle University

ABOUT THE WRITER

EDMUND KING OBETAKE CARE OF EVERYONE ON THE ROADS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON


It is a simple change to make and one that can make a real difference to the safety of those on two wheels. I would urge you to adopt and teach the technique, if you do not already do so.

Department for Transport figures showed between 2011 and 2015 a total of eight people died and 3,108 were injured as a result of ‘car-dooring’ incidents. Cyclists and motorcyclists have by far the highest casualty rates of all road users and in 2018 alone 453 cyclists and motorcyclists were killed on British roads.

Improving safety on our roads is achieved through many different elements – education is just one of those, but it is an important one. With dark commutes at this time of year and many people feeling more in a rush than ever, it’s certainly a good time for us to take that bit more care of others on the roads.

After all, all anyone is trying to do is get home for the holidays.

On that note, I’d just like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year

“WE HAVE CAMPAIGNED TO EDUCATE ALL ROAD USERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE WHO ARE MORE VULNERABLE THAN THEMSELVES”


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DrivingInstructor


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR




05/09/2012 10:04



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ISSUE ONE 2014



InstructorTHE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL




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ISSUE THREE 2019


13/03/2019 11:45 am


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Driving

Instructor

Insurance for ADIs



Franchising






A bravenew dawn

for driver

training

JULY / AUGUST 2011

InstructorTHE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL




INSIDEINSIDE

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The The driving driving forecastforecastforecastforecastdriving forecastdriving driving forecastdriving driving forecastdriving Predictions and professional resolutions professional resolutions

Fun at Croydon Young Driver week...Joy ridesFun at Croydon Young Driver week...Joy rides

for the year ahead

DrivingInstructor


The impact of 75 years of road safety campaignscampaigns

THE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL Instructor

A brave

GETTING 2014 OFF GETTING 2014 OFF TO A GOOD START. TO A GOOD START.

BUSINESS PLANNING BUSINESS PLANNING BUSINESS PLANNING ADVICE FOR ALL ADI’SADVICE FOR ALL ADI’S

INSIDEINSIDE professional resolutions for the year aheadfor the year ahead


L on Earth


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Driving

Instructor

A braveDriving Instructor

NEXT MONTH WE RELAUNCH OUR MAGAZINE AS DRIVER TRAINER. TO CELEBRATE, WE’RE LOOKING

BACK OVER THE YEARS TO SEE HOW DRIVING INSTRUCTOR, AND THE INDUSTRY, EVOLVED

DrivingInstructor

Predictions and professional resolutions professional resolutions professional resolutions for the year aheadfor the year aheadfor the year aheadfor the year ahead

forecastdriving driving The The driving driving The

Goodbye

21



FEATURE: GOODBYE TO DRIVING INSTRUCTORDriving Instructor

THE

Driving InstructorFebruary/March 2005

The Voice Of The Professional Driving Instructor

PAGES 6Reviewed: new Mitsubishi Colt

PAGE 9ADI: 1, Ford dealership: nil

PAGE 8It's back and it's

good: Citroën C3

16v diesel

PAGE 12-14Reveiwed: HPT training software

LANSDOWNE GROUP VENTURE Ltd, which

owns the companies Red Driving School and the

Instructor College, has bought Letʼs Drive Training

after the company went into administration in

December.The move brings two of the fastest growing

driver training schools and instructor training

organisations, with a combined total of 200

instructors working in the UK, under the same

ownership.“The two companies dovetail perfectly,” said

David Henry, Director of LGV. “Red Driving

School is city-based whereas Letʼs Drive has

concentrated in non-urban areas. Putting the two

operations together gives comprehensive national

coverage. The same is true for our instructor

training organisations, which will now be even

more readily accessible to a larger portion of the

UK population.”Despite coming together under the same parent

company, Red Driving School and Letʼs Drive

will continue to be operated as separate brands,

as will The Instructor College and Letʼs Drive

Training and Development, the instructor training

arms of the company.

“We feel these are strong brands and the LGV

directors are keen to see them continue,” added

Mr Henry.Several companies were in negotiation to buy

the Letʼs Drive group immediately after it ran into

severe financial difficulties towards the end of

last year. LGV has stressed that all staff at Letʼs

Drive are being retained under the terms of the

acquisition.

LGV buys Let's Drive

THE FIRST EXPERIENCED ADIs to take their

HPT as part of the new DSA rules have expressed

anger at the disorganization, waste of time and

money, and general pointlessness of the exercise.

DIA member Andrew McCarthy from

Buckinghamshire is typical of many ADIs

in writing to the Association to describe his

experiences.“Having taken and passed the Hazard Perception

Test, I genuinely feel that I have learnt nothing

of any benefit. I feel aggrieved that on the first

clip of the test my mark was reduced to zero for

clicking too often. This was an urban scene with

many hazards occurring. After that I made sure

that I ʻdumbed downʼ. The right to keep my ADI

licence by taking this HPT has cost me about £70

in lost income and training material.”

Other ADIs have complained about the lack of

preparatory information for the test and for the

inadequacy of the DSA̓ s own HPT training DVD

(reviewed on page 12 as “exceptionally poorly

thought out”, and “atrocious value for money”).

Lack of pass certificates and pass labels for ADI

licences also featured heavily in the catalogue of

complaints.The test has been described variously

by members as a “cock up” and "a complete

mockery”, while other DIA members have been

writing in offering "infallible" ways of beating the

system by the judicious timing of clicks.

However, by far the most common complaints

received related to the systemʼs much-maligned

in-built “cheat” detection system, which responds

to “over zealous” or rhythmic clicking, and to

the inconsistency of what constitutes a developing

hazard.Despite the assurances that experienced drivers

would not be penalized for clicking every potential

hazard they see, the DIA has been deluged by

members complaining they have been awarded

zero for some clips for reacting too frequently to

genuine hazards.

Meanwhile, the DSA is unrepentant over the

test. A spokeperson admitted to “a few teething

troubles” but described it as “a necessary

expediency for ADIs.”

More ADI anger over HPT

ANYONE LOOKING FOR PROOF of the total ANYONE LOOKING FOR PROOF of the total ANYONE LOOKING FOR PROOF

inconsistency in the scoring system for HPT need

look no further than the DSAʼs own example,

given to every Theory Test candidate at the start

of their hazard perception test.

A clip is shown, with narration, giving

guidance on what and when to click and

with the “scoring window” highlighted on the screen. The footage shows the driver slowly

approaching a cyclist traveling in the same direction in a cycle lane. Ahead of them both is

a car transporter parked by the side of the road. Any experienced driver will quickly realise

that the cyclist will almost certainly pull out into the road upon reaching the transporter. The

hazard is not at issue.

What is at issue is the question of when to click. The experienced driver would naturally

click on first seeing the cyclist and appraising the likely turn of events. The more savvy HPT

“player” might take heed of the narratorʼs advice to “only click when the hazard develops”

— i.e. when it “becomes a hazard that causes the driver to take some sort of action” — and

wait for the cyclist to actually start pulling out before clicking. The wise ADI might even click

both times, encouraged by the DSAʼs assurance that this will not count against them.

In reality (and I use the term in some respects ill-advisedly) the experienced driver would

score nothing, and the savvy HPT player and the ADI would score two or three. None would

score maximum points. In order to score maximum points you have to click precisely a

quarter of a second after the cyclist turns his head slightly to the right, an event rendered

virtually invisible by the quality of video and equipment. Click all three times in the time

frame available and you will probably score zero for cheating.

Suffice it to say, if I were a cyclist, I know which of the drivers I would rather be pulling

out in front of.

Comment

Driving Instructor

©2005 DIA (Int) Ltd. No part of this publication may be

reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher.

General Manager Eddie Barnaville

Assistant Manager Jonathan Neville

Head of Road Safety Peter Laub

Advertising Sales David Breary

Managing EditorGraham FryerEditorStephen Picton

Design and ITSteven Russell

Senior Administrator

Tina TuttonAdministrationAilsa PaddonBarbara Johnson

Tina SellwoodKathryn Ebdon

Emma Sarbutt

DIA (Int) LtdSafety House,Beddington Farm Road

Croydon CRO 4XZ

Telephone 020 8665 5151

Local Rate 0845 345 5151

Ad sales 020 8665 8027

01444 400129

07711 571870

Fax 020 8665 5565

[email protected]

www.driving.org

Moment of half truth: most people would

agree it's a hazard but ADIs disagree at

what point that hazard starts to develop

2005

2008

DrivingInstructor

WINNING WAYSMeet the ADI that taught Formula One ace Lewis Hamilton how to drive (in a Nissan Micra)

Industry united:mandatory CPD within two years

A PROMINENT ROAD SAFETY expert and Govern-ment adviser has said that psychometric testing needs to be compulsory for young drivers.Speaking recently on BBC Radio Five Live, Robert Gi� ord from the Government’s PACTS committee, who advises Parliament on transport policy, criticised the current driving test . He said the current system was failing to root out drivers who become ‘habitual rule-breakers’ on passing their test. He said that a psychological assessment, known as ‘psychometric testing’, would provide the underlying values of a potential driver’s at-titude prior to taking the driving test. Potential risk-takers identi� ed would then be targeted and the behaviour hopefully modi� ed.The Arriva bus company has seen a 31 per cent drop in the number of fatal work-related incidents since introducing psychometric testing for new drivers.

The tests were devised by Dr Lisa Dorn, from Cran� eld University.

According to Dr Dorn: “The principle is that when you administer a psychometric assess-ment, what you are doing is trying to highlight the extent to which people believe certain things, how they feel about certain things and how they will generally behave towards, obvi-ously in this case, tra� c.”The idea of psychological testing for potential drivers, has been welcomed by road safety char-ity Brake, but the RAC Foundation dismissed it as a gimmick, saying that instead young learners should be taught about road safety at a much earlier age than 17 or 18, possibly as part of the school curriculum.

Executive Director of the RAC, Edmund King, said: “The concept of psychometric testing is not the solution and a bit of a gimmick”.DIAmond Chief Examiner Steve Garrod echoes Mr King’s views, calling for the education system to “incorporate the subject of good driving skills and road safety into a schools everyday timetable”.

Expert calls for attitude test

August/September 2007


PAG

E 4

ARE YOU WEBWISE?Why not let Diamond host your website? Great offer for DIA membersPA

GE

9-10 LAW SCHOOL

Thames Valley Police team leader and ADI on speed, trumpets and male chauvinism

PAG

E 22

FIRST DRIVEFiat’s stunning new Bravo with looks to die for and two superb diesel enginesPA

GE

29

THE MAJORITY OF MOTORISTS in Britain believe a new approach is needed to teaching young people how to drive, according to an in� uential new report.The RAC Report on Motoring 2007, widely recognised as one of the most in� uential of its type, concludes that ‘Britain needs a more prominent and integrated system for people to learn what they need to drive safely throughout their lives.’

The report concludes that, as a nation, we are ‘driving addicts’, entirely dependent on the car, but that there is ‘an emergent view amonst the authorities of a need to adopt a lifelong learning approach to driving’.Nearly 84 per cent of motorists surveyed for the report wanted to see a greater emphasis on teaching and road safety in the driving test.Among the report’s other conclusions were the following:

❑ Young people acknowledge the need to be better prepared before driving. Their priorities are: more education about safe driving at school (58 per cent); more emphasis on ‘teaching to drive safely’ (37 per cent); and better preparation for ‘modern driving’ (30 per cent).❑ As a whole, motorists are interested in helping young people improve their driving skills. For example, 88 per cent would like to see training on night driving.

❑ 42 per cent of motorists agree with ‘making all drivers re-take the driving test periodically’.❑ 51 per cent of motorists agree with ‘mak-ing drivers re-take the driving test at 65 – and periodically thereafter’.❑ 79 per cent of motorists agree with ‘having regular medical checks for elderly people’.❑ Nearly a third (29 per cent) of drivers believe they would not pass their driving test if they were to take it tomorrow.

A nation of car addicts want young people to be better prepared on Britain’s roads

THE ADI INDUSTRY will support and monitor a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme, on the understanding that a date can be provided by the DSA for such a scheme to become mandatory.The unanimous landmark decision was made at a summit meeting of all the main ADI representative bodies on 10 July at Cardington, whose facilities were provided by the DSA as a goodwill gesture to the industry.

Most of the discussion at the meeting focused on the introduction of CPD and it is the first time the industry has presented a united front on the issue.It was unanimously agreed that the industry

would support CPD on an initially voluntary, but later mandetory basis, and that the various ADI associations would monitor the quality and standard of courses, with regular Quality Assurance checks overseen by the DSA.The DSA plans to introduce the voluntary scheme in January 2008 but as yet there is no date set for CPD to become mandatory. At the summit meeting it was suggested that some time in 2009 would be a suitable start point and that by announcing such a date the DSA would be encouraging ADIs to be pro-active with their own CPD.DIA Chief Executive Eddie Barnaville described the meeting as “extremely positive” and said the

various associations had also voiced “a willingness to work with the DSA to overcome many of the hurdles to be overcome in such a short time frame.”“This is a very significant step and I hope the DSA are prepared to listen,” said Mr Barnaville.Some concern was expressed at the meeting concerning the fate of LGV and ORDIT Registers introduced 11 and 17 years ago respectively and still not mandatory.

“It is vital that this does not happen with CPD,” said Mr Barnaville.

You can read the full minutes of the summit meeting on pages 16-17.

THE DRIVER TRAINER INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED HUGELY OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS. LET’S LOOK BACK AT SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS HIGHLIGHTED BY DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

The same ‘Show me/Tell me’ questions

are used for both the L-test and the ADI

part 2 test of driving ability. From a list

of 19 questions, learner drivers will be asked

to describe (‘tell me’) how to perform a check

on the condition and safety of one component

and demonstrate (‘show me’) an actual check

on the condition of another. For administrative

purposes there are 13 combinations of

questions used for the test, but there is little

point in listing these as pupils will need

to know how to answer every question,

regardless of which combination it falls in. In

the L-test only one driving fault is allocated to

this section of the test.

ADIs will be asked three ‘tell me’ and two

‘show’ me questions. ADIs should be aware

that each incorrect answer will be assessed as

a driving fault. In the event of all five questions

being answered incorrectly, a serious fault will

be recorded, a statement of failure issued and

the test will be terminated.

Car test (Category B)

1) Open the bonnet, identify where you

would check the engine oil level and tell me

how you would check that the engine has

sufficient oil.

Identify dipstick/oil level indicator, describe

how to check oil level against the minimum/

maximum markers.

2) Show me/explain how you would check

that the power assisted steering is working

before starting a journey.

Before starting a journey two simple checks can

be made. Gentle pressure on the steering wheel,

maintained while the engine is started, should

result in a slight but noticeable movement as the

system begins to operate. Alternatively, turning

the steering wheel just after moving off will

give an immediate indication that the power

assistance is functioning. If the steering is heavy

the system is not working properly.

3) Open the bonnet, identify where you

would check the engine coolant level and tell

me how you would check that the engine has

the correct level.

Identify high/low level markings on header tank

where fitted or radiator filler cap, and describe

how to top up to correct level.

4) Show me how you would check the

parking brake (handbrake) for excessive

wear, keeping safe control of the vehicle.

Apply footbrake firmly. Demonstrate by applying

parking brake (handbrake) so that when it is fully

applied it secures itself, and is not at the end of

the working travel.

5) Identify where the windscreen washer

reservoir is and tell me how you would check

the windscreen washer level.

Identify reservoir and explain how to check level.

6) Show me how you would check that the

horn is working (off road only).

Check is carried out by using control. (You may

need to switch the ignition on, but you should

not start the engine.)

7) Open the bonnet, identify where the brake

fluid reservoir is and tell me how you would

check that you have a safe level of hydraulic

brake fluid.

Identify reservoir, check level against high/low

markings.

8) Show me how you would check that the

direction indicators are working.

Effective from 1 July 2008, the safety questions used for both the L-test and the ADI part 2 test have been expanded,

revised and updated. In the following list, the wording and punctuation has been edited for clarity and consistency. L test w Show me/tell me

August/September 08

8

DrivingInstructor

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99.5% of our instructors renewed

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11/7/08 10:59:24

The problem: too many accidents

for newly qualified driversA bout 750,000 people qualify for a full

car driving licence each year and three-

quarters of these are under 25. It is

unacceptable that one in five has some kind of

accident within six months of qualifying. Too

many casualty accidents involve young drivers

and – unlike the overall figures – the numbers

have gone up in recent years.There is a challenging problem with a minority

of young drivers who ignore the rules of the

road. But there is a much wider problem which

affects all newly-qualified drivers, regardless of

age. The great majority want to be law abiding

and safe, but are not being prepared properly

through the learning and testing process, for the

challenges of driving alone.The existing system is not working effectively

because:

q Newly-qualified drivers can be overconfident

and overestimate their own ability

q The driving test focuses too narrowly on

vehicle controlq Learning is carried out inefficiently, because

learners do not have sufficient information to

plan their training properlyq The practical test is currently perceived as the

end point of the formal learning process, with

very few newly-qualified drivers undertaking

further learning.In addition to the unacceptably high accident

rate among newly-qualified drivers, there are

other costs arising from the current learning and

testing process. Newly-qualified drivers face high

insurance costs. Employers do not feel that they

are sufficiently trained to drive for work. Some

newly-qualified drivers are over-confident, and

misjudge both their driving ability and the risks

involved. Many still identify areas where they

need to improve their own performance.

Our solution: improved training

and testingOur reforms are designed to reduce the number

of casualties among newly-qualified drivers. We

must ensure their accident rate is closer to that

of experienced drivers. This will bring additional

benefits in higher employer confidence in newly-

qualified drivers and lower insurance premiums.

We think that the most effective way of doing

this is to reform the way people learn to drive,

and the way they are tested. This means we will:

q Create an overall driving test that gives a more

realistic and rounded assessment of whether

someone is fit to drive alone;q Make learning more focused and efficient,

with greater clarity about what is required, so

learners should not face any increase in costs;

q Improve the training and testing of driving

instructors and provide better information

for the public on their qualifications and

performanceq Develop a wider range of opportunities for

drivers to acquire skills and demonstrate that

they have done so, both before and after they

qualify, creating a culture of lifelong learning

and driver development.We believe this approach will make people safer

and better drivers. We expect to see as a result:

q Lower numbers of accidents among newly-

qualified driversq Higher levels of learner satisfaction that they

have acquired the skills needed to drive safely

q More opportunities and greater incentives

for post-test learning, with this becoming

increasingly commonq Higher levels of employer confidence in the

driving test and driving qualifications

q Lower insurance costs for drivers who have

taken advantage of a wider range of learning

options, both pre- and post-test, to improve

their competence.

In developing our approach, we have considered

a range of other options. In particular, we

havelooked at the merits of limiting the way

learners can learn, or placing restrictions on

drivers who have just passed their test. We

think that an approach based on education and

incentivisation will work better than one based

on regulation and restriction, but we welcome

further comments.We recognise that there is a minority who

flout the rules, and drive illegally. They are the

most dangerous and carry a large share of

responsibility for the over-representation of

young people in road accidents. Their behaviour

is not acceptable, and needs to be treated firmly.

We will be publishing a separate consultation

on how we intend to deal with those who

break the law, whether through specific driving

offences, or through driving without a licence or

insurance.

Our proposals: Step 1 – an improved driving test

We have already started research into a

comprehensive guide to what makes drivers

safe. We will use this as the basis for modernising

the learning process. We need a test that is

thorough and consistent, which covers all

elements of safe driving.We will update the theory test so that it does

more to test understanding of safe driving.

The existing multiple-choice format can be

strengthened by adding more detailed case

studies, which probe a candidate’s knowledge

more thoroughly. We also want to consult on

whether we should continue to make the theory

test question bank publicly available. The hazard

perception test could do more to ensure learners

have appropriate hazard perception skills and

help learners to develop those skills. We want

to explore the use of 3D animation in the place

of existing film clips, and whether any changes

should be made to the format.The practical test focuses too much on a

candidate’s ability to control the car safely at

the expense of other knowledge and skills.

It needs to become broader, focusing more

generally on whether candidates are ready to

drive unsupervised. We will investigate adding

a section of independent driving, where the

candidate has to take responsibility for route

finding (for example by following signs, or

driving to a local landmark). We will look at

a situational judgement exercise, where the

candidate would explain what they have been

thinking about a particular situation duringthe

test. We will review the number of special

manoeuvres we test and develop new ways of

testing them.We will also look at splitting the theory and

practical tests into modules, to enable learners

to pass elements of the test as they learn.

For example, we could uncouple the hazard

perception test from the knowledge test, or test

the specified manoeuvres in the practical test

separately from the general on-road driving

element.We want to offer better feedback at all stages

of the test, regardless of whether or not a

candidate is successful. We also want to explore

whether a new marking system for the practical

test could make it more effective and consistent.

On 7 May Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced the publication of the Government consultation

paper, Learning to Drive. The following is the Executive Summary from this paper, printed in its entirety

Consultation w Learning to Drive

June/July 08

9

June/July 08

8

DrivingInstructor

DrivingInstructor

Our solution: improved training

2007

BigSTUFF


Driving Instructor

After the widely-predicted debacle resulting in several months of delay, David Harvey offers a personal view of the new motorbike test and why he thinks it is unlikely to be successful in reducing biking casualties. Then, on the following pages, he takes a more detailed view of the controversial new off-road manoeuvres section of the testA very long time ago, when I first joined the workforce as an 18-year-old, the adult environment was, of course, enor-mously different from the school one. I was happy to be at the bottom of the food chain as I was fully aware of how much learning I had to do to adapt to my new environment.

The bottom rungI fully trusted my superiors and, whilst I may have been aware of their personal foibles, I trusted them and respected their knowl-edge and experience. This was because I knew that they too had worked their way up though the organisation after starting off on the bottom rung just like me. (In case you are curious, this was 1976 at the Marble Arch branch of the National Westminster Bank in

a set up that Captain Mainwaring would have felt at home in).I was reassured by the knowledge that everyone in the branch knew what they were doing and that they had progressed up the promotional ladder after they had proven their ability at each level. I was content that they were capa-ble of performing their respective duties to a higher standard than I could do my own, by virtue of the fact that they were higher up than me. I took it for granted that they did their job better than I did mine otherwise how else would they have been promoted?Living and working in a busi-ness or a world trusting that the people in charge were the best for the job and knew what was best for the rest of us seemed quite natural for a naive young man in the 1970s. The British banking sys-

tem trundled along quite happily for decade after decade until its virtual collapse last year. Maybe the people in charge did not fully understand their business as well as they should have, but if they can’t run their own business prop-erly, who can they turn to as they are supposed to be the experts?

RegulationThe banking industry was supposed to be regulated by government-appointed experts who should have acted as a back-stop to any misdemeanours com-mitted by the industry leaders. If we cannot reply upon the people in charge to discharge their responsibilities properly, what are we supposed to do?As a society we often seem to slowly sleepwalk into situations, and when we wake up amidst

muddle, confusion and disillu-sionment we wonder how it all came about. The European Union was originally the European Economic Community, and before that it was the Common Market which grew out of the European Coal and Steel Community. As the years have slipped by, more and more decisions are being taken on our behalf by unelected Eu-ropean bureaucrats even further removed from the consequences of their actions than our MPs in Westminster. Let me give you an example.Commission Directive 2000/56/EC from September 2000 relates to the harmonising of driving tests across member states. The unelected European Commission specifies the types of motorcycle manoeuvres that should be included, and their speeds. Un-

DrivingInstructor

April/May 0924

Trusting bankers

instructor pg24-25.indd 44

24/3/09 13:59:22

23


2009

THIS YEAR, DRIVING INSTRUCTOR WENT MONTHLY!

DrivingInstructor

December/January 09

12

With the banking system in crisis and recession just round the corner, Chris Fanshawe draws some worrying parallels

with the driver training industry and wonders whether the Government is likely to be quite as keen to bail it out

Opinion w Credit crunch

Robert Peston is an unpopular

man in certain circles. The BBC’s

business editor has reported

exclusives over the financial crisis

that have reputedly sent some bank

shares into freefall. This has resulted in

questions in Parliament and demands

for an enquiry into leaks in Govern-

ment and the City. It has also left some

people questioning the wisdom of his

reporting and its resultant damage

to the markets. One thing that he has

done, however, is to show the power

of the media in these turbulent times.

Disturbing parallels

There are those who are happy to

blame Mr Peston for some of the ills

of the City but all he is doing is his

job. You could say he has triggered

some of the hysteria that has beset

the financial markets of late but

realistically this was inevitable anyway.

The short-sighted, short term profit

attitude of many banks, particularly

towards the sub-prime mortgages and

unsecured credit, would inevitably

catch up with them. Pressure for

quick profits and a lack of effective

regulation was a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately, the international banking

industry is so vital to world economic

stability that government intervention

was inevitable.

However, there are some disturbing

parallels between the financial disas-

ters of recent months and potential

troubles within our own industry.

Most significantly there is, just like the

banks, a whole section of our industry

that is dedicated to short term quick

profits. That section is instructor

training. It may sound a little dramatic

to compare instructor training to the

financial world’s sub-prime market, but

the world has changed and some in

this industry are especially vulnerable.

The bigger they are ...

Most of the biggest players are heavily

dependent on the continued success

of instructor training, and there have

been numerous questions in the past

about the ethics of this in an already

saturated market. I focused on this

area in an column for this publica-

tion only a few short months ago. But

recent world events have changed the

picture, and for the worse. We have

seen massive instability in the price of

fuel. We are also facing recession, with

all the implications that come with

any sort of economic slow down. The

growth in the number of cars that has

fuelled our industry’s success in recent

years has gone into reverse, and most

of the major dealer groups are talking

of restructuring and cutting back.

We have even seen groups fail

already, including the Sildow Group

in the South East only this month.

Likewise, the mighty Pendragon Group

has just announced 2500 job cuts

(20 per cent or its workforce) and the

closure of 75 dealerships this year in

response to a predicted end of year

loss of £30 million. Leading motor

industry publication Automotive Man-

agement, recently urged the various

industry organisations to pull together

to put pressure on the Government for

intervention. They state that without it

there would be the loss of hundreds of

car dealerships, thousands of jobs and

even a car manufacturing plant or two.

The retail motor trade and driving

instruction have strong economic links

and have jointly prospered in the last

decade. There is so little reliable infor-

mation as to what is going on within

our industry, the state of the motor

trade is one of the few barometers of

change we have. The indications are

that this will bring a faster reduction in

what is already an inevitable fall in the

number of pupils. But with increasing

unemployment and tighter finances,

it is also likely to increase the demand

for instructor training. Although there

has been a fall in demand in recent

years, this can be directly attributed

to the introduction of criminal records

checks for new instructors.

Register trend

This is a trend that has now started to

reverse and the size of the Regis-

ter continues its expansion almost

unabated. At last count, there were

nearly 45,000 ADIs on the Register,

up from 42,300 this time last year. If

you add in the PDI licenses, there are

now well over 48,000 instructors vying

for business in a shrinking market. As

with so many professions, there is a

significant advantage in experience

and if experienced instructors are

being forced out by newly qualified

instructors, standards are going to fall.

This is also exacerbated by the severely

price sensitive nature of the instruc-

tion market, demonstrated by the

reluctance of many instructors to pass

on the recent increases in fuel costs.

This starves the industry of money for

training and investment. If the reduced

demand for driving instruction is

matched by an increase in demand for

instructor training, our whole industry

becomes an increasingly vulnerable

house of cards.

As with Robert Peston’s reporting

on the banking crisis, it would take

relatively little media attention to

bring the whole lot tumbling down.

It is easy to believe that it is unlikely

but driving and driving instruction are

already regarded as fertile ground by

the independent television produc-

tion companies making reality shows.

There are also the main stream current

affairs programmes. Last year I of-

fered a proposal to several television

companies for a programme about

road safety in the UK, but it didn’t get

off the ground. But one result was that

a researcher from a major production

company approached me for informa-

tion about driving instruction, for a

flagship current affairs programme.

This ultimately wasn’t pursued, prob-

ably as a result of the Government’s

announcement of the review of the

driving test.

Role of the media

The point is there are people in the

news media who know how we work

and consider us newsworthy. The

media is a hungry beast with an insa-

tiable appetite for stories and there is

the possibility that the subject will be

revisited – especially likely if the Gov-

ernment fails to achieve much with

the current consultations, because it

affords us a degree of protection.

A media investigation is not the

only possible source of high profile

negative publicity. The advertis-

ing conducted by some of the big

instructor trainers has always sailed

just the right side of the legal line.

The potential earnings are always

‘up to’ a figure and they will always

be able to guarantee a job because

of the franchise system. Although

many companies are masters at never

saying anything outright dishonest,

there are some aspects that could be

described as significantly misleading.

I was recently asked about becom-

ing a driving instructor by someone

who had worked for a major financial

organisation for 20 years. His job was

secure, even in the current climate, but

if he had left, he would never have got

back in. I hope I successfully dissuaded

him, but if he had followed his idea,

the consequences for his future would

have been devastating.

If someone in his position was to

sue for compensation, on the grounds

they were misled by a claim that ‘there

is a national shortage of instructors’

they may have a case. A discrete offer

to refund the fees may well be not

enough for someone who has given

Bubble and squeak

driving pg12-13.indd 44

25/11/08 20:56:00

Coaching is the latest buzz-word in teaching techniques but what does it actually mean? Experienced driving

coach Michael Waldock offers us a useful definition and tells us why it represents the future of driving tuition

Trainingw Coaching

This simple question is not so

straight forward as it may first

appear. Even the most experi-

enced coaches may find it challeng-

ing to explain, in a short sentence,

exactly what coaching is.

The truth is that coaching is quite

an involved process; it is not a quick

fix or just an extra couple of tools to

be added to the tool bag of a good

instructor; it is a different art form

altogether, and, for those that know

how to coach, it is definitely a very

powerful and enjoyable learning

process, but until you have taken

the time to understand and develop

coaching techniques for yourself,

it may not be so easy to see what

is actually going on that makes the

difference.

I can see why there is so much

confusion. For example, we have

tennis and badminton coaches, but

if you watch these guys you will

rarely see any coaching going on.

Rather, what they do is instruct. The

dictionary definition is not much

help ether; even the word ‘coaching’

is rather lame and not very discrip-

tive of what is involved. It might be

easier to repose the question and

ask what instruction is.

Discovering the solution

Instruction is the process of telling

people what or how to do some-

thing, whereas coaching is the pro-

cess of finding ways that will enable

the student to discover the solution

for themselves. Crucially, it means

the learning process is driven by the

student and not the instructor.

In my various attempts to

describe coaching with a quick

sentence, my favorite is this: You can

lead a horse to water but you can’t

make him drink. To expand: you

can tell a horse to drink a thousand

times, but all you really need to do is

let him realise that he is thirsty.

Self-motivationWhereas instruction would be

simply telling the horse to drink,

coaching involves finding ways to

motivate him, so he can make the

decision for himself; that way you

don’t even need to lead the horse to

the water – he is self-motivated to

go on his own.Coaching involves facilitating the

learning process through effective

communication skills. I like the anal-

ogy of an instructor thinking of his

pupil as an empty vessel that needs

to be filled with knowledge, wereas

in coaching we regard the pupil as

a seed, which already contains ev-

erything it needs, and the potential

to grow into a magnificent tree,

and our task is merely to nourish,

nurture and encourage.

What is coaching?

DrivingInstructor

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August/September 1030

It may have been the subject of considerable controversy in recent months but coaching could soon be a reality. Phil Hirst reports on an influential study project being run by the DSA using volunteer ADIs in Leicestershire

Phil Hirst w coaching

The fact that the DSA is run-ning a coaching study project with volunteer ADIs in Leices-

tershire will almost certainly affect all of us in a three- to five-year time span. How we do our jobs is being challenged. The tried and tested teaching methods which have stood us in good stead for four decades may well be ditched in fa-vour of a ‘client-centred’ approach.

If the outcomes of the study project point to safer new drivers, less collisions and fewer road users injured and killed on our roads then bring it on!

If coaching is eventually ac-cepted as the mainstream learn-ing method there will be huge ramifications for our learner driver and instructor training industries. If pupils are to have greater control over, and input into, their acquisi-tion of driving knowledge and skills, driving instructors will need to acquire the skills of the driving coach.

ADI trainingHow PDIs are trained and tested to confirm they are fit for purpose will need a radical overhaul. The

DSA has the opportunity to design a qualifying regime which not only arms new ADIs with the latest coaching skills but also gives them the business acumen to establish a proper foothold in our industry.

The DSA, with the assistance of a third party, are guiding the Leicestershire ADIs in the art of coaching during the study project. Understandably, the Agency does not have the resources, nor is it their mandate, to provide similar support to 45,000 new and experi-enced instructors. This is where the biggest impact will be. I see this as a welcome and long-overdue opportunity to regulate and standardise the instructor training industry.

Scrap ORDITThe highly unsatisfactory and failing ORDIT system must be scrapped. It is a voluntary scheme anyway and only a small percent-age of those training ADIs bother to pay and sign up to its terms and conditions. In its place, the DSA through third party organisations needs to train suitably experienced and qualified ADIs in the skills required to prepare PDIs for the rigours of qualifying and operating as driving coaches. Incidentally, the title DSA ADI (Car) would be

replaced with DSA ADC (Car).The newly-established coach

training industry and DSA would be singing off the same song sheet at last.

A new, mandatory register of ADC trainers would rise phoenix-like from the ashes of the crippled ORDIT register. It would be regulat-ed as the ADI register is at present. It would prevent, for the most part, the outrageous flouting of rules and laws and the illegal activities of certain driving schools on the discredited ORDIT register.

Short-term actionThe short-term effects of the DSA’s study project on the rest of us are negligible but their longer-term outcomes are likely to catch our attention. For the foreseeable future (two years) ADIs should keep teaching in the usual way. There is no need for a knee-jerk reaction with a mad scramble to become a driving coach.

The DSA expects the familiar core competencies and levels of instruction to continue to be dem-onstrated on check tests. However, as part of CPD, ADIs should start to familiarise themselves with coach-ing as a client-centred approach to learning safe driving for life. Research into the online HERMES report includes useful video mate-rial.

Dr. Jonathan Passmore has written many research articles on coaching and is currently lead-ing a University of East London-sponsored coaching project involving about forty ADIs. Sir John Whitmore’s book, Coaching for Performance, would also be a good starting point.

Short-to-medium termOnce the appetite is whetted, consider attending a seminar or training day as part of your CPD. Research carefully because not all courses might suit your learning style. Some are predominantly theoretical and classroom-based; others look at coaching in a more practical way in small groups, in-car. Decide which approach suits you and find out what all the fuss is about. One aspect of your teaching ability I can guarantee will improve by attending training is Q&A technique.

Coaching put to the test

instructor pg30-31.indd 4416/7/10 11:56:21

36

Launch intoORDIT

Upcoming changes in how PDIs will train and qualify to become ADIs could mean that trainers on ORDIT will be well placed to take advantage of new rules. Steve Garrod explains how to take the next step

September / October 2011DrivingInstructor

2010 2011

201204

DrivingInstructor

Chancellor George Osborne has used his

autumn statement to announce that he will cancel

a 3p fuel duty rise planned for January, and has

revised August’s planned increase down from 5p

to 3p. Osborne told the House of Commons that, for

the majority of motorists, fuel is a necessity and

not a luxury, adding that with fuel duty having

been cut by a penny in April’s budget, tax on

petrol would be 10p lower than planned by next

autumn. DIA group manager Steve Garrod said the

move was welcome: “Anything that relieves the

burden on hard-pressed instructors is good. Very

often ADIs are reluctant to pass on fuel price

increases to pupils who are already feeling the

pinch.”

Chancellor cancels

fuel duty rise

The DSA has set out a new framework of skills and knowledge it expects from

driver and rider trainers as part of its modernising driver training programme.

The driver/rider training standard sets out what drivers and riders need to

be able to do, and the knowledge they need to have, in order to become and

remain safe and responsible drivers and riders. The responsibility for delivering

the changes will rest on trainers, the new standards being designed to equip

them to raise national driving standards.

The new framework has been drawn up in response to European Union

legislation demanding uniform driver trainer standards across member nations.

The publication fulfils commitments made in the Government’s Strategic

Framework for Road Safety and will help to inform consultations on the

modernisation of the driver and rider training industry that are due to begin

next year.Road safety minister Mike Penning said: “The driver and rider training

industry has a vital role to play in making sure that Britain’s roads remain

among the safest in the world. The publication of this standard will help to

ensure that all drivers acquire the right skills, knowledge and attitude to use

our roads safely.”

DIA group manager Steve Garrod welcomed the proposals but said it was

time to deliver: “The new framework is promising – hopefully we’ve now got a

minister who will back up what he says with a signature on legislation that will

actually deliver the changes.”

Running alongside the new framework on driver trainers, decisions on

further potential changes to driver training – such as the use of workbooks,

allowing learners on motorways and post-test interventions – will be taken

following the current trial of a new learning-to-drive process, a consultation

that the DIA has been involved in.

The proposed changes will see all trainers following the same route into the

training industry, mandatory continuing professional development and a more

stringent check test to confirm that trainers have adopted the changes.

Trainers will be assessed more thoroughly on the feedback they give to

clients, and whether learning outcomes are being set and followed during the

training sessions.

The DSA will be consulting on its proposals to modernise driver training

early in 2012.

DSA to set new standards for

driver and rider trainers

January / February 2012

Driving Instructor

Driving Instructor

A survey of insurance premiums by the AA has revealed that car insurance premiums began to drop in the third quarter of the year. The data showed that the average quoted cost for an annual comprehensive policy fell 2.9% to £844 in the three months leading up to the end of September. Figures over the last 12 months, however, show an increase of 5.6%.

AA Insurance director Simon Douglas welcomed the news: ‘Competition is tough in the insurance market, forcing many companies to reduce premiums despite the fact that costs show little sign of abating. Nevertheless, some are still increasing premiums.‘Whiplash injury claims continue to pour in and under current legislation, they are difficult for insurers to reject, even if they think they may be fraudulent, because it is difficult to prove whether or not a claimant has suffered.’

The AA has hit out at the EU’s new gender equality rules that are set to increase premiums for women drivers by up to 25%, according to industry experts. AA Insurance director Simon Douglas said: ‘We may now have gender equality, but that still doesn’t mean that it is fair. Insurers will want to avoid writing young male business at unprofitable rates, but competitive pressure will lead to premiums settling down in time. That is likely to take very many months however.’

New information released by the DSA has revealed that a woman in Essex has failed her theory test a staggering 105 times. It means she has spent £3,255 on taking the exam, which costs £31 each time. Her latest attempt took place in Ilford.

Executive director of the Parliamentary advisory council for transport safety (Pacts), Robert Gifford, said: ‘It’s hard to comprehend. At the same time, the Treasury must be pleased by her persistence since it represents a good income for the government.’The hapless woman’s nearest rival for worst theory test candidate is a man in Peterborough who has had 84 tries at passing the theory test.

11

Vauxhall has signed a deal with Red Driving School to supply 1,000 cars a year to the national training provider. Red has a network of 1,600 franchisees and trains 100,000 people every year. The deal will see new Corsas being supplied to Red instructors as well as eligibility for Vauxhall’s partners programme (available to DIA members) for those who pass their test with Red. Vauxhall says that industry research has shown that new drivers have a strong affinity for the make and model of car they learn in and that many go on to buy the same model as their driving instructor.

The first learner driver in the UK to pass in an electric car is celebrating. Navdeep Singh, 18, of Hull has passed his driving test first time in a Vauxhall Ampera, taught by Red driving school franchisee Anthony Fuller.

Red CEO Ian McIntosh said: ‘We are committed to pushing the boundaries of driving tuition and are proud that our pupil, Navdeep, is the first in the UK to pass a driving test in an electric car.’He continued: ‘We are offering electric car driving lessons as part of an ongoing innovation process of responding to the changing driving industry, establishing what is possible for the future and assessing demand for different car types. As electric car use grows in popularity, we expect that electric car tuition will increase.’Navdeep said: ‘I am really happy to have passed my driving test and it’s exciting that I am the first to have taken it in an electric car. I enjoyed my driving lessons with RED Driving School and would like to thank my instructor for helping me to pass my test first time.’(One thing – it is certainly a nice story and all, but technically speaking the Ampera is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, because of the petrol engine powering the wheels at points. Technically, with an all-electric range of around 40 miles, Navdeep could have managed his entire test in EV mode though. Just saying – Ed)

The DSA is set to announce a new voluntary code of conduct for ADIs and a host of other changes on disciplinary issues. A draft document was circulated to instructor associations in early November by DSA registrar Mark Magee.Magee has indicated he intends to crack down on ADIs who don’t meet the agency’s fit and proper standard, which includes striking off instructors who consistently don’t turn up for check tests. Magee cites alarming statistics that show despite 30,000 check test invites sent out last year, only 16,000 tests were actually taken.ADIs who live abroad will have to do their check tests every four years whether they have been operating in the UK or not. The current set up involves an informal arrangement where ADIs returning to the country arrange a test at their convenience. Other changes to the fit and proper standard include where ADIs have been using training cars as taxis or haven’t had proper insurance. The biggest change to the voluntary code of practice is that instructors would be expected to hand out copies of the DSA code of practice to new clients, but the proposed code has already attracted criticism for not going far enough. Many industry watchers want to see a compulsory code of conduct introduced that will promote professionalism among ADIs. Magee took over as registrar earlier this year, and has already revealed plans to replace the ADI theory question bank book with a DVD product that will include a full set of questions and answers as well as business tips, industry advice and selected information from the ADI 14 booklet.

Vauxhall has launched an MOT test insurance package for cars up to seven years old with less than 70,000 miles on the clock. The insurance covers the cost of repair and replacement of parts up to the value of £750 if the car fails its MOT. The cover begins at £75 for 12 months.

Three-quarters of motorists are unprepared for the bad weather this year, according to the AA. ‘Having the right equipment can make the difference between being stranded and getting home safely,’ says patrol of the year Andy Smith.

The DSA has won the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its campaign to launch the Highway Code on a range of new platforms, including its release as an iPhone app at the end of last year.

Vauxhall MOT insurance

Drivers unpreparedApp launch award

Rosso Corsa

Red learner first to pass in electric car

Premium price drop

106th time lucky?

Registrar gets tough on ADIs

10

TOPSTORY

A national behaviour survey of British motorists by Sainsbury’s car insurance has revealed that drivers have become more cautious year-on-year, with decreases in the number of drivers excessively speeding, using a mobile phone behind the wheel, driving without a seatbelt and tailgating. The number of motorists who admit to exceeding the speed limit by at least 10mph has dropped from 19% in 2011 to 17% in 2012.

Sainsbury’s Car Insurance head Ben Tyte said: ‘It’s encouraging to see that driver behaviour on our roads remains, on the whole, at a consistent level and is improving in some areas. Being a safe driver means you are not only protecting yourself and your family, but also other motorists, pedestrians and cyclists so we’d encourage everyone to take extra caution while they’re behind the wheel, even if they already consider themselves a safe driver.’However, some bad habits appear to have increased after falling in the previous year. The number of drivers who report using their phone without a hands-free set has also dropped in the last year, from 6% in 2011 to 5% in 2012. However the number of drivers texting behind the wheel has increased from 4% in 2011 to 5% in 2012.

Drivers getting cautious

The DSA said: ‘We welcome the use of electric cars for driving lessons and tests. Electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuelled vehicles can all help to reduce emissions from road transport. We’re happy to accept any car on test as long as it meets the legal requirements listed on gov.uk.’

When was the last time you checked you tyre pressure now it’s colder you can expect it to drop 25% less air will be 2% more fuel used

“I’m only going down the road.” A large proportion of all drink drive crashes occur within three miles of the start of the journey #Think

Low Sun + wet roads = loads of glare. Can other road users see you?? Switch ur headlights on. It will help them to see you. #BeSafe #BeSeen

@adibaldryAdrian Baldry

@staffssaferoadsSSRP

@MartiTVMarti Trujols

NEWS Visit driving.org/newsFor all the latest industry news from the DIA

Have local ADI I call Scalextric (cos he drives round a loop all day) who insists on WC pitstops during lessons. They’re paying whilst he...

@freewaysomPaul Rodgers

Commons debates proposed 3p fuel duty hike today - probably more relevant than BBC politics for most

@AApresidentEdmund King

Have you seen our survey on the proposals? Visit driving.org for more details




2013

Driving Instructor

The government has announced it will launch a

green paper in June that will start a consultation on

young driver safety. The announcement was made

as the Department for Transport hosted a summit for

representatives of the insurance industry. Many of

the proposals in the green paper have come about

as a result of lobbying by the industry.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: ‘It

is alarming that a fifth of people killed or seriously

injured on our roads in 2011 were involved in a

collision where at least one driver was aged 17-24.

Improving the safety of our young drivers is therefore

a real priority and will not only reduce casualties

but should also mean a reduction in the sky-high

insurance premiums they pay.’

‘We have already done much as a government to

address the concerns around motor insurance but

more still needs to be done before young drivers

feel satisfied they are getting value for money. I look

forward to working with the industry and hearing from

them how these proposals will help reduce premiums.’

Motor Insurers’ Bureau chairman Keith Morris was more circumspect

about what impact the proposals would have on premiums: ‘The industry

has pledged to pass back any premium as a result of a reduction in claims.

It’s too early to tell what the reduction will be but as we get certainty in a

reduction in claims we will see premiums dropping slightly.’

There has already been much discussion about what measures should

be taken to reduce high insurance premiums for young drivers, and the

consultation will cover a wide range of options from a minimum learning

period to a more rigorous driving test.

Read the DIA’s response to the green paper consultation and full

analysis starting on p28.

The initially promising drop in average UK petrol price that

began in early March has stalled, according to the AA.

The association says that despite a decrease in wholesale

costs of 3p-4p, the drop in retail prices has come to a halt 2p

below the year’s high of 140p at the beginning of March.

Fuel price drop stop

Government announces green paper

10

TOPSTORY

NEWS

Foreign office driving tips

The Foreign Office has launched a road safety campaign aimed at

British people travelling abroad and driving.

The campaign has come about as a result of overseas-based FCO

staff reporting a high number of road traffic incidents affecting

British tourists and expats in popular destinations such as Thailand,

Australia and Spain.

The Foreign Office reports that after natural causes, road traffic

deaths are the most common cause of death for British nationals in

Thailand. The majority of accidents involve motorcycles and scooters.

Mark Kent, ambassador to Thailand, said: ‘Road traffic accidents

can have a profound effect on both those individuals involved

and their families. Accidents do occur and not all tragedies are

avoidable, but the outcome could be very different with many lives

being saved and critical injuries reduced if people adopted the same

safety precautions abroad that they would naturally take at home.

“I have visited hospitals here and heard from doctors how many

deaths could have been avoided by following the law and taking the

appropriate precautions, such as safety helmets. You should check

that your travel insurance specifically covers you for driving a scooter

or any other vehicle abroad.’

The FCO has launched an online tool at fcowidget.com to give

British travellers and expats specific advice about the countries they

are visiting.

Young driver telematics insurance firm Ingenie has criticised the

government’s proposals, saying that restrictions and night-time

curfews are not the answer. Only 9% of claims made by young

drivers insured by the company were for crashes at night, it said.

Ingenie said that education and coaching was the answer to

reduce accidents among young drivers, as well as the insurance

rewards it gave to careful drivers.

‘While we are supportive of some of the proposals being

considered by the government, we believe that imposing night-

time restrictions or curfews on young drivers suppresses the root

cause of the problem. ingenie’s approach is to work with young

drivers as individuals and encourage them to take responsibility for

their driving,’ the firm said.

Insurer response

p10_17_Instructor_Issue04.indd 1

22/04/2013 16:33

T

FINALLY SOME GOOD NEWS FROM THE MODERNISING DRIVER TRAINING PROJECT, SAYS MIKE FRISBY

HE DSA ANNOUNCED recently that it will change the current check test that all ADIs have to attend in April 2014. The first noticeable change is the name – ADIs will now be required to attend a ‘standards check’ as opposed to the current check test. In 2011 the DSA published the national standard for rider and driver training, setting out what was necessary to be an effective trainer. The agency says the change of name will reflect more precisely what is expected of trainers.During the new standards check, examiners will be assessing whether the trainer is able to help the learner to learn in an effective way, with three areas to be assessed: lesson planning, risk management and teaching and learning strategies.

Last year, following a modernising driver training meeting at the DSA, we showed on our website some examples of what the proposed marking sheet for the new standards

check would look like. At the time the DSA clearly stated what we saw were just draft copies of how they thought the forms might look. Having contacted the registrar Mark Magee recently for further clarification, he said that the new form is ‘currently being typeset in preparation for its inclusion in the MDT consultation document’. He also stated: ‘we’ve recently made some slight changes to the format so that it is easier to read’ and continued that ‘the marking section is as per the version shared last year’. I have used some examples of the draft form in this article to show the areas that will be assessed, so please be aware the diagrams are not the final version to be used. Looking at the areas to be assessed, on the new sheet you can see a direct comparison to skills that as a trainer you should already have – the structure of a lesson will not be very different, but the wording on the new sheet will require a client-centred learning approach. Learners will need to be encouraged

to take ownership of their learning and to be more involved in the learning process. This doesn’t mean you just have to pick them up and they can do what they like for an hour, but it does mean having a conversation that helps them reflect on their performance and assess themselves. These skills will not only prepare them more fully to pass a test but also will develop skills that will enable them to develop their driving post-test when their trainer is a distant memory. The first part of the form deals with lesson planning, basically asking: Was there a recap, a briefing, was the route appropriate for the lesson and was the lesson plan flexible enough to deal with any identified faults? Similar to now, but some of the key phrases specific to a client-centred approach are: ‘identify the student’s learning goals and needs’, ‘appropriate for the students experience and ability’, ‘help the student to work towards their learning goals’. The lesson is all about the student – what do they want to achieve


22/04/2013 17:25

Driving Instructor

The DSA and Vosa are set to be

merged, following an announcement

by the government as part the motoring

services strategy, which ran from

December to March.

The move will bring the maintaining

of driver and vehicle standards on

UK roads under one roof, as part of

the consultation’s suggestion that

the number of government agencies

should be cut.

The agencies will officially be

merged from the beginning of 2014,

but a transitional board has already

been set up under the guidance of

Vosa chief executive Alastair Peoples.

Former DSA chief executive Rosemary

Thew stepped down at the end of June

(see related story).

Road safety minister Stephen

Hammond said: ‘We need to make sure

that we continue to keep pace with

customers’ needs and deliver services

in a way which is both convenient and

cost effective. These changes will put

customers at the heart of the services

they rely on and allow for a more

coherent approach to service delivery.

‘By bringing testing and standards

services into a single organisation we

will make life easier for customers and

potentially reduce the fees we charge.

Staff at the DSA and Vosa do a great

job in delivering for customers every

day and we will work closely with

them to support them through these

changes.’Thew told the DIA

spring conference

in May that it was

important for people

to understand

the government’s

end goal when

looking at changes to driver training:

‘Ministers want fewer deaths, lower

insurance, educational opportunity

and no increase in the financial and

regulatory burden.’ The DSA has been

under pressure to cut costs since

the coalition government began its

spending reviews in 2010, and industry

watchers will put the new agency under

close scrutiny to ensure that standards

do not slip.

The new agency will likely follow the

example set by the DVA in Northern

Ireland, where driver and vehicle testing

and licensing were brought under the

same roof in 2007. Alastair Peoples

was in charge of the Driver and Vehicle

Testing Agency in the province, but

ironically left to oversee Vosa in Great

Britain before the merger took place.

It is not yet known how much money

the government expects to save

through the merger, but both agencies

are engaged in initiatives to create test

centres in non-traditional locations

such as shops and local public

amenities as well as moving functions

online.

The DSA has opened its MDRT proposals up

to public consultation. It wants your views on

vocational qualification for ADIs, changing the

current system and stopping PDIs

getting paid for tuition.

Visit bit.ly/113DhEO for full information.

MDRT

DSA/Vosa

merger

10

TOPSTORY

NEWS

Thew steps downPeoples choice

Rosemary Thew left the DSA on 30 June following the announcement

that the DSA and Vosa were to merge. She said that she had been

considering leaving the civil service for some time: ‘I am confident

that the team here at DSA under Alastair’s leadership will continue

to offer our customers the very best service they can as the merger

proceeds and the combined agency emerges.’

Thew had been with the civil service since passing her A-levels,

and before joining the DSA was field director for Jobcentre Plus in

the West Midlands. She was chief executive of the DSA between

2005 and 2013, overseeing such changes as the introduction of

independent driving to the test and has instigated consultations

on a series of reforms. It hasn’t been plain sailing, with the agency

left embarrassed after the failure of its multi-purpose test centre

initiative and changes to the motorcycle test over recent years have

proven controversial.

Alastair Peoples attended Londonderry college of further education where he

gained a C&G Full Tech Certificate. He is also an Incorporated Mechanical

Engineer and an honorary fellow of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers.

Alastair joined the civil service in 1978 working for what is now the Driver

and Vehicle Agency within the Department of Environment in Northern Ireland.

He worked as a vehicle and driving examiner after undertaking the driving

examiner training course at the DSA training and development centre in

Cardington, Bedfordshire.

Later, Alastair attended and passed the supervisor driving examiner course.

After conducting driving and vehicle tests for a number of years, he held a

number of roles eventually becoming the operations director where he was

responsible for the delivery of all vehicle and driving tests in Northern Ireland

Alastair joined Vosa as Operations Director in 2004. He has held posts as

deputy chief executive and interim chief executive and was appointed Vosa’s

chief executive in August 2009.


23/07/2013 11:07

2014

2015

O EXCUSES: if you haven’t read the National Standard for Driver and Rider Training by now, then you’re not aware of the official guidance and

requirements of what you should be delivering

as a professional driver or rider trainer. As

we highlighted in the feature on page 26,

fundamentally an ADI who can’t be bothered

to even look at a copy of this, is like a pupil

who doesn’t bother to pick up a Highway

Code. Actually, in many ways, they’re worse:

they’re the professional being licenced by the

secretary of state and paid by a customer to

be on top of their game in terms of skills and

knowledge, and to deliver a competent driver,

trained to the required standard, on to our

busy roads. We don’t say this to make ADIs feel bad

or scared: we say this to impress upon them

how important the National Standard is,

and how crucial it is to be aware of its key

requirements. We say this as even after a

year of free roadshows, magazine articles and

special professional development days (and

the DVSA also frequently communicating how

important the Standard is, and with copies

easily downloadable from gov.uk), we still have

ADIs telling us they haven’t even looked at the

National Standard yet – or didn’t even know it

existed. They are expected to meet a key set

of professional standards and deliver on those

standards in the everyday – if they don’t even

know what those standards are, then that’s a

worrying place for a professional to be. And as

the biggest official assessment of professional

competence, the Standards Check, does

exactly what the name suggests – checks

whether an ADI is meeting the National

Standard – it’s more than time they got savvy

about the standard. Being asked to read a 33-page document

that sets out the professional standards

and expected deliverables for a vocational

specialism is not being asked to do too

much. And it’s a lot less reading than many

professionals have to do to keep up to date

with their industry’s guidance and regulation.

Reading a thread late one night recently in an

ADI Facebook forum (‘ADIs don’t need CPD’

was one insightful comment – sorry mate, but

see Element 6.5.1 of the Standard) where

someone was saying they didn’t have time to

read all this information, did immediately beg

the question ‘if you can spend several hours

on here ranting about not having enough time

to find out about something so fundamental to

your profession, you’ve got some time in your

life you could devote to getting yourself up

to speed on official guidance?’ This is about

professionalism and an ADI’s livelihood, as

decisions about whether they are fit to hold the

green badge or not are based, since 7 April,

on the ability to demonstrate compliance with

the National Standard. Make time for it. If you haven’t got to grips with it yet, to get

you started (or to refresh your memory for all

those who sensibly have already done their

homework) here’s a quick tour of the key

elements of the National Standard and some

tips for further CPD activity.

N

STANDARD KNOWLEDGECARLY BROOKFIELD RUNS DOWN THE CORE

ELEMENTS OF THE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR

DRIVER AND RIDER TRAINING

Driving Instructor

40


17/04/2014 16:33


FEATURETRAINING DRIVING.ORG/TRAINING

EXAMINING THE EXAMINERS

OLIVIA BALDOCK TAKES A LOOK AT THE PROPOSED DL25 TEST REPORT FORM AND

URGES INSTRUCTORS TO EMBRACE THE CHANGE

AS MANY OF you will know, in early June we did a survey of our members on DVSA’s proposed DL25 Test Report Form as part of our monthly newsletter. Members were encouraged to look at the proposed form and take our quick survey to give us feedback of what they thought was good, and what they thought wasn’t.

Mike Frisby and I reviewed the feedback to see how our members felt about the form and if it was well received or not, as the case may be. It very quickly became clear that, although there is support for the new form, a small number were in favour of not changing it.

We do understand and acknowledge from both our own experiences as ADIs, plus speaking to thousands of our members over the years at events and over the phone, that there are some examiners who do not properly debrief the pupil, but luckily, this is only a small number. In terms of feedback, these examiners give the bare minimum (and sometimes not even that) and quickly vanish back into the test centre, faster than you can say parallel park, leaving the pupil, and the ADI, who has not been in the car during the test, both frustrated and confused as to what the problems are.

We agree that, in some cases, more clarity is needed during the examiner’s debrief in order for the ADI to help the pupil to develop further where there are areas of weakness in their driving. This, in turn, will help both the pupil and ADI to better understand the problems.

Some of the feedback we have received so far with our survey is as follows.

More clarity is needed during the examiner’s debrief in order for the ADI

to help the pupil develop further

p34_37_Instructor_Issue06.indd 2 17/06/2014 02:55 pm

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was launched on 2 April, bringing together the Driving Standards Agency and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency under one merged agency.

The new agency will offer a range of motoring services including driving tests, goods and passenger vehicle testing, operator licensing and the supervision of MOTs. It also aims to provide more convenient and cost-effective services for motorists, in response to a consultation exercise last year to find how the government could reform its motoring services agencies to reduce costs and improve consistency.

The DVSA will be responsible for setting, testing and enforcing driver and vehicle standards in Great Britain and employs more than 4,000 staff. This year, it will conduct 1.5m theory tests and 1.6m practical driving tests. It will also be responsible for regulating around 28m MOT tests, carry out 137,000 roadside inspections, issue 87,000 operator licenses, and test and inspect 790,000 commercial vehicles.Announcing the launch of DVSA, Stephen Hammond said: “The creation of DVSA builds on the vital work that has already been done to improve road safety and offer modern, cost-effective services for motorists. The merged agency offers the opportunity to increase efficiency and further explore ways of providing innovative, convenient services.”DVSA chief executive Alastair Peoples said: “By bringing testing and standards services into a single agency we will make life easier for customers, putting them at the heart of the services they rely on and providing a more coherent approach to service delivery.

“The two former agencies were already undertaking work to make driver and vehicle testing more flexible and convenient for customers. The DVSA will continue to keep pace with customers’ needs and deliver services in a way which is both convenient and cost effective.”

The government is proposing to reduce the cost of the driving theory test

by 25% from the end of this year.The proposal, which could save learner drivers more than £100m over

the next nine years, is contained in a public consultation on changes to

theory test fees. The plans would see the cost of a car driving theory test

fall by £6 in October this year, taking the cost of a test from £31 to £25,

with a further drop of £2 planned in October 2015.Transport minister Stephen Hammond said: “We are determined to

keep motoring costs down, so we want to make sure theory tests offer the

best value for money, while continuing to meet rigorous standards.“The theory test plays a vital role in making sure that new drivers know

the Highway Code and the rules of the road, and today’s announcement

shows we are determined to provide cost-effective services that keep our

roads among the safest in the world.”Alastair Peoples, chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards

Agency (DVSA), said: “By agreeing new contract arrangements for the

delivery of theory tests, we have secured significant cost savings, and it is

right that we pass these savings on to our customers. We want to make

sure that we continue to keep pace with customers’ needs and deliver

services in a way which is both convenient and cost effective.”The consultation also sets out proposed reductions for motorcycle, bus

and lorry theory tests. The consultation closes on 15 May and is available

to view on gov.uk.

DVSA created to improve services to motorists Cost of driving theory test to fall

S&P+ Limited | Registered in Scotland SC42925B | Registered Office, 2nd Floor, 100 West Regent Street, Gasgow, G22QDp12_17_Instructor_Issue04.indd 2

17/04/2014 13:09

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) was launched on 2 April, bringing together the Driving Standards Agency and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency under one merged agency.

The new agency will offer a range of motoring services including driving tests, goods and passenger vehicle testing, operator licensing and the supervision of MOTs. It also aims to provide more convenient and cost-effective services for motorists, in response to a consultation exercise last year to find how the government could reform its motoring services agencies to reduce costs and improve consistency.

The DVSA will be responsible for setting, testing and enforcing driver and vehicle standards in Great Britain and employs more than 4,000 staff. This year, it will conduct 1.5m theory tests and 1.6m practical driving tests. It will also be responsible for regulating around 28m MOT tests, carry out 137,000 roadside inspections, issue 87,000 operator licenses, and test and inspect 790,000 commercial vehicles.Announcing the launch of DVSA, Stephen Hammond said: “The creation of DVSA builds on the vital work that has already been done to improve road safety and offer modern, cost-effective services for motorists. The merged agency offers the opportunity to increase efficiency and further explore ways of providing innovative, convenient services.”DVSA chief executive Alastair Peoples said: “By bringing testing and standards services into a single agency we will make life easier for customers, putting them at the heart of the services they rely on and providing a more coherent approach to service delivery.

“The two former agencies were already undertaking work to make driver and vehicle testing more flexible and convenient for customers. The DVSA will continue to keep pace with customers’ needs and deliver services in a way which is both convenient and cost effective.”

The government is proposing to reduce the cost of the driving theory test

by 25% from the end of this year.The proposal, which could save learner drivers more than £100m over

the next nine years, is contained in a public consultation on changes to

theory test fees. The plans would see the cost of a car driving theory test

fall by £6 in October this year, taking the cost of a test from £31 to £25,

with a further drop of £2 planned in October 2015.Transport minister Stephen Hammond said: “We are determined to

keep motoring costs down, so we want to make sure theory tests offer the

best value for money, while continuing to meet rigorous standards.“The theory test plays a vital role in making sure that new drivers know

the Highway Code and the rules of the road, and today’s announcement

shows we are determined to provide cost-effective services that keep our

roads among the safest in the world.”Alastair Peoples, chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards

Agency (DVSA), said: “By agreeing new contract arrangements for the

delivery of theory tests, we have secured significant cost savings, and it is

right that we pass these savings on to our customers. We want to make

sure that we continue to keep pace with customers’ needs and deliver

services in a way which is both convenient and cost effective.”The consultation also sets out proposed reductions for motorcycle, bus

and lorry theory tests. The consultation closes on 15 May and is available

to view on gov.uk.

DVSA created to improve services to motorists Cost of driving theory test to fall

S&P+ Limited | Registered in Scotland SC42925B | Registered Office, 2nd Floor, 100 West Regent Street, Gasgow, G22QDp12_17_Instructor_Issue04.indd 2

17/04/2014 13:09

S&P+ Limited | Registered in Scotland SC42925B | Registered Office, 2nd Floor, 100 West Regent Street, Gasgow, G22QD

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has confirmed

that it will abolish the photo driving licence paper counterpart from

January 2015.

Drivers will be able to check their driving licence record online, by

phone or post and DVLA is developing a new digital enquiry service

for launch later this year that will allow organisations and businesses

(such as employers and car hire companies) to view information they

can currently see on the driving licence counterpart.

This new service will be offered in addition to the existing services,

but is designed for those who have a business need for real-time

access to the information and may not wish to call DVLA or be in a

position to use an intermediary.

Driving licence information via this service will only be made

available to those who have a right to see it, and with the knowledge

of the driving licence holder.

Drivers who do not think they need their counterpart may destroy it

but not until 1 January 2015 and the counterpart can still be used to

change addresses with DVLA.

Meanwhile, driving licence fees are set to fall according to a

government consultation.

Under the proposals, licenses would fall by 32% for digital

transactions and 15% for paper applications.

New drivers would see the fee for their licence drop from £50 to

£34 while ten-year renewals would see the fee drop from £20 to £14.

All driver tachograph cards would fall from £38 to £32.

The government claimed the proposals would save drivers nearly

£18m and the industry around £2m every year. DVLA is currently

reviewing all the fees they charge to motorists and the consultation

launched today is the first step in this ongoing review.

Driving licence counterpart

to be abolished

Motorists want the EU to shelve plans to install ‘spy boxes’ in cars

according to a survey.

The web-based survey from car supermarket Motorpoint found that

71.5% of drivers opposed regulations that would see black boxes

built into all new cars from October 2015 to monitor individual’s

speed as well as driving habits.

The telematics technology would keep track of how fast motorists

drive, how hard they brake and how many journeys a year they take

and is based on the eCall system that is used by a number of car

manufacturers to make it easier for the emergency services to track

crashed vehicles.

Motorpoint claimed that anyone who refused to have a black box

fitted retrospectively to an existing vehicle could see a spike in their

insurance premiums as a result. Furthermore, the company said

motorists would not be able to switch off the device and testing is

expected to form part of the MoT.

Motorpoint managing director Mark Carpenter said: “You can’t

argue with the benefits of a device being used to make it easier

for the emergency services to track a vehicle but the results of our

poll are definitive — UK drivers don’t want costly Big Brother style

devices attached to their cars which have the potential to track their

movements 24/7.”

Drivers: No to black boxes


11/08/2014 11:53 am

Drivers have called for horse riders to take a version of the driving test to reduce horse-related accidents on UK roads.According to a survey, 94% of drivers said horse riders should take some sort of legally-binding proficiency test while 70% thought horse rides should have, at the very least, third-

party insurance.Meanwhile, 58% of drivers said that Highway

Code advice telling riders to avoid busy roads and roundabouts should come under the lawAccording to Flexed.co.uk, which carried out the survey, drivers think that the increasing number of young riders meant that there

should be some sort of minimum standard of horsemanship before taking to roads in both country and urban settings.Flxed.co.uk spokesman Johnny Ratcliffe added: “It’s only right that both drivers and horse riders are taught how to share the road responsibly.”

Driving Instructor

A teenager has become the first driver in the UK to pass his practical test using a sat nav according to newspaper reports. East Dunbartonshire teenager Grant Ferguson has become the first driver to pass his test under a nationwide trial to revise the practical exam. His local test centre Bishopbriggs was one of 20 in the UK to trial the revised practical exam where the examiner sets up a route on a sat nav for the first 20 minutes of the test. Ferguson told Scottish newspaper The Herald that he had been learning to drive for about a month when the opportunity came up to try out the new test.

He continued: “I felt like I was part of an important change. Introducing the sat nav into the test is about training to make sure that you’re only listening for guidance and not staring at the screen too often.”Ferguson’s instructor Drew Nicol from Popular School of Motoring in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, added: “I think it’s a good idea and much more realistic. Drivers are using the sat nav more and more now as a means of direction and the new test is designed to reflect this.“The tester will be looking to see, for example, if the driver is looking too much at the sat nav instead of listening to it.”

10

NEWS FOR ALL THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS VISIT DRIVING.ORG/NEWS

Drivers call for road test for horse riders

TOP STORY

First pass for Sat Nav test


18/05/2015 9:38 am

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

(DVSA) is to introduce changes to the

compulsory basic training (CBT) for

motorcyclists Standards Check to focus on

core trainer skills.

In its response to the Modernising

compulsory basic training course for

motorcyclists consultation, the DVSA said that

not all trainers adopted the CBT to the trainee’s

learning need although it was encouraged that

many trainers did already recognise and deliver

a client centred approach.

In the response, the agency said: “Many

trainers already discuss with trainees the extent

of their theory knowledge and riding experience

before the course starts. These trainers have

ensured the trainee knows what to expect

during the course and that a CBT certificate will

only be issued when they have demonstrated

the appropriate competence, which might

mean returning for further training.”

The agency said the changes to the

Standards Check would identify those trainers

who persist in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to

training and believed those trainers were more

likely to issue the CBT certificate “because a

trainee has completed the required elements

of the course rather than ensuring they have

developed the knowledge, understanding and

competency to ride unsupervised”.

It added: “Those trainers we suspect

are failing to comply with regulations or

delivering poor training will be targeted with

unannounced visits.”

The DVSA continued: “We recognise

changing the culture that CBT is a one day

course which guarantees a pass and certificate

at the end of the day will not happen overnight.

However, we believe that by improving the

information available to trainees to ensure they

are better informed about what to expect from

a CBT course, will enable them to choose a

trainer who can ensure they are fully prepared

to ride independently.”

The DVSA will also look to:

■ develop training materials to give trainees

the knowledge they need

■ improve and update information about

CBT online

■ begin risk-based, surprise quality

assurance visits (By April 2016,

depending on the outcome of a pilot trial)

■ make changes to the CBT certificate

to include courses taken on an automatic

machine

■ develop an earned recognition scheme

for those trainers who consistently deliver

high quality training

In the longer term, the DVSA said it would

work with stakeholders to consider changes

to regulations, for example, restricting riders

who complete CBT on an automatic machine

to riding only automatics and introducing

a training route to progressive access.

Any legislative changes will be subject to a

public consultation.

Five LGV centres

to moveFive LGV testing centres are to move next

year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

(DVSA) has announced.

LGV test centres in Norwich, Peterborough,

Plymouth, Southampton and Wrexham are to

stop testing by March 2016 and the DVSA

is now looking for privately owned sites to

deliver vocational — bus, lorry and car+trailer

— tests in those areas.

The agency said this was part of its strategy

“to provide more tests at local, third-party

sites, helping to reduce travel time and

fuel costs”.

Final day of testing and details of alternative

sites have yet to be decided and the DVSA

said that if someone was interested in hosting

tests from their own site they should contact

[email protected]

The sites to close are:

■ Jupiter Road, Norwich

■ Saville Road, Peterborough

■ Agaton Fort Road, Plymouth

■ Bottings Trading Estate, Southampton

■ Llay Road, Wrexham

Learner drivers on

trial test passes 1k

Over a thousand learners have registered for

the driving test trials according to the latest

figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards

Agency (DVSA).

As of 17 June, 1,050 learners and 430 ADIs

had registered for the trial and, so far, 267

tests have been conducted.

Out of those, there had been 77 passes

and 57 fails of the trial sat nav test with 63

passes and 70 fails in the control group.

This gave pass rates of 57% for the trial

group and 47% for the control group.

Although the DVSA said it was progressing

well with numbers, it needed more volunteers

to ensure its researcher, TRL, was able to

come to valid conclusions.

To this end, it is adding Bedford,

Bournemouth and Ipswich test centres to

the trial “to help with this and may add other

centres if necessary”.

DVSA chief examiner Lesley Young said

the agency was “aware that there have been

a few issues for ADIs booking tests as part of

the trial”. She added: “Based on a review of the test

booking process and feedback from ADIs,

we have put in place a process so that ADIs

can request a test slot be converted from a

standard test to a trial test if it is more suitable

for them and the learner driver.”

The largest driver trainer news resource - www.adinews.co.uk/news

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Driving Instructor

09

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21/07/2015 10:57 am




2016

Driving Instructor

08

• Planned changes include introduction

ofSatelliteNavigationonteststoenable

betterassessmentofcandidate’sability

todriveindependently

• Replacement of traditionally tested

manoeuvres, such as the ‘three-point

turn’ with those deemed more risky in

reallifedriving

TheDVSAhaslaunchedapublicconsultation

onproposalstochangethepracticaldrivingtest

soitoffersabetteropportunityforpupilstobe

assessedontheirabilitytodriveindependently

andsafelyoncelicenced.

Over the last year, the DVSA has run an

in-depth trial to understand the impact of key

changes to the current practical test. Over

1,000 ADIs registered on the trial and over

4,500 learners took part in focus groups,

interviews,surveysandpracticalassessments,

wherecandidatesweresplitintoacontroland

trialgroups tocompareperformancebetween

theexistingpracticalcartestandatrialversion.

Key changes examined in the trial include

the introductionof satellite navigation and the

replacement of traditional manoeuvres. The

mainchangesare:

• Anincreaseinthe‘independentdriving’

partofthetestfrom10to20minutes.

• Asking candidates to follow directions

fromasatellitenavigationsystemasan

alternativetofollowingroadsigns.

• Replacingcurrentmanoeuvressuchas

‘reversearoundacorner’withmorereal-

life scenarios (for example, driving into

andreversingoutofaparkingbay).

• Asking one of the two vehicle safety

questionswhilethecandidateisdriving,

(forexample,askingcandidates touse

therearheatedscreen).

Gareth Llewellyn, the DVSA’s chief

executive, said:

“GreatBritain’sroadsareamongthesafestin

theworld.Butthereisscopetodomoretokeep

road users safe – particularly newly qualified

drivers.

“Making sure the test better assesses a

driver’sabilitytodrivesafelyandindependently

is part of our strategy to help every driver

throughalifetimeofsafedriving”

The introduction of satellite navigation

is designed to allow examiners to better

assess how pupils plan, manage and drive a

journey independently. This would replace the

traditional approach of pupils following road

signs or being directed along a route by the

examiner in the passenger seat – something

thatisunreflectiveofhowpupilswilldriveonce

theyare licenceddrivers.Thisexercise isalso

usefulinnegatingthetendencyofthosepupils

andtrainerswhomerely‘cram’asetnumberof

known‘test’routesinordertopass,wheninreal

lifenew licenceeswillneedtobeabledrivea

combination of familiar and unfamiliar routes.

Theuseofsatnavalsohasanadditionalbenefit

asitallowstheassessmentofhowcandidates

deal with elements of distraction that modern

motoring technology adds to the drive. To

further understand a candidate’s ability to

managemultipledistractionsonthemove,they

will alsobeasked toperforma ‘showme, tell

me’taskonthego–ratherthaninastationary

position, normally at the test centre or at the

sideoftheroad,ashasbeenhistoricallybeen

thenorm.Thiswillinvolvethedriverbeingasked

to demonstrate how a key function of the car

works,suchasade-misterorairconditioning,

onthemove.Developingthetypeofmanoeuvresexamined

ontest includestheproposaltoreplacethose

manoeuvres which have low risk implications

(such as the ‘turn in road’) with those

manoeuvreswhichcarrymoreriskofdamageor

collision–suchaspullingupontherighthand

sideof the roadandparkingcontra the traffic

flow,andbayparking.

The new proposals attracted controversy

whenfirstmootedasthetriallaunchedin2015.

Some commentators were nervous of the

elementofintroducingsatnavs,inparticular.

DIA welcomes public consultation on changes to the driving test

Driving Instructor

08

DfT launch consultation to allow learner

drivers on motorways

A matter that has often been talked about

and consistently lobbied for has now become

a reality. The Government has launched a

consultation on learners being allowed on

motorways.

The proposed changes will see competent

learner drivers able to have lessons on

motorways with an approved driving

instructor in a dual controlled car. By allowing

learners on a motorway it will greatly improve

their awareness and experience, which will

then boost safety on British roads.

Andrew Jones, Transport Minister, said: “We

have some of the safest roads in the world

and we want to make them even safer. These

changes will equip learners with a wider

range of experience and greater skill set

which will improve safety levels on our roads.”

The consultation has been greatly backed by

DIA CEO Carly Brookfield, as she believes

that by having necessary exposure to the full

range of risks we face on the road, novice

drivers will build vital experience, which

helps them better manage risk when driving

independently.

She added: “Allowing learners to gain

experience on high speed roads and

motorways is crucial in teaching them to

manage these key risks.”

DIA is also pleased to see the proposal clarify

that learners must be under the supervision

of an approved driving instructor whilst

undertaking motorway training. This will

ensure the learner “develops their skills with

the support of a professional trainer, who is

best equipped to manage the risk of a novice

driver in this environment.”

The Department for Transport (DfT) and the

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)

have launched consultations seeking views

on the measures to improve training for new

drivers and motorcyclists. The consultations

will run until 17 February 2017 and the

changes could come into force in 2018.

A summary of responses, including the next

steps, will be published within three months

of the consultation closing date.

“The DIA has been lobbying for a long time

to launch a public consultation on motorway

training”, Carly Brookfield added.

“We have been working closely with the

DVSA and DfT on a series of measures

to develop the training of new drivers and

riders and we’re now starting to see some

of those key road safety goals looking more

achievable.

“2017 should be an exciting year for

developments in Driver Education.”

Follow the link below to make sure you have

your say in the consultation and add your

professional weight to help bring these

proposals into practice.

https://www.gov.uk/government/

consultations/allowing-learner-drivers-to-

have-driving-lessons-on-motorways


23/01/2017 09:43


Driving test fi t for modern driving and roads launches across BritainLearner drivers face a more realistic assessment of their driving ability, as the driving test is modernised to help prepare them for a lifetime of safe driving.As part of the new test, learner drivers will drive for around 30 minutes, and will be expected to:

■ drive independently for around 20 minutes (an increase from the current 10) while following directions from a sat nav or a series of traffic signs ■ do one of 3 possible reversing manoeuvres

1. parallel park at the side of the road2. park in a bay - either driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out3. pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for 2 car lengths and rejoin the traffic

■ answer a vehicle safety question while driving - for example, showing the examiner how they’d wash the windscreen using the car controls and wipers These changes are part of work set out in the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s 5-year strategy for 2017 to 2022 - ‘Helping you stay safe on Britain’s roads’.DVSA Chief Driving Examiner, Lesley Young, said: “DVSA is committed to helping drivers through a lifetime of safe driving.

“The new test will help prepare new drivers for driving on modern roads and support a reduction in the number of young people killed and seriously injured on our roads.“We’ll continue to explore opportunities to further develop driver training and testing to make sure the driving test reflects real-life driving.”Earlier this year, the government announced that learner drivers will be allowed to take motorway driving lessons with an approved driving instructor from 2018, to help make sure more drivers know how to use motorways safely. With the introduction of autonomous or semi-autonomous cars by 2021, DVSA will explore how learner drivers will need to demonstrate that they can use new technology safely, and without distraction, while driving.DVSA will continue to work with a wide range of organisations to make it easy for drivers to keep their knowledge and skills up to date, helping them through a lifetime of safe driving.DVSA is also updating the way people qualify to become a driving instructor, so that they have the skills needed to provide high-quality driving lessons to learner drivers. Driving Instructor Association Chief Executive, Carly Brookfield, said: “It’s been exciting to be so closely involved in the shaping of the new test and to help develop something which will better focus new drivers on shaping up for the challenges of driving independently. “We’re greatly encouraged by the openness the agency has in seeking the inputs of those at the coalface of driver education in such initiatives.”

National Association Strategic Partnership for driving instructors said: ““If we want to launch the next generation of safer new drivers onto our busy roads, then we need a test that better assesses a candidate’s readiness for real life independent driving.“The changes to the driving test are designed to achieve those key road safety goals, and have already undergone one of the largest and most rigorous trials and consultation processes ever seen in driver education to enable it to help deliver on that vision.” Further informationDVSA examiners will use a TomTom Start 52 sat nav for the test, which will have pre-set test routes on them. The examiner will set it up - candidates won’t need to set the route - the examiner will do this for them. It doesn’t matter which sat nav learner drivers are trained with. It could be an in-built sat nav, a mobile phone app, or any model of standalone sat nav. Candidates will be able to ask the examiner for confirmation of where they’re going if they’re not sure. They won’t be marked down for going the wrong way, unless they make a fault while doing so.

One in 5 driving tests won’t use a sat nav. Candidates will need to follow traffic signs instead.The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has carried out an independent risk assessment of the changes to the driving test and found all aspects of the new elements of the driving test being introduced on 4 December 2017 to be low-risk.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/driving-test-changes-rospa-risk-assessmentPCS’s shameless industrial action is not about the safety of the new test; it’s about the implementation of the standardised Modernised Employment Contract which was introduced in 2014 that PCS members voted overwhelmingly to accept

Fuel prices hit three-year high

Petrol and diesel prices have reached their highest levels for three years.

Both fuels saw increases of more than 2p per litre during November, as rising oil prices pushed up wholesale costs.

RAC Fuel Watch data has revealed that a litre of unleaded petrol increased to 120.78p from 118.43p, while the price of a litre of diesel rose to 123.18p from 120.96p.

This means that the cost of filling a 55-litre family car with petrol is now £66.43, making it £3.55 dearer than in July – the month unleaded reached its cheapest point of the year at 114.33p per litre.

By comparison, a 55-litre tank of diesel now costs £67.75 - £4.50 more than it did in July, when the fuel cost 115.02p per litre.

But the cost of both fuels would be higher if the pound had not risen against the dollar in recent weeks. Because oil is prices in dollars, a stronger pound means that those buying in the UK can get more for their money.

The end of the month also saw the OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, agree to extend its production cut from March to the end of 2018. The organization has been restricting production in an effort to prop up wholesale oil prices.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “The market had been expecting OPEC to extend its production cut until the end of next year so after an initial rise in the price of oil during the day of the meeting, things cooled down.

“Even though the oil price is now consistently above $60 a barrel, the increased value of sterling against the dollar is helping to keep fuel prices down at the pumps. This is good news for motorists as it means petrol and diesel prices are unlikely to shoot up, in fact we may even see them come down very slightly in the next week or so.

“The price we will pay for fuel at the pump into 2018 very much hinges on how effective OPEC’s production cut continues to be in reducing the global glut of crude oil. The increased barrel price this is designed to create may also work against the group as it makes fracking for oil in the US more financially viable, which in turn may lead to America increasing its production and filling the gap from the cuts. If this happens it should mean forecourt prices won’t go shooting up.”

Driving Instructor

08

Green light for driving lessons on motorwaysLearner drivers will be able to have lessons on motorways in a bid

to improve road safety, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has

announced. The law change will be active from 2018, when learners will be

allowed on motorways with an approved driving instructor in a dual

control car. This will provide a broader range of real life experiences

and better prepare learners for independent driving when they pass

their test. Currently learners cannot drive on a motorway until after they

have passed their test. This means the first experience of motorway

driving for many is as a new driver without the guidance of a driving

instructor or the safety of a dual control car.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “The UK has some of

safest roads in the world and we want to make them even safer.

“Younger drivers are up to seven times more likely to be killed or

seriously injured compared with drivers over twenty-five and lack of

experience is an important factor.“Allowing learners to drive on motorways in a supportive

environment will help them develop a practical understanding of how

to use motorways safely before driving independently.”

Improving road safety is a priority for this government, and allowing

learners on motorways with an approved instructor will better protect

young drivers and other motorway users. It will ensure the current

generation of adults about to start their driving career have the best

possible introduction to what should be a lifetime of safe driving.

RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: “We welcome

the news that learner drivers will be allowed to take lessons on the

motorway under the supervision of an approved driving instructor in

a dual-controlled car, something that motorists we surveyed were

overwhelmingly supportive of.“While motorways are statistically our safest roads, it can be

daunting using them for the first time after passing the driving test.

Giving learners the option to gain valuable experience on our fastest

and busiest roads should further improve safety and enhance the

confidence of new drivers.”The Department for Transport consulted on these changes earlier

this year, receiving wide support from both learner drivers and

approved driving instructors. These changes apply to England, Wales

and Scotland only.DVSA Chief Driving Examiner, Lesley Young, said: “DVSA’s priority

is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving.

“Our roads are among the safest in the world, but we’re

determined to do more to improve safety for all road users.

“We want to modernise driver training so that novice drivers gain

the skills and experience they need to help them and everyone else to

stay safe on our motorways.”

Head of learning and development for British School of Motoring,

Jasmine Halstead, said: “Per mile travelled motorways are our safest

roads.“If learners aren’t allowed to practise on motorways under supervision

then some will avoid motorways, and others will use motorways

incorrectly when they have passed their test.

“Hence it is great news for road safety that learners will be able to

drive on motorways under supervision.Carly Brookfield, DIA Chief Executive, commented: “We’re delighted

to finally see learners on motorways become a reality after many years of

discussion and lobbying. “All the research points to the fact that increased practice and

exposure to different types of road and driving situation makes novice

drivers safer.“The inability for learners to access the motorway network in the

training period has hampered their exposure to motorway driving to build

that vital experience - yet up until now we’ve allowed them to go straight

on once they’re licenced.“Approved Driving Instructors will now be able to deliver that vital

training pre-test and the public can rest assured that this training will

take place under the supervision of a qualified trainer and in a dual

control car.”DIA is currently working with Highways England (the agency

responsible for managing the high speed road network) to develop a

series of free to use learning resources for both ADIs and learners, to

help prepare them for increased training in this context.

A range of training resources will focus on developing the skills and

knowledge of novice drivers to better enable them to use the high speed

road network more safely. Specific CPD workshops will also shortly be

made available to ADIs who want to develop their learning delivery in this

area-covering motorways, high speed urban and rural roads.

In depth research has been undertaken recently by DIA and Highways

England (delivered by Road Safety research specialists Brainbox) to

understand the learning and training needs for both pupils and trainers in

this specific area of driver education and has revealed some interesting

gaps in awareness, knowledge and levels of confidence in driving on

high speed roads. DIA, working alongside Highways England, DVSA and DfT, has also

been selected to deliver a large scale communications programme to

learners, parents and trainers about the change to allow Learners on

motorways, as well as communicating to drivers in general the real risks

and challenges of driving on the highways network - and how to better

mitigate those risks.Tackling Road Safety incidents on the network costs over £700 million

each year, with many of these driver related issues being avoidable.

Watch this space for more details of this important project.


25/08/2017 10:10

Driving Instructor

08

DVSA to change the Part 3 assessment

DVSA have recently announced the intention

to replace the current Part 3 assessment

in early Autumn 2017, aligning the new

assessment with the Standards Check as the

final stage of the ADI qualification process.

As stated on Gov.uk, the “DVSA now

intends to align the ADI qualification process

with the standards check”. This means that

the pre-set test format and role-play element

from the part 3 test of instructional ability will

be removed.

In its place, the instructor will need to bring

another person (who can take the role of the

learner) and deliver a driving lesson while the

DVSA examiner observes their skills.

The Driving Instructors Association (DIA)

has compiled an extensive FAQ to answer

key questions to regarding the Part 3 change,

which can be found on the DIA website.

The FAQs can only be accessed if you are a

member of the DIA.

The FAQs state DVSA commented that

the ADI part 3 test is both “unrealistic”

and “restrictive” and that it does not give

trainee instructors enough opportunity to

demonstrate the full range of skills needed

when qualified.

The DVSA believe the change will result

in ADIs being better prepared to deliver

effective training from day one of qualifying

and won’t need to learn different teaching

methods ahead of their standards check.

Last year, DVSA conducted two industry

surveys to identify awareness and impact

of the proposed change. Independently,

both the National Associations Strategic

Partnership (NASP) and individual national

associations ran surveys of their membership

and fed this information into the formal

consultation.

NASP have released a statement which

can be found on their website.

Improvements to the ADI qualification

process have been on-going since 2013 and

due to the majority of respondents wanting

the ADI part 3 to be replaced by a standards

check the possibilities of this began.

Within the FAQs produced by the DIA

is an official statement from the DVSA

regarding the issue and information as to

why the news was released by third parties,

and not directly from DVSA or industry

associations.

DIA CEO Carly Brookfield commented

‘Whilst the communication of the expected

date of implementation of the change was

not executed in the best manner (and we

have fed back on that to DVSA, and cover

that issue in the FAQs) I would be keen to

impress on the industry that these changes

require an amendment to regulation, and that

has to be approved before the change can

be introduced.

“Whilst the target date may have been

announced, we will still continue to have a

dialogue with DVSA to address any concerns

trainers have expressed at the changes and

to understand how we can ensure a change

is implemented in a way that improves the

qualification process, rather than detracts

from it. “The majority of registered training bodies

and representative associations have been

discussing these changes with DVSA for

a while, and whilst there was widespread

support of the principle that there was a

need to bring the assessment in line with the

Standards Check, the devil is always in the

detail and it is that detail of how the change

is implemented we will work with DVSA to

develop now.’


17/03/2017 15:21

Driving Instructor

08

Changes to the driving test to be introduced this year

The DVSA have announced changes to

the driving test that will help save lives and

improve road safety, claims Transport Minister

Andrew Jones.A modern test will be introduced that

includes new manoeuvres and a longer

independent driving section to make sure

drivers have the skills, knowledge and

confidence to drive on their own.Also introduced is a part of the test that

will be dedicated to test the driver’s use of a

sat nav.The new driving test will come into force

on 4 December 2017, with the four changes

being:• An increase of the ‘independent driving’

part of the test from 10 to 20 minutes• Asking candidates to follow directions

on a sat nav as an alternative to following the

road signs• Replacing current manoeuvres such as

‘reverse around the corner’ with more real life

scenarios, such as driving into and reversing

out of a parking bay• Asking one of the two vehicle safety

questions while the candidate is driving, for

example, asking candidates to use the rear

heated screenDVSA received more than 3,900 responses to the public consultation on the

changes to the test.88% agreed with increasing the length of

the independent driving part of the test, and

71% backed the idea of asking candidates to

follow directions from a sat nav.Gareth Llewellyn, DVSA Chief Executive,

said: “Making sure the driving test better

assesses a driver’s ability to drive safely and

independently is part of our strategy to help

you stay safe on Britain’s roads.“It’s vital that the driving test keeps up to

date with new vehicle technology and the

areas where new drivers face the greatest

risk once they’ve passed their test.”Roughly half of all car drivers now have a

sat nav, so the DVSA want new drivers to be

trained on how to use them safely in order to

reflect the changing behaviours of drivers. Carly Brookfield, Chief Executive of the

Driving Instructors Association (DIA), said:

“DIA fully supports the developments to the

practical driving test and welcome these

changes. The evidence from the large scale trial (which took place to evaluate the

potential impact of these changes) clearly

demonstrates that, not only does the new

style test offer a better opportunity to assess

a candidate’s ability to drive independent

safely, it also made pupils more aware of

the need to better prepare themselves for

independent driving before they take the test’.


19/04/2017 09:10

2017




The largest driver trainer news resource adinews.co.uk/news

Driving Instructor

08

Driving test changes in 2017: one year onNew research from DVSA has found that 81.2% of new drivers feel the new-style driving test prepared them well for driving on Great Britain’s roads.DVSA sent online surveys to people who

had taken the new-style driving test from 11 December 2017 to 17 February 2018.

The first survey was sent to them two weeks after their test, regardless of whether they passed or failed.The second survey was sent to the same

people six months later, but only if they’d passed their test and said that wanted to take part in further research.Where possible, DVSA compared responses

in this research with the data collected in the original trial of the changes held in 2015 and 2016 and have compared the answers with those who took the old-style driving test in the trial.

Drivers who took the new-style test had spent more time practising on country roads (44.2% did at least four hours) compared to people who took the old-style test (37.1% did at least four hours).

44.2% practised for four hours or more on country roadsDrivers who took the new-style test had spent

more time practising on high-speed dual carriageways (50.1% did at least four hours) compared to people who took the old-style test (46.6% did at least four hours).

50.1% practised for four hours or more on high-speed dual carriagewaysAfter passing their driving test, most drivers have

used sat nav while driving to some extent.86.3% use a sat nav at least some of the timeDVSA changed the way the driving test works on Monday 4 December 2017. The changes applied to England, Scotland and Wales.

The changes were designed to make sure new drivers have the skills they need to help them through a lifetime of safe driving.The four main changes were: ■ The independent driving part of the test

was increased from 10 to 20 minutes

■ Candidates in 4 out of 5 driving tests were asked to follow directions from a sat nav during the independent driving part

■ The 3 possible reversing manoeuvres were changed ■ The driving examiner asking a ‘show me’

question (where you show how you’d carry out a safety task) while the candidate is driving, rather than at the start of the test

These changes were made because: ■ Most fatal collisions happen on high-

speed roads (not including motorways) – changing the format of the test allowed more of these types of roads to be included in driving test routes ■ More car drivers now have a sat nav –

DVSA wants new drivers to be trained to use them safely ■ Research has shown that new drivers find

independent driving training valuable – they can relate it to driving once they’ve passed their testDriving Instructor

08

The driving Theory Test questions have changed to make the test more

accessible for everyone, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

(DVSA) has announced.

The agency have teamed up with the British Dyslexia Association, the

British Deaf Association and other stakeholders to make the test more

accessible for candidates.

The revised questions in the theory test were introduced on 1 May

2018 and are in plainer English.

DVSA believe this will give everyone who is capable of being a safe

and responsible driver the opportunity to pass their driving tests – both

theory and practical.

DVSA has rephrased all of the ‘continuation’ questions in the test. This

type of question asks the candidate to choose an answer from a list, to

complete a sentence.

The DVSA have changed the wording so that the candidate has to

pick a statement to answer the question instead, which will make it

easier for some candidates to understand.

An example of how the wording has changed is:

If you use a hands-free phone while you’re driving it’s likely that

it will

■ increase your safety

■ increase your concentration

■ increase your awareness

■ decrease your concentration

Changes to the Theory Test introduced

If you use a hands-free phone while you’re driving what’s likely

to happen?

■ It will make you safer

■ It will be easier for you to concentrate

■ It will make you more aware

■ It will be harder for you to concentrate

They have replaced words such as ‘increased’ and ‘decreased’

with simpler words such as bigger, smaller, longer, shorter. They have

also removed or replaced longer words or phrases like ‘consumption’,

‘Vehicle Excise Duty’ or ‘medication’ with simpler words.

DVSA has also rephrased questions that contain negative language,

to help candidates to understand the questions better.

For example, ‘When should you NOT…?’ has been changed to ‘When

should you…?’ DVSA trialed these revised questions with over 7,000

candidates to check whether they were easier to understand. Where

the results of this trial showed a clear improvement or no significant

difference, DVSA has replaced the question. Following the trial, 78 of the

88 revised questions have been used.

Olivia Baldock-Ward, Head of Membership and Training at the Driving

Instructors Association (DIA), supports the changes made to the Theory

Test Questions.

She said: “We feel this is a good move as the Theory Test is an

assessment of a person’s knowledge on the subject and often a

common hurdle from the candidate’s point of view is trying to understand

what the question is asking them.

“Language used should be accessible to minimise any barriers to

understanding the question in the first place.”


23/05/2018 11:57

2018


Driving Instructor

06

Driving examiners to say goodbye to the clipboard and penSuccessful learners will receive their full driving licences quicker as driving examiners start marking the car driving test digitally, DVSA has announced.Driving examiners are now using tablets to mark the driving test digitally as part of a phased roll out. A specially developed app is replacing the clipboard and pen. Shifting to the paperless test report will mean learners will receive an electronic summary report of their test that they can review with their instructor, pass or fail, to discuss which areas of their driving could be further improved.

The driving test and what learners are assessed on is not changing.Chief driving examiner Mark Winn said: “DVSA’s priority is to help everyone through a lifetime of safe driving.“We’re committed to providing the best possible service for customers. By

investing in technology and replacing the clipboard and pen we are helping speed up the time it takes a new-qualified driver to receive their driving licence.“The app will modernise the way our examiners work, making it easier for them to carry out their jobs.”Carly Brookfield, DIA’s CEO said: “It’s good to finally see the digitisation of the practical test fully launched. “Thousands of people hours were spent on the previous manual inputting of test data. With examiners now able to key test results straight into a digital framework via an iPad in the vehicle, the delivery and accuracy of test results, and ultimately someone’s licence, will be vastly improved. We’ve been closely involved in the development of the app and welcome its introduction.”Driving examiners currently use a paper form (DL25) to record the results of

the 1.9 million car driving tests they carry out each year. The form is tick box based and is used to mark against pre-set driving assessment standards, such as control of the vehicle and observations. Currently, DVSA manually collates test results and then sends them electronically to the DVLA who issue the licences. The app will remove the need for a paper trail and help to reduce the time it takes DVSA to send test results to DVLA. The app has been designed in line with government digital service standards and is set be rolled out to all DVSA examiners by the end of the year. ADIs and other accompanying drivers such as friends and family, are not allowed to use a tablet while supervising a learner driver as it is illegal.

DVSA will continuously improve how the app works for car tests, and look to roll it out to other test categories later.

p06_13_Instructor_2019_Issue10.indd 1

18/10/2019 3:01 pm

Driving Instructor

08

New Think! campaign features the Road WhispererOne in five drivers crash in the first year after passing their test.

Research by Think! Road Safety revealed that young drivers often

feel vulnerable on the road. This can lead to them driving more

defensively and taking unnecessary risks to over-compensate for their

inexperience.The latest Think! campaign encourages new drivers to learn the

ways of the road with the help of the Road Whisperer.

The Road Whisperer, modelled after The Dude from the movie

The Big Lebowski, delivers tips and advice around some of the most

nerve-wracking moments that new drivers face.

Road Safety Minister Jesse Norman said: “Everyone feels some

nerves when they’re on the road for the first time, but it takes a good

driver to admit it.

“Confidence comes with time and practice, so it’s important to keep

learning and build up experience to become a better driver.

“And that commitment to keep learning is what this THINK!

campaign, with its tips and guidance, aims to create.”

The films will focus on a series of tips relating to situations where

new drivers feel vulnerable or have the highest road casualties,

including driving at night, and on country roads and motorways.

Advice will also cover tyre safety and looking out for vulnerable road

users, and all tips will be delivered in the Road Whisperer’s signature

style.Recent research commissioned by THINK! found that 17-30 year-

old male drivers often feel vulnerable on the road, believing that while

you only really start to learn how to drive after passing your test, you

still need to appear confident in front of other people.

Changes to the ORDIT registerThe way you qualify to become an ORDIT trainer is changing.

ADIs can join the voluntary official register of driving instructor

training (ORDIT), run by DVSA, if you want to train driving instructors.

Joining the register allows you to:

■ Prove you meet the DVSA standard to provide high-quality

training ■ Advertise yourself as a DVSA ORDIT trainer

■ Have your details added to the GOV.UK service to find driving

instructor training courses.

The following changes are coming into place on 1 April 2019.

RAISING THE STANDARDS

Currently, only 60% of instructors in an ORDIT establishment need to

be registered. This will be changed to 100%.

Instructors will also need to have achieved a grade ‘A’ on their latest

standards check to join ORDIT, instead of being an ADI for 12 months.

All ORDIT instructors will need to offer developmental training to other

ADIs.

CHANGES TO FEES

Fees are being simplified. From 1 April 2019, it will cost:

■ £207.30 for a premises inspection

■ £120 for registration

■ £151.20 for trainer inspection at DVSA premises

■ £18 for dual registrations

STANDARDS CHECKS

ORDIT trainers will also no longer need to have a standards check

unless asked by the Registrar.

PREMISES INSPECTIONS

In the old scheme, all ORDIT establishments also needed to undergo

a premises inspection, in the new scheme this will only be required for

those with five or more instructors.

REGISTRATION PERIOD

The registration period for members will change to four years, in line

with the ADI register.

Please be aware that the old scheme has now closed and DVSA

won’t be accepting any new applications. The new application form

will be available to download from GOV.UK from 1 April 2019.


13/03/2019 11:24 am

2019


With the publication of the

Department for Transport’s

Road Safety Strategy, and

a clear intention within it

to look at better ways of developing learner

drivers, graduated licensing is once again a

hot topic.DIA has been talking to government

about introducing a graduated learning

to drive process for a while now, rather

than focusing on graduated licensing in

isolation. To some extent the Road Safety

Action Plan, as well as the encouraging

conversations we’ve had, gives us some

hope that this may not just be a pie in the

sky idea. For one thing, as a key member

of the DfT’s Road Strategy Delivery Group

which helped shape proposals in the action

plan, we’re gratified to see our ideas being

taken on board here.

However, by having a greater focus on

developing a clear competency-led learning

to drive process we feel that pupils will be

better prepared to not just pass a single

test, but pass the ultimate test of becoming

a safe and competent driver for life. We

should consider making this mandatory,

rather than the arbitrary approach to

delivering a robust curriculum of learning

to drive we have now where it’s left to

individual pupils, instructors and parents to

decide what and when and how much.

In the Road Safety Strategy, the

Department has set out its action plan to

cut road deaths with suggestions such as

taking a more in-depth look at graduated

driver licensing and a behaviour change

campaign designed to encourage learner

drivers to broaden their experience before

taking their test.While we’re encouraged by the focus

on key areas of learner and novice driver

development in the plan, we believe we

need to do more than just ‘encourage’

behavioural change in the pre-test training

period. Let’s face it, there have been more

than a few national and regional road

safety campaigns focused on ‘encouraging’

behavioural change. Have they tangibly

proved that behaviour has indeed been

encouraged and become a behavioural

norm post test? We also need to do more than rely on

licence restrictions post test to cut the risk

if the behavioural change is not translating

into safer, newly licensed drivers. And let’s not

forget, the risk of purely focusing on restricted

licences is that without a proper focus on

post test training in key risk areas within

the restricted period we limit novice driver

exposure to these key risks. This exposure

is essential in allowing them to develop the

necessary experiences, skills and knowledge

to mitigate and manage such risks.

Rather than merely urging trainers and

learners alike to voluntarily invest more

time and energy (pre-test) into training

and private practice sessions on after dark

driving, independent driving and driving

on rural roads, we urge the government

to consider trialling and potentially

mandating a modular, competency based

approach to learning to drive.

Where learning to drive takes flight

DIA proposes that learner drivers could

universally follow a system akin to the

Private Pilots Licence (PPL) training

process, whereby pupils must learn with a

qualified and licensed instructor, following

a defined and stepped programme of

learning. This is achieved through a

combination of practical and theoretical

learning and experience-building practice

Driving Instructor

28

FEATURE: GRADUATED LICENSING

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

Graduated learning, not licensingDIA CHIEF EXECUTIVE CARLY BROOKFIELD DISCUSSES HOW

GRADUATED DRIVING LICENSING AS RESTRICTION ALONE IS NO

SILVER BULLET TO SLAYING NOVICE DRIVER RISK AND OUTLINES THE

DIA’S PREFERRED APPROACH OF GRADUATED LEARNING


14/08/2019 12:18 pm



çaChangePLUS THE MORE THINGS CHANGE,

THEY MORE THEY STAY THE SAME. LET’S HAVE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE HOT TOPICS THAT CROP UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN IN OUR INDUSTRY

OBSERVATIONS

Driving Instructor

14 Driving Instructor

Seeing is believing

You are probably familiar with the posters and leaflets issued by the DSA proclaiming that ʻMost people fail their driving test ̓and promoting the ʻTop Ten ̓reasons for failure. Just for the record, the top ten reasons for test failure are:

❑ Observation at junctions (ineffective observation and judgement)❑ Reverse parking (ineffective observation or a lack of accuracy)❑ Use of mirrors (not checking or not acting on the information)❑ Reversing around a corner (ineffective observation or a lack of accuracy)❑ Incorrect use of signals (not canceling or giving misleading signals)❑ Moving away safely (ineffective observation)❑ Incorrect positioning on the road (at roundabouts or on bends)❑ Lack of steering control (steering too early or leaving it too late)

❑ Incorrect positioning to turn right (at junctions and in one way streets)❑ Inappropriate speed (travelling too slowly or being hesitant)

Given some of the stories about the DSA over the past few months, you could be forgiven for believing that some factors affecting pass rates are beyond the control of either the instructor or test candidate. However, whether the stories are true or not, improved training standards will ultimately improve your personal pass rate. With the above in mind this is the first in a series of articles that will consider the DSA ʻTop Ten ̓from a training point of view, and how you might help to ensure that your pupils donʼt end up at the top of the hit parade! We start with No. 1 – Observation.Effective observationDuring the driving test, your customers will need to demonstrate an ability to make ʻeffective observation ̓at junctions. The examiner watches to ensure that relevant observation checks are made and that candidates exercise correct judgment at all types of junction, on roads ranging from quiet residential areas to busy intersections. There are two factors that affect observation (and all other) mistakes during the driving test. The primary factor is the pupilʼs skill level and ability to look effectively and act on what is seen – i.e. what the examiner records on the marking sheet. The second factor – one which affects all mistakes but is particularly prevalent with observation errors – is the instructorʼs behaviour at junctions during training.If pupils donʼt recognise the errors they are making, those errors will be repeated and become habitual. Therefore it is absolutely essential that instructors are fully aware of what their pupils are doing when approaching and waiting at junctions. Unfortunately, some instructors do not watch their pupils nearly enough in these situations (possibly because they were never trained to).

Who’s watching who?If you ever travel to driving instructor conferences you might notice the following phenomena. As you near the venue, you see a car in front

with three or four people on board. There is no indication that this car is associated with a driving school; no decals, no extra mirrors, etc. However, you might spot the ʻdead giveaway ̓that these are fellow professionals when the car comes to a T-junction.As the car approaches the junction, all of the occupants will start bobbing their heads from side-to-side in order to look right, left and right again. Definitely driving instructors!And herein there lies a problem. You can spot it in other instructors and you can spot in yourself – namely, the instinct to check that the new road is clear. The problem is simply this: checking the road is a job for the driver, not the instructor.What should really happen in our car full of instructors (above) is that when the car approaches a junction, the driver should be looking right, left and right, but the other occupants should be turning to look at the driver!

But we’ll crash!The only way to ensure that your pupils are making proper checks is to watch them – not the road.

Now, you may well think that if you watch

your pupils instead of the road, youʼll crash; and to a degree you are correct. If all you do is watch the pupil you will have problems. However, the chances are that you may be able to watch your pupils at least 50 per cent more than you are doing at present and still stay safe.The starting point is to learn from the DSA (they are very good at some things!) Next time you are sitting in the back of a driving test, pay attention to the way the examiner watches the candidate at junctions and during manoeuvres. While some examiners are more subtle than others, they all have one thing in common; their initial area of focus is the driver, not the road. They only check the road when it is absolutely necessary to do so; after satisfying themselves that proper checks have been made by the driver.

John Farlam Smart DrivingJohn begins a series of articles looking at the top ten reasons for failing a driving test and offering

ways in which the astute ADI can help their candidate to pass: this month, observation at junctions

The only way to ensure your pupils are making proper checks is to watch them and not the road"making proper checks

"making proper checks is to watch them and "is to watch them and not the road"not the road

"The only way to

"The only way to ensure your pupils are

"ensure your pupils are making proper checks

"making proper checks

Should you be letting your pupil be doing more of the observation work?

Poor observation at junctions is the number one reason for test failure


The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has revealed

the top 10 reasons people failed the new driving test in its first

year.The most common faults made during driving tests between

4 December 2017 and 3 December 2018 were: 1. Junctions – observation2. Mirrors – change direction3. Control – steering4. Junctions – turning right5. Move off – safely6. Response to signs – traffic lights7. Move off – control8. Positioning – normal driving9. Response to signs – road markings10. Reverse park – control

Insufficient observation at junctions and not using mirrors

effectively when changing direction accounted for 368,047 test

failures.The faults being made in driving tests reflect the factors that

cause accidents on Great Britain’s roads. In 2017, drivers failing

to look properly contributed to 35,993 accidents. It was the most

common contributory factor in accidents.Mark Winn, chief driving examiner, said: “It’s vital that

learners can drive safely and have the skills to drive on all types

of roads before taking their test. The driving test helps get

drivers ready for a lifetime of safe driving and makes our roads

safer for all.“Failing to look properly at junctions is the most common

serious or dangerous test fault and the largest cause of accidents

in Britain. Good observation, including proper use of mirrors, is

a crucial skill that drivers must learn.”

Top 10 reasons for driving test fails

p06_13_Instructor_2019_Issue08.indd 414/08/2019 3:16 pm

9Driving Instructorr

Driving Instructor

With insurance discounts offered for young drivers, and aggressive marketing by the Driving Standards

Agency, take up for the Pass Plus scheme has never been higher. Yet an important new report by the

Association of British Insurers (ABI) into accident rates for new drivers who have and have not taken the

course says the benefits may be so small as to be ‘statistically insignificant’. Here, we print key extracts

from the report, which concludes that a more thorough investigation urgently needs to be undertaken

The number of fatalities involving young

drivers is still rising, despite a continuing

fall in the total number of deaths on UK

roads. The UK insurance industry has made this

issue a priority for action and research.

One initiative to improve the road safety

of novice drivers is Pass Plus, launched in

1995. It teaches new drivers about a wide

range of hazards, and can be taken any time

within twelve months of obtaining a full

driving licence. Many insurance companies

offer significant discounts to drivers who have

completed all its modules. Almost one in six novice drivers take Pass

Plus; insurance discounts are motivating more

and more to do so. The ABI research sets out the results of new

research by the ABI into the effect of Pass Plus

on driving standards and road safety. These

results suggest that Pass Plus drivers do have a

marginally lower accident rate than drivers who

do not participate in the scheme.

However, the difference is relatively small,

and may not be statistically significant. And it

may also be the case that Pass Plus is simply

attracting drivers who are already safer than the

average. This research thus highlights the importance

of the Department for Transport’s decision to

undertake further research with a much larger

sample of drivers. The research also uncovered high levels of

satisfaction amongst younger drivers with Pass

Plus. They appreciate the opportunity to gain

more experience behind the wheel as well as the

cheaper insurance which can result.

A majority of respondents felt that the

scheme had improved their driving ability, and

a significant minority felt that they were less

likely to take risks as a result. Many novice

drivers believe that their improved handling

skills will lead to a reduced risk of accidents,

even though much academic research argues that

their attitudes to the road are more significant.

The insurance industry supports Pass Plus, and

will continue to do so. But its research suggests

that additional measures will also be needed if a

significant reduction in the levels of death and

injury amongst young drivers is to be achieved.

The ABI will therefore be publishing further

proposals later in 2006, drawn up in partnership

with road safety groups and motoring

organisations, to improve the road safety record

of young drivers.

Pass Plus Pass Plus was launched by the Driving Standards

Agency in 1995 in an effort to improve the

road safety of novice drivers. It consists of

six practical modules — driving in town, in

all weathers, on rural roads, at night, on dual

carriageways, and on motorways — and aims to

teach novice drivers how to anticipate, plan and

deal with different kinds of hazards. It can be

taken at any time within 12 months of obtaining

a full driving licence. There is no test, but participants must

complete all modules to an ‘achieved’ or

‘exceeded’ standard. When it was first

introduced, fewer than one in 50 novice drivers

took Pass Plus; this has risen to one in six

drivers today. The scheme receives substantial backing

from the insurance industry, local government

and road safety charities. Many insurers offer

discounts on premiums of up to 35 per cent to

drivers who have taken Pass Plus. The ABI’s

survey has confirmed that these discounts

represent the prime motive for novice drivers

undertaking the training.

The surveyThere has been very little research into whether

drivers who have taken Pass Plus have lower

accident rates than drivers who have not. And,

until now, drivers have not been consulted on

what they consider to be the strengths of the

scheme, and in what ways it could be improved.

The ABI therefore commissioned MVA

Limited to carry out a survey of the accident

rates of almost 1,000 recently-qualified drivers,

and a series of focus groups with novice drivers.

The survey included 377 drivers aged between

17-27 who had taken Pass Plus and 599 who had

not. Participants were free to interpret ‘accident’

however they wished.The average accident rate of the Pass Plus

drivers was marginally lower than for drivers

without Pass Plus. On average, a driver taking

Pass Plus had 0.19 accidents in their first year

of driving (the equivalent of roughly one in

five drivers having one accident a year). This

compares with 0.20 accidents for drivers in the

non Pass Plus group.It would appear that the average Pass Plus

driver represents a marginally lower accident

risk in their first twelve months of driving

compared to non-Pass Plus drivers. However,

given the small size of the sample, it is not

possible to determine whether the lower accident

rate of Pass Plus drivers would be replicated in

another survey. In other words, the results are

not statistically significant.

Statistical analysisThe fact that the Pass Plus drivers, on average,

had fewer accidents than other drivers may

simply reflect the type of drivers who choose to

take the course, rather than constituting evidence

of its success. And even if there is evidence of a

relationship between the propensity to take Pass

Plus and a lower accident risk, it is not certain

that this relationship will remain valid over time.

To understand whether Pass Plus actually

changes driving style and lowers individual

risk, it is necessary to undertake a statistical

analysis that takes account of the underlying

characteristics — such as age and gender — that

make some drivers a higher risk than others.

Simply comparing the accident rates of the Pass

Plus and non Pass Plus groups fails to account

for these underlying characteristics, which imply

that, regardless of the Pass Plus training, each

group would expect to have different accident

experiences. For example, if the population of

individuals taking Pass Plus had more males

than females, even if Pass Plus had no effect,

one would expect the accident rate of the Pass

Plus group to be higher than for the non-Pass

Plus group. Indeed, insurance companies price

for the effects on accident risk of driving

experience, age and gender before giving any

discount for Pass Plus.

Pass Plus driver

The average Pass Plus driver was more likely

to be male and younger than 19 at the time of

the driving test compared to drivers who had

not taken Pass Plus. The average age of the Pass

Plus group was 20.7 years at the test compared

to 24 years for the non Pass Plus group.More follows >>>

Plus or minus

PASS PLUS

GRADUATEDLEARNING / LICENSING Driving Instructor

June/July 2007


PAGE 10-13First AID for

first ADIs

PAGE 19-20Are you an

advanced ADI?

PAGE 15-16Report: Brake Annual Congress

PAGE 27First drive:

New Skoda Fabia

67 per cent in favour of graduated licensing THE Renault Clio II Campus edition has been

banned from driving tests because of an alleged

fault with the bonnet catch.The popular training car has been at the centre

of a widely-publicised controversy, with several

owners reporting a faulty safety catch causing

the bonnet of their Clios to fl y open while on the

move.Sheffi eld driving instructor Helen Taylor nar-

rowly averted disaster when the bonnet of her

Clio fl ew up during a lesson, leaving her learner

terrifi ed.Despite the adverse publicity, including an

item on BBC’s Watchdog programme and a slew

of similar complaints, Renault has denied there

is a design or construction defect with the ve-

hicles, but have been contacting owners offering

free checks at their local dealers.A DSA spokesman said: “It has been decided

not to allow these models to be used for tests in

future unless there is evidence from a Renault

dealer, within 12 months prior to the date of

the test, that the catch has been checked and is

working satisfactorily.“These vehicles were manufactured between

1998 and the early part of 2006. The latest

model Clio III has a different bonnet catch and is

not affected by this recall.”Renault has also included maintenance of the

catch in the service schedule for these vehicles

from January 07. Therefore, a service confi rma-

tion stamp from a Renault dealer completed

from 1 February 07, provided it is not more than

12 months old, is also suffi cient evidence the

catch has been checked.If a Renault Clio II Campus is presented for

test and there is no evidence that a bonnet catch

has been checked then the vehicle should not be

taken out on test and the ADI/candidate should

be advised to contact their Renault dealer and

have the necessary checks carried out.If the test is not conducted, the test fee will be

refunded or a free retest given on the fi rst occa-

sion a vehicle is presented for test.

Renault denies fault but DSA bans Clio Campus from test

ON 1 JULY England joins the rest of the

UK in enforcing a no smoking ban in the

workplace, which includes instructors’

training cars.The ban, which is already in force in Scotland and Wales, means that all

instructors will be required by law to display

a no smoking sign prominently in their

training car.Inside this copy of Driving Instructor you’ll

find a free no smoking sticker, courtesy of

Grade 6 Supplies, which complies with those

regulations.The fine for not displaying the correct sign

after 1 July is a maximum of £1,000 or a fixed

penalty of £200, or £150 if paid within 15

days. The fine for a conviction for smoking in

a smoke-free place is £200 or a fixed penalty

of £50, or £30 if paid within 15 days.Now don’t say we didn’t warn you!

MOST DRIVERS believe the UK driving test is

inadequate, and would support Graduated Driver

Licensing (GDL), according to new research.

The research, carried out by road safety charity

Brake and Green Flag, shows that two thirds of

drivers support GDL. Graduated driver licensing

systems typically include a minimum learning to

drive period (with a minimum amount of profes-

sional tuition) and a novice driver period, during

which restrictions are in place to restrict exposure

to high-risk situations (like driving at night and

with lots of young passengers).

Key fi ndings of the Brake and Green Flag

survey include: ❑ More than two-thirds of drivers (67 per cent)

think novice drivers should be required to com-

plete a minimum number of hours of supervised

driving over a minimum learning period before

taking their test;❑ More than four-fi fths (83 per cent) think nov-

ice drivers should be required to take lessons with

a qualifi ed driving instructor;❑ Seven in ten drivers (69 per cent) think there

should be restrictions placed on young drivers.

The research follows a DIA/BBC survey report-

ed in the April/May edition of Driving Instructor

which found that two thirds of DIA members did

not believe the driving test is producing safe and

competent drivers.In March 2007, the Department for Transport

said in its Three Year Road Safety Strategy Review

it would be ‘overhauling’ the process of learning to

drive. The DIA and Brake are urging the Govern-

ment to take action now to reduce young driver

crashes, including introducing GDL, making road

safety compulsory in schools and investing more

in traffi c policing.The Brake research was revealed at the charity’s

recent Annual Congress at the Royal College of

Surgeons, an international conference bringing

together road safety experts from around the world

to discuss what can be done to reduce the horrify-

ing number of deaths and injuries involving young

drivers and passengers. Road crashes are the single

biggest killer of 15-19 year-olds worldwide. They

are also the second biggest killer of 10-14 and 20-

24 year-olds. Globally, more than 3,000 people are

killed each day on roads.DIA Head of Road Safety, Peter Laub, who

attended the Congress, said: “This research once

again highlights the urgent need for fundamental

changes to the whole framework of UK driver

licensing and the driving test. ”You can read a complete report on the Con-

gress on pages 15-16Smoke free zoneFree sticker inside, courtesy of Grade 6 Supplies

Speakers at the Brake Annual Congress

Driving Instructor

A new government-commissioned report from TRL (formerly the Transport Research Laboratory), has suggested a complete overhaul of novice driver education.

The report has been written in an attempt to tackle the ‘over-representation of young novice drivers in road collisions’ in the UK and what TRL considers to be the major contributory factors: youth and inexperience.

The main proposals include a form of Graduated Driver Licencing (GDL), some of the stages of which would include:

■ A minimum one-year ‘learner stage’ during which drivers would have to accrue at least 100 hours of daytime and 20 hours of night-time practice under supervision.

■ On passing the test, there would then be a probationary period of one year.

■ Drivers under the age of 30 would be banned from carrying any passengers also under 30.

■ There would also be a ban on all mobile phone use (including hands-free phones) and a lower alcohol limit.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Young drivers drive around 5% of all the miles driven in Britain but are involved in about 20% of the crashes where someone is killed or seriously injured.

“We are committed to improving safety for young drivers and reducing their insurance costs. That is why we

are publishing a green paper later in the year setting out our proposals.

“This will include a discussion about how people learn to drive.

“The research report has been produced by the Transport Research Laboratory under commission by the Department for Transport and it, among other things, has informed the green paper.”

DIA chief examiner Mike Frisby commented: “We wouldn’t necessarily agree with all these proposals, especially those based on a form of GDL. Restriction will not resolve the problem of collisions involving young drivers: training will. It is possible to develop young people’s ability to assess risk and improve their attitude to risk from a younger age. Client-centered learning, risk profiling individuals to understand their attitude to risk and developing training that specifically tackles risk management issues has been shown to work. “It’s our belief that the focus on regulation should not be mandatory post-test restrictions, but instead a focus on a mandatory pre-test minimum learning programme, taught by a qualified instructor with a much more robust test to gain a full licence, followed by a post-test advanced qualification to be taken within a year.”

DIA will be shortly publishing its own paper on the development of driver education and we continue to lobby and campaign on this critical agenda to ensure the voice of the driver trainer is heard, and listened to.

The government has launched a review into how the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) can deliver better services and save money for the taxpayer.

The review is part of the government’s stated

commitment to improving services to motorists and it considers the DVLA’s operation to be a key element of this pledge. Services to DVLA customers will not be affected during the review.

The review will consider each part of the

DVLA, to identify improvements and make recommendations on how to improve services, including how best to move more services online and identifying how to increase the use of services that are already online.

Report proposes radical changes for novice drivers

Government reviews DVLA services

14


TOP STORY

p14_19_Instructor_Issue10.indd 1 14/10/2013 14:17


Driving Instructor

INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR pothole damage have doubled in January compared to the same point in 2012, according to a survey by the AA.

The association has said the state of the country’s roads is a ‘national embarrassment’, with a third of the 23,000 survey participants stating that their cars had suffered damage from potholes.

AA Insurance director Simon Douglas said: ‘Pothole damage is bad enough, but those making insurance claims are saying that there has been serious damage to suspension, steering and bodywork as well. In some cases, the driver has lost control or swerved to try to avoid the pothole and hit something else.’The Local Government Association

sought to defend councils, blaming lack of funds from central government for the condition of the UK’s roads.

Chairman of the LGA’s transport board, Cllr Peter Box, said: ‘Underfunding by Whitehall, severe winters and last year’s widespread flooding has left large swathes of our roads in disrepair with many councils struggling to move beyond simply patching up a deteriorating network.

‘Government should be focusing

on giving councils the proper funding to invest in the resurfacing projects which our crumbling road network desperately needs, not bringing in a range of unnecessary targets and bureaucracy.’AA president Edmund King said:

‘The fact that one third of our members have had their car damaged by potholes is a damning indictment of the state of our roads – they’re a national embarrassment.’

Nearly nine million drivers are missing out on £2.55bn of

savings by automatically renewing their car insurance each year

and not searching for a cheaper deal. That’s according to comparison website Go Compare, which

found that three million drivers have been with the same insurer

for 10 years or more.

Insurance renewal

Roads are ‘national embarrassment’

10

TOPSTORY

NEWS

Pass notesThe AA’s survey found that Scotland was the worst place for drivers,

with 44% of respondents saying that they had suffered damage from

potholesThe people behind the website potholes.co.uk say that the current

‘pothole misery’ could last for another two months yet, thanks to

constantly changing weather conditionsConsumer watchdog Which? recently discovered that councils in

England and Wales spent almost £23m on compensation for drivers

who had suffered pothole-related damage in 2012

Tyre safety organisation TyreSafe says that potholes could put lives at

risk: ‘Hitting a pothole can cause a number of tyre and wheel problems

which can have a serious impact on road safety. If drivers do hit a

pothole, it’s important that they check their tyre pressures regularly over

the next few days to see if there is any gradual loss of pressure. Hairline

fractures in the alloy wheel can lead to air escaping and low pressure

can have devastating consequences,’ says chairman Stuart Jackson

If you’re in England, you can report a pothole to your local authority

via gov.uk/report-pothole

Final nail in 80mph coffi n?Sources in the coalition government have apparently

confirmed plans by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin

to scrap a trial of 80mph motorway speed limits.

Previous transport secretary Philip Hammond

championed the move, but became defence secretary in

October 2011. He had claimed that congestion would be

reduced and the economy boosted if traffic was allowed to

go faster on the motorway. There is no apparent support for an increased speed

limit within the cabinet, so McLoughlin has decided to hold

back. A coalition source told the Financial Times: ‘There is

no imminent announcement of a U-turn, but rest assured,

there is no way Patrick is going to preside over a raising

of the limit on motorways. You are likely to hear official

confirmation later in the year.” A press officer for the DfT said that efforts were

continuing to find sites to conduct a trial of the 80mph

limit: ‘Work is continuing to assess the potential economic,

safety and environmental impacts of trialling 80mph speed

limits across a number of sites on the motorway network.’


20/03/2013 16:15


Recent news reports have stated that hanging items such as air fresheners from your rear-view mirror could land you with a £1,000 fine. What is the truth of the situation?

The DVSA sent us a statement to clarify.“The DVSA encourages drivers to follow the guidance as laid out in the

Highway Code and The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986; Drivers Control 104 with regards to ‘No person shall drive or cause or permit any other person to drive, a motor vehicle on a road if he is in such a position that he cannot have proper control of the vehicle or have a full view of the road and traffic ahead’.

“If it is apparent at the beginning of a driving test that any obstructions are obscuring the driver’s view or potentially causing a distraction then they will be asked to be removed in the interests of the health and safety of the driver, the examiner and the general public.”

The Highway Code states: “Windscreen and windows must be kept clean and free from obstructions to vision.”

If something hanging from your mirror, or a sticker on your windscreen prevents you from having a full view of the road, you could receive an on-the-spot fine of £100 and three penalty points.

The fine could increase to £1,000 if the case goes to court.

Councils in England will be given a share of more than £200 million for road maintenance and pothole repairs.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced the allocation of an extra £50 million for councils for potholes and flood resilience as well as £151 million to reward examples of councils’ best practice.

These funds come from the £6.6 billion the government is providing in the six years to 2021 to improve local roads.

As part of the government’s work to prevent potholes in the future, the Department for

Transport will fund early stage research into new surface materials or pothole repair techniques, such as 3D printing. A digital hub will also be set up for experts to share and develop innovations.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Every motorist knows that potholes have been a problem in the last few years. That is why the government is continuing to step up its funding to local authorities to address this.

“It is now up to highways authorities to innovate and use new technologies to solve the problem.”

Today’s investment is on top of the £725 million local authorities will receive in 2019/20, based on the infrastructure they maintain, including length of roads, number of bridges and streetlights.

The Department for Transport says it will also announce a review of road condition surveying data and technology. This call for evidence will seek views on the current methodology used to monitor road condition as well as how councils and the wider sector can harness new forms of technology and data to improve our local roads and infrastructure.

Fines for rear view mirror decoration?

Pot of cash for potholes

p06_15_Instructor_2019_Issue04.indd 5 17/04/2019 9:56 am



More potholes make life tough for learners

Boris turns the lights offDozens of sets of traffic lights

are to be switched off across

London in an effort by mayor

Boris Johnson to smooth traffic

flow.According to a report in The

Daily Telegraph, the experiment

could see more than 100 lights

eventually being removed from

the heart of the capital.

Small car, big problemWriting in Fleet News, Martin Ward

offers another take on the BSM/

Fiat announcement. He tells the

story of a friend who is a driving

instructor for BSM. He’s a tall lad,

he says, and the Vauxhall Corsa

he has just about fits him. His

problem is that the Fiat 500 he will

now be given will be too small for

him to use as a work vehicle and

the family run-about.

Cluck controlPeterborough driving instructor

Neil Franklin has swapped his

clutch for a cluck after taking

delivery of six hybrid chickens in a

bid to reduce his carbon footprint.

Peterborough Today reports

that the 62-year-old, who has

taught hundreds of people to

drive during his 32-year career, is

urging other people to improve

their self sufficiency and combat

their carbon footprint by taking

on their own allotments and small

farm animals.

News in brief

EditorStephen [email protected]

DesignerMatt [email protected]

ProductionColin [email protected]

Advertising ManagerAnu Rajan020 8665 [email protected]

Assessment and Training ManagerSteve Garrod

Programme DevelopmentHoward Redwood

Relationship Manager

Colin O’Connell

General ManagerSimon Grater

Finance ManagerAilsa Paddon

Finance AssistantGraham Cox

Administration ManagerTina Sellwood

Administration ExecutivesBarbara JohnsonKim Leaney

Debbie SlawinskiGeorgina Rivers

ChairmanGraham Fryer

Company SecretaryJinny Osborne

Driving InstructorSafety HouseBeddington Farm Road

Croydon CR0 4XZTel 020 8665 5151Local rate 0845 345 5151

Fax 020 8665 5565

Email and [email protected]

Printed byThe Burlington PressCambridge

Driving Instructor is published bi-monthly by

DIA (Int) Ltd. ©2009

Views contained may

not be the views of the

publishers. Publication

of an advertise-ment does not imply

approval for the goods

or services offered. Reproducing by any means, electronically

or otherwise, in whole

or part of any material

appearing in this maga-

zine is forbidden with-

out the prior permission

of the publishers.

Driving Instructor

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or £19.50 (which ever is greater). See www.whatcar.com/drivingschool for

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WORSENING roads are having an

impact on learner drivers with many

instructors reshaping lessons to

tackle the dangers posed by an esti-

mated 1.5 million potholes, accord-

ing to the AA.Feedback from AA Driving School

instructors across the UK reveals that

many are changing lesson routes

and teaching specific driving tech-

niques to deal with crumbling roads.

Many are either adding potholed

roads to their routes to train driv-

ers to deal with them, or making

detours to avoid the worst craters

which are a danger to cars and occu-

pants.Incidents reported by a national

panel of AA Driving School instruc-

tors include:q Tyre blow-outs, including a

lesson in Stourbridge where a pupil

was shaken by a double blow-out.

The lesson was suspended while the

pupil re-gathered his composure

and the car was repaired. He later

went on to pass his test;q Instructors using dual controls

to prevent accidents after pupils

swerved towards traffic when trying

to avoid potholes; andqAan instructor in west London

who got out of her car at the end

of a lesson, stepped into a pothole

and fell to the ground breaking her

leg – and was then off work for four

months.The AA estimates that icy weather

last winter caused a 40 per cent

increase in road damage, pushing

the number of potholes in the UK up

to 1.5 million.

DrivingInstructor

October/November 09 3

Ex-school cars sold on to unwary public

THE DRIVING Standards Agency

(DSA) multi-purpose test centre

at Wolverhampton opens on 26

October. The new facility is the 45th in a

national network of centres that

cater for the new motorcycle test,

which was introduced in April 2009

as a road safety measure to cut the

number of crashes involving bikes.

In all, 66 multi-purpose test centres

are planned across the UK.DSA Chief Executive, Rosemary

Thew, said: “In 2008 alone 21,550

bikers were casualties of crashes

on roads in Great Britain; of these,

493 were killed. Although casualty

numbers are falling there are still

far too many, which is why this cen-

tre is important. “I hope that the Wolverhampton

community will recognise the important role of this centre in

supporting road safety and saving

lives.”The module one motorcycle test

includes challenging manoeuvres

to test riders’ control over their

bikes – this test takes place off-

road. The module one test must be

passed before a rider can take the

on-road module two test.The centre at Wolverhampton

will carry out both motorcycle

and car practical tests – making

it ‘multi-purpose’ in its offering.

The new test centre is modern,

purpose-built, energy efficient

and compliant with the Disability

Discrimination Act. It has also been

landscaped to fit in with the local

environment.The last day for testing at

Wolverhampton’s existing test

centre in Ashland Street will be

16 October. There will be a week’s

break, during which no tests will be

conducted, before the state-of-the-

art multi-purpose test centre opens

in Spring Road, WV4 6JX, on 26

October. The DSA says the closure

is necessary for the smooth transi-

tion of equipment, resources and

staff to the new premises.

Multi-purpose test centre to open in Wolverhampton

THOUSANDS of unsuspecting motorists are buying second-hand

cars previously used by a driving

school for teaching teenagers to

drive, according a report in The

Daily Telegraph.Each year, 3,600 Ford Focus cars

used by the AA Driving School for

teaching learner drivers are sold on

the used market having been reg-

istered under an unfamiliar name.

The cars are registered to Lombard Finance – an arm of the

Royal Bank of Scotland – which

buys the cars in bulk from Ford

and leases them to the AA Driving

School. Every six months, 1,800

cars return to Ford and are sold in

official dealerships.Consumer experts have advised

that all customers at Ford Focus

dealerships should check for the

tell-tale signs of two grommets

underneath the passenger-side

mat. These are evidence of the dual

controls used by an AA driving

instructor to keep control of the

car, which are then removed before

the car is sold on.George Marshall-Thornhill, from

Which? Car magazine, said: “This

may just be the result of a financial

arrangement but they’re not being

very straightforward. Consumers

should be aware that Lombard is

a name to look out for on the reg-

istration documents. If they see it,

they should check under the pas-

senger mat or look for slight fading

to the paintwork where magnetic

logos have been. Driving school

cars may be well looked after but

they also get a lot of hard work.”A spokesman for Lombard said:

“Due to data protection regula-

tions, we would be unable to make any clearer who the cars had

been leased to. Really this is not a

Lombard issue.”A spokesman for the AA said:

“Even the individual dealers will

not know whether the cars were

used by us. But if asked they can

contact Lombard, who can contact

us, and we are happy to inform

the customer. The cars are given

new clutches, new brakes and new

tyres. They are then independently

verified as being acceptable for

sale.”

Price: £4.25. Annual subscription £22.50.

Rest of the world £47.50


16/9/09 15:21:58

Driving Instructor

The government is set to perform a U-turn on plans to change motorway speed limits to 80mph, according to recently appointed transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

The secretary of state told Sky News that the previous government had pursued a “short-sighted and misguided war on the motorist”, but added that “speed does kill” and sought to play down expectation that the government will go ahead with the change.

Former transport secretary Philip Hammond started a consultation on the plans to increase motorway speed limits in 2011, saying that an increase to 80mph would “put Britain back in the fast lane”. The announcement was part of a range of measures the government took, including cancelling planned fuel duty increases, to show that it was on the side of the motorist.

New secretary of state for transport Patrick McLoughlin has been quick to pour cold water on the idea, though, saying: “I want to look at the evidence on that but nothing will detract me from what is safe overall and road safety and our record on road safety has to be paramount in my mind.

“Speed does kill and most of the very serious accidents on our roads involve people disobeying the speed limits,” he added.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said: “We are extremely pleased by this news and hope to hear further confirmation from the government soon. Evidence shows 80mph limits would cause more people to be killed and seriously injured on motorways, as well as creating more CO2, while it is doubtful they would lead to significant journey time savings.”

The DSA has reminded bus and coach drivers that they have just a year left to complete 35 hours of periodic training to keep their Driver CPC if they qualified before 10 September 2008.

Over 3,000 approved training courses are now available for professional drivers to take, with the intention of developing knowledge and skills.

DSA chief executive Rosemary Thew urged drivers not to leave it until the last minute: “If the deadline arrives and you drive professionally without a Driver CPC, you’ll be committing an offence.

“The idea of drivers completing regular training throughout their working life is not new – many have been doing it for years through operators who recognise the benefits of drivers developing their skills.”

According to rubber manufacturer Lanxness, over 70% of drivers are completely unaware of new EU tyre labelling regulations, 85% don’t know about buying more fuel-efficient tyres and 7% said they still wouldn’t consider switching to greener tyres after learning about the new labeling system.

Toyota has announced a recall of 138,000 vehicles in the UK built between September 2006 and December 2008, including Auris, Yaris and Corolla models. The fault, with electric window switches, could potentially lead to fire, but there’s only been one reported incident in the UK.

Sticky window woe for Toyota

Driver CPC: one year to go

Tyre labelling nearly here

Government does motorway U-turn

10

Each tyre is rated A-G on a range of factors. Here, it’s fuel efficiency

The new system also looks at wet weather capability – G means you’ll end up in a field

Sick of screaming to be heard over the tyre roar at 40mph? This section is for you

NEWS


Driving Instructor

The government is set to perform a U-turn on plans to change motorway speed limits to 80mph, according to recently appointed transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

The secretary of state told Sky News that the previous government had pursued a “short-sighted and misguided war on the motorist”, but added that “speed does kill” and sought to play down expectation that the government will go ahead with the change.

Former transport secretary Philip Hammond started a consultation on the plans to increase motorway speed limits in 2011, saying that an increase to 80mph would “put Britain back in the fast lane”. The announcement was part of a range of measures the government took, including cancelling planned fuel duty increases, to show that it was on the side of the motorist.

New secretary of state for transport Patrick McLoughlin has been quick to pour cold water on the idea, though, saying: “I want to look at the evidence on that but nothing will detract me from what is safe overall and road safety and our record on road safety has to be paramount in my mind.

“Speed does kill and most of the very serious accidents on our roads involve people disobeying the speed limits,” he added.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of road safety charity Brake, said: “We are extremely pleased by this news and hope to hear further confirmation from the government soon. Evidence shows 80mph limits would cause more people to be killed and seriously injured on motorways, as well as creating more CO2, while it is doubtful they would lead to significant journey time savings.”

The DSA has reminded bus and coach drivers that they have just a year left to complete 35 hours of periodic training to keep their Driver CPC if they qualified before 10 September 2008.

Over 3,000 approved training courses are now available for professional drivers to take, with the intention of developing knowledge and skills.

DSA chief executive Rosemary Thew urged drivers not to leave it until the last minute: “If the deadline arrives and you drive professionally without a Driver CPC, you’ll be committing an offence.

“The idea of drivers completing regular training throughout their working life is not new – many have been doing it for years through operators who recognise the benefits of drivers developing their skills.”

According to rubber manufacturer Lanxness, over 70% of drivers are completely unaware of new EU tyre labelling regulations, 85% don’t know about buying more fuel-efficient tyres and 7% said they still wouldn’t consider switching to greener tyres after learning about the new labeling system.

Toyota has announced a recall of 138,000 vehicles in the UK built between September 2006 and December 2008, including Auris, Yaris and Corolla models. The fault, with electric window switches, could potentially lead to fire, but there’s only been one reported incident in the UK.

Sticky window woe for Toyota

Driver CPC: one year to go

Tyre labelling nearly here

Government does motorway U-turn

10

Each tyre is rated A-G on a range of factors. Here, it’s fuel efficiency

The new system also looks at wet weather capability – G means you’ll end up in a field

Sick of screaming to be heard over the tyre roar at 40mph? This section is for you

NEWS


Call today or visit our website for more information

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Driving Instructor

11

Calls for motorway speed limit increase

There have been calls for the motorway speed limit to be raised, after

the Department for Transport revealed that a change in lorry speed limits

could have helped improve road safety.

A report shows that allowing heavy goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes

to travel 10mph faster, bringing them closer to the speed of other traffic,

has contributed to an increase of 1.5mph in average speeds on single

carriageway roads.

An increase of just 1mph would free up 650,000 driver hours and save

hauliers more than £10 million a year. The change, which came into force

in 2015, allows lorries to travel at up to 50mph on single carriageways

and 60mph on dual carriageway roads in England and Wales. It means

they are travelling at similar speeds to other vehicles, instead of much

slower – with the aim of improving road safety. This report shows there is

a possible “statistically significant” improvement to road safety on study

roads. Roads minister Michael Ellis said: “I am pleased to see the improvement

in safety while helping to unlock the UK’s potential – encouraging growth

and enhancing productivity.

“Increasing the speed limit for lorries has helped companies save time

and money, enabling them to re-invest this in their business and buying

newer and greener vehicles.

“This move has also potentially improved road safety as it appears to

have reduced the risks some drivers take when overtaking slow-moving

vehicles.”The report also shows that the number of speeding lorries has fallen

by about 70%.

Since the change in speed limit was introduced, the average lorry

speed on single carriageways increased by 1.5mph to 45.6mph, and

other vehicles also saw increased speeds. On dual carriageways, the

average speed increase was 0.4mph, to 52.4mph.

This report has led to some campaigners calling for the speed limit on

the motorway for cars to be increased to 80mph.

AA president Edmund King said: “Driving at 80pmh at an appropriate

distance from the vehicle in front, in a modern car in good weather on a

decent motorway is probably safe.

“Driving at 50mph tailgating the car in front is never safe.”

The 70mph speed limit was introduced in 1965. Many experts argue it

has become outdated with faster and safer modern cars.

Howard Cox, founder of motoring campaign group FairFuelUK, said:

“It’s high time speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways are

increased to match those in all EU states. At 80mph, where it’s safe to

do so, the positive benefits to the economy, travel times and driver stress

will be substantial. Most drivers already drive at this speed.”

Jim O’Sullivan, CEO of Highways England, has also said the speed

limit on some roads could be safely raised to 80mph.

RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes disagrees. He said: “Given

that inappropriate speed is still a major factor in collisions, it’s unlikely

many motorways in the UK are suited to an 80mph limit. We know a large

proportion of drivers already regularly exceed the 70mph limit so there is

a danger increasing it would send out the wrong message.”

See page 70 for what our members have had to say on social media

about this issue.


15/07/2019 2:44 pm

The largest driver trainer news

resource adinews.co.uk/news

Driving Instructor

09

Improvements to ‘Find Your

Nearest’ could result in mandatory grade publishing

As reported last month, the DVSA are

considering a range of options to provide

the public with more qualitative information

about driving instructors, which could

include publishing grades from Standards

Checks. Trainers have been able to add

their grade voluntarily to their listing on Find

Your Nearest since earlier this year but, with

low engagement rates (less than 4.5% of

ADIs currently opt to display their grade)

the regulator may be tempted to make

publication mandatory.

Speaking to The Times newspaper,

DVSA’s chief executive, Gareth Llewellyn

said it will consider releasing the scores if

instructors won’t do so voluntarily.

He said: “We are encouraging driving

instructors to publish their rating. If the don’t

do that, then at some point we will compel

them to do that. We will put out information

into the public domain so that parents can

choose a good driving instructor.”

Suggestions that grades will be

mandatorily published has met with concern

from both individual instructors and ADI

associations alike, who argue that the option

to voluntarily publicise your grade has not

been effectively promoted to trainers by

DVSA to date, with many unaware they can

use this facility (hence, possibly, the reason

for the low engagement rates). DIA has also

pointed out that a drive on educating the

public on what the grade means, and what

other key factors pupils should consider

when choosing a trainer, should be more

of a priority for the agency than mandatory

publication -warning that otherwise the grade

will continue to be a secondary determining

factor in the pupil decision making process

to price.However, with a number of developments

made to Find Your Nearest ahead of

schedule this month, DVSA is clearly ramping

up its efforts to provide learners with better

and more visible information about learning

to drive. Do these latest developments signal

an intent by the agency to drive forward

more swiftly and more strongly with their

plans in this area? And with a potential

upswing in demand from consumers for such

information, the regulator may also have

more justification to argue that all instructors

should publish their grades.

Motorway speed limit could be cut from 70mphto 60mphThe Government is considering a number of

possible actions to tackle air pollution in the

UK, one of them being changing the speed

limit on motorways from 70mph to 60mph.

Some officials believe that vehicles emit

more harmful emissions when cars travel

at higher speeds and have proposed the

10mph cut on high polluting stretches of the

motorway. Pollution taxes could also be imposed on

diesel cars under the plans.

The proposal states: “There may be

potential to improve air quality by lowering

speed limits.“The speed limits option would seek to

tackle lengths of motorway experiencing poor

levels of air quality.

“For this option, the effect of reducing the

motorway speed limit from 70 to 60 mph has

been simulated by modelling a reduction in

the average speed (by 10mph) of affected

vehicles.” Andrea Ledsom, Secretary of State

for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

commented: “Improving air quality is a key

priority. Our plan today sets out how we will

just do that – including presenting options to

target diesel scrappage schemes.”

Meanwhile, three-quarters of motorists

think the motorway speed limit should be

increased to 80mph.

According to the Daily Mail, a survey by

Green Flag identified that 21 per cent of

motorists believe that the new speeding fines

that came into force recently will have minimal

effects on a persons driving habits.

73 per cent say that the man reason for

this is that there is lack of funding to enforce

the new rules.


23/06/2017 15:42

POTHOLES

SPEED

SPEED CONTINUED


Carmakers call for interim Brexit deal or risk falling off ‘cliff edge’Britain’s car industry has once more called on the government for reassurance over Brexit, saying a transitional deal to leave the European Union is imperative to stop the automotive sector falling off a “cliff edge”.

Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said businesses were still frustrated at the lack of guidance from government.

“It is time to stop playing with words,” he said. “Soft or hard Brexit and now open mean nothing. It’s time to be brutally honest; our sector needs a comprehensive and bespoke trade agreement. “We accept that we are leaving the European Union and we share the desire for that departure to be a success. But our biggest fear is that, in two years’ time, we fall off a cliff edge – no deal, outside the single market and customs union and trading on inferior WTO terms.

“This would undermine our competitiveness and our ability to attract the investment that is critical to future growth.”

The UK and EU automotive sectors are highly integrated, and Hawes warned that a bespoke deal – which would need to cover rules on tariff and non-tariff barriers, and regulatory and labour issues – could not be completed within five years.

Mr Hawes’ comments came as the SMMT’s annual sustainability report revealed that the industry had grown for the seventh year running, with its annual turnover now standing at £77.5bn, a rise of 9pc.

Employment numbers remained stable, with almost 170,000 people employed in manufacturing vehicles and a total of 814,000 jobs supported by the sector.

Hawes said Brexit was the biggest challenge the car industry had faced in a generation, and warned that an untidy exit from the customs union would damage the industry permanently. “We must have the no-tariff, frictionless trade upon which the industry depends,” he said.

The EU is the UK’s biggest automotive export market, accounting for more than half of all UK car exports. And UK car plants rely on the free movement of parts to and from the continent. Some 80 per cent of the 1.7m cars built in Britain are exported.

Hawes continued to say: “The needle is shifting more towards British content, but we are a long way from the 50-69% shelf for most free trade agreements. We need to have arrangements where EU content counts as UK and vice versa – that should also allow us to take advantage of free trade arrangements with the 30-40 other countries that the EU has.”

DVSA to carry out lorryemission checksRoadside safety checks of commercial vehicles will include inspections to ensure that lorries have not been fitted with devices giving false emission readings, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

The DVSA enforcement staff – as well as European counterparts – had found evidence of drivers and operators using “emissions cheat devices” to cut operating costs. These include the use of devices designed to prevent emissions control systems working; illegal engine modifications which cause excessive emission; and the removal of a vehicle’s diesel particulate filter, or “trap”. Other reported incidents include the use of fake emission reduction devices, illegal engine modifications and removal of exhaust gas recirculation values.

The police and DVSA can carry out spot checks on commercial vehicles at the roadside, predominantly to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy and that all necessary licences for their operation are in place.

DVSA say it will investigate all operations found to be using these methods and pass the findings to the Traffic Commissioner, which has the power to remove operator licences.

Gareth Llewellyn, DVSA chief executive, said: “DVSA’s priority is to protect you from unsafe drivers and vehicles. We are committed to taking dangerous vehicles off Britain’s roads and this new initiative to target emissions fraud is a key part of that.

“Anyone who flouts the law is putting other road users, and the quality of our air, at risk. We won’t hesitate to take these drivers, operators and vehicles off our roads.”

Transport Minister Jesse Norman, said: “I welcome this crackdown on rogue hauliers who cheat the system by installing bogus devices which lead to increased pollution.

“There has rightly been a huge public outcry against car manufacturers that have been cheating emissions standards, and the same rule should apply here too.

“We all need clean air in which to live and work. That’s why the government has committed more than £2 billion since 2011 to support greener transport.”

20mph speed ignored byeight in ten driversFour fifths of drivers regularly break the speed limit in 20mph zones, with more than one in ten doing more than 30mph.

Figures released by the Department for Transport show that 81% of drivers broke the limit at nine sites across the country – with 15% topping 30mph and 1% travelling at over 40mph in 20mph zones.

The report also shows one in 10 drivers exceed motorway speed limits by at lease 10mph, and 1% hitting 90mph.

In 30mph zones there has been some progress, with a two per cent drop in the number of speeding cars since 2011, but more than half (53 per cent) of car drivers still break the limit.

However, Department for Transport research said the figures are based on locations that “may not be typical of most 20mph road”. Rod King, founder of campaign group 20’s Plenty for Us, said the low-limit roads featured in the research are arterial and “have very little in common with most residential and high street roads where communities set 20mph speed limits to make them safer and more comfortable”.

Edmund King, president of the AA, told The Times: “These statistics indicate that blanket 20mph speed limits aren’t particularly effective. Where they are targeted, like outside schools these lower limits work because people can see the point of them.

“But if 20mph limits are simply imposed over a whole area, people just don’t believe in them and it’s no surprise they then fail to comply.”

Drivers are most compliant on single carriageway roads though where the national speed limit applies, with 8 per cent breaking 60mph. A DfT spokeswoman said: “Research shows that 20mph zones in the right areas can save lives and we have made it easier for councils to introduce them. It is for councils to set speed limits in their area and police to decide how best to enforce them.”

The UK’s first 20mph limit was introduced in 1991 and rules were loosened to allow local authorities to make decisions on introducing zones.


Driving Instructor

08

Smart motorways to be extendedEngland will get another 400 miles of smart motorways by April 2025

under the government’s road strategy, despite some concerns over their

safety.The system is currently operating on parts of the M1, M4, M6, M25,

M42, M60 and M62. The new smart motorways will feature a number

of changes, including emergency laybys closer together – a mile apart

as opposed to current 1.5 miles, increased speed limits driving past

roadworks, from 50mph to 60mph, and a new name; ‘digital roads’.

According to figures from Highways England, there were 16 crashes on

smart motorways involving stationary vehicles in 2017. In contrast, there

were 29 crashes on the hard shoulder across the rest of the 1,800 miles

of England’s motorways. A recent safety assessment of part of the smart motorway on the M25

found a 29% reduction in the number of crashes – 9.3 crashes registered

per 100 million miles. One in ten motorway deaths occur on the hard shoulder, and usually

involve vehicles hitting stationary cars from behind.Jim O’Sullivan, chief executive of Highways England, said: “With the

volume, speed and size of modern cars, the refuge areas are safer than the

hard shoulder. A car or truck will not drift into the emergency refuge area,

whereas they can and do drift into the hard shoulder. “We are now well into smart motorway operation and the statistics

we have are reliable. They are telling us that the safety record on

smart motorways is arguably better than what we see on conventional

motorways.”Highways England ensures the safety of smart motorways due to the

emergency laybys, but motoring groups are worried that the removal of the

hard shoulder poses a risk to motorists.The AA has expressed concerns over the safety of the plan. AA

president, Edmund King, said: “We support road improvements to remove

pinch points and improve motorway capacity but not if it compromises

road safety. “Emergency refuge areas (ERAs) would be safer than a hard shoulder

if motorists could get to them.” The AA has warned that it is potentially more dangerous to exit

an emergency layby than a hard shoulder, as it is difficult to get up to

speed.The lack of hard shoulder also means it takes longer for emergency

vehicles to get to incidents due to traffic filling all lanes.King said: “Renaming smart motorways ‘digital roads’ doesn’t mean the

system still won’t crash. We are happy to embrace technology but more

physical emergency laybys would reassure drivers and make our roads

safer.”

‘Wild West’ parking firms face lawMotorists now have greater protections against bogus parking fines

due to a new law that clamps down on rogue private parking firms.

The new Parking (Code of Practice) Act will bring in greater

regulation of the private parking industry. Drivers will be able to more

easily challenge unfair parking tickets through a new independent

appeals service, and all private parking operators will also have to

follow a new industry-backed Code of Practice.A new single Code of Practice will ensure parking is consistent,

transparent and easier to understand. If private parking firms break

it then they could be barred from asking for motorists’ information

from the DVLA to enforce tickets. The new independent appeals

service will also give drivers greater support to challenge unjustified

parking tickets.Local Government Minister Rishi Sunak MP said: “Millions of us

use private car parks every day, but for far too many drivers slapped

with unjust fines this largely unregulated industry feels like the Wild

West. “Too often, I hear of awful treatment at the hands of dodgy parking

firms, from problems paying for parking to intimidating demands for

payment and baffling appeals processes.“From today, we’re able to cut out the rogue operators by creating

a single Code of Practice and giving drivers greater protection

through a new appeals service.”The government and motoring groups, including the AA and the

RAC, back the law changes and will now begin work to write the

Code of Practice.Nicholas Lyes, the Head of Roads Policy at the RAC, said:

“Motorists will warmly welcome this new Act. For too long, some

unscrupulous private parking operators have made drivers’ lives a

misery with some questionable practices which has sent levels of

trust in the sector plummeting.“The code will create more consistent standards across the

board which should eliminate dubious practices and create a single,

independent appeals process. The RAC has long called for changes

to the way the private parking sector is regulated and this new code

will undoubtedly make the lives of drivers easier.“The Act builds on action the government has already taken to

tackle rogue private parking firms, including banning wheel clamping

and towing and stopping over-zealous parking enforcement by

councils and parking wardens.”


17/04/2019 9:56 am


Dynamic smart motorways are “too

complicated for people to use” and

won’t be built in the future, Highways

England’s boss has said. Chief executive Jim O’Sullivan told

MPs the company will not build any

more motorways where drivers use

hard shoulders at busy times, because

too many motorists do not understand

them. Parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M42

and M62 have already been converted.

Jim O’Sullivan said drivers are confused

about when they can use the hard

shoulder and when it is closed to

non-emergency traffic. He told the Commons’ transport

select committee: “People whose normal

daily commute takes place at 8am or

9am, if they’ve been to the dentist and

come out at 11am they drive down the

hard shoulder. “When we close it at other times of

the day, people still drive down it.

“We get people who stop there when

it’s a running lane. “What we also find is, because people

aren’t sure if it’s a hard shoulder or a

running lane, even when it is open, the

usage of that running lane is much lower

because people aren’t sure whether it’s a

hard shoulder or not. “I don’t think we will be building

any more dynamic hard shoulder smart

motorways. They’re just too complicated

for people to use.” Concerns about smart motorways

have been raised over the past few years,

with a number of drivers being killed

after stopping in live running lanes.

In March, Derek Jacobs, 83, was

killed after his car was hit when he

stopped in the fast lane on a section

of the M1 in Derbyshire converted to a

smart motorway. A woman was killed months before

on the same stretch of road after leaving

a broken down car. However, Jim O’Sullivan insisted

smart motorways are “as safe or safer

than conventional motorways”.

He added: “I would prefer to break

down in the live lane of a managed

motorway or a smart motorway than I

would prefer to break down on a live lane

on a conventional motorway or on a dual

carriageway.”

Dynamic smart motorways “too complicated”


13/11/2019 3:21 pm

SMART MOTORWAYS

SOMETIMES THINGS DO CHANGE VERY QUICKLY!

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Subject to criteria; one vehicle per policy see www.driving.org/recovery/keyfacts for key facts

* Vehicles up to 10 years for european cover

24 hours a day, 7 days a week – here and abroad

020 8686 8010driving.org/recovery

Our cover includes24-Hour roadside assistanceHome startRescue/recoveryDriving school and private cars European coverMotorbikesAll vehicles up to 20 years old*

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FEATURE: GOODBYE TO DRIVING INSTRUCTORDriving InstructorDrivingInstructor

June/July 1014

On the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the driving test, in the first of a special two-part feature, driving school proprietor James Eisen reflects on the current state of the instruction industry and asks what the future holds for the ADI in a post-recession Britain

Since the Learning to Drive Consultation in 2008, the Driv-ing Standards Agency has had

very little impact on the structure of the Learning to Drive Syllabus.

One of the main reasons for this is that the DSA concentrates on the way it manages the theory and practical tests and not on how learners are taught.

The current training for instruc-tors simply provides an entry level of knowledge to become an instructor and offers little help or incentive for further development of the instructor’s skills following qualification.

The current system of training is also being widely exploited by training companies who have, in spite of poor pass rates, profited and flooded the industry with new instructors. As a result competition amongst instructors has intensified and caused lesson prices to remain depressed.

Bleak futureWithout significant changes to the way in which the industry is governed, the future for driving instructors will remain bleak and the industry will lose many good instructors.

I hope that this article will not fall on deaf ears and might encourage fresh thinking about how to im-

prove the environment in which we work and ultimately to improve the quality of driving lessons offered to the public.

Role of the instructorWhen I first started training, I recall our trainer mentioning a number of different aspects of being an effec-tive driving instructor. Some of the skills required included:q Communication q Planning and administration q Maintaining tuition vehicles q Managing accounts and cash

flow q Time management skills q Presentation: keeping a tidy ap-

pearance and a clean vehicle q Being an effective salesperson q Ensuring skills are kept updated

(CPD) Additionally, if the instructor runs a small driving school or is inde-pendent they are likely to have to manage the following:q A home office q A company website q Marketing and advertising

campaigns q Inbound telephone, email and

webmail enquiries q Callbacks to prospective pupils q Recruit and manage driving

instructors q The distribution of new pupils to

instructors

q The standard of instruction being offered by the driving school

Many instructors may attempt to manage all of these aspects and, ultimately, some aspects of running the business will be overlooked. If we compare this to teachers at secondary schools, it would be like asking a classroom teacher to take over running all aspects of the school.

Driving instructors are therefore more likely to be able to deliver quality driving lessons if they are able to focus on teaching. As a teacher we must adapt our ap-proach to fit a pupils learning style and over time our skills improve with experience of the job.

Earnings potentialIn most jobs, it would be a reason-able expectation that, as a person becomes more experienced in their job, that they would be able to increase their earnings potential.

As a driving instructor this has become increasingly difficult as the market has become saturated and consumers have become more and more price orientated when choosing a driving school. Many consumers research the market using the Internet and will visit a few driving school websites before picking up the phone or emailing the company.

Many schools now offer cheaper prices in order to entice new busi-ness which might include offer free driving lessons or cheaper lessons for the first block of lessons purchased.

Recession proof?Over the last two years, we have also experienced the worst reces-sion in the UK since the 1930s. This has exacerbated the problems faced by our industry in a number of ways. Firstly, the majority of our customers are between the ages of 17-24. This sector of the employ-ment market has been the worst af-fected with currently over a million people out of work.

As employers have looked for ways in which to cut expenses, there have been less opportunities for part time work, which our cus-tomers are often dependent upon to pay for driving lessons.

We have also had an increas-ing number of instructors offering tuition. In 1999 the DSA had 29,000 instructors registered. In 2009 the number of ADIs was around 45,000 with an average of around 5,000 PDI licences issued every year. This represents about a 10 per cent annual increase to the number of instructors registered every year.

Over the last 18 months the number of people taking the driv-

State ofthe industry

L

instructor pg14-15.indd 44 17/5/10 22:00:00

On the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the driving test, driving school proprietor James Eisen reflects on the current state of the instruction industry and asks what the future holds for the ADI in a post-recession Britain

IN THIS SNAPSHOT FROM 2010, JAMES EISEN DISCUSSES ISSUES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY AND HIS PREDICTIONS FOR THE FUTURE. HOW MUCH HAVE THINGS CHANGED NEARLY 10 YEARS ON?

YearsOFF

TAKE


Driving Instructor


Embracing modern technology can be a daunting prospect for established ADIs but ignoring it could mean turning down lucrative business from internet-savvy young drivers. But if the thought of putting your driving school on the web sends you intoa cold spin, don't despair! Web expert Nick Reynolds offers some expert guidance

Are you webwise?

More than half of all British homes have Internet access. Whether it’s to get help with History homework or to download the latest songs, the internet is where people go to first. This is particularly true for young people. Many will not bother with ploughing through the Yellow Pages, when with a few clicks they can find what they want at Yell.com, Google or MSN Search. Traditional directories are losing their market share in terms of people looking for local businesses. Now you may say that it’s Mum and Dad who usually make the decisions. True enough, but the Internet is not just a young people’s thing! Nowadays the parents too will be looking at the Internet for driving lessons for their kids.

On the Super Highway?The question now being faced by driving schools is whether they are taking advantage of this shift in thinking or whether they’re already losing out. Of course, the advantage of the good old ad in Yellow Pages is that it enables you to put all your information in front of your potential customer — the area you cover, any special deals etc. The equivalent of the full page ad in Yellow Pages is to have your own website . . . and it doesn’t need to cost as much!In one respect the two media are similar: many will look at the information and then not book with you. But some will and, in short, the better your website, the more chance of getting people to call you.For many, the idea of getting into web design is daunting. Your first decision is whether you are going to do the whole thing yourself, or get someone to do it for you. The advantage of doing it yourself is that you have total flexibility with your site and you can keep the costs down.

The disadvantage is the hours you will have to put into it and the difficulty in achieving a really professional look. It might be better to pay a couple of hundred pounds for a really good site, than spend 20-30 hours on something that ends up being not so great.

Call in the expertsThe costs of getting a professional website can vary enormously — from around £25 for a simple one-page site, to many hundreds of pounds. Here are some guidelines to think through:

q Does the company charge per hour, or per page?q Is domain registration included?q Is web hosting included?q Can you have changes made to your site as and when you want?q Are the extras they offer (identifying keywords etc.) worthwhile or are they just fluff?

DIY web designMost of the rest of the information in this article is for those instructors who want to design their own site. I’ve put the steps in rough order, but it’s only a basic guideline.

1 Choose your domain nameYou can find out if your chosen name is available at sites such as www.123-reg.com. You will find that .co.uk domains are cheaper than .com names. There are alternatives such as .netor .org. However .co.uk is the standard domain ending for the UK and so is a better choice. You can get a .co.uk domain for £1.99 per annum.

Think carefully about the name you have chosen and how it looks when the words are run together with no spaces. Sometimes using dashes helps. For instance ross-smiths-school-of-motoring.co.uk or ross-smiths-som.co.uk is better than rosssmithsschoolofmotoring.co.uk or rosssmithssom.co.uk!

2 Organise your hosting packageYou won’t need it until you’ve designed your site, but it’s worth considering at the same time as domain registration, since many registration companies offer hosting as well and it can be easier to go for both in one package. Expect to pay anything upwards from £17 per annum. Using free webspace with an isp is a cheap alternative, but don’t expect the search engines to find you if you do!

3 Choose your web design packageWebsites are created using a “language” called html. (Actually there are other website languages but html is the most common and is the place to start). Effectively, html tells the user's browser what to display on the page. It's possible to get by with little or no knowledge of html by using web design software that allows you to create a page in WYSIWYG format (what you see is what you get) and it then creates the html code for you. There are many software programmes available. I use Macromedia Dreamweaverwhich is considered by most people to be the best, but it’s the most expensive and there are plenty of cheaper and quite adequate options around.

4 Choose a graphics programmeYou probably already have one on your computer. You will need this to change the shape, size, colour of any graphics you use.

5 Start designing your pagesIn order to design you will need three basic skills:

q An eye for design. Your site must look good.q An ability to write concisely and clearly and using good grammar!q Some technical ability to use the software, upload your pages and to know what to do if things go wrong!

If you haven’t got these skills find someone to help you. You want the best website you can get – a poor website is worse than no website! Oh, yes, and you need plenty of time!Sketch out the design of your site on paper. Decide whether you need more than one page. Ask yourself what are the essential things people need to find when they come to your site, for example the area you cover, your phone number, any unique selling points (USPs) you have and make sure these are clear and prominent.

What not to webYou’ve heard of Trinny and Susannah’s What not to Wear. Well here are a few simple rules on what not to do on your website.

q Don’t use lots of different fonts. Choose one font (many web designers use Verdana) and stick to it.q Don’t use lots of colours. Choose a colour scheme with two or three colours at most that work well together.q Don’t show off. If you’ve learnt a skill or discovered moving graphics, don’t use them just for the sake of it. Don’t use sound unless you really, really have to.



TIMESChanging IT’S A VERY DIFFERENT

WORLD TODAY THAN IT WAS

EVEN A FEW YEARS AGO.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW

WE’VE PROGRESSED

Driving Instructor


The DIA is occasionally asked for help and advice when a PDI is concerned about his contractual obligations to his clients. We hope

that the following explanation will assist to clarify matters.

Very simply, the basic elements of any legally binding contract are as follows: ‘Offer’,

‘Acceptance’, ‘Intention’ to be legally bound,

Sufficient ‘Consideration’, ‘Passing’ of that Consideration.

The ‘offer’ is contained in any advertising you have made to make known the fact that you

will give driving lessons to provisional licence

holders and the price you will charge for these.

The ‘acceptance’ of these ‘terms’ would be evidenced by the client agreeing over the phone

to buy lessons, this also indicating the required

‘intention’ for this verbal contract to be legally

binding. This is again reinforced and becomes

legally binding when the payment (the sufficient

‘consideration’) has ‘passed’ to you, i.e. when

you have received payment.At this point it would be prudent for both

parties that some form of receipt was issued acknowledging the payment in advance on a particular date for a service to be provided at a

future date to be agreed.Concerning the matter of withholding such a

prepayment because of passage of time, unless

this is reasonable and clearly stated in ‘terms of

business’ made known to the client (or pupil) in advance, then the prepayment remains the

property of the client until the service has been

carried out and must not be withheld.This is similar to the situation where, if you

pay a lawyer in advance for legal work, then this money must be placed in a client account,

from which sums can only be drawn on completion of agreed pieces of legal work.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has ruled that any term that seeks unlawfully to retain a prepayment is an ‘unfair term’ within the relevant definition of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (which

implement an EU Directive in UK law). The effect of such an unfair term is that it is ‘void’

and unenforceable in law. However, the OFT also states in its

Guidelines that in cases where the customer has ‘changed his mind’ there is an obligation to

provide a refund, but not of the whole amount

prepaid. A portion of the prepayment can lawfully be retained that represents accurately,

EITHER the profit element that would have been earned if the service had been delivered, OR a reasonable administrative charge to cover

any actual expense incurred by the supplier in

preparing to provide that particular service. Of course, an ADI’s actual ‘profit per lesson’

should be fairly easy to calculate by simply dividing his most recent annual net earnings figure, as declared to the Inland Revenue, by the total number of lessons given in the same accounting year.

Elements of pupil contracts and prepayment issues

THE DRIVER AND VEHICLE Testing Agency

has released statistics for Category B driving test pass rates in Northern Ireland for 2004. The

following pass rates refer to tests taken between

1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004 by test

centre: Armargh 56.89%; Ballymena 40.52%;

Balmoral 32.91%; Dill Road 36.75%; Coleraine

46.64%; Cookstown 52.62%; Craigavon 52.31%;

Downpatrick 65.82%; Enniskillen 57.17%; Larne

38.34%; Lisburn 37.78%; Londonderry 41.97%;

Newry 56.43%; Newtownards 52.42%; Omagh

56.42%; Overall 46.79%.

NI 2004 pass rates published

MALE AND FEMALE instructors reacted angrily to a sexist report in the Sunday Times and

subsequently in the Daily Mail in which Chief

Examiner Robin Cummins was quoted as saying

that men are naturally better drivers than women

and require less tuition.The article, entitled 'Kings of the Road

– Britain’s top instructor confirms it: men are better drivers', quoted Mr Cummins as saying that men only need 12.2 hours of driving tuition

as opposed to 15.3 hours for women to pass the

driving test.The words are directly contradictory to the

DSA’s own guidelines, which recommend a minimum of 40 hours tuition for both men and

women to reach the correct standard.In fact, as the DSA pointed out on its website,

Robin Cummins said no such thing. The figures

were not given to the Sunday Times by Mr Cummins, but by another organisation.

“We assure our driving instructors that our

recommendation of 40-45 hours professional tuition is the figure that we stand by as a guide,”

said the DSA, who also confirmed that Mr Cummins was not responsible for the statement

that men are better drivers than women.

ADI anger at Chief Examiner's 'sexism' A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR was amazed when

his identical twin pupils both passed their driving

tests within five days of each other, with the same

examiner and with the same single minor fault.Astonishingly, Scott and Adam Barker, both

taking their test for the first time, stalled at exactly

the same set of traffic lights to earn themselves

a minor fault, but then drove well enough for the

remainder of the test to impress the examiner and

pass the test.ADI John Irvine wrote to Driving Instructor

about the amazing coincidence. “I hope you find

this as amazing as I do,” he said.Just for the record John: we do!

ADI sees double

APPALLING TRAFFIC congestion in Newark

has prevented the town from becoming a site for

one of the DSA’s new ‘super test centres’ for car,

bus drivers and motorcycle riders.The town had already been chosen for

the centre but a senior examiner who was researching test routes kept getting stuck in traffic.

The decision means that more than 1,000 test

candidates must continue to travel to Grantham,

Nottingham and Lincoln.Instructors in the area have launched a

campaign to demand that car drivers at least should be tested in Newark.

The Driving Standards Agency earmarked

Newark as a possible site for one of its new combined test centres eight months ago, but scrapped its plans after spending two months researching conditions in the town.

Assistant Chief Examiner Dave Hodgson said:

“We did try to make up some routes in Newark

but we found the delays were impossible. In some areas it was so congested we were forced

to stop altogether.”Mr Mercer, a local instructor, described

the Agency u-turn as a disgrace. “Car and motorbike transport for people in this part of the world is not a luxury, it is a necessity, and I

will be contacting the Agency and the Minister

responsible,” he said.

Traffic jams test centre

The DIA's legal expert and head of road safety, Peter

Laub, explains some points of law relating to ADIs

Legal corner: the law and the ADI

2005 2007

Driving Instructor


The age old battle of the sexes over whether

men or women are the better drivers is as

common today as it was 20 years ago. But

with more and more insurance companies catering

for women drivers only it appears the fairer sex is

a much lower risk when sitting in the driving seat.

In terms of stereotypical images, men and

women drive differently. But is it true that female

drivers are better than male drivers?

The fairer risk

Statistically speaking women have more or less

seriousness of the accidents that remains a crucial

difference. Typically an insurance company has

to pay out more to fix a car when a man has an

accident.When it comes to obeying the law on the road,

unsurprisingly perhaps, the disparity is much

greater. Men are reponsible for 92 per cent of all

driving offences and a whopping 96 per cent of all

convictions for dangerous driving. But does this

really mean that men are worse drivers?

Two women who stand firmly on the fence

when it comes to the gender driving debate, but

are quick to recognise the differences between

male and female drivers, are Jo Dixon and

Beverley Midgley from Drighlington in West

Yorkshire. The pair have set up KanKan, an all

female driving school.

They both had bad experiences when learning

to drive as they lacked the confidence their male

counterparts had.

According to Beverley: “The point is this: men

and women are different when driving; both have

strengths and weaknesses. Men are often positive

drivers but sometimes can be over-confident;

women on the other hand are patient, considerate

drivers but sometimes confidence issues can affect

their performance.”

The most recent statistics taken by the DVLA in

2002 show there are nearly 22,000 male drivers on

The statistics also show women to have a different

pattern of driving to men as they tend to travel

shorter distances, have lower mileage and to drive

more slowly.

The then Chief Driving Examiner, Robin

Cummins, surprised drivers across the country

when he boldly declared that men were superior

behind the wheel. In a newspaper interview last

year he said men have more natural ability and

control and need less teaching. He said pass rates

showed that women needed more time to pass

their driving test, with a 40 per cent overall pass

rate for women compared to 46 per cent for men.

The Association of British Drivers refuted this

claim saying the time taken to pass a driving test

was not relevant in terms of what made a better or

safer driver.

Of cars and dolls

But Mr Cummins who was responsible for

year said he based his comments on the pass rate

figures.He said: “Some females – though not all – take

a lot more teaching to be able to use controls. It

might be in the genes or a matter of observing

mum and dad driving, or it might go back to

playing with cars rather than dolls.”

A report by researchers at the university of

Bradford last year found that women had a greater

ability to shift attention from one stimulus to

another and their attention span was far higher

than that of men.

Jo and Beverley believe the way in which a

driver is taught is the key to the way they drive,

hence the reason for starting up the all-female

school.

Dancing to a different tune

The business, which is backed by Yorkshire

Ventures, was originally run by Jo who qualified

Beverley while taking their children to school,

they decided to form a partnership. Beverley, not a

driving instructor herself, was keen on the idea of

being part of a school after she found the learning

experience so hard.

“I was young, naïve and very vulnerable when

I was learning to drive and I needed an instructor

who was going to make me feel at ease and calm

my nerves,” she says.

to change a tyre or water or even put petrol in the

tank, so at KanKan we teach all of this as well

as personal safety such as not leaving valuables

on show in the car and ensuring doors are always

locked when out of the car.”

The women run the driving school from

on helping learners whose confidence has been

shattered.

The feminine touch

In a bid to make their school stand out they have

created a female-friendly logo, welcome packs,

handed out personal alarms and hired therapists to

work with their pupils.

“What really matters for all drivers,” says

Beverley, “is that they are taught respect for

or a female point of view. We are teaching women

to drive safely for the rest of their lives, we give

them confidence and we make them feel secure.

between male and female drivers, but we want

to work with females whose confidence has been

shattered and give them new found confidence on

the roads.”Both working mums themselves, the pair are

keen to make it easier for instructors to join

KanKan. The admin, which includes speaking

to pupils, sorting out diaries, and making phone

calls, is all dealt with from the office, leaving the

instructors the time to concentrate on the driving

and teaching.

For now the gender driving debate continues,

but as more companies invest their services in

women drivers, it appears that male drivers are a

higher risk.

For further information on KanKan visit

www.ukankan.co.uk or call 0800 1088 888.

Doing the KanKanInsurance companies recognised the attraction of offering specialist policies for female drivers a long time ago, but it’s taken

driving schools a little longer to catch on. Vikki Carley talks to the proprietors of a school that dances to a different tune

KanKan’s Amanda Jarratt and

(top pic and far right) Beverley Midgley

Driving Instructor

3Driving Instructor

News in briefLEARNING YOUNG

Teenagers were given the opportunity to get behind the

wheel during a road user education programme.

The year 10 pupils, aged 14 and 15, from High Close

School in Reading were given the chance to drive dual-

controlled cars with the support from qualified driving

instructors. The project called Motorwise aims to reduce

the number of road traffic related incidents involving

young people and to raise awareness of the consequences

of vehicle crime.

ADI IN INDECENT ASSAULT CHARGE

A driving instructor has pleaded not guilty to indecently

assaulting a female pupil after a lesson. 31-year-old

David Simpson from Durham, proprietor of ADS School

of Motoring, appeared at Durham Crown Court on 22

February, charged with indecently assaulting the woman

at her home. The case was adjourned for trial and

Simpson was bailed to return for a two-day hearing on

26 April.

CALLING ADIS WITH OLDER PUPILS

The BBC is making a documentary about older drivers

and is searching for people who decided to start learning

later in life. They want to hear from people who may be

currently teaching someone who thinks it’s never too late

to learn, brand new learners, those about to face their

test or those who have passed recently. Andrew Mayer

from the BBC said: “We are most interested in those

in the upper age bracket and certainly no-one younger

than their 60s. Can you help? Any conversation would

be in complete confidence and there is no obligation to

take part if you get in touch.” Anyone who may be able

to help the BBC with their documentary should contact

Andrew Mayer by calling 020 8752 7992 or emailing him

on [email protected]

NEW MAIL ORDER P&P CHARGE

As of 3 April 2006 the DIA Mail Order postage and

packing charge is to rise to £3 to reflect the Royal Mail’s

new policy of pricing items according to size as well as

weight. The new charge still represents a substantial

subsidy for members.

TRAINING THE TRAINERS

Dates, times and venues have been announced for the

DIA’s new Training the Trainer courses. They are:

20 March, Safety House, Croydon; 21 March, Devon

Driver Centre, Exeter; 23 March DEFRA, Bristol; 3

April Bedford Football Club, Bedford; 12 April, the

Hub, Birmingham; 13 April, Sowerbury Bridge, West

Yorkshire.

Other venues and dates still to be confirmed. For further

information call 0845 345 5151

Managing EditorGraham FryerEditorStephen PictonDesignerSteven RussellAdvertising ManagerDavid BrearyNewsdeskVikki Carley

DIA (Int) LtdGeneral ManagerEddie BarnavilleHead of Road SafetyPeter LaubSenior AdministratorTina TuttonAdministrationAilsa PaddonBarbara JohnsonTina SellwoodEmma SarbuttKim Leaney

Safety HouseBeddington Farm RoadCroydon CR0 4XZTel 020 8665 5151Local rate 0845 345 5151Fax 020 8665 5565

[email protected]

Ad Sales020 8665 802701444 40012907711 571870

©2005 DIA (Int) Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher.

Driving Instructor

New ‘super-test centre’ in Ipswich

A royal six of the best

DRIVING instructors in Peterborough have been holding crisis meetings due to a lack of work in the city.

They say there are too many firms in the area leaving independent instructors out of pocket and even forcing them out of business.

In pattern becoming familiar across the UK, there is a particular concern about the number of newcomers to the business who are promised high earnings by big training firms but find the reality different when they set up on their own.

Ian Rayner, an independent instructor from Glinton in Peterborough, called the meeting after he saw his profits tumble.

He said: “A large number of newcomers are coming to the trade being told they can make a decent living from teaching others to drive, but this is not the case here.

“I have had to take a part-time job to cover my costs as there just isn’t the work anymore.

“The newcomers are filling an already saturated market and when they find it tough they cut their prices, taking the business away from experienced instructors who are being forced to leave the profession.”

According to internet business search facility yell.com, there are 107 driving schools in the area with a population of just 160,000.

Qualified instructors are now worried the standards of lessons in the area are slipping as learners go for cheaper lessons with unqualified, inexperienced instructors.

Steven Boyd from Market Deeping has been established as an independent instructor for more than 30 years and says that instructors are really feeling the pinch.

“It never used to be like this”, he said, “but there is little we can do about this apart from urge learners to choose a bona-fide instructor with proven experience and qualifications.”

THE DSA has given the go-ahead for the latest of a new style driving test centre.

The new centre, which is part of a plan to review driving test centres nationally, will be based in Ipswich at Ransom Euro Park, and is due to open later his year for would-be motorcyclists, car and lorry drivers..

It will be one of 53 multi-purpose test centres designed to cater for the new motorcycle test scheduled to be introduced in Britain in 2008.

The new centre replaces the current car test centre in Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, and the LGV test centre in Landseer Road, Ipswich.

A DRIVING instructor is celebrating after receiving straight 6s in his check test.

DIA member and ADI Martin Ferid, 49, has run the Royal School of Motoring in Loampit Hill, Lewisham, for 20 years.

He said: “I was told by examiners it is unheard of to receive such a high score so naturally I am very pleased by this.

“This is a hard time for instructors and the industry is under a lot of pressure so this is a good positive thing.”

Method, clarity, adequacy and correctness of instruction are key to a Grade 6 instructor.

LEARNER drivers can now get theory test questions sent to their mobile phones.

The interactive package is called Theory Testerand draws on over 750 questions from the DSA’s theory test question bank.

At the one-off cost of £3 learners can download a link on their mobile to the question bank — in the same way as downloading a game — which they can use regularly.

IT company Outsource Solutions developed the package to boost the appeal of theory test revision, with around 15 per cent of the 1.5 million candidates in the UK failing their theory test every year.

Steve Cattell from the company said: “The mobile revision aid is a cost-effective alternative to text book study. Being interactive it will stimulate the user’s mind and is also portable and stored on your mobile phone for whenever you want to use it.”

For information on Theory Tester visit www.theorytester.com

Crisis meeting for ADIs

Training cars in smoking ban workplace loopholeSCOTLAND’S new smoking ban is leaving people confused as to where they can and can’t light-up and, in a bizarre exception to the legislation, driving instructors who use their own cars will be allowed to smoke in front of students.

Only those instructors who do not have access to the vehicles for private use are covered by the ban.

Police cars are also exempt from the ban which came into force in Scotland on March 26 and which looks set to become law in England next year.

Anti-smoking groups have attacked the loophole enabling driving instructors to continue smoking whilst with their pupils, saying their vehicles should be classed as public places.

ASH Scotland, which campaigns against smoking said the law should be changed.

Chief Executive Maureen Moore said: “Driving instructors’ cars should not be exempt from the ban.

“When they are used for driving instruction, they become a public place and a place of work and should be smoke free.

“The police are covered by special regulations enabling them to do their job and they are being

given some leeway which is just one of those things.”

The Scottish Executive said taxis were the only cars covered by the smoke-free legislation because they were classed as public transport.

A spokesman said: “Driving instructors’ cars are classed as private vehicles and are therefore exempt.

“However we know that many companies currently operate smoke-free policies, irrespective of the law.”

A WEBSITE has been launched urging parents to do more to help their teenagers when learning to drive cars or ride motorcycles.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is encouraging parents to ensure their children gain as much supervised driving or riding experience as possible during their learning experience with the introduction of the site www.helpingdrivers.com, an initiative funded by the Department for Transport.

RoSPA believes the statistic of one in five newly-qualified drivers crashing within a year of passing their test could be significantly reduced if people had more professional and private lessons while learning.

A ROSPA spokesman said: “If parents are unsure about how best to help their children who are learning to drive or ride, this website has all of the answers.

“Experience is the key to safe driving. An 18-year-old driver is more than three times as likely to be involved in an accident as a 48-year-old.

“We want to encourage parents to talk with instructors to ensure practice and lessons are coordinated.”

Website for learner parents launched

Theory Test help by mobile phone

Martin Ferid of Royal School of Motoring

Unhealthy, but is it breaking the law?

Driving Instructor


The other cost of road deaths

Vicki to promote LGV theory testFIFTH GEAR PRESENTER Vicki Butler-Henderson is set to meet LGV industry leaders to promote a strengthening of the theory test for bus and lorry drivers which is due to take effect from 2 April this year.

Latest figures show that around 700 LGV/PCV candidates take the theory test each year in the Cardiff area.

The number of multiple-choice questions for LGV and PCV candidates taking their theory test will increase from 35 to 60. The longer test is designed to raise the standard for all new LGV and PCV drivers. The cost of the test will also rise to £32.A DSA spokesman said: “The number and range of questions in the theory test has been increased so that candidates through their preparations for the exam can gain the required breadth of knowledge and understanding which they need to drive their vehicles. It is important that they should study all the source material before presenting themselves for the test”.

AN INSTRUCTOR in Burton is hoping to entice pupils with his high-tech gadgets and self-de-signed training aids.Newly-qualified ADI Iain Moore, 25, has de-signed and installed his own mini-camera, which videos the road ahead and records conversation in the car so that pupils can review lessons and see and hear where they went wrong.Not a new concept — but one that has declined in popularity in recent years — Iain says the cam-era has been really useful for his pupils as it means they can take the recording home on a video tape and show their parents or use it themselves to see how they are developing.Mr Moore is also using his degree in product design to his advantage and has invented his own training aids for his pupils.He said: “I find them a lot easier to train with than anything else I have found on the market (Obviously hasn’t tried the DIA colour plan visu-als then! [See Mail Order pages 32-33]— Ed). For example, if I am teaching someone to reverse around a corner, I use the aids, which show where the car is, where to look and which way to turn.They say a picture speaks a thousand words and I really do think it helps people take things in, be-cause you can’t remember everything you are told.“The mini camera I use in the car is something that will become a lot more popular in the future for instructors, as new high-tech ones are being developed all the time.”

Mr Moore has been in the process of setting up his driving school Learnmoore Driver Training for the past three years. He has plans to design a lot more gadgets for his pupils in the future – but remains tight lipped on just what his pupils may be using to help them in ten years time!

Bright spark shows the way for DIY ADI design innovation

Gender stereotypes persist on the roadONE IN TEN people wrongly think that women are more dangerous on the road than men, according to a new survey.The survey, conducted by road safety charity Brake and motoring assistance company Green Flag, found that many motorists are not aware that men pose a greater risk on the roads than women, and an astonishing number of drivers are ignorant to the fact that male drivers are responsible for most deaths caused by dangerous driving.

Home Office figures show the majority of death by dangerous driving convictions are against men and 97 per cent of drivers convicted of dangerous driving are men — yet 84 per cent of people questioned in the survey underestimate the percentage of death by dangerous driving caused by men and more than half of drivers asked thought men and women are equally dangerous on the roads.A Brake spokesman said: “It is shocking that drivers know so little about the division between male and female drivers. While there are good and bad drivers of both genders, it is a fact that male drivers are much more likely to cause death

on the road and are more likely to be killed themselves.“We need to see Government action including compulsory road safety education in schools, and

year-round high-profile advertising aimed at male drivers to encourage safer driving habits.”

New speed deterrent system trialledAN INITIATIVE combining speed camera technology with an early warning system has been launched in Bolton.The Watchman scheme, funded by the Department for Transport, is being piloted along two major roads as part of Bolton Council’s Neighbourhood Road Safety Initiative.It uses a combination of cameras and vehicle activated signs that have been installed on Blackburn Road and Derby Street. The road signs

flash a ‘slow down’ warning if the approaching vehicle is breaking the speed limit. If the driver continues to travel at excess speed, the Watchman camera will flash as they drive past. Signs are also being trialled on Bridgeman Street, Grecian Street, Manchester Road and Wigan Road. In total, two cameras and 12 signs will be used on the six routes, which were chosen

following speed surveys.Recent research has shown that speed activated warning signs have more effect on motorists’ speed than cameras.Councillor John Byrne, Executive Member for Environmental Services, said he hoped the Watchman scheme would help the council’s ongoing efforts to reduce road accidents and casualties in Bolton.“The cameras use the latest technology to identify speeding motorists who endanger the lives of others. They are not speed enforcement cameras but the equipment gives drivers an appropriate warning and reminder about the need

to slow down.”

THE UK’S 3,000 ROAD DEATHS every year cost the economy £8 billion, according to a report published by the Audit Commission.Despite having some of the safest roads in Europe, UK road casualties also cost the NHS £470 million a year.Britain’s roads are among the safest in the world, with only the Netherlands and Sweden holding better safety records in Europe, but a child pedestrian is three times more likely to die on our roads than in Italy and twice as likely in France. And while the number of people killed or seriously injured is falling overall, the number

has increased for motorcyclists.The report found that councils have proved that it is possible to reduce the number of road accidents by focusing on behavioural change among road users. In one of the report’s case studies, the York and North Yorkshire Road Safety Partnership shows how it took actions that helped reduce its road death toll from 85 in 2005 to 68 in 2006.

It also touched on how measures such as redesigning road junctions and installing pedestrian crossings have contributed to a reduction in the number of people who die or are seriously injured on the roads, but these engineering initiatives are unlikely to be the only answer to a further significant reduction.Steve Bundred, Chief Executive of the Audit Commission said: “It is clear that many accidents

are avoidable. Councils have shown that as well as targeting accident blackspots with safety cameras and better engineering, it is also possible to change the attitude and behaviour of road users that cause accidents.”

Continued from front pagestaged licensing, compulsory pass plus tests, re-assessment every ten years and tougher eyesight tests added to the list of measures being considered.The survey also asked instructors if they had ever been verbally or physically abused by a learner driver, of which 85 per cent said no, but 14

per cent said yes.It also touched on the subject of the much-disputed Hazard Perception Test that became compulsory for learners in November 2002 and for existing driving instructors from January 2005. A huge 90 per cent of instructors said they believe the hazard perception section of the current driving test is not an accurate measure of a driver’s ability to perceive hazards under real conditions.

Peter Laub added: “Concerning the Hazard Perception Test, the vast majority of DIA members, after taking and passing the test themselves at a higher pass mark, believe that the test, as it is at present, is sadly not fit for purpose. “Subconsciously, it sends a wholly wrong, and some say, dangerous message to young drivers. That message is that they don’t need to worry about any hazard that doesn’t move and that only ‘moving hazards’ count and then, only if it ‘develops’ in their immediate vicinity, do they need to react to it and then it is their ‘speed of

reaction’ that matters. This will inevitably translate into young drivers ‘jumping on the brake’, which could result in rear-end collisions if the road surface is dry or skidding if wet. “The DIA view is that only ‘hazard anticipation’

is a true life-saving skill. This is not currently tested at all, but could be tested using a modified version of the existing DSA bank of video clips.”We approached the DSA Chief Examiner Trevor Wedge about the results of the survey but he refused to comment.The survey received such an overwhelming response that we have decided to continue the idea

of DIA survey’s to gain the important opinion of our members. If you have not received by email the two most recent surveys and would like to be involved in the future, please contact Vikki Carley by emailing: [email protected] with details of your up-to-date email address.

DIA members say driving test is failing

Vicki Butler-Henderson

Bright spark: Iain Moore shows off his latest training aids

Vulnerable: young drivers

Driving Instructor


Learning to drive just doesnʼt come naturally

to everyone,” says 42-year-old Maria Mc-

Carthy — with some justifi cation.

Maria passed her driving test at the age of 40

after 23 years of trying and a nice tidy total of 200

lessons. Luckily though the marathon tuition period

wasnʼt entirely wasted. Maria is a freelance jour-

nalist who has just completed her fi rst book called

The Girls ̓Guide to Losing Your L-Plates. Itʼs a

guide for women who may lack the confi dence

to learn to drive and offers forthright advice on

everything connected with learning to drive: from

how to fi nd a good instructor to budgeting for

lessons and explaining how to get the most out of

them. It also investigates a few driving test myths

and reveals if there is any truth in them.

“I struggled to learn to drive,” says Maria. “I

found parallel parking particularly tough, but none

of it came naturally to me. It took me a long time

to be ready to take my test.

“But I donʼt like being defeated and since pass-

ing my test two years ago, the feeling has been

wonderful as I have had so much more freedom

and independence. I only wish I had passed

earlier.”Unsurprisingly perhaps, Mariaʼs background

has nothing to do with driving. Sheʼs much more

at home writing about health and fi tness for maga-

zines such as Cosmopolitan and Top Sante. But

when she reached 39 and realised she still hadnʼt

passed the dreaded L-test she decided to start

learning one fi nal time. Which is when the idea for

the book took root.“I had tried so many times to pass the test, and

used nine separate instructors but just wasnʼt get-

ting anywhere. I found many elements of driving

hard to grasp and many of the instructors I used

didnʼt have the patience or commitment to help me

through.“Things kept coming up in my life and I would

put the driving on hold – but by the age of 39 I

decided it was time to stick at it — and in the end

after a year and a half I won the battle.”

With only two years of driving experience

under her belt, Ms McCarthy wouldnʼt be your

usual choice of author to write a book on driving,

but she sees that as her ʻedgeʼ. Since she actually

began taking lessons at the age of 17, in reality it

took her 23 years to fi nally pass.

But according to Maria, this is what gives her

something unique that young drivers — and par-

ticularly female ones — can relate to.

“Actually passing your driving test can be a

daunting business and although a lucky few breeze

through after a handful of lessons, women on

average have 52 lessons and take about 14 months

before they gain their licence. The book tackles the

emotional as well as the practical side of taking

your test from the experiences I had.

“During my learning period I often felt like I

was the only person who struggled to drive and

was older than most, but I realised after speaking

to friends and family that it wasnʼt only me who

struggled. This book should help to give others

the support to help them realise that many people

struggle to get through their test.”

According to recent fi gures girls across the UK

are taking to the roads at a wide range of ages as

the number of young women aged 17-20 holding

a licence, has plunged from 42 per cent in 1994 to

24 per cent in 2004.The most important part of learning to drive,

according to Maria, is fi nding the right instruc-

tor. Because of her struggle to fi nd an instructor

that had the patience to help her through the test,

she says its not about the gender of the instructor

but the personality – and someone who may have

worked for a friend may not be the perfect instruc-

tor for everyone.Driving test myths were something Maria

wanted to investigate when she started writing her

book. “I heard so many myths while learning to drive

and I wanted to see if they were true. I thought this

would be helpful to other learners.

“I would hear things like if you get that particu-

lar examiner you have no chance of passing as he

is really grumpy; or the older you get the harder

it is to pass your test; women should wear short

skirts and low-cut tops then the examiner will be

so busy drooling he will pass you.

“These myths may seem completely silly but

people believe them. The myth about short skirts

and low-cut tops is surely an example of fl awed

logic as, if anything, the examiner would be more

inclined to fail you to get another glimpse when

you retook the test!“The point is, there isnʼt a great deal of truth in

any of these myths but if we believe they could

give us a better chance of passing the test, we are

willing to believe them, so this book should help

to dispel them.”Obviously Mariaʼs learning experiences alone

would not be enough to write a book on driv-

ing for women and she worked closely with the

AA, the DIA̓ s own Professor Peter Russell and

driving consultant Kathy Higgins to complete the

book. They helped explain the theory test, offered

guidance on managing nerves, and tips on driving

alone or at night and getting the best car insurance.

Maria is not shy about admitting that she isnʼt

a driving professional but hopes she can pass on

the experiences she learnt through her journey of

passing the test.The Girls ̓Guide to Losing Your L-Plates is

published by Simon and Schuster and is avail-

able from all good bookshops from 2 January

priced £7.99. We will be reviewing it early next

year.

How do yousolve a pupillike Maria?

A new book claims to be able to help female pupils who have a psychological problem

getting through the test; luckily it’s written by a self-confessed expert on the subject

Journalist and author

Maria McCarthy

2006




2009

2014

2019

2012DrivingInstructor

December/January 096

Commidea Ltd, 100 Eureka Park, Ashford, Kent TN25 4AZ

Tel: 08444 828277 Fax: 08444 828210

E-mail: [email protected] Visit us at: www.commidea.com/dia

Accept card payment on the go!

With Commidea’s versatile mobile card payment terminal that’s

exactly what you can do. It allows the acceptance and authorisation

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a faster and more flexible way for you to manage your payments!

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CO7543 DIA full page ad:Layout 1

13/11/08 15:55 Page 1

The way that people spend

money is changing. While cash

was once king, it is now pos-

sible to go about your daily business

without exchanging a single coin or

note. Also a dying breed is the humble

cheque book – major retailers, such as

Sainsbury, no longer accept cheques

as cards take over as the currency of

choice. It is generally expected that a

company selling a product or service

will be able to take payment by card.

Leigh Coldwell at Phoenix Motor

Cycle Training found himself under

pressure to find an alternative pay-

ment solution to cash and cheques

through customer demand. A closer

look also made him realise that his

payment methods were impacting the

running of the business.

“We offer a week of intensive motor

cycle training, which culminates in a

practical examination at the end of

the week. Courses cost around £600.

Students pay a deposit when booking

the course and settle the bill in full on

or just before the first day of training,”

explains Mr Coldwell. “We have a small

team, so finding time to catch the

bank when it was open often meant

it was two or three days later that the

cheque was deposited and a further

three days for the money to clear.

We book practical tests 10 weeks in

advance, so cash flow was becoming

an issue.”Mr Coldwell also found that stu-

dents were arriving at the course ex-

pecting to pay by card, and having to

run to the bank or forward a cheque

later, which causes inconvenience for

both parties and is potentially costly

for the driving school.

Chip & PIN devices have advanced

from the fixed terminals you see at the

local supermarket, with mobile de-

vices now available. Leigh opted for a

mobile terminal which, slightly bigger

than the average mobile phone, oper-

ates using GPRS technology. Students

can now pay for courses on location,

or payments can be processed over

the phone in advance.

“The gadget was so simple to

set-up. The benefits have been

substantial. Customers have become

so used to Chip & PIN that it made

the business feel a little behind the

times without that payment option.

It has also demonstrated real benefits

for the business. I don’t have to keep

a large amount of cash on-site, time

spent on administration has been

reduced significantly and importantly,

I have freed up more time to spend

getting the students through their

tests,” concluded Mr Coldwell.

“Businesses today need to offer

their customers a variety of ways to

pay, whether it is by cash, card, on-line

or over the phone – especially if they

are going to weather the current

financial storm,” said Matthew Roots,

marketing manager of Commidea.

“Any company that sells a product or

service, regardless of its size, has the

opportunity to give their custom-

ers the option to pay in a way that is

convenient to them. With a one-off set

up fee and a low-cost fixed monthly

fee covering rental, telecoms and pro-

cessing charges, everyone can keep in

step with consumer payment trends.”

For further information, please

visit www.commidea.com/dia, call

08444 828 277 or email dia@com-

midea.com.

Cash may once have been king on the high street but the world’s now plastic fantastic. A new

system promoted by the DIA allows instructors to take credit or debit card payments in the carChips with everything


25/11/08 22:14:22


Women are set to face higher insurance premiums from December as European legislation comes into force banning discrimination between male and female drivers.

It has long been the case that men pay higher insurance costs because of the much greater statistical chance that they will be in an accident. Indeed, male drivers under 21 are 10 times more likely to have an accident that all drivers over 35. Figures indicate that men pay around 40% more than women for their car insurance up to the age of 40, when the statistics become more even.

Despite the figures provided by the insurance industry however, the EU has ruled that it is illegal to charge different premiums based on gender, and women are set to pay the price.

Head of motor insurance at Go Compare, Scott Kelly, said: ‘We expect to see premiums equalised at the higher male rate rather than the lower rate for females. If that is the case, women drivers will see their premiums rise by just over £300 on average, but for younger age groups the increase could be as much as £2,000.’

Female-oriented insurance provider Sheila’s Wheels has already indicated that it will open its books to men, but insists that it will continue to market its services at women drivers and says that its unique selling point remains specialist provisions such as higher levels of cover for handbag contents.

Opponents of the change went as far as the European Court of Justice last March to try and get an exemption for the insurance industry from the EU’s new gender equality rules, but the bid was unsuccessful. Insurers have until 21 December to comply.

Ian Crowder of AA insurance said: ‘The ruling abandoned fairness in favour of equality. We were one of the voices saying it shouldn’t happen, but it has, the ECJ has ruled, and that’s now the end of the debate.’

The new rules hit all areas of the insurance industry, but one way in which women are likely to benefit is with pensions: with higher life expectancies, retiring women are currently offered lower incomes over a longer period, which likely have to change.

An AA survey has revealed that 42% of drivers admit to texting, emailing tweeting and updating social media via their mobile phones. Of those who admitted to using their phones on the move, an astonishing 40% didn’t think it was distracting.

Nearly 60% of drivers said they have never used their phone while driving, but the AA has raised concerns about the growing acceptability of using handheld devices on the move.

AA president Edmund King said: “Drivers need to concentrate on driving rather than be distracted by their digital technology. Our research shows that some drivers are now using their smartphones for more than talking on the move. It is really not smart to talk, text or tweet on the move.”

It’s not good to talk, says the AA End to bonzer car insurance deals

For the DfT’s revolving doors – Patrick McLoughlin is the third transport secretary in a year

GOOD MONTH

BAD MONTH

For Volkswagen, which delivered 3.72m vehicles between January and August this year

For officially the 16th coolest brand in the country, Mercedes. A list. How cool

For people with cars that won’t go over 70mph

For Mike Penning, moved to the Northern Ireland office in the reshuffle. Angry motorists or republican dissidents…

For Volvo – its V40 only scored 98% in its NCAP crash tests

74% see other drivers on mobiles in some or most journeys

20% admit texting

4% have checked emails

2% have sent them

2% have checked Twitter or Facebook

1% have even tweeted on the move

The DSA has revealed that it is dropping plans to make continuing professional development mandatory for ADIs, saying that it wants the check test to remain the standard by which instructors are judged. DSA chief executive Rosemary Thew said: “A mandatory scheme would incur enforcement costs for DSA, which would ultimately have to be recovered through ADI registration fees. In addition, the check test process already exists to ensure ADIs are maintaining their standards of instruction.

“Any attempt to take an ADI off the register because they had failed to undertake mandatory CPD would be hard to justify without them failing a check test - and it‘s on that basis that we’re keeping the scheme voluntary.

“I know that many in the industry will be disappointed, but the regulatory environment has changed significantly since the mandatory scheme was first raised. We will be working to ensure that the check test process remains an effective test of ADI competence.”

If you enjoyed reading about Mike Frisby’s BTEC experience last year and you want to take part yourself, Tri-Coaching Partnership is offering a £25 discount on its BTEC level three course, and £100 cashback on its BTEC level four course for

DIA members, which applies when participants complete all four sections of the programme.

The BTEC level four lasts for a year, and is the equivalent of the first year at university. Tri-Coaching promises that ‘you will be challenged and you

will have the ability to change your life and your business forever’. The next course begins on 13 December.

If you’d like more information on the BTEC courses offered by the partnership, visit their website at tri-coachingpartnership.co.uk.

Optional professional development

Tri-Coaching Partnership offers BTEC discount to DIA members


Two-thirds of motorists are against government plans to allow driverless cars on British roads by January 2015 according to a survey.In July, the government announced a £10m trial for driverless cars to go ahead in three cities and on certain roads such as motorways and in specific lanes, but a survey by car incident camera firm SmartWitness found that 66.2% of drivers said more checks were needed before automated cars are allowed on public highways.In addition, nearly nine-out-of-ten road users have said all autonomous vehicles should be installed with forward facing video incident cameras to show if they were at fault in the event of a collision.According to the SmartWitness survey, 79.4% of motorists felt there would be added complications to resolving insurance disputes involving ‘robocars’, and that computer error would always be suspected as the cause of the crash, which would make premiums considerably higher than regular vehicles.SmartWitness managing director Simon Marsh said: “There were concerns raised about liability and whether these vehicles could be insured because computer error could easily be called into question on any accident involving a driverless car. As a result, nearly nine-out-of-ten

motorists called for incident cameras to be compulsory in these so-called robocars so that there would be clear evidence of which vehicle was at fault in the event of a collision.”The survey also found that most motorists were extremely skeptical about buying into the new technology with 69% of motorists saying they would not want to buy a driverless car while 42.6% said that they would refuse to go on a journey in a one.

Driving Instructor

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is to maintain its ban on filming driving tests.Following a review of the existing policy of not allowing forward and rear facing cameras on driving tests, the DVSA concluded that it would keep its general policy of not allowing the recording of theory or practical tests.However, cameras fitted for insurance purposes will be allowed providing they:

■ are external facing and do not film the inside of the vehicle; ■ do not record audio from the inside of the vehicle.In a note to stakeholders, DVSA registrar and director Mark Magee wrote: “DVSA will under no circumstances accept, comment on, or review audio or video footage provided by a test candidate or third party to facilitate a challenge to the conduct of any theory or practical test or its result.”He added: “Any footage received in connection with an allegation of criminal activity or intent will be referred to the police.”

DVSA keeps filming ban for driving tests

12


TOP STORY

UK drivers against robocars


15/09/2014 02:46 pm

Driving Instructor

13

Government moves forward on advanced trials for self-driving vehiclesThe government has announced it will move forward with advanced

trials of automated vehicles as long as they have passed rigorous safety

assessments.In response to feedback from industry, the government has also announced

that its code of practice for testing automated vehicles will be strengthened to

set even clearer expectations for safe and responsible trials.The UK’s market for connected and automated vehicles is estimated to

be worth £52 billion by 2035. The government hopes this will be a major

boost to a sector open to investment from the world’s brightest transport

technology companies. The government has committed to having fully

self-driving vehicles on UK roads by 2021, as part of the its modern

Industrial Strategy.Jesse Norman, future of mobility minister, said: “The government is

supporting the safe, transparent trialling of this pioneering technology,

which could transform the way we travel.”Richard Harrington, automotive minister, said: “We need to ensure we

take the public with us as we move towards having self-driving cars on

our roads by 2021. The update to the code of practice will provide clearer

guidance to those looking to carry out trials on public roads.“The code of practice, first published in 2015, makes clear that

automated vehicle trials are possible on any UK road provided they are

compliant with UK law – including testing with a remote driver. The update

to the code acknowledges the growing desire of industry to conduct more

advanced trials, and a process to handle such trials on public roads is now

being developed.“Under the strengthened code, those carrying out trials for automated

vehicles will be expected to publish safety information, trial performance

reports and to carry out risks assessments before conducting a trial.

Trialling organisations are also expected to inform the relevant authorities,

emergency services, and anyone who might be affected by trial activity.”

Road safety charity, Brake, has welcomed the move, as part of a safe

systems approach to road safety.Josh Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said: “Connected and

autonomous vehicles have huge potential to eliminate driver error and put

an end to the daily tragedy of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. We

support the leading role being played by UK government on this important

agenda for the future of safety and mobility.“Connected and autonomous vehicles, and their implications, are hugely

complex and so it is vital that people and their needs are put at the centre

of this technological shift. As well as offering huge advances in safety

these developments must also help increase active travel, increasing

space for people in our towns and cities, rather than diminishing it.”For more information on self-driving vehicles, turn to our feature on

page 27.


13/02/2019 12:05 pm

driving


KATHY MANSON TAKES A LOOK AT SOME COMMON CONCERNS AROUND

ELECTRIC VEHICLES. WHAT’S STOPPING US FROM BUYING THEM?

The electric witch

HE LAST FOUR YEARS

have seen a remarkable surge in demand for electric

vehicles in the UK. New registrations of plug-in cars increased from 3,500

in 2013 to more than

192,000 by the end of December 2018.

There has also been a huge increase in the

number of pure-electric and plug-in hybrid

models available in the UK with many of the top

manufacturers in the UK now offering a number

of EVs as part of their range.

When it comes to electric vehicles, some

people are nervous about taking the plunge.

There are worries about infrastructure issues

and availability of charging points. There are

also questions about how environmentally

friendly EVs actually are. What are the most

common concerns about electric vehicles?

What do we mean by electric cars?The terms electric cars and electric vehicles

refer to cars and vans that are zero-emission

capable by running on electric power

only for a reasonable range. This includes

pure-electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid

vehicles (PHEVs), and hydrogen fuel cell

vehicles (FCEVs). With the exception of

the tiny number of FCEVs on the road, this

essentially comprises any vehicle that is able

to be recharged via a plug, and excludes

conventional hybrids.

CostElectric cars do come with a slightly higher

price tag than their petrol counterparts. Prices

for the popular Nissan Leaf start at £26,690,

for example, whereas a new petrol Qashqai

starts at £19,995, or you can get the smaller

Micra from £12,875. You can get a discount on the price of brand

new low-emission vehicles through a grant

the government gives to vehicle dealerships

and manufacturers. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid

models are no longer eligible for a grant.

The maximum grant available for cars is now

£3,500. The dealer will include the value of the

grant in the vehicle’s price.Not all low-emission vehicles will get a

grant. Only vehicles that have been approved

by the government are eligible for a grant. To

find out which cars, vans and other vehicles

are eligible, visit www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-

grants.New data also suggests that EVs could be

the same price as petrol and diesel cars in two

years’ time. Research conducted by Deloitte

suggests the cost of owning an EV will be on

par with that of a conventionally powered car

by 2024, or even as early as 2021.

The professional services firm analysed

industry data and predicted the pace of global

electrified vehicle adoption – including plug-in

hybrids (PHEVs) – is set to rise from two

million units in 2018 to four million in 2020, 12

million in 2025 and 21 million in 2030.

In addition, Deloitte predicts that EVs will

account for 70% of the electrified car market

by 2030, with this growth attributed to growing

consumer demand for greener vehicles and

governments offering financial incentives while

placing restrictions on conventionally powered

vehicles in city centres.Peter Eldridge, director of the Institute of

Car Fleet Management, said that the monthly

lease cost for plug-ins fell by 9.5% on average

in 2018. So perhaps EVs are becoming a

more affordable option for businesses and

individuals. If you can afford the initial outlay for an

electric vehicle, the cost of running one is

cheaper than petrol or diesel.

EVs are exempt from road tax, you don’t

have to worry about fluctuating petrol prices,

and clean air zone charges won’t be an issue.

Many towns and cities across the country

offer free parking for EVs.There is a cost involved in charging your EV.

On average:Charging at home: Costs about £3.64 for

a full charge. Charging at work: Some employers will

install workplace charging points and

typically offer free access throughout the

dayCharging at public stations: Public

charging points at supermarkets or car

parks are often free to use for the duration

of your stay.Rapid charging stations: Rapid charging

points are found at motorway service

stations and typically cost £6.50 for a 30

min charge.Charging at home is a great option for some,

but of course it comes with an installation cost.

If you live in a flat, or only have street parking, a

home chargepoint is not an easy option.

The government’s Electric Vehicle

Homecharge Scheme helps private plug-in

vehicle owners offset some of the upfront cost

of the purchase and installation of a domestic

recharging unit. Customers may receive up

to 75% (capped at £500, inc VAT) off the

total capital costs of the chargepoint and

associated installation costs.

T


13/02/2019 11:38 am



Learner driver app from DVSADVSA has launched the PaceNotes app

to provide learners with a tool that

encourages them to spend more time

learning to drive.PaceNotes tracks and shows the

amount of time a learner has spent

driving on different road types and

records the driving conditions they’ve

experienced, such as driving in the rain

or in the dark.By tracking the learner’s experience,

the app records their driving

achievements and highlights the areas

they still need to cover. DVSA hopes to

help change learners’ attitudes towards

getting on the road as a qualified driver.

Most want to pass their test quickly and

are unaware of the skills and knowledge

needed to be a safe, responsible driver

that can only be gained through extended

time behind the wheel.Learners that use the app extensively,

such as recording 40 or more hours of

lessons or accompanied practice will

qualify for a discount on their first full

telematics motor insurance policy. It

must be quoted and bought through

the PaceNotes app. Based on average

new driver insurance premiums, DVSA

anticipates that this will equate to a

saving of up to £120 per year.You can sign up for a free PaceNotes

instructor account and online

dashboard that collates the lesson and

accompanied practice undertaken by

each of your pupils. This will allow you

to more easily create a more bespoke

learning programme for them, and help

you encourage them to practise driving

in the dark, on country roads, motorways

and in a variety of weather conditions.

DVSA is looking to introduce

incentives for ADIs and their pupils

if they go on to buy their first full car

insurance policy via the PaceNotes app.


14/08/2019 3:15 pm


Driving Instructor


I t’s official: driving instructors are officially cool. . . at least in the eyes of the fickle marketing men anyway. You could tell right away how important Vauxhall thought the driver training market was to the success of its new Corsa when it appeared on the third slide of an introductory power point presentation at the car’s official UK launch. Yup, the UK’s most popular tuition vehicle has had a serious make-over — more of a ‘cool’ transplant actually from its fuddy-duddy image of old — and is now, it seems, at the forefront of the funky on Britain’s roads. So surely by dint of association, if nothing else, the people who drive them must be pretty fun and funky too. That’s you, by the way. In view of this importance in appealing to the funky instructors of Great Britain, one might have thought that Vauxhall could have got a few of the obvious (and less funky) instructor details right . . . but more of that in a moment.

Third generationMind you it’s a long time overdue. Despite its undoubted popularity and the odd mid-term facelift here and there, the last generation of Corsa was looking pretty much past it in design terms. The most obvious thing to note about the third generation model is that it makes amends for that with a seriously pretty piece of design. Sweeping — almost coupé-like — window line, muscular haunches and a smiley-grilled aqualine face bring the Corsa more into line with the sexy lines of its larger stablemate, the Astra.Not that much larger though. Increasingly

stringent safety demands and an inexorable trend towards bigger cars, particularly in the supermini sector, presented designers with something of a problem: make this car much bigger and Astra buyers might be forced to consider the financial logic of ‘downsizing’ to a Corsa. In the end, four metres proved to be the magic cut-off point and the Corsa comes in just under this length, but it’s still only 29cm short of an Astra.The car is undoubtedly prettier in its three-door incarnation — a shame since instructors are likely to reject it on practicality grounds — but the five-door (a completely different body shape with virtually no shared parts, we are told) is still attractive in its own right, particularly the neat way designers have incorporated the top of the doors into the roof line.

Achilles’ HeelDesigners have waved the funky stick at the car’s interior as well which is a far cry from the rather dowdy Corsa interior of old. It’s slick, attractive, glows prettily in the dark, and, at first acqaintance anyway, is extremely well put together. It also fails the instructor’s first suitability test. That’s right, you’ve guessed it . . . the old Corsa interior may have been about as exciting as afternoon tea with your granny but at least the instructor could see the speedo from the passenger seat. At the risk of adopting a matronly tone at this point, one might have thought that, what with the instructor market being so important to the Corsa and all, someone might have researched the number one thing that’s important to them from a tuition point of view, mightn’t one?That little dig out of the way, there’s no question that instructors are going to enjoy the interior of the new Corsa as a working environment more than the old, which is some compensation. Vauxhall also tell us that a digital instructor’s speedo will be available in due course once it has passed the requisite product testing.However, there are a few other interior niggles. The seats are on the ‘unforgiving’ side of concrete, the glove box is unaccountably shallow and, on some trims, a strip of light coloured plastic around the central console casts an irritating reflection into the windscreen.More problematic from a learner’s point of view will be the issue of rear visibility. Those sweeping coupé lines and dipping roof line combine with a hefty C pillar to create some very awkward blind spots for reversing. The problem is certainly more acute with the three-door version but by no means goes away with the five-door and is likely to produce some anxious moments for both pupil and instructor.

From a point of view of practicality, the boot is not as capacious as you might expect but does have a natty two-level storage system and is compensated for by increased legroom in the rear.As a £500 option there’s also a very clever pop-out shelf behind the registration plate for carrying bicycles, which ensures you remain legal on the way to Centre Parks with your family (but which does negate the possibility of towing).Practicality and looks aside though, in view of the — how shall we put this politely — somewhat uninspiring driving dynamics of the outgoing Corsa, have things got any more exciting behind the wheel? In short have engineers but the ‘fun to drive’ into funky? The short answer to which is, I’m afraid, a resounding no.Truth to tell, driving the new Corsa doesn’t feel very much different from the old. The ride is perhaps slightly refined, but it still trundles along in the same undemanding way it used to; which is probably a bonus for pupils but a disappointment for instructors. More disappointingly, the extra weight brought about by greater dimensions have transformed some already unenthusiastically performing engines into something dangerously approaching gutless. Both 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol engines felt underpowered; so poor was the pick up in third gear in the former, you could be forgiven for thinking the throttle had broken.

Diesel doThings improve slightly with the 90PS version of the 1.3 CDTi diesel but not necessarily with its lower power output 75PS sibling, and both sound disconcertingly like old-school diesel rattlers. We weren’t able to try the 1.7 CDTi version which follows fairly hot on the heels of the car’s October launch. Naturally it will come with a significant price premium, putting the car well into Astra territory, but in light of the above observations it may be worth waiting for.Still, lack of power is unlikely to be a big problem (indeed some might consider it a benefit) for your pupils in most driving situations, and new Corsa remains an utterly undemanding and unthreatening car to drive. It comes reasonably well specified, appears at first sight to be very well put together, represents decent value for money, performs extremely economically and looks the business. As such it is likely to remain popular with instructors. Just don’t expect it to drive as cool as it looks.

New Corsa will be available at Vauxhall Retailers from October. Prices start at £7,495 for the 1.0 12v 3-door Expression, rising to £13,795 for the 1.7 CDTi Design. The 1.4 5-door Club costs £10,295. SP

First drive – new Vauxhall Corsa

Model: 1.4 Club 5-doorcc: 1,364Power: 90PS @ 5,600rpmTorque: 105Nm@4,250Max speed: 107mph0-60: 11.8 secondsmpg: 47.9 combinedCO2: 142g/kmLength: 3,999mmPrice: £10,295 OTR

ProsBuild quality, easy to drive,stylish, economical

ConsSpeedo, rear visibility, sluggish performance, hard seats

Star rating out of 5

374

Vauxhall Corsa

Swift (UK) Leasing LtdSuppliers of Contract Hire Dual Control CarsWe have available the following VehiclesKa, Fiesta, New Corsa, Micra, Polo, Clio, Mini One( Most Models are Available in Petrol or Diesel)

We offer very competitive Finance (Subject to Status) Visit our website www.switfleasing.co.uk

No DepositNo Bond

No Documentation FeesAll Rentals Based on one Rental In Advance Followed by 23 Equal Payments.All Prices Include VATFree Delivery & Collection on Mainland BritainThe Price Includes all Maintenance and Tyres & Road Fund LicenceVehicle is Fitted with He-Man Dual Controls

Or you can contact us at:The Venture Centre, 30-34, Watson Road, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 2BE

For further details please contactTel: 01909484283Fax: 08707058899Email: [email protected]: 07736772425

Style, practicality and an invisible speedo



Dual ControlsFit the Best

He-Man are experts in the design, manufacture and installation of dual controls with

over 80 years manufacturing experience. The dual controls are “tailor-made” for each

make and model of car, ensuring the ideal fit and optimum performance. He-Man Dual

Controls promise quality, safety and value to driving instructors everywhere.

• Comprehensive range available from stock

• Utilises as many existing fixing points as possible

• ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 accredited

• Over 250,000 units sold worldwide

• As supplied to the police and other emergency services for training purposes

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In-Car Teaching CameraThis He-Man approved in-car teaching camera with wide angle lens is an ideal teaching aid,

allowing immediate video playback of elements of a driving lesson on a smartphone or tablet.

Android and IOS compatible via a free app.

GPS Display SpeedometerThis plug and play speedometer is the ideal solution for a driving instructor. No need to check

the car’s speedometer when it’s at a difficult angle or obscured by the pupil’s arm - the speed

is projected onto the passenger side of the windscreen and can be closely aligned to the speed

shown on the car’s own speedometer.

Contact He-Man on 023 8022 6952www.he-mandualcontrols.co.ukHe-Man Dual Controls Ltd, Unit J, Centurion Business ParkBitterne Road, Southampton SO18 1UB

Tailor made to suit most popular cars used for driving tuition

MOTORINGHistory IT’S NOT JUST THE INDUSTRY THAT’S CHANGED OVER THE LAST DECADE OR SO, CARS HAVE TOO

TAKE A LOOK AT EARLIER VERSIONS OF THE CARS FEATURED IN THIS MONTH’S REVIEW SECTION TO SEE HOW THEY’VE DEVELOPED

36May / June 2011

DrivingInstructor

You don’t get to be the best-selling car in

Britain by being a load of old rubbish. No,

really: on the basis that you can fool some

of the people some of the time, but you

can’t fool 2m car buyers worldwide, the

Focus always has been a good car.

Actually, it’s a lot more than that: the last

Focus was a great car, a remarkable car for

a mass-market automobile, with handling

qualities that outstripped anything else in its

class by some margin. That’s always something

of a double-edged sword for a carmaker: build

a great car and buyers will expect the next

version to be even better. The bar has to be

raised even further, which puts designers and

engineers under a great deal of pressure.

The initial impression of the new Focus

is that it has grown up even more, with a

sophisticated new look that incorporates the

‘Kinetic Design’ styling now used across the

Ford range, which is meant to look as if it’s

moving, even when stationary. On the new

Focus, this has been achieved by a rising

beltline and sloping roof, both of which are

clearly visible in side profile, making the stance

very sporty and, well, kinetic.

This design is even more laudable because

this third-generation Focus is going to move

outside its European habitat and become a

‘world car’ for Ford, which means it will be

sold in more than 120 countries worldwide,

including the US. Unlike some world cars (the

new Nissan Micra springs to mind), the design

of the Focus hasn’t become more conservative

for this wider audience: Ford has stuck to its

guns and retained a modern, European look

that should appeal to drivers all around the

world.Perhaps the biggest change to the new

Focus is the cabin. Redesigned and refreshed

to compete with

the likes of the

Volkswagen Golf,

the interior is a

huge improvement

on the previous

iteration. How big

an improvement

it is depends on

the trim level you

opt for. In Zetec

form – which Ford

anticipates will be

its most popular,

accounting for

55% of sales – it

has better quality

materials than

before, but has

the same mobile

phone-inspired

look of the Fiesta

supermini. That’s

not necessarily

a bad thing, but

if you step up to

the Titanium level

(which, along with

the range-topping Titanium X will be bought

by 25% of customers), you’ll find an altogether

more stylish and welcoming dashboard and

fascia, with better materials.

In terms of comfort, it’s very easy to get the

driving position right, as the driver’s seat has

lots of adjustability, as does the steering wheel.

All of the controls are also well positioned

and within reach, plus there’s a very handy

information screen in the instrument panel,

between the speedometer and rev counter.

There’s also plenty of new equipment –

including DAB digital radio, Bluetooth, voice

control and USB connection standard on all

models – and you can also have cruise control,

automatic windscreen wipers and lights and

heated front seats, depending on which trim

level you opt for.

Safety equipment includes the usual suite

of ESP, Isofix child seat anchor points and

six airbags (front, side and curtain). You can

also opt for Active Park Assist (£525), which

automatically steers the car into a parking

place, and a Driver Assistance Pack (£750) that

bundles together features such as Active City

Britain’s best-selling car has a brand

new version. Has Ford made it even

better, or messed too much with a

winning formula?

Ford Focus

SEAT MII

September / October 2012

57

DrivingInstructor

Italian carmaker Fiat is suffering economic woes along with the rest of us. Which means rooting around the parts bin for a new look Punto. Sam Burnett went for a drive

PrIcE £7,845-10,740 ToP SPEEd 106mph (Sport 1.0)0-62MPh 13.2sec (Sport 1.0)EconoMy68.9mpg (Ecomotive 1.0) co296g/km (Ecomotive 1.0)EngInE TyPE, cc 999cc petrolPowEr 74bhp (Sport 1.0)TorquE 70lb-ft gEArbox Five-speed manual, five-speed automatic

10/10VErdIcT

Since 2005, the city car triumvirate of the citroen c1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo have led the segment, providing a rewarding drive for anyone looking for low-priced motoring.

However, that dominance is about to be seriously challenged by a new trio from the Volkswagen Group. We’ve already reviewed the Volkswagen Up and Skoda Citigo in previous issues of Driving Instructor, and now it’s the turn of the final

variant, the Seat Mii.The Mii is probably the best-looking of the three cars, taking the funkiness of Seat’s current styling and superimposing it on the common platform that the Mii shares with its German and Czech cousins. The neat black honeycomb grille and large headlights give the front real character; the side profile, with its short overhangs

and minimal sharp lines, create a feeling of space and solidity, which is also reflected at the rear.

Inside, the cabin is surprisingly spacious for such a small car, with lots of adjustability in the front seats and, although the steering wheel can’t be adjusted for reach, it’s easy to find a good driving position. There’s also enough room in the rear

for adults, the underlying boxiness of the Mii meaning that headroom, legroom and shoulder-room are more than sufficient for a passenger or observer in the back.

The large windscreen, relatively narrow A-pillars and upright rear window also mean that all-round visibility is good, whether in the driving seat or using an additional rear-view mirror from the passenger seat.The cabin also has plenty of useful storage space – a

large glovebox, door pockets, cupholder and oddments mini-shelf in the centre console – for instructors to store all the teaching aids and reference materials they carry around with them.

Power comes from a 1.0-litre petrol engine with the option of two power ratings, 59bhp and 74bhp. Both feel more than adequate to propel a car that has a kerb weight of less than 1,000kg: the 0-62mph benchmark test can be undertaken in 14.4 seconds in the lower-powered variant and 13.2 seconds in the 74bhp version.

The modest power and low weight combine to return very good economy, ranging from 68.9mpg in the Ecomotive trim to 60.1mpg in the more highly tuned option. Whichever option you go for, 60+mpg is very impressive fuel efficiency for a petrol-engined car. Carbon dioxide emissions are also low, with the Ecomotive’s 96g/km making it VED exempt and even the 108g/km of the 74bhp version will cost just £20 a year to tax.

On the road, the Mii is a treat to drive, with a precise, easy gearchange; light and responsive steering that makes it easy to manoeuvre the car at low speed and when parking; good balance and body control; and a supple, comfortable ride.

In short, the Mii offers a stylish option not only for new drivers looking for their first car, but also for instructors seeking an accomplished, easy-to-

drive, spacious city car ideal for giving learners their first taste of driving. There’s little to differentiate from the Up or Citigo, apart from on price and exterior design, so it’s a matter of finding the best deal and deciding which one you like the look of.

It’s not you, it’s MiiThe last of a trio of new VW Group city cars, Seat’s Mii is adding its own sense of Spanish flair, says Craig Thomas

Seat’s Mii is clearly from the same jelly mould as its Volkswagen siblings, but the Spanish firm has tried hard to inject some of its own personality into the car

p56_p57_InstructorSeptOct12.indd 2

05/09/2012 12:47


Dual ControlsFit the Best

He-Man are experts in the design, manufacture and installation of dual controls with

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FEATURE: DIA REGIONAL CONFERENCES 2019Driving Instructor

CARLY BROOKFIELD GIVES US HER ROUND UP OF THE DIA REGIONAL CONFERENCES IN BRISTOL AND CARDINGTON

DIA REGIONAL CONFERENCES 2019

The trouble with traditional one day exhibitions and conferences in the profession is that, like a festival, they crop up once a year

in one location. This means only those who are local, or are able to take the time and effort to travel, can access them. And, it means for us and our partners, like DVSA and other industry stakeholders, we only get to see so many of you.

So this year, it was time for a change. Rather than one national conference, we embarked on two regional conferences, hitting the South West and South East first this autumn, with more dates coming for the North and Midlands in the new year. And we certainly did see more of you – with sold out events in Bristol and Cardington.

It’s encouraging to see other associations now following our lead and

rolling out regional conferences of their own. As industry representatives, it’s important we get out more, and see those on the ground who we aim to represent. From our original roadshow series, working lunches and now regional conferences, a regular programme of talking at local associations and running CPD courses across the UK we do try and get nearer to more of you, even if sometimes you have to travel a bit to those events!

In terms of the location of these events, if anyone sensed a link with DVSA, that was deliberate. In making the events more geographically accessible to more members, it meant we also landed on the industry regulator’s doorstep too, in Bristol where they have some of their main offices and operational teams, and in Cardington at the DVSA’s own training and development

centre. The result – delegates got more interaction with more of DVSA’s senior personnel, meaning they got to talk with, and be heard by, a wider range of important decision makers in our world.

We were delighted to be joined at these events by DVSA’s senior management team – including CEO Gareth Llewellyn in Bristol – as well as teams with a remit for a specific region or area of the organisation relevant to your everyday work.

Along with the unique opportunity DIA offers at its events to discuss key industry issues and initiatives with our regulator or wider government stakeholders, we also designed a programme of CPD workshops.

We ran a short survey before the events to build a better picture of the learning and development opportunities we could offer on so we could focus on the topics which matter most to you. As we look to roll out more of these regional conferences in early 2020, we’ll continue to take on feedback from delegates attending previous events and from those thinking of attending the next.

So – what did we actually get up to?

LOVE YOUR STANDARDS CHECKYep you heard correctly, and you heard it here first – we want you to love your standards check, and that’s what the workshop at the Cardington conference in particular was all about.



FEATURE: DIA REGIONAL CONFERENCES 2019Driving Instructor

CEO Carly, Diamond chief examiner and DVSA’s driver trainer policy managers, John Carradine and John Sheridan (ably supported by the troops on the ground, regional ADI Enforcement Officers) encouraged delegates to discuss their worries and fears about the standards check. They walked through the benefits to trainers of this periodic professional assessment, recapped the standards and discussed best practice approaches.

We also busted some myths, and focused on the weakest areas of performance (which impact even the A grades, and not just the Fs) and how to strengthen individual performance in these areas of weakness.

The great leveller at the Cardington workshop in particular was the honest admission of one delegate that sometimes, even with the best of intentions, a standards check can just all go to sh*t on the day.

This gave us all the opportunity to focus on how to handle that scenario (exactly as you would in a normal lesson) and hear advice from ADI enforcement managers who’ve heard it and seen it all!

While we don’t necessarily expect delegates to totally embrace and love the standards check experience, I think we did help dispel some of the fear it can cause. We want to help trainers see it as more of a positive, professional development opportunity. Watch out for DIA workshops exactly on this theme happening near you in 2020!

NERVOUS OR NERVE WRACKING PUPILS?Mark Born, head of instructor training at AA/BSM has seen it all in his many years working with both learner and novice drivers, and apparently more experienced full licence holders.

UPDATE FROM THE DVSA

You might think you’re sick of the general election by now, but imagine how we felt about hearing the date when you realise that meant our conferences would fall into Purdah. This is the ‘period of sensitivity’; that time between the announcement of a UK election and when it is held, when government officials are restricted on what they can say about future policy and strategy. Luckily, there was plenty of stuff the regulator had already launched that they could talk about.

Delegates were given updates about, and had the opportunity to ask questions about:

Ä The practical driving test app

and the use of examiner iPads Ä Developments to the theory

test Ä Standards check and part

three performance and progress

Ä Developments to rider licensing and testing

A mini workshop was also

delivered on the importance of conducting mock tests and encouraging more ADIs to sit in on pupil tests, which gave delegates the opportunity to discuss the benefits of both, as well as the best way to support their pupils in the process. With less than 12% of ADIs sitting in on tests, it seems a missed opportunity for trainer feedback and development.

CEO Gareth Llewellyn was joined by colleagues from the Driver Policy Directorate as well as regional ADI enforcement managers who were keen to meet local ADIs and listen to feedback from trainers in their region. Delegates and speakers alike have subsequently told us how useful it was to have this level of interaction between service providers and users.

Mark Magee, head of driver policy DVSAMark Born from AA/BSM

John Sheridan from DVSA



Driving Instructor FEATURE: DIA REGIONAL CONFERENCES 2019

Mark, having previously helped to develop driver risk assessment approaches and integrate them directly into driver training, a unique tack Mercedes Benz Driving Academy took on novice driver training, is well aware of the risky behaviours presented by both overconfident and underconfident drivers.

We learned how both issues come with their own set of challenges and hurdles for the trainer and pupil to overcome. As experienced drivers and trainers we know the risks that overconfidence can create. The statistics for crashes and incidents for newly qualified drivers show that they are more likely to be involved in an incident in the first year of driving. Mark walked us through why overconfidence affects some of our pupils and showed us what else we can do to help reduce the risk.

Equally, not having enough confidence can hold people back as they also have a false sense of their abilities. Left unchecked, this can also lead to drivers, sometimes unknowingly, getting themselves into high-risk situations. A look at the reasons behind this and some practical solutions for delegates were a useful takeaway from this workshop.

SAFEGUARDING AND LONE WORKING Adrian Coucher, an experienced ADI, and one of DIA’s qualified Train the Trainers in safeguarding, led this crucial workshop on keeping pupils and trainers safe from harm.

The session explored what safeguarding is, how trainers can help spot, report and potentially stop safeguarding breaches, and also how trainers can be affected by safeguarding issues. Delegates were shown ways to help reduce the risk of allegations and complaints towards ADIs, with a look at some, sadly common, reasons for this and how best to respond if you find yourself in such a situation.

The session looked at the different types of abuse and neglect and highlighted some of the signs to look out for, as well as how to respond if a pupil discloses a safeguarding breach to you.

Trainers are, in the main, lone workers and at risk themselves as a consequence, so we also explored the risks we can face on a daily basis as lone working trainers, and what additional safeguards we can put in place to minimise our exposure to these risks

MISSED IT, MISSED OUT? CATCH UP NEXTTIME AND ONLINE!

In early 2020 we’ll be fully launching our new online CPD hub, DIA Academy, the first of its kind in the industry. In the Academy you’ll find all our existing courses, such as the Diploma in Driver Education, and certified courses in other core areas of driver education. There’s also short courses, workshops and webinars on a variety of topics useful to develop your training skills and knowledge (or your business).

If you missed out on this round of regional conferences, you’ll be able to catch up on the presentations and workshops from these events shortly in the Academy – from the comfort of your own home. Or you can catch up with us when we head up to the North and the Midlands in the early part of next year – check the training pages of driving.org for more details coming soon.

Gareth Llewellyn, DVSA CEO

Adrian Coucher, safeguarding trainer Carly Brookfield, DIA chief executive



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Self-efficacy is whether a person has confidence in their abilities in a given situation. Bandura’s theory (1977, 1986, 1997) is widely used in sports psychology and can be equally applied to learning to drive.

The theory suggests that six factors influence how confident a person feels, and we explore how we can use stress management techniques and coaching questions to strengthen those factors for learner drivers.

PERFORMANCE ACCOMPLISHMENTSLearner drivers will have more faith in their driving ability if they have had some past success. As ADIs, you can structure lessons to suit your student and help them achieve success by encouraging them to create small goals that gradually build into more significant goals. As they achieve success in the small goals, their confidence will grow. Regularly prompt students by asking ‘What have you done previously that was successful?’ Suggest students use imagery to develop mini mind movies to replay and remember their successes between lessons.

VERBAL PERSUASIONBoth an ADI and student’s choice of words (and thoughts) can influence confidence. Becoming more aware of words used and consciously using positive language to encourage, support and praise during driving lessons will boost a student’s confidence. You might remind them of past experiences to encourage them by asking ‘What skills do you have which will help you today?’ If you notice a student is using negative words and phrases about themselves, suggest that they add a sentence to balance it out such as ‘I’m still learning’ or ‘I’m improving’.

IMAGINAL EXPERIENCESImagery is a technique commonly used by Olympians and elite sportspeople. It can be used to replay past success, to mentally practice skills (that roundabout/hotspot every student dreads) and it can also be used to imagine achieving your goals. All three methods have been researched and are recommended for building confidence.

PHYSIOLOGICAL STATEWhen a student feels stressed or nervous, they will commonly experience physical stress symptoms such as feeling shaky, sweaty, increased heart rate and breathing. In sport, athletes learn to reinterpret the signs of nervousness as a positive and a sign

of readiness that they are in their peak state for taking action. Other techniques for managing physical stress symptoms include relaxation and breathing exercises and being aware of body language. We recommend power poses and smiling as a starting point for body language.

EMOTIONAL STATEPositive emotions enhance confidence, and when a learner driver is experiencing negative emotions, they find it more challenging to feel confident at the same time. Managing someone’s feelings is not always possible if they are experiencing challenging events in other areas of their life. You might consider asking, ‘How do you feel about today’s lesson?’ or ‘On a scale of 1-10 with ten being confident and one being not confident, what score would you give yourself ?’. This will help you assess how your student’s emotional state might affect the lesson.

It is more difficult to feel stressed, nervous or angry in the moment if you are smiling, humming, singing, laughing or thinking about things that make you feel grateful. Other techniques that can help a student become more aware of and manage their emotions include mindfulness, hypnotherapy and coaching.

OBSERVATIONFor some students, being given demonstrations can help build confidence. Examples could take the form of videos, diagrams, dashcam footage of their lesson, a driving app or you showing them first. Being given examples of others in a similar situation achieving success can also offer an encouraging boost in confidence. Find out if your student might find it helpful by asking, ‘What would help to make the situation/how to do … clearer?’. Choosing the style of the demonstration is another way of structuring the lesson to suit each learner driver and helping them achieve success.

Many of these suggestions will no doubt already be familiar to you in your current lessons. Hopefully, this will act as a confirmation as to how working in the way you do can help improve a learner driver’s confidence at the same time as improving their driving skills

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Research has shown that driving instructors are poor at linking theory to practical driving lessons.

There are 14 theory test topics:

1. Alertness2. Incidents, accidents and

emergencies3. Safety and your vehicle4. Safety margins5. Hazard awareness6. Vulnerable road users7. Other types of vehicles8. Motorway driving9. Rules of the road10. Road and traffic signs11. Documents12. Vehicle loading13. Road conditions and vehicle

handling 14. Attitude

Of these 14 topics there are six topics (alertness, safety margins, vulnerable road users, other types of vehicle, road and traffic signs, and road conditions and vehicle handling) that have questions that are particularly relevant in the winter and one area (hazard awareness) that is topical during the Christmas season as quite a few questions refer to alcohol.

ALERTNESSThe alertness topic has a question asking why motorcyclists use their headlights during the day with the answer being to make themselves more visible. Cars are now fitted with running lights that come on automatically for the same reason. However, these will not be enough in times of poor visibility so your clients will need to turn on their dipped headlights.

This concept of making yourself easier to see is particularly relevant in the winter

42

FEATURETRAINING

Driving Instructor

JAMES WHALEN OUTLINES THEORY TEST QUESTIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT DURING THE WINTER MONTHS AND OFFERS SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO EXPAND THE ANSWERS INTO CONVERSATIONS

WINTER DRIVING TOPICS



DRIVING.ORG/TRAINING

as there are often times when the light is poor or there is glare, and you want to make it easier for others to assess your position and speed. More cars are being fitted with automatic headlights and my current tuition car is the first car that I have owned that is fitted with them. I have found them to be generally good at switching on except when there is poor visibility due to mist or fog during the daytime.

SAFETY AND YOUR VEHICLESafety and your vehicle has a question about the legal minimum tyre tread depth. This question can be used to talk about whether that minimum is enough for winter weather. For example, research has shown that your stopping distances in the wet are dramatically longer once you get below 3mm.

The tyres we normally fit to our cars have the incorrect tread pattern for driving in snow and they will quickly fill up with snow, affecting safety. Swapping to winter tyres isn’t practical for everybody as most regions don’t get enough severe winter conditions to justify the cost. All season tyres are a possibility as they have a tread pattern that is between a summer tyre and a winter one along with a compound that doesn’t get stiff in cold conditions.

SAFETY MARGINSThere are quite a few questions in the safety margins topic that relate to winter driving. Correct answers feature braking gently in plenty of time, four wheel drive vehicles having better road holding, stopping distances being 10 times further when compared to dry roads, to drive slowly in the highest gear possible, after flood water go slowly while gently applying the brakes, slow down gently before a sharp bend in freezing conditions.

Other related answers include less tyre noise when driving on an icy road (a good example of why the stereo should be turned off as the noise from the tyres can tell you a lot about the surface), use a higher gear than normal when moving off in the snow, clear windows of ice and snow (don’t


FEATURETRAINING


forget to clear the bonnet and roof as well), following distances in fog, allowing more time for a journey in foggy weather, anti-lock brakes being less effective on loose road surfaces, and steering will feel light on a wet road. A few of these are worth discussion.

Four-wheel drive offers more traction as the engine is connected to every wheel, but drivers of these vehicles should be aware of the limitations of their tyres and that their braking distances aren’t superior than two-wheel drive vehicles due to their transmission set-up. The advice to drive in the highest gear possible is generally sound, except when going down a hill as a lower gear will use engine braking to control the speed rather than risking losing grip by using the brakes a lot.

I always use first gear when moving off in the snow as doing so in a higher gear would require using more revs to avoid stalling and this puts more strain on the clutch. I advise people to use as few revs as possible along with excellent clutch control to utilise torque rather than power (which leads to wheelspin) when moving off on slippery surfaces.

Remember to point out to your clients that, since ABS brakes do not work well on loose surfaces, to be extra careful on gritted road surfaces. As well as the loose surface, there will be patches where the grit or salt hasn’t melted the frost/ice/snow. A good expansion of this topic would be to cover the advantages and disadvantages of front wheel drive, rear wheel drive and the location of the engine ( front, mid and rear engine layouts).

HAZARD AWARENESSThe hazard awareness topic has quite a few questions relating to alcohol. As your clients are likely to be aware of the drink-drive campaigns around Christmas they will see the relevance of conversations regarding impairment due to alcohol.

Areas that are covered during the theory test are: drinking alcohol will affect your judgement of speed, don’t drink alcohol if you’re having a pub lunch and will be driving in the evening, insurance premiums will be more expensive if you have been convicted of drink or drug driving, alcohol increases confidence, and your fitness to drive after having alcohol.

Other things that are worth mentioning

about alcohol are units of alcohol (a unit is 10ml of pure alcohol and a useful calculation is an hour to get to the liver and then an hour per unit after that), drinks served at people’s houses are often larger portions so will be stronger, alcohol in food, the poor quality of sleep after consuming alcohol, and pedestrians having had too much to drink (especially on Friday or Saturday nights and special occasions such as New Year’s Eve).

If you are using the alcohol theory test questions to link hazard awareness to a general lesson on the topic there are a few other examples that should be covered during the winter months. An example of this would be mentioning frost lingering in shadows while discussing the concept of micro-climates.

VULNERABLE ROAD USERSThere are two questions in the vulnerable road users topic that can be easily linked to winter driving: an older person waiting to cross the road, and overtaking motorcyclists on a windy day. Older road users are more affected by glare – it takes them longer to recover afterwards.

More powerful side winds are more

“I ALWAYS USE FIRST GEAR WHEN MOVING OFF IN THE SNOW AS DOING SO IN A HIGHER GEAR WOULD REQUIRE USING MORE REVS TO AVOID STALLING AND THIS PUTS MORE STRAIN ON THE CLUTCH”


DRIVING.ORG/TRAINING


likely in the winter so talking about overtaking motorcyclists, and other vulnerable vehicles in these conditions, on a day where these conditions are occurring will have more impact.

I often wait to cover a topic when it is relevant, for example taking about standing water on a day with heavy rain where the issue will be encountered. This approach needs me to be much more flexible in the order in which I introduce topics. Often an example cropping up during a lesson will find a topic being introduced that wasn’t in the original session plan.

Taking a little bit of time to cover something while a client sees its relevance shouldn’t affect the initial plan for the lesson when managed properly.

OTHER TYPES OF VEHICLEThe other types of vehicle topic also covers side winds as it asks which type of vehicle is least affected by side winds. Other relevant questions in the topic include motorcyclists and cyclists having less grip due to less tyre contact and using your dipped headlights while travelling on roads with heavy spray. ROAD AND TRAFFIC SIGNS

The road and traffic signs topic features the side wind warning sign (to help people remember the sign better be sure to talk about why the sign features a wind sock as its image), the risk of ice warning sign and the shape of stop and give-way signs (their shape is still recognisable when obscured by snow).

ROAD CONDITIONS AND VEHICLE HANDLINGThe road conditions and vehicle handling topic also covers the fact that stopping distances are 10 times longer in snow and ice. It also covers using fog lights to make cars more visible in the thick fog (recommend that your clients read the advice for driving in fog in the Highway Code, Rules 234 to 236, as, like many other topics, there is a lot of information in the Highway Code that is not covered in the theory test) and high-sided vehicles being vulnerable in side-winds.

It also covers using chains in deep snow, deciding whether your journey is essential (things you could mention in a conversation about this decision would include having wrong tyre tread for driving in snow, the fact that many road users are

not experienced, and poor infrastructure in the UK for heavy snow), slipperier road surfaces, and avoiding slides and how to correct them.

As well as giving the advice to drive with the stereo switched off when it is cold you can mention the outside temperature gauge most cars have now and how to spot different road surfaces. Water is more reflective than damp tarmac and is a darker colour, frost sometimes twinkles and has a semi-gloss sheen to it and ice is generally dull.

Black ice is the exception to this as the wet surface below reflects through the ice due to the ice being so thin giving it the appearance of water and is an excellent example of why drivers should be aware of the outside temperature.

Repetition leads to more effective learning so a good approach to back up a lesson on winter driving is by mentioning the extra problems it poses while teaching other subjects.

Examples of this approach would include talking about having a larger safety bubble during a lesson about adequate clearance, covering loose road surfaces during a lesson about the emergency stop, or preparing your car for winter during a pre-drive checks lesson. If the issue has been mentioned before on a lesson on winter driving a question will tell you what they remember and understand, as well as being a conversation starter for a new topic, or an aspect of it.

If you plan your lessons so that a topic isn’t covered during the winter driving lesson and you leave it for another time you could ask a question during the subsequent session to get your client to problem-solve the issue (such as what would you need to consider when preparing your car for a trip in the winter?)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr James Whalen owns a driving school in Wolverhampton and has a PhD in cognitive psychology (driver behaviour).


driving

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Insurance group – rated from 1-50

Fuel consumption – miles per gallon

Gearbox

First year tax payment

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48 MONTHIN NEWS

Ford turns coffee into car parts, charge your EV for free at Tesco, most dangerous Christmas hits for drivers, 10 best and worst cities for driving and more.

51 DIAMONDCOMMENT

Chloe Denny prepares us for the madness of the festive season with her top tips for safe driving when doing the rounds on Christmas Eve.

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56FORD FOCUS

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62VAUXHALL CORSA

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52 DRINK AWARENESS

Nick Heath explores the history of drink driving laws and how important it is to be aware of how drinking culture has changed.

CAR REVIEWS

How many doors does the car have?

Electric Car battery range


MONTHIN NEWS

CHARGE YOUR EV FOR FREE AT TESCONew charging points have been installed at 100 Tesco supermarkets.

Hundreds of electric vehicle owners can enjoy free charging while they shop as a result of a tie-up between Tesco, Pod Point, and Volkswagen.

New 7kW EV charging points have already been installed at 100 Tesco stores, with more on the way. As many as 2,400 new charging points at 600 Tesco stores across the UK are planned.

The charging points provide 22.5 miles of free charging over a 50-minute period and the electricity provided by the charging points is completely green,

having come from entirely renewable sources.

The sales of all-electric vehicles have already increased by 125% this year according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). A recent survey by Volkswagen also revealed that 41% (of the 2,000 people surveyed) are considering going down the EV route for their next vehicle, with that figure rising to 61% among the 25-34 age group.

The same survey also revealed that 80% of Brits think free charging points are a good thing.

NEARLY 37,000 WAYS TO DRIVE, CLAIMS HYUNDAIHyundai has revealed that there are 36,750 different ways to drive.

The company partnered with Dr. Mark Hadley from the University of Warwick and driving expert Gary Lamb in creating The Drive Different Test, to showcase how alternatively fuelled vehicles will impact driving styles. The Korean carmaker surveyed 2,000 UK motorists.

Five basic identifications for driving styles were determined by the study:

1. Confident 28%2. Fair and measured 24%3. Calm 19%4. Nervous 7%5. Aggressive 7%The research found that men were more likely

to label themselves as confident drivers, with 3% of them choosing that, as opposed to 25% of women. Women were more likely than men

to describe themselves as nervous behind the wheel.

Other findings from the survey included:• 92% said they never beep at another

driver• Over two-fifths (42%) slow down and

let buses move in front of them• Over one third (37%) always ensure

they thank other drivers on the road• A fifth of drivers admitted to speeding

up at amber lights to get through before red.

Hyundai developed The Drive Different Test to analyse six core driving parameters for AFV drivers – such as pupil tracking, facial recognition, heart rate and smoothness in using the foot and hand controls – and compares them to internal combustion engine vehicle drivers.

FORD TURNS COFFEE INTO CAR PARTSFuture Ford vehicles will come with some McDonald’s coffee – in the models’ components. The fast-food giant will supply the chaff from its coffee roasting process for Ford to use as an ingredient when producing some parts.

Coffee chaff is the skin on the outside of the bean that comes off during roasting. It’s generally a waste product. Ford’s team has found that mixing the material with plastic and additives creates a material suitable for making auto parts.

Ford says that the coffee and plastic mixture results in parts that are 20% lighter and have better heat properties than the materials the company uses currently. The moulding process also requires 25% less energy.

The coffee-based material will be used initially in headlight housing, followed by under-bonnet components.


Drivers should avoid listening to Girls Aloud or the Spice Girls if they want to stay safe this Christmas.

A recent study in America found that songs with more than 120 beats per minute (BPM) resulted in faster and more erratic driving. To stay safe, drivers should listen to music that mimics the human heartbeat.

Moneybarn analysed the UK Christmas number ones since 1952 to identify the safest and most dangerous songs to listen to while driving.

Sound of the Underground by Girls Aloud is deemed to be the most dangerous. The 2002 hit single has a BPM of 164 and an energy score of 0.85.

Two of the songs in the top ten most

dangerous Christmas number ones are credited to the Spice Girls: 2 Become 1 and Goodbye.

The top 10 most dangerous Christmas number ones are:1. Girls Aloud – Sound of the Underground2. LadBaby – We Built This City3. Pet Shop Boys – Always on my Mind4. The Beatles – Day Tripper5. Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody6. Winifred Atwell –Let’s Have Another Party7. Spice Girls – 2 Become 18. Band Aid 20 – Do They Know it’s Christmas?9. Spice Girls – Goodbye10. Benny Hill – Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)

MERCEDES BENZ IS NUMBER ONE IN MUSICMercedes Benz is the most popular car brand in pop music.

Carwow studied the lyrics of the top 100 Billboard Hotlist artists of 2018.

Mercedes Benz was mentioned 407 times, with its nearest rival, Bentley, only managing 170 mentions. Lamborghini was third with 132 mentions.

Vix Leyton at Carwow said: “It’s easy to see why songwriters use cars as shorthand for a luxury life. What’s interesting is seeing Mercedes Benz top the list when it’s a comparatively affordable and realistically aspirational car in comparison to others.

“Prestige is not always something you have to be a millionaire to get, and some brands have a heritage worth more than their price tag.”

MOST DANGEROUS CHRISTMAS HITS FOR DRIVERS

European car parts retailer Mister Auto has conducted a study which reveals the best and worst cities to drive around the world.

Mister Auto collected data in three main categories – infrastructure, safety, and costs, for hundreds of cities worldwide, and then narrowed down to a shortlist of 100 cities. Each category examines a number of smaller factors, such as the number of cars per capita, traffic congestion, road and public transport quality, air quality, road rage, fuel prices, annual road tax, and others. The final index combines a total of 15 factors.

If you live in Calgary, Canada, then you are among the luckiest drivers in the world – the study reveals this is the best city on the planet for drivers. It’s a completely different situation if you live in Mumbai, which ranks as the worst city.

Top 10 best cities

1. Calgary, Canada2. Dubai, UAE3. Ottawa, Canada4. Bern, Switzerland5. El Paso, USA6. Vancouver, Canada7. Gothenburg, Sweden8. Dusseldorf, Germany9. Basel, Switzerland10. Dortmund, Germany

Top 10 worst cities

100. Mumbai, India99. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia98. Kolkata, India97. Lagos, Nigeria96. Karachi, Pakistan95. Bogota, Colombia94. Sao Paulo, Brazil93. Mexico City, Mexico92. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil91. Moscow, Russia

10 BEST AND WORST CITIES FOR DRIVING


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Taxi Insurance

If you are already a driving instructor involved in taxi training registered on the Collingwoodearner Driver Insurance Affiliate programme you can earn a fee of £50 each time your affiliate

code is used to buy Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance.

Start earning now! If you’re already registered with them, Collingwood can provide you with free promotional material for you to hand to your taxi drivers/taxi firms.

If you’re not registered, visit collingwoodinstructors.co.uk to find out more.

Karen Bransgrove, Diamond Chief Examiner

“When I was teaching learners, I used to refer them to the Collingwood scheme and it was an excellent way for me to make a little extra money. Nowadays, I am involved with training and testing occupational drivers and in particular taxi drivers. Collingwood offers a brilliant Annual Taxi Insurance referral scheme that works in the same way as earning from the learner referrals. I get £50 when a policy is purchased using my unique referral code, it’s so easy!”

Already a member and looking for some free Collingwood Annual Taxi promotional material to be sent out to you? Call Helen on 07789 998 894 or email [email protected]

*Terms and conditions apply

Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance benefits:

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Keep your presents under wraps: Keep any gifts hidden under a blanket or in the closed boot. As horrible as it is there will be people that plan to steal people’s belongings. Maybe even take your gifts into each house to be on the safe side.

Look after your car: It would really be bad luck to break down on your travels or not be able to start the car when you’re about to move onto the next family house. If you’re not using your car for a couple of days it’s always a good idea to start the engine and let it tick over for a few minutes. In freezing temperatures it may be a good idea to keep your car in a garage to protect the windscreen or use windscreen covers.

Most importantly maintain the Christmas spirit. Remember it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Have fun on your travels, get the Christmas music playing and have a singalong.

If you are travelling with children singing Christmas songs and getting excited for Santa, it will be very magical. The more fun you have the more time will fly by.

Don’t forget to put the mince pies out for the main man, carrots for his trusty reindeer and a glass of milk to wash it down with, or if you’re feeling generous a nice shot of whisky. I remember putting it all out when I was younger with my brother and coming down in the morning to empty glasses and a big bite out of the carrots from the reindeers.

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and enjoy a well-deserved break, eat as many chocolates and mince pies, as you like!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


The last few weeks of November were all hands on deck to prepare for the conferences. We’re delighted that everything went smoothly and now we

can start getting excited about Christmas, which is just around the corner.

Are you ready for it?A couple of my colleagues were in the Christmas spirit at the end of October and beginning of November playing Christmas music in the office! The tree is now up and we are getting ready for secret Santa.

The DIA Christmas party has been organised for 20 December, and that’s also our last day in the office until we return on 2 January, which as you can imagine we are all very happy about.

I am having Christmas at home this year. It is my niece’s second Christmas so it will be very exciting for her. She’ll of course be a very spoilt little girl being the only baby of the family and we’re all very much looking forward to it.

On Boxing Day I will be driving to Eastbourne to have Christmas Day with the second family which is just as exciting with all the little ones running around with all their new toys.

There’s no getting away from the festive food. I definitely think December is a month to just enjoy and make the most of everything and worry about it in the new year.

Christmas Eve is always a busy time on the roads with everyone doing the family rounds to drop their goodies off. Here are my tips:

Plan your trip: Plan the route you will take between your friends and family’s houses. Just before you leave, check the traffic on your route. You may have to take a different way to make sure you’re not late for the first house you’re visiting, and fall behind for the rest of the day.

Chloe assists Karen in the day-to-day running of Diamond, dealing with all examiner enquiries, administration and is first point of call on the phones.

ABOUT THE WRITER

CHLOE DENNY HOLIDAYS ARE COMING! ARE YOU READY?

Tweet your thoughts @diamondadvanced #diamond

Email: [email protected]: 020 8253 0120

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Trustpilot






Taxi Insurance

If you are already a driving instructor involved in taxi training registered on the Collingwoodearner Driver Insurance Affiliate programme you can earn a fee of £50 each time your affiliate

code is used to buy Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance.

Start earning now! If you’re already registered with them, Collingwood can provide you with free promotional material for you to hand to your taxi drivers/taxi firms.

If you’re not registered, visit collingwoodinstructors.co.uk to find out more.

Karen Bransgrove, Diamond Chief Examiner

“When I was teaching learners, I used to refer them to the Collingwood scheme and it was an excellent way for me to make a little extra money. Nowadays, I am involved with training and testing occupational drivers and in particular taxi drivers. Collingwood offers a brilliant Annual Taxi Insurance referral scheme that works in the same way as earning from the learner referrals. I get £50 when a policy is purchased using my unique referral code, it’s so easy!”

Already a member and looking for some free Collingwood Annual Taxi promotional material to be sent out to you? Call Helen on 07789 998 894 or email [email protected]


Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance benefits:

Earn £50 per referralWE HAVE WON AWARDS FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR STUDENTS!


L




Trustpilot






Great rates

Private, public hire & London PCO

No credit checks

Interest free monthly payments

Ages 21-75 covered

Up to 65% no claims discount*

L



driving

DrinkAWARENESSNICK HEATH EXPLORES THE

HISTORY OF DRINK DRIVING LAWS, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE AWARE OF HOW DRINKING

CULTURE HAS CHANGED


one for the road is a fantastic little soundbite. It very quickly puts the anti-drink drive message across in the shortest

of sentences and it’s so effective that it quickly gets heads nodding in agreement. Those listening are in no doubt as to what we want them to think and they easily comply.

But do they really think it?I believe there are two types of drink

drivers. The first group takes a pragmatic view towards it and the second are those people for whom drinking has taken a serious hold. If the police catch up with these two groups, I would think that, generally, the pragmatics haven’t exceeded the limit by a huge margin and are surprised to have failed a breath test. They’ll probably go through a period of just not understanding how it happened and really beat themselves up over it.

In contrast, addicts are more likely to get caught drinking and driving at astonishing levels and aren’t surprised that they’ve been caught. In a way, I expect that they are likely to have always known that they’d eventually end up in that position. I have first hand experience of the hold addiction can take – that’s why I try never to judge people in that position.

While addicts represent a problem, the vast majority of drink drivers are pragmatists and they can be reached by educators. They’re hard on themselves when they’re caught because they don’t think it’s OK to drink and drive and they simply don’t realise that they are doing it until they fail the breath test. They are the ones that are caught the next day. They are the ones caught after a Sunday lunch out with the family after “only having two”.

Tomorrow’s convicted drink drivers are our clients today and we have an opportunity now to turn them away from it.

There is a lot of misunderstanding of alcohol and huge amount of information relating to ABV percentages, units and metabolism can be confusing to anyone looking, as a pragmatist might, to understand what is and isn’t breaking the law.

The upper levels of the GDE Matrix show us that the context in which we find ourselves driving; our own personality, attitudes and beliefs and the social environment around us will all affect our

ability to make decisions in all areas of life and this includes whether to take to the wheel after having a drink. Drivers can therefore find themselves vulnerable to conspiring circumstances and also a lack of credible information. This is why I believe it is absolutely vital to have an open and honest conversation with our clients about the subject.

THE HISTORY OF DRINK DRIVING LAWS AND UNITSThe origins of our current drink driving laws lie as far back as 1870 when it was first made an offence to be drunk in charge of carriages and horses. There have been various evolutions over the decades until in 1967, the current legislation was passed stating that you must not drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in excess of 80mg per 100ml of blood.

Contrary to popular belief, this limit was chosen after a 1964 study by the US Public Health Service identified a significant increase in the likelihood of somebody having an accident as their BAC went over that level. The breathalyser, so necessary for the police in order to enforce the legislation, was introduced in 1968.

Measuring alcohol in units was introduced in 1987 as a way of people generally being able to track how much they are drinking for health reasons.

A unit of alcohol is represented by 10ml of pure alcohol and the drink drive limit, rather conveniently happens to be equal to five units for the average person. The body neutralises alcohol at a rate of one unit per hour.

A quick note here is probably needed on what ‘average’ actually means because it’s a word that I’ll be using a lot. You could say that none of us are average. By definition, one in two of the people reading this will neutralise their alcohol faster than the one unit per hour figure with the other 50% neutralising it slower and there is no way of knowing which side of the fence you sit on or how far away from it you are! It’s definitely food for thought and human tendency towards an optimistic bias (the psychological leaning towards a belief that negative events will only happen to other people), means that many of us make an unsafe assumption that we are particularly good at recovering from the use of alcohol when comparing ourselves to others –


FEATURE: DRINK AWARENESS

N



driving

we all think we are ABOVE average in a positive way!

It’s benefi cial to take a step back to 1967 when the laws as we know them were created and consider how both the drinks that are available and the culture within which we consume them has changed over the years.

AVAILABLE DRINKING HOURSIn 1967, a pub was only allowed to open within limited hours – not opening until 5.30pm and closing by 10pm on most days with an opportunity to open at lunchtime for a couple of hours too. Compared to today, drinking time was heavily restricted and anyone doing it would typically go straight home and get into bed because there was simply nothing for them to do once the pub closed!

Today’s drinkers of course have access to 24-hour drinking if they want it. Th ey can buy alcohol at almost any time of the day and from almost any retail outlet. It is now uncommon for pubs to close at 11pm as

once was considered tradition. Most pubs in my area seem to close at 1 or 2am at the weekends. In fact, among the younger generations, drinking at home and going to a bar at midnight has now become the norm and that means that people simply don’t have the time to dissipate the alcohol they have consumed before morning comes and they need to be in work.

Th ings have changed considerably over the years.

THE DRINKSTh e same also applies to the actual drinks themselves. As you can see from the table, in 1967, the commonly available beers were around 3.5% ABV (Alcohol By Volume), the spirits were generally 40% ABV and wine was typically around 8%. Beer was sold in either pints or half pints, spirits in measures of 25ml and wine by the 125ml glass. What this all means in terms of units is that half a pint of beer, a glass of wine and a single whiskey were all the same amount of alcohol – one unit each.

With the drink drive limit being equal

to fi ve units, this would allow an ‘average’ person to drink up to fi ve of any of these drinks before reaching the limit and that if they did that, it would take them a further fi ve hours to regain complete sobriety.

Today of course, beers range from 4% to 5.5% which represents an increase of between 15% and 50% ABV over 1967 levels. In addition to this, it has now become more common to be able to buy a third and two thirds of a pint in many venues (usually those specialising in the sale of craft beers) which further confuses the issue by making it more diffi cult to track how much you are drinking.

Wine has also seen an increase in strength over the years, rising in many cases by 50% ABV from 8% to 12% in modern times and the size of the typical glass has changed too with a request for “a glass of wine” in most venues now resulting in a 250ml glass being poured for you and “a small glass of wine” resulting in 175ml being served (which was considered “a large glass of wine” in 1967). A ‘standard’ glass of wine as ordered at the bar is now therefore twice

DRINK AS ORDERED AT THE BAR

SINGLE WHISKEY

PINT OF BEER

GLASS OF WINE

NOTES

1967

ABV %

40%

3.5%

8%

1967

UNITS

1

2

1

125ml

2019

ABV %

40%

4.5%

12%

2019

UNITS

1

2.6

3

250ml

DIFFERENCE

NO CHANGE

+30%

+300%



FEATURE: DRINK AWARENESSdriving

as big as it used to be in 1967 and is 50% more potent too. To put it into other words, a single glass of wine purchased in a pub today, contains three times more alcohol than one bought in 1967 and takes three times as long to recover from.

We see less change when it comes to the spirits because legal definitions restrict brewers from altering the strength. Although the law allows spirits to be sold in 35ml measures, the 25ml measures have remained a favourite within the licencing trade. A whiskey for example isn’t legally a whiskey unless its ABV is 40%. Generally, spirits are still being sold in the same measures and at the same ABVs that they always have been.

How does this affect what you can drink before reaching the drink drive limit?

Taking all of this into account, if we return again to our ‘average’ person, and consider what would happen if they drank five of their favourite drinks (the number of drinks that would have taken them right up to the drink drive limit in 1967), we find that those who drink spirits are largely unaffected, but the beer drinkers are over the limit by between one and three units depending on their choice of beer, and the

wine drinkers are over by a staggering 10 units – three times the legal drink drive limit!

In terms of recovery time, the spirit drinker remains unaffected over 1967 levels, but the beer drinker requires between one and three hours longer to totally digest the alcohol and the wine drinker requires 10 hours longer.

This is why the pragmatists get caught drink driving – somebody, quite possibly somebody they’d usually trust such as a police officer at school or a parent, told them that “you’re OK to drink two” or “a pint has two units in it, so if you drink five you need to wait 10 hours before you can drive” and it’s only when they fail the roadside breath test that they realise there’s a problem.

OTHER VARIABLESIf the situation wasn’t already fluid enough, I recently attended a brewery tour where I was told that legally, a brewery can sell its branded beer at a production tolerance of +/- 0.5% - meaning that a 4% beer could actually be between 3.5 and 4.5% when it’s sold at the bar and it’s well documented that people of differing sizes,

body composition and gender respond in differing ways to an intake of alcohol.

CONCLUSIONObviously, the principle of none for the road is a good one and it is ultimately an attitude that we want our clients to take away from the discussion. The best way to not get caught drinking and driving is to not drink at all, but whether we like it or not, alcohol IS a big part of our culture and our clients ARE going to go out drinking; they are going to drink too much and they are going to do so knowing that they are busy tomorrow.

I believe that trying to alter the attitudes that lead to risk increasing behaviour on the roads represents the hardest part of our job. Our clients come to us with years of exposure to influential attitudes through their interaction with parents, uncles, aunties and key friends. If they have a lifetime of watching a key influencer drinking regularly and then driving without apparent consequence, then our work is cut out for us trying to give the impression that drinking and driving will immediately cause a crash.

The only way I can see us making a difference to these people is to make sure that they are well informed as to exactly how much they are drinking and how things have changed compared to previous generations. The discussion needs to be open, honest and factual if we are going to continue to reduce this threat to road safety.

While we might not be able to get everyone to take on board none for the road, perhaps those most at risk might be encouraged to reduce the risk they are taking

“A single glass of wine purchased in a pub today contains three times more alcohol than one bought in 1967”


he Ford Focus is one of the mainstays of the British car market, and it’s easy to see why. The well-judged chassis

delivers a composed, comfortable and enjoyable drive on UK roads, with excellent body control and responsive steering. The engines are punchy enough but also refined. And the latest Mk4 Focus has better cabin space than its predecessors, plus quality that’s pretty much a match for the best in class. Keen pricing and finance offers seal the deal; the latest Focus should be on the shortlist of any buyer looking for a new hatchback.

Our Choice Ford Focus Titanium 1.0 125 EcoBoost

The Ford Focus is the car that shook up the family car market when it first arrived in 1998; its combination of dashing looks,


THE FORD FOCUS IS A GREAT-HANDLING FAMILY HATCHBACK THAT MATCHES ITS RIVALS ON INTERIOR QUALITY AND CABIN SPACE

T

Fun for all the family

driving

flexible packaging and genuinely engaging handling was unprecedented. Twenty years and four generations later, the Focus can still be found at the top of its game.

The latest car is intended as a practical, competitively priced family hatchback in the traditional mold, with as much attention given to driver enjoyment and ride quality as to interior space and practicality. A good range of petrol and diesel engines compliments a model lineup that includes a hatchback, estate and toughened-up Active crossover.

As well as taking on long-established rivals such as the VW Golf, Vauxhall Astra and Honda Civic, the Focus has to challenge cars that have raised their game, such as the Renault Megane, Peugeot 308 and SEAT Leon. Then there’s the spacious Skoda Octavia, plus the Mazda 3, Kia Ceed and Hyundai i30, while upmarket models such as the Mercedes A-Class, BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 Sportback are all on Ford’s radar, too.

The big changes for the Focus Mk4 are improvements in cabin space and efficiency. The cab is set back and quite low – it’s similar in silhouette to the latest Mercedes A-Class, but has all of Ford’s current design cues on display.

There’s a longer wheelbase, which improves space inside, while the cabin has been overhauled to create more room, too. The current Focus has a far bigger boot than the previous generation as a result, while an electric parking brake and revised cockpit means the front seats feel spacious, and the rear has decent legroom, too. As always, the Focus comes as either a five-door hatchback or a more practical estate.

Power comes from either 1.0 and 1.5 EcoBoost petrols or 1.5 and 2.0 EcoBlue diesels, with all fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard; an eight-speed auto is offered as an option on most. All Focus models are front-wheel drive.

The Focus range was revised in late 2019; entry Style trim was ditched, with



REVIEW: FORD FOCUS

Zetec kicking things off instead. ST-Line, ST-Line X, Titanium, Titanium X and Vignale make up the rest of the standard range, while the off-road-inspired Active, Active X and Active Vignale round things off. A sporty ST model is also available, although there’s no full-fat RS for now.

Zetec now forms the entry point to the range, with prices starting at just over £20,000. Standard kit includes Ford’s eight-inch SYNC 3 infotainment system, which includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone connectivity, plus 16-inch alloys, and automatic headlights. Also included is a Quickclear heated windscreen, as well as cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane-keep alert.

For ST-Line models, there are 17-inch alloy wheels plus sportier front and rear bumpers, a keyless start button, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and alloy pedals. The step up to ST-Line X adds larger 18-inch wheels, automatic wipers and dimming rear-view mirror, a six-way power-adjustable driver seat and dual-zone climate control amongst other touches.

Titanium is aimed at those who want loads of kit but without the sharper edge of the ST-Line cars. As such, it includes many of the ST-Line X’s features, such as the rain-sensing wipers and parking sensors, but it stays on 16-inch alloys. It also gets keyless entry and start, plus LED rear lights. Titanium X moves the wheel size up to 17 inches and brings the electric adjustment on the driver’s seat, plus rear privacy glass.

The range-topping Vignale features 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, full leather

driving

seat trim and a B&O stereo set-up that also brings active noise cancellation. The Focus Vignale will offer the same ‘special Ford relationship’ as the other models with that trim level (like the Mondeo and S-MAX Vignales), including a free wash for your car when you’re able to pop into the dealer.

ENGINES, PERFORMANCE AND DRIVEOpt for the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol or the 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel and you’ll get relatively simple twist-beam rear suspension; go for the 1.5-litre petrol or the 2.0 diesel and your car will feature a multi-link set-up. Picking ST-Line or ST-Line X lowers the set-up by 10mm regardless of which suspension layout is at the back.

This sounds like one half of the range could be the poor relation, but it’s worth remembering that some of the Focus’s main rivals (notably the Volkswagen Golf) have a similar split in the technical line-up.

Regardless of suspension layout, the Focus is the best-handling family car around. Start your journey in town and you’ll find the car quick to respond when you turn the wheel to cut through traffic. But this doesn’t mean it’s nervous at speed; there’s just about enough play off-centre for the car to remain composed on motorways. It’s comfortable, too, the primary and secondary rides working nicely to soften all but the very sharpest of jolts from the road.

And when you find a twistier bit of road, the Focus trots out its party piece. Don’t expect the steering to chat away to you all the time, but the electrically powered set-up goes down as one of the best we’ve

experienced in a family hatch. Suffice it to say that you will very quickly learn to lean on the Focus’ front end.

Of course, none of this front-end bite would matter if the rest of the package felt like it wasn’t playing its part. There’s the faintest, fleeting feeling of weight transfer if you ask the Focus to change direction in a hurry, but it passes so quickly that it’s unlikely to ever be an issue. As a handling package, it’s extremely well-judged.

Step up to a 1.5-litre petrol ST-Line on the more expensive suspension and there isn’t a giant leap forward in terms of agility; that’s testament to the regular set-up, more than it is any explicit criticism of the multi-link arrangement. You do feel the extra complexity when you start trying to change direction quickly over poorer surfaces; the faster Focus remains just that little bit more composed than its less powerful stablemate. But if you think the 1.0 is going to be fast enough for you (and it should be fast enough for plenty), you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable about settling for the simpler chassis set-up.

We’ve also tried the most modest of the Focus diesels – the 120PS EcoBlue 1.5 – and it’s a decent option if you know you’re going to rack up big mileages. It’s not quite as sweet and hushed as the EcoBoost when cruising along, but it maintains speed reasonably well.

No matter which version you go for, refinement is strong. This is especially true of the flagship Vignale versions, which come with extra sound insulation – keeping all the worst road and wind noise at bay. We wouldn’t step up to this model for that reason alone, but it’s a notable advantage of the most expensive Focus on sale.

The standard six-speed manual gearbox is slick enough, although it does prefer a positive throw instead of tentative shifts. The eight-speed automatic, meanwhile, is not without the occasional glitch but in general it’s a smooth enough performer. We still think that the VW Group’s dual-clutch DSG units are ever so slightly more polished than this torque converter auto, though.

MPG, CO2 AND RUNNING COSTSThe Ford Focus boasts a range of strong engines that each balance performance and economy well. Ford’s ubiquitous 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine comes in two power outputs, as does the 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel. All come with six-speed manual gearboxes



driving

as standard and this is invariably the best option for those wanting to maximise economy and minimise CO2 emissions.

Emissions are respectable across the board, although the least polluting model is the more powerful 125PS 1.0 EcoBoost with a six-speed manual.

Fuel economy is also respectable. Ford quotes figures of 44.1-50.4mpg for the 1.0 Ecoboost 100PS, but note that these are ‘low’ and ‘high’ figures from the WLTP cycle; no average is supplied. Figures for the 125PS only differ negligibly, but adding an automatic gearbox to the equation sees a significant dip, returning up to 42.8mpg.

Diesels are still the best choice if you cover big distances and want to minimise fuel expenditure. The entry-level EcoBlue 95PS 1.5-litre unit with a manual gearbox emits just 92g/km of CO2 and returns 56.5 to 64mpg on the low and high WLTP cycles, while opting for an automatic nudges these figures down to 49.6 and 54.3mpg with emissions of 101g/km.

Insurance groupsThe most basic Ford Focus models should be incredibly cheap to insure. Zetec models start at group 11, while ST-Line comes in at group 15. The most expensive to insure is the ST, which sits in group 34 in its most powerful petrol version; opt for the diesel and it’s group 23.

DepreciationThe Mk4 Focus will hold its value to a similar level to the Vauxhall Astra – but

the VW Golf is still a few percent ahead of its rivals after three years of motoring. The Focus retains between 32 and 37% of its value after three years or 36,000 miles, which is slightly shy of the evergreen Golf (which has values ranging from 38-47%).

INTERIOR, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGYFord has played things a bit safe on the Focus’ styling. The view along the sides is dominated by the longer wheelbase – the gap between the front and rear axles – the longest it’s ever been on a Focus.

Inside, the Focus’s dashboard is simple and relatively uncluttered by switches – although it’s good to see that the heating and ventilation controls are still present as physical dials and buttons, instead of being hidden in the depths of some menu on the infotainment system.

The screen is mounted in a prominent position, right at the top of the centre of the facia. Its ‘floating tablet’ style may not be to everyone’s taste but the location means that you don’t have to divert your eyes too far from the road ahead to see key information or switch channels.

The interior quality is good enough to rival the best in class – without delivering a knockout blow on the VW Golf, perhaps. There are soft-touch padded materials up high, mixed with metallic finishes depending on which trim level you go for, and while there are harder plastics (notably on the centre console between the front seats), they’re generally in areas that you’re

not likely to touch all that often anyway. It’s good to see padded door liners and flock-lined storage areas, too; they give the cabin a bit more of an air of luxury and help to cut down vibrations and rattles.

Those after a bit more luxury should look to the Vignale versions.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainmentFollowing a range tweak in late 2019 all Focus models get a larger eight-inch system.

Ford’s SYNC 3 system is snappy and quick to respond to inputs, while it’s blessed with a reasonably simple interface with big buttons that are easy to stab with a finger when you’re on the move.

Crucially, the system also features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – so even if your spec of Focus doesn’t have navigation, you can hook up your phone’s system via the USB port at the bottom of the centre console and get live traffic updates, plus your own music streaming services.

PRACTICALITY, COMFORT AND BOOT SPACEOne of the Mk3 Focus’s biggest problems was a shortage of interior space, so Ford went back to the drawing board for the Mk4 Focus and extended the wheelbase.

All of that extension has been handed over to the cabin occupants – particularly those in the rear seats. And the result is accommodation that is perfectly comfortable for four six-footers, even on a



REVIEW: FORD FOCUSdriving

Verdict

Engines, performance and drive 4.5/5In either of its two suspension configurations, the Focus is more fun than a family car has any right to be

MPG, CO2 and running costs 4/5Petrol engines are efficient enough to recommend them over diesel, unless you’re focused on sub-100g/km emissions

Interior, design and technology 4.2/5Conservative design belies a considerable amount of tech, including slick SYNC 3 infotainment on most versions

Practicality, comfort and boot space 4.3/5Plenty of space in the cabin for a family with fast-growing children – and the boot should be just about big enough to cope with their luggage too

Reliability and safety 4/5New platform brings some risk but the engine line-up features some proven motors. Warranty is slightly above average

long journey. There’s even room for a third occupant in the middle of the rear seats.

Up front there’s good shoulder and headroom, there’s a switch-operated electric parking brake across the range now, instead of a bulky handbrake lever.

The boot isn’t the largest in the class, but it’s more than respectable. Lower the seats and the Focus actually trumps some of its main rivals on load-lugging space.

SizeThe Ford Focus is 4,378mm long, 1,979mm wide (including mirrors), and 1,471mm tall. Those figures make it a full 12cm longer than a VW Golf, although the Ford is only a few millimetres longer than another of its main rivals, the Vauxhall Astra.

It’s wider than both of those competitors, too, and you may want to take advantage of Ford’s optional door protectors. They extend around the edge of the door as you open it, protecting the metal from scrapes.

BootThe Focus is now one of the longest cars in the class, but Ford has clearly used that extra length to prioritise cabin space over boot capacity, because while the load bay of the car is up there with those of its rivals, it’s not exactly cavernous.

At 375 litres with the rear seats in place, the Focus gives away five litres to the capacity of the Golf. But fold the back row down and the positions are reversed; the Ford’s 1,354 comfortably exceeds the VW’s 1,270 litres. But of course, neither of these cars can get anywhere near the load-lugging ability of the Skoda Octavia.

RELIABILITY AND SAFETYThe Focus is built on an all-new C2 platform, although we’re led to believe it shares knowledge and some technology with the underpinnings that have proven such a hit under the Fiesta in recent years. Even so, the new architecture does bring some risks on reliability – but at least the majority of the engines in the line-up are reasonably well-proven EcoBoost petrols. The EcoBlue diesels are fresh, though, so the jury’s out on their dependability.

The new Focus has been tested by Euro NCAP’s crash-test team, and scored a full five stars out of five. It achieved 85% for adult occupation protection and 87% for child occupant protection. You’ll be able to

order Co-Pilot360, which brings adaptive cruise control with stop & go, traffic sign recognition and lane centring.

Other kit on offer includes evasive steering assist, blind spot monitoring with cross traffic alert, inflatable seatbelts and pre-collision assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection.

WarrantyThe Focus comes with Ford’s standard warranty, which is over an industry standard of three years but does stretch to

60,000 miles during that period, which is on the generous side. Ford also offers the chance to extend cover to four years/80,000 miles and five years/100,000 miles.

ServicingFord hasn’t announced full details on servicing prices and plans for the Focus, but we’d expect the model to slot into the line-up somewhere between the Fiesta and Mondeo. That should mean a price of around £550 for three years of cover, including two services


t’s ‘electric or bust’ for the city car, we’re told – the result of tightening efficiency rules and safety legislation making

it harder than ever to make money out of anything smaller than a supermini. And here is the first of the VW Group’s efforts to save the class: the SEAT Mii electric.

This isn’t the first pure-electric model in the Group’s small car range. We’ve already had the e-Up! in a couple of iterations. But SEAT and Skoda have only ever offered their respective versions of the car, the Mii and Citigo, with traditional petrol engines. Until now. Indeed, SEAT UK recently wiped the conventionally powered Mii off its price listings entirely. If you want one going forward, it’ll be electric.

When the first e-Up! arrived it had just under 100 miles of range, calculated via the easier and older NEDC test. But the new generation of these electric city cars can now manage 161 miles between charges – based on the tougher, more realistic WLTP assessment.

The 36.8kWh battery drives a 61kW (82bhp) electric motor that has 212Nm of torque – enough to take this little hatch from 0-31mph in 3.9 seconds, and from 0-62mph in 12.3 seconds. The top speed is a modest 81mph – a sign of how the electric motor is configured for urban use.

Charging from zero to 80% via a 7kW home wallbox will take around four hours; the car can also use 40kW DC charging to achieve the same level in an hour.

For all this, SEAT is asking £22,800 – which translates to £19,300 once the plug-in car grant is factored in. That puts the Mii electric on the same level as a well-specced Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo – but SEAT is hoping that the potential savings on running costs will persuade customers that it’s worth the switch regardless. The first 300 customers to sign up before the end of the year will get a wallbox, charging cable, three years’ servicing and three years’ breakdown cover included, too.

Stick down just over £4k as a deposit and you can have a Mii Electric for £199 per

month; that’s not a lot of cash for a car that doesn’t use a drop of petrol, although the leasing deals on offer to customers elsewhere in Europe are even more attractive. Sales have already started, but the first UK deliveries won’t land until spring 2020.

On the road, the Mii electric is a curious mix of compromises – but one that still makes a decent case for itself. The battery installation has taken the Mii’s kerbweight from 929kg up to 1,235kg, and despite the initial electric-motor punch, it no longer feels as much of a darting urbanite as the regularly powered model. The steering feels weightier and a little slower, too; the turning circle isn’t quite so crisp.

But that’s not to say that the Mii electric is slow overall. That 0-31mph (50kph) time is very much achievable, so there’s more than enough shove for pulling away from traffic lights briskly or nipping in to gaps in the traffic. You’ll count every one of the extra eight seconds that it takes to double that speed, mind you – not to the point where you’re struggling to keep up with traffic flow,


CAN THE SEAT MII ELECTRIC TEMPT CITY CAR BUYERS WITH ITS ATTRACTIVE PRICE AND 161-MILE RANGE? WE TAKE A SPIN TO FIND OUT

I

Mii city car goes electric

driving

p60_61_Instructor_2019_Issue_12.indd 1p60_61_Instructor_2019_Issue_12.indd 1 11/12/2019 1:29 pm11/12/2019 1:29 pm


REVIEW: SEAT MII ELECTRIC

but you certainly feel the powertrain getting closer to its limit. Regular motorway users would be well advised to check their usage patterns before committing.

The electric motor is more refined than the old three-cylinder petrol engine – to the point where you’re aware of other sources of noise, such as the wind around the side mirrors. It’s very well behaved around town, however – again, an indication of how focused on that environment the development engineers have been.

That chassis remains a strong point. The suspension has been tightened up to cope with the extra weight, but there’s still excellent compliance over potholes and speed humps, and not much body roll. The Mii and its stablemates have always been among the most composed of city cars; we experienced little during our mileage around Madrid to suggest the electric editions will be any different.

driving

Verdict

The SEAT Mii electric is another convincing EV, thanks to its keen

pricing, solid battery range and comfortable, refined drive. It’s still not

quite big enough to cope with a small family’s needs, or regular use on

motorways, but then, it still costs less than many superminis – and on

the right electricity tariff, it could be delivering its 161-mile range for less

than £2. Many city car customers and second car buyers will find that a

tempting mix.

You can play around with the powertrain, focusing on comfort and performance, or efficiency. There’s a noticeable step off in pace when you switch into Eco mode, in fact – but it only seems to add a few miles to the range.

Equally, flicking the gearstick left and right increases and decreases the amount of brake energy recuperation. We’d rather the system was on by default – especially in a city car that will spend a lot of its life negotiating junctions and traffic lights – but at least the car has the potential to bring itself to a halt on recuperation alone, allowing you to drive using only the throttle pedal if you’re good enough at anticipating traffic flow. Based on our test route, which mixed urban streets, hilly terrain and 70mph motorway, the claimed range of 161 miles looks thoroughly achievable.

The rest of the time, this electric Mii is every bit as convincing around town

Single-speed auto, front-wheel drive

£19,300 (after grant)

36.8kWh battery, single electric motor

Stats

as the petrol car was – so slim enough to feel manoeuvrable down side streets, and a doddle to park, thanks to miniscule overhangs front and rear.

There’s a single spec of Mii electric, as SEAT tries to simplify the range and make switching to an EV as straightforward as possible. As standard, the car comes with 16-inch alloys, a heated windscreen, LED daytime running lights, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, height adjustment on the driver’s seat, rear parking sensors, air conditioning, cruising control and rain-sensing wipers.

There’s a twin-track approach to infotainment. The car gets a five-inch central colour screen with DAB radio as standard, but there’s no nav, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Instead, you access these features via a universal smartphone cradle. It feels like a half-hearted effort.

The Mii electric can also feed data through a SEAT app to your smartphone, offering remote control of the heating and ventilation (useful for warming the car on cold mornings while it’s still plugged in), charge management, efficiency information and the vehicle’s location.

The rest of the cabin is basically unchanged, so it’s great for two adults and a couple of small children, and a bit of a squeeze for any more than that. The boot is a meagre 251 litres . But you can boost the Mii’s capacity to 923 litres by folding down the second row of seats.

The interior finish is smart rather than luxurious, with solid-feeling switches in all the right places, body-coloured elements in the doors and a patterned panel across the fascia to avoid it being just a slab of grey plastic

Five

161 miles (WLTP)

p60_61_Instructor_2019_Issue_12.indd 2p60_61_Instructor_2019_Issue_12.indd 2 11/12/2019 1:29 pm11/12/2019 1:29 pm

he Vauxhall Corsa is a staple of the British automotive scene, loved by learners and a regular in the top 10 new car sales

charts for generations.But of all the previous versions that

have gone before, this fifth generation car is easily the most important, ushering in the first all-new Vauxhall introduced since the brand – and its German sibling Opel – has been owned by French firm PSA.

As a result the new Corsa shares much of its technology with models like Peugeot’s new 208 and 2008, as well as the posher DS 3 Crossback. It’s thrown into battle against its arch nemesis the Ford Fiesta, plus the Volkswagen Polo and the brilliant new Renault Clio.

Under the Corsa’s skin is PSA’s latest CMP architecture, which means – like its new relatives – you can have your baby Vauxhall in three different flavours: petrol, diesel or all-electric.

While an all-electric Vauxhall Corsa is set to democratise electric cars (as much as a car costing £26,400 after the grant can democratise anything) it’s the petrol-engined models that will find most favour with buyers. So that’s what we’re testing.

The petrol range starts with a 74bhp 1.2-litre unit and goes onto two versions of PSA’s award-winning three-cylinder engine with the same capacity. You can have that engine with 99bhp, while there’s also a pokier 128bhp version that won’t initially be coming to the UK.

If you must have a diesel – and we don’t think many will – there’s a 1.5-litre with 101bhp that claims 68.9mpg and 85g/km of CO2. Given that both the UK petrol engines cut below 100g/km and claim 51.4mpg, the diesel’s £1,210 price premium makes it strange that Vauxhall should even bother.

Talking of prices, the range starts at £15,550 for a 74bhp 1.2SE with what looks like a worthwhile £800 walk up to the 99bhp

engine and a further £1,730 if you want to swap the six-speed manual box for an eight-speed auto. Of course, list prices don’t mean an awful lot and Vauxhall is already offering a PCP deal with 4.9% APR and a £950 deposit contribution. Or you could do a straight lease deal for £1,194 down and £199 per month.

You wouldn’t necessarily think that the new Corsa was related to the 208 to look at it, although the stats reveal the truth. Vauxhall/Opel’s Brit design chief Mark Adams and his team have given the car a mature, sporting look with familiar Vauxhall cues like the boomerang LED daytime lights and the kick back in the car’s C-pillar. The Corsa has matured nicely.

It’s the same inside where the minimalist approach and decent-sized infotainment screen (seven-inch in most models, 10 in top-spec Ultimate Nav cars) give the Corsa an upmarket look that wouldn’t look out of place in an Audi.


THE FIFTH GENERATION VAUXHALL CORSA IS THE BRITISH BRAND’S FIRST UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP, BUT WILL IT BE A SUCCESS?

T

Learner favourite matures

driving



REVIEW: VAUXHALL CORSA

And while the screen takes care of many functions, there are separate controls lower down the dash for heating and ventilation, plus fast keys either side of the volume knob that sits just beneath the display.

Our car had a digital instrument panel ahead of the driver, but strangely it doesn’t fill the entire binnacle and looks a little odd when rivals have wider digital displays.

With the Viva and Adam soon disappearing from Vauxhall showrooms, the Corsa becomes Vauxhall’s ‘cheapest’ model. And to soothe that starting price the wrong side of £15,000, entry-level SE cars get a seven-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity, alloy wheels and LED headlights, while Nav upgrades add the obvious and Premium gives you heated seats and steering wheel, parking sensors plus auto lights and wipers.

SRi adds a sportier look including a black roof, LED taillights plus powered rear windows. Then there’s Elite Nav, which adds a few more luxury touches before Ultimate Nav, which goes to town with big-car features including leather, massaging front seats, radar controlled cruise, matrix-beam LED headlights, keyless entry and start and that lovely 10-inch screen. It’s only available with the 99bhp 1.2-litre engine and an auto box with a list price of, wait for it, £25,990.

So is the Corsa worthy of its inflated prices? In some ways, yes – but in one particular way, no. And let’s get that out of the way first. Kids will find climbing in and out of the back no problem and will, by and large, be happy with the space back there. They may end up kicking the back of the front seats if they’re in their own child seat, but there won’t be too many complaints.

Adults, on the other hand, might find space a little tight behind taller people in the front. The rear door opening could make it difficult for taller adults, or older folk, to get into the back. It’s worth checking you’re not going to put your back out if you’re putting a little ’un into a child seat through the relatively narrow gap, too.

Up front, things are fine and the view out is good forwards and backwards. The infotainment display tilts upwards away from the driver slightly, but otherwise the layout, controls and driving position are all good.

Quality is strong, too. When Volkswagen seems to be reducing the quality of its interiors on some models, the Corsa has nice squishy plastics across the dash top if not on the doors, while the body-coloured strip running the width of

driving

VerdictThere’s much to like about the new Vauxhall Corsa, not least the way

it looks and the way it drives. From the driver’s seat, it’s great – quality

is good and you can have fun behind the wheel. You’re less likely to be

happy if you have to spend much time in the back, though. However,

this is a supermini so if the ultimate in rear space isn’t your concern,

the new Corsa will be well worth considering.

the dash and contrasting colours are all tasteful and add to the premium air.

There’s also decent storage inside with a useful bin ahead of the gear lever and underneath the ventilation controls. It’s ideal storage for your smartphone, so no surprise that there’s wireless charging in exactly that spot on some models.

The Opel engineers we chatted to before our drive were keen for us to notice the work they’d done with their new PSA toy set. And sure enough, they’ve produced a car that feels fairly sporting with a firmish ride over the surfaces we tried, decent body control and nicely-weighted and accurate steering.

Our top-spec 128bhp car had various settings to play with including sport, which added a little weight to the steering, sharpened throttle response and added a fruity-sounding exhaust note through the car’s speakers – it actually sounds better than you might think

Eight-speed automatic, front-wheel drive

Five

£22,000 (est)

1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol, 128bhp

45.6mpg

Stats

105g/km

Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 (130PS) Turbo Auto


THIS

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IA M

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If you have any questions or queries for NASP please contact us through our website: www.n-a-s-p.co.uk

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Local AssociationsAberdeen & DistrictDerek Young | 01224 897606

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ADVERTISER INDEXDriving Instructor


FULL EYETEST AND ONE COMPLETE PAIR OF SPECS ONLY

ONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLYONLY

£35

VOUCHERSVOUCHERSVOUCHERS

In association with

Terms and conditions: Offer available all year round. Please allow five working days for delivery of your voucher.

Good vision and taking care of your eyes is fundamental to your work as a driver trainer

OUR SPECIAL DIA DRIVER EYECARE VOUCHERS HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF ONE OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS ASSETS

To help our members regularly screen their vision to ensure they are complying with eyesight for driving regulations, and to maintain good eye health generally, DIA members qualify for discounts through our partnership with Specsavers.

THE COST OF THIS VOUCHER IS £35 AND INCLUDESÄ Fully comprehensive eye exam (RRP £17)Ä A complete pair of single vision lens glasses from the

£45 rangeÄ Plus a further £20 towards premium priced framesÄ Can be used in conjunction with Specsavers 2 for 1

deals

You can use the £45 contribution towards other frames in more expensive ranges if you want to upgrade your style. In addition if you upgrade to the £99 or above range of glasses you receive an additional £20 off – an overall total contribution of £65. Plus, these offers can still be used in conjunction with Specsavers 2 for 1 deals.

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Driving Instructor


The DIA is occasionally asked for help and

advice when a PDI is concerned about his

contractual obligations to his clients. We hope

that the following explanation will assist to

clarify matters.Very simply, the basic elements of any

legally binding contract are as follows: ‘Offer’,

‘Acceptance’, ‘Intention’ to be legally bound,

Sufficient ‘Consideration’, ‘Passing’ of that

Consideration.The ‘offer’ is contained in any advertising

you have made to make known the fact that you

will give driving lessons to provisional licence

holders and the price you will charge for these.

The ‘acceptance’ of these ‘terms’ would be

evidenced by the client agreeing over the phone

to buy lessons, this also indicating the required

‘intention’ for this verbal contract to be legally

binding. This is again reinforced and becomes

legally binding when the payment (the sufficient

‘consideration’) has ‘passed’ to you, i.e. when

you have received payment.At this point it would be prudent for both

parties that some form of receipt was issued

acknowledging the payment in advance on a

particular date for a service to be provided at a

future date to be agreed.Concerning the matter of withholding such a

prepayment because of passage of time, unless

this is reasonable and clearly stated in ‘terms of

business’ made known to the client (or pupil)

in advance, then the prepayment remains the

property of the client until the service has been

carried out and must not be withheld.

This is similar to the situation where, if you

pay a lawyer in advance for legal work, then

this money must be placed in a client account,

from which sums can only be drawn on

completion of agreed pieces of legal work.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has ruled

that any term that seeks unlawfully to retain

a prepayment is an ‘unfair term’ within the

relevant definition of the Unfair Terms in

Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (which

implement an EU Directive in UK law). The

effect of such an unfair term is that it is ‘void’

and unenforceable in law. However, the OFT also states in its

Guidelines that in cases where the customer

has ‘changed his mind’ there is an obligation to

provide a refund, but not of the whole amount

prepaid. A portion of the prepayment can

lawfully be retained that represents accurately,

EITHER the profit element that would have

been earned if the service had been delivered,

OR a reasonable administrative charge to cover

any actual expense incurred by the supplier in

preparing to provide that particular service.

Of course, an ADI’s actual ‘profit per lesson’

should be fairly easy to calculate by simply

dividing his most recent annual net earnings

figure, as declared to the Inland Revenue, by

the total number of lessons given in the same

accounting year.

Elements of pupil contracts and prepayment issues

THE DRIVER AND VEHICLE Testing Agency

has released statistics for Category B driving

test pass rates in Northern Ireland for 2004. The

following pass rates refer to tests taken between

1 January 2004 and 31 December 2004 by test

centre: Armargh 56.89%; Ballymena 40.52%;

Balmoral 32.91%; Dill Road 36.75%; Coleraine

46.64%; Cookstown 52.62%; Craigavon 52.31%;

Downpatrick 65.82%; Enniskillen 57.17%; Larne

38.34%; Lisburn 37.78%; Londonderry 41.97%;

Newry 56.43%; Newtownards 52.42%; Omagh

56.42%; Overall 46.79%.

NI 2004 pass rates published

MALE AND FEMALE instructors reacted

angrily to a sexist report in the Sunday Times and

subsequently in the Daily Mail in which Chief

Examiner Robin Cummins was quoted as saying

that men are naturally better drivers than women

and require less tuition.The article, entitled 'Kings of the Road

– Britain’s top instructor confirms it: men are

better drivers', quoted Mr Cummins as saying

that men only need 12.2 hours of driving tuition

as opposed to 15.3 hours for women to pass the

driving test.The words are directly contradictory to the

DSA’s own guidelines, which recommend a

minimum of 40 hours tuition for both men and

women to reach the correct standard.

In fact, as the DSA pointed out on its website,

Robin Cummins said no such thing. The figures

were not given to the Sunday Times by Mr

Cummins, but by another organisation.

“We assure our driving instructors that our

recommendation of 40-45 hours professional

tuition is the figure that we stand by as a guide,”

said the DSA, who also confirmed that Mr

Cummins was not responsible for the statement

that men are better drivers than women.

ADI anger at Chief Examiner's 'sexism' A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR was amazed when

his identical twin pupils both passed their driving

tests within five days of each other, with the same

examiner and with the same single minor fault.

Astonishingly, Scott and Adam Barker, both

taking their test for the first time, stalled at exactly

the same set of traffic lights to earn themselves

a minor fault, but then drove well enough for the

remainder of the test to impress the examiner and

pass the test.ADI John Irvine wrote to Driving Instructor

about the amazing coincidence. “I hope you find

this as amazing as I do,” he said.Just for the record John: we do!

ADI sees double

APPALLING TRAFFIC congestion in Newark

has prevented the town from becoming a site for

one of the DSA’s new ‘super test centres’ for car,

bus drivers and motorcycle riders.

The town had already been chosen for

the centre but a senior examiner who was

researching test routes kept getting stuck in

traffic.The decision means that more than 1,000 test

candidates must continue to travel to Grantham,

Nottingham and Lincoln.Instructors in the area have launched a

campaign to demand that car drivers at least

should be tested in Newark.The Driving Standards Agency earmarked

Newark as a possible site for one of its new

combined test centres eight months ago, but

scrapped its plans after spending two months

researching conditions in the town.

Assistant Chief Examiner Dave Hodgson said:

“We did try to make up some routes in Newark

but we found the delays were impossible. In

some areas it was so congested we were forced

to stop altogether.”Mr Mercer, a local instructor, described

the Agency u-turn as a disgrace. “Car and

motorbike transport for people in this part of

the world is not a luxury, it is a necessity, and I

will be contacting the Agency and the Minister

responsible,” he said.

Traffic jams test centre

The DIA's legal expert and head of road safety, Peter

Laub, explains some points of law relating to ADIs

Legal corner: the law and the ADI

ENJOY THIS LOOK AT THE STRANGE AND SILLY STORIES WE’VE FEATURED IN THE LAST 15 YEARS

Driving Instructor

Finally

70

FINAL WORDDriving Instructor

And2005

Driving Instructor

3Driving Instructor

News in briefSPANISH FLYPolice in Spain closed down 100 driving schools after detecting a cheating system by which answers to a Theory Test were sent to candidates on their mobile phones. Learner drivers paid up to 6,000 Euros for the answers which were sent via a coded system using the vibrating mode on a mobile phone in the candidate’s pocket. A police source said: “We realised something had to be wrong when a man who could not read or write got ten out of ten.”

ROBINSONS APOLOGISE TO VW USERSThe Driving Instructor centre at Robinsons Contracts is apologising to all its customers who had Volkswagen cars on order. Due to a breakdown in its relationship with VW, Robinsons has had to cancel all VW cars on order. Robinsons Contracts Managing Director Karen Laundon said: “We are extremely disappointed not to offer these vehicles but with the uncompetitive pricing together with the high cost of maintenance and unpredictable residual values of these Volkswagen products they are no longer viable. We have made this sound financial decision for the future of our business and the long-term relationship we have with all our customers.

PHASE TWO FOR INTERNET BOOKINGThe DSA’s internet booking service is shortly to undergo its second phase of development. In addition to booking and checking the status of a test, candidates will be able to amend booked details, change an existing booking to an earlier or later date, make any necessary additional payment, and cancel an existing booking (invoking a fee refund). According to the DSA, the system will also allow ADIs to carry out various transactions in one logged-on session. Since going live in October 2003, the internet service has been used to complete over 674,000 practical test bookings.

ADI INDECENT ASSAULTA 61-year-old driving instructor has been jailed for a year for indecently assaulting his pupils. Roy Tanner from Dorking in Surrey was also banned from teaching women to drive for ten years for touching pupils in an inappropriate manner during lessons, on one occasion causing a 17-year-old girl to swerve off the road.

DIP.DI DATES 2006Next year the exams will be held in the same week at centres throughout the country as follows:Modules I&II Tuesday 9 May 2006Modules III&IV Wednesday 10 May 2006Module V Thursday 11 May 2006

Middlesex University replaces AQA as the examination board

Managing EditorGraham FryerEditorStephen PictonPrint & Web DesignSteven RussellAdvertising ManagerDavid Breary

DIA (Int) LtdGeneral ManagerEddie BarnavilleAssistant ManagerJonathan NevilleHead of Road SafetyPeter LaubSenior AdministratorTina TuttonAdministrationAilsa PaddonBarbara JohnsonTina Sellwood

Kathryn EbdonEmma Sarbutt

Safety HouseBeddington Farm RoadCroydon CR0 4XZTel 020 8665 5151Local rate 0845 345 5151Fax 020 8665 [email protected] Sales020 8665 802701444 40012907711 571870

©2005 DIA (Int) Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher.

Driving InstructorADIs IN SCOTLAND are to be used to teach parents how to give driving lessons to their children.

Glasgow parents are being asked to take part in a three-hour session with a qualified instructor as part of a pilot scheme intended to make them better mentors.The new course will ask the learner and qualified adult driver to attend a three-hour session together, covering the Highway Code, driver practice, route planning, the driving test and areas of risk.

Sue Nicholson, Head of Policy at the RAC, gave a cautious welcome to the scheme with the proviso that learners still receive lessons from a

qualified instructor as well.“Often mum or dad pass on their own bad driving habits, so perhaps refreshing their skills will help them pass on the right practices,” she said.However, some local instructors expressed concern, describing the scheme as “just the thin end of the wedge” in marginalising the ADI’s role in the tuition process.

Mark Forrel, an ADI from Glasgow, said: “The common perception among learners and many of their parents is that lessons with an ADI are an expensive necessity. The danger with this scheme is that they might be tempted to write the ADI out of the equation altogether.”

Parents taught to teach

Pregnant woman abandoned on testA PREGNANT WOMAN was abandoned by an examiner during a driving test after she refused to perform an emergency stop.Karena Longden, 29, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, who was five and a half months pregnant at the time of the test, asked if she could be excused performing an emergency stop, or do it at reduced speed, for fear of harming her unborn baby.Rather than considering her request the examiner told her he was ending the test due to

her “medical condition” and walked away from the car, leaving her stranded in the middle of a housing estate for 20 minutes before her driving instructor came to her aid.Mrs Longden said: “I didn’t want anything to jeopardise the baby. I thought the examiner would understand but he didn’t show an ounce of compassion.”

The DSA agreed to refund Mrs Londgen’s test fee but didn’t say whether action would be taken against the examiner.

A DRIVING TEST EXAMINER who was fired for cutting short driving tests claimed he relied on his “body clock” as a gauge.Keith Mountain, who worked as an examiner at the Newton Abbot test centre, made the claim at an employment tribunal after being sacked by the DSA for returning early from several tests. His ex-colleague at the centre, Keith Broom, was also claiming unfair dismissal at the tribunal, for similar alleged offences.Giving evidence at the tribunal, Mr Mountain, who lives in Totnes, said that rather than use a watch or clock in his test candidates’ cars, he relied on his “body clock” and 18 years of experience.

He said the routes might have taken less than the prescribed time if the driver was of a high ability and traffic lights, roundabouts and junctions were clear.David Barr, representing the DSA, described Mr Mountain’s evidence as “rather breathtaking”.

Examiner used "body clock" to time L-tests

CONGRATULATIONS to ADI and DIA member Michael Hickmott and to his pupil who recently achieved a no-minor-fault test pass: the first clean sheet for Mr Hickmott in 14 years of instructing. Reason to celebrate enough you might think but all the more so because the pupil in question just happened to be Mr Hickmott’s own son, 17-year-old Andrew, taking his test for the first time. Well done both and keep up the good work!

A family affair

DR STEPHEN LADYMAN is the new Minister of State for Transport joining Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling in the recently reshuffled Department for Transport.

Dr Ladyman is MP for South Thanet in Kent. His responsibilities at the DfT will include: road safety, the Highways Agency, and DVO Group Agencies (including the DSA, DVLA, VOSA and VCA). Previously he was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Health and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram MP.

Ladyman joins Darling at DfT

Agency Mini debacle costs ADI livelihoodA DRIVING INSTRUCTOR from Wales has lost his business following the ruling by the DSA that his Mini convertible car is unfit for use as a driving test car.

Keith Howells of the Early Driving Centre in LLandrindod Wells said he faced financial ruin as a result of the ban, which attracted high-profile media attention.“I’m a 52-year-old married man with three children and a mortgage and now I’ve no earnings,” he said.

Mr Howells bought the new dual-control convertible last August after using hard top Minis for the previous five years. On its 36th use as a test vehicle the examiner told Mr Howells after the test that he considered it unsafe as a test vehicle due to restricted rear visibility.The DSA was forced to issue a hasty statement explaining its reasons for the ban after the story appeared in several national newspapers. The statement included the following:“The DSA’s policy is not to conduct driving tests in vehicles where the examiner’s view is severely restricted. While these may be perfectly safe from a driver’s point of view, the fact is that examiners do not have an acceptable degree of all-round vision . . . the Mini One Convertible falls into this category.”The Mini is not the only new car to fall foul of

examiners. Some models of the new Peugeot 206 are fitted with hazard warning lights which come on automatically under heavy braking, such as during an emergency stop. The DIA’s advice is to have the system disabled to avoid having the car refused on test and to consult the Training Car Data pages in Driving Instructor before purchasing a new training car.Other vehicles that have been refused on test are those fitted with electric and automatic parking brake systems such as the new Renault Scénic or some premium German marques.DIA General Manager Eddie Barnaville said: “With new advanced technology becoming cheaper and a wider range of cars available to instructors than ever before, surely the time has come for the DSA to take the lead and produce a detailed list of what is permitted for test and stop instructors wasting many thousands of pounds on unsuitable training vehicles.”

Managing EditorGraham Fryer EditorStephen Picton DesignerJoe Hopeson Advertising Manager

David Breary DIA Chief ExecutiveEddie Barnaville Senior Administrator

Tina Tutton AdministrationAilsa PaddonBarbara JohnsonDebbie SlawinskiGeorgina RiversKim LeaneyTina Sellwood

AddressSafety HouseBeddington Farm Road

Croydon CR0 4XZTel 020 8665 5151Local rate 0845 345 5151

Fax 020 8665 5565 AD Sales020 8665 802707711 [email protected] Web and [email protected]

www.driving.org

©2008 DIA (Int) Ltd. No part

of this publication may be

reproduced in any form

without written consent

from the publisher.

Driving Instructor

CPC launched for bus and coach drivers

Teenage stabbings grab the headlines above driving risk

Woman fails test for splashing pedestrian

NINETY PER CENT of motorists underestimate

the risk teenagers in cars face compared to

higher-profile threats in the media, such as

drugs, drinking and gun and knife crime,

according to new research. This is despite the

fact that 80 per cent of accidental teenage

deaths occur on the road. Only one in ten of 18,500 respondents to the

AA Populus survey saw driving as the biggest

source of danger for teenagers. However, while

older respondents say drugs and drinking

are the main threats, gun and knife crime is

seen as the greatest menace by the younger

generations themselves, Londoners and lower-

income respondents. The AA now fears that many of the tell-tale

signs of an impending teenage road tragedy

are being ignored because perilous driving

is seen as less of a risk and doesn’t grab the

attention of the media as much as a stabbing.

The survey into emphasised the need for

parents and friends to keep an eye out for

potentially dangerous circumstances for

teenage drivers, such as: a car over-loaded with

passengers; someone driving beyond the limit

of their experience, such as a more powerful

car, longer distance, a type of road or time of

day that the driver is not used to; or a driver

whose personality or reputation indicates a a

tendency to show off with peers by taking risks

when driving.AA President Edmund King said: “It is easy

to worry that teenagers may fall in with the

drug or knife culture – they may or they may

not. However, one thing is for certain: they

will travel by car with friends of their own age,

where just one moment’s bravado, foolishness

or just plain bad luck can kill. “This is not a matter of trying to outdo

other dangers in terms of significance and

importance, every teenage death is a tragic

waste. The biggest killer of UK youngsters

approaching adulthood is car crashes and the

tell-tale signs of a tragedy in the making can

be more obvious than other risks and therefore

preventable by parents and friends.”

Driving Instructor

ROAD SIGN REVIEWTransport Minister Rosie Winterton

today called on motorists, cyclists,

pedestrians, highway authorities and

road organisations who are keen to have

a say in how our streets will look in the

future, to take part in the biggest review

of British road signs for 40 years. The

review will ensure that traffic signs keep

pace with the latest technology, help

to cut congestion and emissions and

keep traffic moving safely and efficiently

without cluttering our streets.

ECO-DRIVING TEST LAUNCHED

New motorists are now being advised

on how to drive in a way that saves

money and fuel, and cuts emissions as

part of their practical driving test. At the

launch of the new eco-driving initiative,

Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick

announced that he has also dedicated

an extra £3 million to promoting smarter

driving techniques, as well as money-

saving advice on new car purchasing.

According to the Highways Agency, a

month’s worth of fuel can be saved every

year by following eco-driving techniques,

and motorists could save three months’

worth of fuel each year if they chose a

more fuel efficient model when buying a

new car.

TRAFFIC OFFICERS GIVEN POWER TO TOW

New powers for Highways Agency Traffic

Officers to remove and dispose of vehicle

on the UK’s busiest roads have come a

step nearer following regulations being

laid before Parliament. The regulations

will give traffic officers the same

powers held by the Police to tow away

abandoned or illegally parked vehicles.

TWO MEN JAILED FOR TEST FRAUD

Two men in Croydon have been jailed

for conspiracy to obtain driving test past

certificates by conspiracy. Charles Egoyne

of Stondon Park, London, pleaded guilty

to sitting the practical driving test on

behalf of 18 people between February

2004 and March 2006. His partner in

crime, Christopher Redi, 34, of Forest

Hill, London was described in court as a

‘facilitator’. Egoyne was given a 12-month

jail term and Reid a six-month sentence.

NEW SAFETY MANAGER APPOINTED

Steve Whitehouse from St Helens has

been appointed Project Manager for the

Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety,

replacing John Davis.

News in brief

THE NEW Certificate of Professional

Competence, or CPC, has been launched for all

professional bus and coach drivers.

New drivers wishing to enter the industry

will now need to be awarded the Driver CPC

initial qualification as well as holding a relevant

vocational driving licence.The exam for the CPC initial qualification

involves:q A new Driver CPC theory test involving

case studiesq A new Driver CPC practical test which

requires candidates to demonstrate their

knowledge of vehicle safety.Drivers will be able to train and take these

CPC exams in parallel with learning to drive

buses and coaches and the licence acquisition

tests, minimising any extra costs or delays.

In addition, all drivers, both new and existing,

will need to complete 35 hours of ‘periodic

training’ every five years in order to maintain

their Driver CPC status and continue driving

professionally.Existing drivers will not be required to take

the initial qualification. However, they will be

required to complete 35 hours of periodic

training by 2013 and every five years thereafter

if they wish to continue driving professionally.

The Driver CPC is being introduced across

the European Union to provide better qualified

and trained drivers to meet the ever-changing

needs of the passenger transport and road

haulage sectors, by recognising and accrediting

the knowledge and skills required to drive

professionally.It aims to improve road safety and make

savings for the industry by reducing the number

of accidents, encourage fuel efficient driving

and reducing vehicle wear and tear.

The second phase of the Driver CPC scheme

which will cover professional drivers of lorries

and heavy goods vehicles will be introduced in

September 2009.

A WOMAN in Manchester failed her driving test

for splashing a pedestrian by driving through a

puddle.Michelle Kelly, 31, was told she should have

stopped to exchange details with the man, who

was waiting at a bus stop.The mother of two protested that if she had

swerved to avoid the puddle she might have

caused an accident. She was told that her ac-

tions constituted a traffic offence.

Mrs Kelly described the decision as ‘ridicu-

lous.’She said: “It was my third test and I was really

confident. To fail for something like that really

annoyed me.“It’s ridiculous. Why should you hand over

your details? What good would that do? It

wasn’t as if I’d deluged the pedestrian. And if

I’d swerved to avoid the puddle I might have

caused an accident.”The DSA said it could not comment on

specific details of practical driving tests due to

data protection laws. But it pointed out that

motorists should have consideration for other

road users, including pedestrians, based on the

offence of ‘careless and inconsiderate driving’

contained in the Road Traffic Act.

The DSA advised that, where possible, drivers

should avoid splashing pedestrians and that a

failure to do so would be sufficient ground for

failing a driving test

October/November 08 3

DrivingInstructor

THE DRIVING Standards Agency (DSA)

and the Motorcycle Industry Association

have teamed up with leading motorcycle

insurance companies to offer significant

insurance discounts to all qualified bikers who

successfully take part in the new ‘Enhanced

Rider Scheme’ (ERS).The ERS scheme is a new training package

designed to meet with the Government

Motorcycling Strategy, which aims to see

significant reductions in the number of fatal

and serious injury road accidents on our roads

each year involving motorcyclists.

The scheme aims to encourage and help

qualified riders become safer on the roads and

so reduce accidents.A national network of DSA Registered Post

test Motorcycle Trainers (RPMT) has been

developed to deliver rider skills assessments

and training to those people who want to take

part in the Enhanced Rider Scheme. Riders

assessed as having no significant weaknesses

receive a ‘DSA Certificate of Competence -

Enhanced Rider Bonus’, which entitles them

to insurance discounts. Riders who have

significant weaknesses receive structured

training and will receive the certificate upon

successful improvement.The launch of the voluntary Register of Post

Test Motorcycle Trainers has been welcomed

by the motorcycling community and already

over 239 post-test trainers are on the register

nationwide.For more information on the scheme see

pages 32-33 or call the information line on

0191 201 8089.

LEGISLATION regarding the use of heavier

vehicles for driving tests has been delayed until

30 September 2013.Ministers have decided to take up the option

to allow driving test candidates to continue to

use vehicles that meet current weight standards

until that date.The Driving Standards Agency (DSA),

which is responsible for bringing in the new

requirements, says it has been working with key

stakeholders to identify how test candidates will

be able to comply with the new standards.

In 2000 the European Commission introduced

revised minimum standards for vehicles

used for practical driving tests – commonly

known as Minimum Test Vehicles (MTVs). One

requirement is that vehicles used for test must

meet a minimum ‘real weight’ requirement on

the day that they present for test. In some cases

this may involve a load being carried on the

vehicle to meet the weight requirement.

Member States were originally required to

implement this part of the Directive by 11

October 2010, and the DSA conducted a public

consultation on that basis. In response to

consultation, ministers stated that Britain would

implement the new requirements by that date.

Following representations by Member

States, the legislation was amended under

the comitology procedure (a form of

delegated decision-making) so as to require

implementation by 2013.Northern Ireland is also planning to take

advantage of the more relaxed timetable.

Agency and MIA launch enhanced rider scheme for lower premiums

Candidates beware of puddles and pedestrians on test

Test vehicle legislation delayed until 2013

instructor page3.indd 1

17/9/08 16:41:22

2005

Drivers should be better educated about lorries say FTA

]

HE-MAN SPEEDOSThe He-Man secondary speedo, designed to attach to the vehicle dashboard on the passenger side for the benefit of the accompanying driver, has been deemed acceptable for use on driving tests. The secondary speedo, which enables the speed of the vehicle to be projected on to a dark plastic film on the windscreen, has been risk assessed by S&R and the TUS and found to be acceptable for use during driving tests.

SHOW ME, TELL MEMore than 13 per cent of drivers now fail the ‘Show me, Tell me’ aspect of the practical test that was introduced in 2003. It would appear that many candidates are not getting proper training before taking the driving test for the straight forward practical questions such as ‘Show me how you would top up the windscreen washer reservoir and show me how you would check the engine oil level?’ Parents are being blamed for the failures as professional driving instructors teach the ‘Show me, Tell me’ in their syllabus.

News in brief

EditorStephen [email protected]

DesignerMatt [email protected]

ProductionColin [email protected]

Assessment and Training ManagerSteve Garrod

Programme DevelopmentHoward Redwood

Relationship ManagerColin O’Connell

General ManagerSimon Grater

Finance ManagerAilsa Paddon

Finance AssistantGraham Cox

Administration ManagerTina Sellwood

Administration ExecutivesBarbara JohnsonKim LeaneyDebbie SlawinskiGeorgina Rivers

ChairmanGraham Fryer

Company SecretaryJinny Osborne

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Email and [email protected]

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Driving Instructor is published bi-monthly by DIA (Int) Ltd. ©2009

Views contained may not be the views of the publishers. Publication of an advertise-ment does not imply approval for the goods or services offered. Reproducing by any means, electronically or otherwise, in whole or part of any material appearing in this maga-zine is forbidden with-out the prior permission of the publishers.

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Driving InstructorsAssociation

THE DRIVING Standards Agency (DSA) should ensure that all drivers are better educated when it comes to sharing the road with haulage lorries and other large commercial vehicles, according to the Freight Transport Association (FTA).

The FTA claims that motorists tend to be unaware of things like how much clearance to give a heavy goods vehicle on the road when overtaking and how much distance they need to maintain behind a lorry for its driver to see them.

The Association pointed out that the Highway Code currently includes guidance for car drivers when deal-ing with motorcycles, bicycles and mobility scooters on the road, but includes no mention of lorries.

FTA’s policy director James Hookham commented: “It’s unfair to make lorry drivers the scapegoat. Whenever there is an accident, or even a near miss involving a lorry, the common assumption is that the lorry driver is at fault.”

DrivingInstructor

August/September 09 3

ADI hero saves OAP from vicious dog

A LEARNER driver had his test can-celled after an examiner refused to sit in the car, saying it was too dirty.

Teenager Jack Hyde arrived at the Oxford Driving Test Centre in his father’s five-year-old Volkswagen Golf, but the examiner failed to even set foot in the vehicle due to croissant crumbs on the seat.

Jack, 18, and his father, John, of Berrick Salome, claimed they had cleaned the car inside and out on the morning of the test after return-ing from a trip to France the previ-ous night.

Mr Hyde senior said there were two bottles of water on the back seat and a ‘tiny amount’ of croissant

crumbs on the front seat. There were also dog biscuits under the seat, which were used to train the family pet.

But the examiner cancelled the test and refused to offer a refund.

Mr Hyde senior has complained in writing to the Driving Standards Agency, but Jack faces a six-week wait for a chance to re-take his test.

After initially failing at the begin-ning of the year, it was the third time in a row his test had been cancelled.

Standing water from heavy rain and an examiner’s illness twice delayed his chance to throw away his L-plates in the past five months.

Commenting on the latest disap-pointment, Jack said: “I turned up and everything was normal. Then as soon as he opened the passenger door, he said ‘I can’t take you out in this.’

“I couldn’t believe it. He said he came to work in suit trousers and expected to sit on a tidy seat.

“It’s really annoying. He could have at least given us five minutes to clean it, but there was just no negotiation.

A Driving Standards Agency spokesman said: “If the candidate makes a complaint or asks for a refund, we’ll look into it when we receive it.”

Examiner cancels test due to crumbs in pupil’s car

THE TIMELY intervention of a brave ADI may have helped save a pen-sioner’s life after he was attacked by a vicious dog.

ADI and DIA member Gerald Manterfield, 59, from Dronfield intervened when he witnessed a man, who was walking his dog, being attacked by a larger ‘pit bull’ type of dog.

Mr Manterfield said: “He knocked the man to the ground, banging his head on the pavement. Then his dog attacked the old man’s dog and was throwing it around like a rag doll.The old man was trying desperately to drag him off and suffered some horrific bites. It was terrible, he was just a helpless old man. He was crying out and shout-ing ‘get him off’.”

Mr Manterfield then stopped the car and ran to the man’s assistance.

He said: “I grabbed hold of the dog by its neck and clamped his back legs between mine which

gave the old man time to recover. Mr Manterfield described how a

Staffordshire terrier then turned up and joined in the fight.

“Thankfully another man came over to help out and we managed to get the dogs off. Then the owner of both dogs turned up and took his animals away.

“The poor old man and his dog were covered in blood and I had it spattered all over me.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “Police were alerted to an incident where it was reported a dog, believed to be a Staffordshire bull terrier had bitten an elderly man, while he was out walking with his dog on

“It is believed the elderly man sustained injuries to his fingers, which required surgery. The owner of the dog was arrested and has been reported for summons. The dog has been seized with a view to being destroyed.”

ADI hero: Gerald Manterfield


15/7/09 21:27:13

2006

Police issue warning to not ‘Pokemon and drive’Policehaveissuedawarningtonot‘Pokemonanddrive’tofansofthefreedownloadablePokemonGoapp.

TheappishugelypopularintheUKandpoliceareworriedaboutthedistractionthegamecouldcausedrivers.

PoliceinRichmond,south-westLondon,issueditspun-ladenwarning,tellinggamerstheirpolicestationwasnota“poke-stop”tocatchandtrainPokemon.

Theforcetold‘Pokemontrainers’:“Alwaysbeawareofyoursurroundings.ThatPikachuwillnotexpectyoutorunintheroadandSquirtlewon’twantyoutoswimtheThames.

“Don’tbeaDrowzeeandwalkaroundwithyourheadinadaze–alwaysbeawareofpeoplewhomaybewatchingyoutostealyourphoneorCharmander.

“Don’tPokemonanddrive.Thateggwon’thatchifyou’redriving.Rememberit’sonyx-acceptableandifyou’recaughtyouriska£100fineand3pointsonyourlicence.”

Humour aside, there are genuine fears that the smartphone app could cause a rise in roadaccidentsnationwide.

PeteWilliams,RACspokesman,said:“ThePokemonGorevolutioncouldtaketheillegaluseofhand-heldmobilephonesatthewheeltoanotherlevel.

“Ithastobe‘Pokemonno-Gowhendrivingbutitisjustasimportantthatpedestriansdon’tgetcaughtinthePokemonmistandfindthemselvessteppingintothepathofdanger.

“Itiscriticalthatdriversarenottemptedtohavetheapprunningontheirmobilephonewhendriving.”


Motorists delayed an average 8.9 seconds per mile on motorwaysA new report has discovered the scaleof hold-ups on motorways and A roadsin the UK, as Highways England missesanumberoftargets,saysAuto Express.

Forevery100miles,driverswereheldup for almost 15 minutes on England’smotorwaysandAroads.Thisequates toadelayof8.9secondspermile.

Over the last year, 89.7bn miles weredriven on the Strategic Road Network,according to the reportby theOffice forRoadandRail.Thisnumberrisesto5bnoverthepastfouryears.

Despite accounting for only 2% ofroads,theStrategicroadNetworkcarriedathirdofourtraffic.Averagespeedsalsoslowed, with cars and trucks travellingat 59.3mph compared to 61.3mph fouryearsago.

Thesestatisticswere releasedaspartofHighwaysEngland’sannualreport.

Anewtargettoreducedelaytimehasbeen introduced,but thereportadmittedthiswoulddependon trafficgrowthandwouldbedifficulttoachieveandmaintain.

The report stated that HighwaysEngland has made a ‘good start’concerning its management of a £15bninvestmentinthenetworkby2020-21.

Highways England beat its targets formaintaining road surface quality amongothers.

Roadcasualtiesdroppedtoo,by4.9%from2014to2015leadingthetotalKSInumber(killedorseriouslyinjured)todropto3.6%.However, thereportstatedthatits focus was still required if HighwaysEngland were to meet their target of a40%KSIdropby2020.

Ontheotherhand,animportanttargetHighwaysEnglandfailedtomeetwastheusersatisfactionrate,withonly89.3%ofusers claiming they were “fairly or verysatisfied” with the network, falling 0.7%shortofthedesired90%target.

Warnings over mobile game Pokemon Go issued across the countryAmanhasjumpedinfrontoftrafficonabusymainroadwhilehiseyeswerefixatedonplayingthePokemonGogame.TheincidenttookplaceontheA2closetoHolywoodinnorthCountyDown.

A representative for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) encouraged people to becarefulwiththeapp.TheywroteonFacebook:“ThismorningwehadareportofamalejumpingoutinfrontoftrafficontheA2,Holywood.

“Canyouguesswhy?Idon'tcarehowrarethePokemonis,it'snotworthyourlife.”Thegamehascausedcontroversyinsomepartsoftheworld.InGuatemala,itisbelievedthat

ateenagerhasbecomethefirstpersontobekilledwhileplaying.PoliceinBaltimore,USA,havereleasedfootageofamotoristhittingacarwhileusingtheapp.

AcyclistplayingPokemonGoinaroadnearWestKingsdown,Kentwasalmostrunover.MotoristGemmaLovellstatedthatwhileshewasdrivingdownAshLane,ateenagecyclistwas

approachingherinthemiddleoftheroad,unawareofLovellashewasplayingthegame.Lovellsaid:“I'mnotopposedtothegame:I'veactuallyplayedonitmyself.“Ijustcouldn'tbelievethattheboywascyclingstraightformeanddidn'tevenseemeorlookup

untilIbeepedathim.Ithinkparentsneedtogiveanextrawarningtomakesuretheirchildrenstaysafeandawareoftheirsurroundings,especiallywiththesummerholidays.”

ThePSNIissuedadvicestating:“Theinternetandthevirtualworldcanbeagreatplacetolearn,andalthoughgamessuchasthiscanbefun,itisalsoimportanttobeawareoftherisksinvolved.

“Thegamemaybevirtualinsomerespects,butyouareplayingitintherealworldtooanditisessentialyoukeepsafe.”

p08_17_Instructor_Issue07.indd 3 10/08/2016 1:49 pm

2016

Driving Instructor

12

EVENTS

DIA Working Lunch

This Spring, DIA is bringing you the Working Lunch, a half-day session dedicated to discussing two popular subjects in the driver and rider training world.Working Lunch is a shot of CPD to keep you up to date on trending topics, plus a takeaway of top tips and plans to put into action - all aimed at improving your training delivery and business management.

Crawley 11 AprilNottingham 21 AprilBristol 28 AprilBolton 5 MaySouthend 19 MayGlasgow 22 MayCrawley 6 JuneFor more information visit driving.org/events or give us a call on 020 8686 8010

Driving InstructorsGolf Association

DIGA is open to all driving instructors who have an interest in golf and also to their friends and associates who are welcome to make a guest appearance or join as full members.Ludlow Golf Club - 17 March 2017Cheltenham - 26 May 2017Wigan Golf Club - 21 July 2017For more information please visit the website diga.org.uk or call02476 362456

The Driving Instructors ShowThe event for the driver & rider training industry takes place on 23rd April 2017. The event has been created by an active ADI and exhibition organiser, Mike Spooner. The list of exhibitors includes:DVSA, Hyundai Motor Company, Bill Plant Driving School, Waveney Insurance, Intelligent Instructor Magazine, Grade Six Supplies, Nextbase in-car cameras, Drive Car Hire, Driving Instructor Association, ADINJC, DVSA. To see the full list of exhibitors and see more information please go to:www.drivinginstructorshow.co.uk

TRL’s Head of Transport Psychology, gives his view on the stricter consequences for phone use whilst drivingFollowing today’s changes to the law bringing about stricter consequences for phone use whilst driving, Shaun Helman, TRL’s Head of Transport Psychology, gives his view.TRL provides world-leading research, technology and software solutions for surface transport modes and related markets of automotive, motorsport, insurance and energy. Here is what Mr Helman had to say;“Any task that involves holding a device, looking at it, and interacting with it during driving will adversely affect driving performance. Typical effects are drifting out of lane, erratic speed control and being less aware of what is around you, resulting in poor anticipation of hazards. Recent research by TRL suggests that between 10-30% of road accidents in the EU are at least partly caused by distraction, and social media is an increasing risk in this area.

“Even simply speaking on a mobile phone can slow reaction times to sudden events, as much as being at the legal limit for blood alcohol in England (80mg/100ml of blood).

Interacting with social media is even more demanding than simply speaking. Drink-driving is socially unacceptable because the behaviour puts not only the driver, but other road users’ lives at risk. Choosing to be deliberately distracted from driving by tasks such as checking social media also puts other road users at risk and should also be seen as socially unacceptable.“We know that as mobile technology has advanced, more attention has been paid to distraction when driving. However, we also know that attitudes and behaviours can change for the better. Drink-driving was socially acceptable in the 1960s and 1970s, but now it is seen as socially unacceptable by most people. The same could happen with distracted driving, although the development of new technologies may provide alternative solutions.“Obviously some people, some of the time, value their social connectivity more than they value their safety and the safety of others. It is this perspective that should be targeted.”

Ed Sheeran puts up ‘drive safely’ signs in Suffolk after ‘driving at 90’ controversyEd Sheeran has been putting up drive safely signs around Suffolk, after his latest song prompted a safety warning from a roads policing sergeant.

Castle On A Hill is the song in question which consists of the line: ‘Driving at 90 down those country lanes.’This has caused him to spin the lyrics into a marketing strategy of his new album by posting warnings to people to drive safe as he thought it could be quite ‘funny.’Speaking to BBC Suffolk, he said: “We have a marketing spend for this album and I wanted to do some sort of billboards in Suffolk.

“We thought it would be quite funny instead of having billboards saying the album is out, just having a blue sign that says ‘drive safe’.”Whilst speaking to Richard Haugh on Mark Murphy’s Breakfast Show, the Framlingham singer/songwriter said that he would not

change the lyric despite criticism it has attracted from police.He said: “I am not encouraging speeding at all, I am just singing it in a song”, he told the BBC.“Nobody goes on at Jimi Hendrix for saying 90 miles-per-hour is the speed I drive [in Crosstown Traffic] and he actually says miles-per-hour is the speed I drive.”

Castle on the Hill, described as a “love song for Suffolk”, was released in January and has remained towards the top of the charts since – being kept off the top spot by his other release, Shape of You.Sgt Chris Harris, from Norfolk and Suffolk Roads Policing, posted a plea on Twitter for people to “slow down on Suffolk roads” in response to the song.Sheeran said: “I don’t think it specifically says miles per hour. It could be kilometres per hour.”


17/03/2017 15:21


Cases of car cloning in London have risen by

50% in one year, new figures reveal.

Honestjohn.co.uk analysed Transport for

London (TfL) data for the congestion charge

zone and found that the number of Penalty

Charge Notices (PCNs) being cancelled due to

car cloning has soared.

The number of PCNs cancelled due to car

cloning in 2016 was 1099. This figure rose to

1652 in 2017. Data for the first six months of

2018 show that car cloning continues to rise,

with official figures up a third on January to June

2017.The true number of cloned cars on the road

is thought to be much higher given the complex

PCN appeals process and the fact that the

Congestion Charge only applies Monday to

Friday.Daniel Powell, managing editor of honestjohn.

co.uk, said: “This is just the tip of the iceberg.

On the grounds that it is down to the car owner

to prove they are innocent, it would be safe

to assume that the true figure for car cloning

is significantly higher as many drivers will be

unable to supply the evidence TfL requires.

“There are a number of steps car owners

can take to protect themselves, with the most

obvious one being photos of their car to show

the subtle difference between the clone and

legitimate vehicle. Legal number plates usually

have the manufacturer’s logo on them, while the

clones are usually blank.

“CCTV footage will also prove a car’s location

at a certain time, along with footage from a dash

camera with GPS tracking.”

Attack of the clones

Wishing I was luckyLearners rely on lucky pants, charms and superstitions to

pass their driving test, AA Driving School research has

found.A quarter of drivers resorted to these extra measures

to get their nerves in check before their driving test.

Young drivers aged 18-24 were by far the most likely

to turn to extra measures (60%) such as wearing lucky

pants, carrying a lucky charm or taking herbal remedies

such as Rescue Remedy before their practical test.

A long drive or lesson before the test was the most

popular way of easing tension with one in five drivers

saying they did this.

Drivers in Northern Ireland were the most likely to

pay attention to superstitions in the run-up to their test

with 2% saying they avoided walking under ladders or

crossing the path of black cats before the big day.

Only 13% of drivers said they felt no nerves before

their test; falling to just 5% of women. And nearly half of

those nervous drivers said their nerves affected their test

in some way although only 6% said their nerves led them

to make a mistake that meant they failed.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “Passing your

driving test and getting on the road is a real milestone

for many people.

“An extra lesson or two to combat pre-test nerves is

probably most effective, but if wearing lucky pants or

charms helps confidence on their test day then good

luck to them.“Nerves can manifest themselves in a number of ways

but it’s good that the majority felt their nerves didn’t lead

them to failure.”Last year more than 1.7 million people took their

driving test – just 46.7% passed.


26/11/2018 12:40 pm

2017

2018

Driving Instructor

13

UK will abide by new EU speed limiter rulesThe Department for Transport (DfT) says new EU rules regarding speed

limiters in cars would apply to the UK despite Brexit.New cars sold in the UK from 2022 are set to have these devices

fitted to stop them breaking the speed limit.Intelligent speed assistance (ISA) was given approval by the

European Commission. It is claimed the changes could help save

more than 25,000 lives and avoid at least 140,000 serious injuries by

2038.Joshua Harris from road safety charity Brake said: “This is a landmark

day for road safety. These measures will provide the biggest leap

forward for road safety this century, perhaps even since the introduction

of the seatbelt.“These lifesaving measures come at a vital time, with road safety in

a concerning period of stagnation with more than 70 people still being

killed or seriously injured on British roads every day.”AA president Edmund King said: “The best speed limiter is the

driver’s right foot.“There is no doubt that new in-car technology can save lives and

there is a good case for autonomous emergency braking to be fitted

in all cars.“The right speed is often below the speed limit, for example, outside a

school with children around, but with ISA there may be a temptation to

go at the top speed allowed which may not be appropriate,” he said.“Sometimes a little speed also helps to keep safe on the road, for

example, overtaking a tractor on a country road or joining a motorway.”ISA prevents vehicles from speeding by limiting engine power, but

the system can be overridden or temporarily switched off.Speed limits are detected using a sign-recognition camera and GPS

technology.The approved mandatory safety features for cars, vans, trucks and

buses also include a warning of driver drowsiness and distraction, such

as when using a smartphone while driving, and a data recorder in case

of an accident.Devices for lane-keeping assistance, advanced emergency braking

and crash-test improved safety belts are suggested for cars and vans,

while the legislation also addresses drink-driving, making it easier to

retrofit an alcohol interlock device – used in a number of EU member

states to tackle repeat drink-driving.A DfT spokesman said: “These interventions are expected to deliver a

step-change in road safety across Europe, including the UK.“Intelligent Speed Assistance systems are expected to give drivers

feedback when the speed limit is exceeded rather than limiting the

speed, much like satellite navigation does now.”

Driving instructor’s Instagram name stolen by royal coupleA driving instructor was shocked to discover his Instagram name was

taken away and given to Prince Harry and Meghan.Kevin Keiley had used the Instagram handle @sussexroyal because

he lives in West Sussex and supports Reading FC, nicknamed the Royals.

Instagram changed his handle to @_sussexroyal_ so the Duke and

Duchess of Sussex could launch their own Instagram account as @sussexroyal.

The social media company says it changed Kevin’s handle in line with its policy which allows it to make changes to an account that has

been inactive for a certain amount of time. Kevin said he is “annoyed” that Instagram didn’t contact him and says he’s “a bit loath to use Instagram until I have a chat with them personally.”


17/04/2019 9:56 am

2019

2005


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Joy rides - Driving Instructors Association

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