Tuesday 30 December 2008
How too!
How too, Reverse Park into a parking space, Reverse Park beside the road (parellel park), Left and right reverse around a corner and finally how too carry out the Turn in the Road (3 point turn). To find the answers to these and many other questions visit www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk
Driving Practise E-Book
Please find an extract from www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk website on an extremely useful e-book, that could well save you money on your driving lessons!
Private practice e-book
When I started my training to become an ADI I remember being surprised at just how much you had to think about, both in the planning of lessons and what needed to be said and watched for during the lessons. As an experienced driver who also had experience of training people in a previous career, I thought that I already knew what to say and do to teach someone to drive. However I soon realised this was not the case and discovered just how easy it was to miss out important information or miss errors in the learner's drive and much much more! But with the right information and advice I was soon providing good quality tuition, enabling my pupils to become good competent drivers and of course pass their driving tests.
This E-Book has 11 sections, each of which will assist you to provide good private driving practice. After downloading to your computer you can either print out the complete book or just particular sections, or simply read directly from your computer
Introduction - explains why the book has been produced
Legal Requirements - can you accompany the learner?
Your Aims - how you should approach driving instruction
The Theory & Hazard Perception Tests - detailing what is involved
Lesson Plans - giving 'Lesson Briefings' and important advice on how to practise
Under Instruction or Test Standard - how to tell if the learner is ready for their test
Mock Tests - a very useful tool in preparing a learner for their test
Vehicle Safety Check Questions - all the official questions and answers
Driving Test - useful information and advice gained from many years experience
You've Passed! - what's next?
Links - useful websites
All this for just £3.95 please visit www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk for more information.
Private practice e-book
When I started my training to become an ADI I remember being surprised at just how much you had to think about, both in the planning of lessons and what needed to be said and watched for during the lessons. As an experienced driver who also had experience of training people in a previous career, I thought that I already knew what to say and do to teach someone to drive. However I soon realised this was not the case and discovered just how easy it was to miss out important information or miss errors in the learner's drive and much much more! But with the right information and advice I was soon providing good quality tuition, enabling my pupils to become good competent drivers and of course pass their driving tests.
This E-Book has 11 sections, each of which will assist you to provide good private driving practice. After downloading to your computer you can either print out the complete book or just particular sections, or simply read directly from your computer
Introduction - explains why the book has been produced
Legal Requirements - can you accompany the learner?
Your Aims - how you should approach driving instruction
The Theory & Hazard Perception Tests - detailing what is involved
Lesson Plans - giving 'Lesson Briefings' and important advice on how to practise
Under Instruction or Test Standard - how to tell if the learner is ready for their test
Mock Tests - a very useful tool in preparing a learner for their test
Vehicle Safety Check Questions - all the official questions and answers
Driving Test - useful information and advice gained from many years experience
You've Passed! - what's next?
Links - useful websites
All this for just £3.95 please visit www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk for more information.
Thursday 18 December 2008
Learning to drive age limit!
As a driving instructor I am reguarly asked when is the minimum age for learning to drive going to change?The answer is the same as it was over 20 years ago when I was learning to drive, and that is there is no change, the minimum age (in most cases) is still 17 years old. The Driving Stanards Agency (DSA) are currently conducting a consultation paper on various aspects relating to learning to drive. One of the areas being considered is the minimum age limit. My own feelings are that there will be no change, however when the final decisions on the consultation paper are published we will advise you here of any changes. All information correct at October 2008 We hope that you find the following pages helpful and informative
Thursday 6 November 2008
Cheap Driving Lessons - Part 2
Last week, I started to look at the subject of "cheap driving lessons" and why they may not turn out to be the bargain they seem to be.
If you missed the first part of this series, you can read it at Cheap Driving Lessons - Part 1
This time, I'm going to look at the reasons why driving instructors offer cheap driving lessons.
Virtually all driving instructors in the UK are self-employed, either working on their own as independent driving instructors, or as franchisees for a driving school.
Hardly any driving instructors are actually employed by a driving school.
Even the driving instructors you see on the road in cars with BSM/The AA Driving School, Red Driving School etc written on them, are franchisees. Being a franchisee means that the instructor has to pay BSM/The AA Driving School/Red or whichever school, a fee every week or every month, for various services supplied by the driving school to the franchised driving instructor. This charge usually includes the use of the company name, finding customers for the instructor, the use of the car and so on. The costs of a franchise with a large driving school can be pretty high - in some cases up to £370 a WEEK!
Even if a driving instructor is working on their own as an independent, they have high costs too. They have to supply their own car, so they will either hire one or buy one themselves. Instead of a franchise fee they will be paying for the cost of their vehicle - unless they can afford to buy their car outright, they will be paying either hire charges or a loan repayment. They will also have the ongoing costs of vehicle maintenance. They will also have to source their customers themselves, so they may need to take out their own advertising on the internet, phone books, local newspapers etc.
Whether a driving instructor is a franchisee or an independent, like all self-employed people, they have additional costs to meet out of the money they make. Tax and national insurance, accountants fees, phone bills, stationery, car valeting, membership of professional trade organisations, their own professional development training and so on.
So, in short, driving instructors have a lot of expenses and overheads to meet!
If a driving instructor charges £20 for an hour long driving lesson, around 2/3 of that sum will be used to cover their overheads as outlined above. So out of that £20, he or she will have to pay out a rough average of £13 to cover overheads. Obviously, that means that they then have only around £7 left for themselves as actual income for that driving lesson.
There are currently over 44,000 fully qualified driving instructors in the UK and in excess of 20,000 more people at various stages in the qualification process. Driving instructor training companies make lots of money by frequent TV and newspaper advertising campaigns for their instructor training courses, filled with rose-tinted images and glowing assurances of how much money driving instructors can earn and so more and more people fancy having a go at what they are told is an easy, secure and lucrative career.
The truth is that there is now nowhere near enough work out there for the number of driving instructors there are already, and with more and more new instructors being churned out via the training companies and their advertising campaigns, the situation is getting worse and worse.
The credit crunch and recession has had the effect of reducing the demand for driving lessons, so a steadily increasing number of driving instructors are competing for a shrinking pool of potential customers.
That's where cheap driving lessons come in. Desperate driving instructors are struggling to get work and drop their lesson prices to make their services seem more attractive to those wanting to learn to drive.
As one instructor drops their prices, another sees what they're doing and fights back by undercutting the first price...then more join in, the effect spirals and the price goes further and further down until it reaches a level where it costs the instructor more to give the lesson than they get paid for it.
It might seem like a win-win situation if you're the customer - cheap driving lessons, that's got to be good hasn't it?...but a bargain at what price?
If you missed the first part of this series, you can read it at Cheap Driving Lessons - Part 1
This time, I'm going to look at the reasons why driving instructors offer cheap driving lessons.
Virtually all driving instructors in the UK are self-employed, either working on their own as independent driving instructors, or as franchisees for a driving school.
Hardly any driving instructors are actually employed by a driving school.
Even the driving instructors you see on the road in cars with BSM/The AA Driving School, Red Driving School etc written on them, are franchisees. Being a franchisee means that the instructor has to pay BSM/The AA Driving School/Red or whichever school, a fee every week or every month, for various services supplied by the driving school to the franchised driving instructor. This charge usually includes the use of the company name, finding customers for the instructor, the use of the car and so on. The costs of a franchise with a large driving school can be pretty high - in some cases up to £370 a WEEK!
Even if a driving instructor is working on their own as an independent, they have high costs too. They have to supply their own car, so they will either hire one or buy one themselves. Instead of a franchise fee they will be paying for the cost of their vehicle - unless they can afford to buy their car outright, they will be paying either hire charges or a loan repayment. They will also have the ongoing costs of vehicle maintenance. They will also have to source their customers themselves, so they may need to take out their own advertising on the internet, phone books, local newspapers etc.
Whether a driving instructor is a franchisee or an independent, like all self-employed people, they have additional costs to meet out of the money they make. Tax and national insurance, accountants fees, phone bills, stationery, car valeting, membership of professional trade organisations, their own professional development training and so on.
So, in short, driving instructors have a lot of expenses and overheads to meet!
If a driving instructor charges £20 for an hour long driving lesson, around 2/3 of that sum will be used to cover their overheads as outlined above. So out of that £20, he or she will have to pay out a rough average of £13 to cover overheads. Obviously, that means that they then have only around £7 left for themselves as actual income for that driving lesson.
There are currently over 44,000 fully qualified driving instructors in the UK and in excess of 20,000 more people at various stages in the qualification process. Driving instructor training companies make lots of money by frequent TV and newspaper advertising campaigns for their instructor training courses, filled with rose-tinted images and glowing assurances of how much money driving instructors can earn and so more and more people fancy having a go at what they are told is an easy, secure and lucrative career.
The truth is that there is now nowhere near enough work out there for the number of driving instructors there are already, and with more and more new instructors being churned out via the training companies and their advertising campaigns, the situation is getting worse and worse.
The credit crunch and recession has had the effect of reducing the demand for driving lessons, so a steadily increasing number of driving instructors are competing for a shrinking pool of potential customers.
That's where cheap driving lessons come in. Desperate driving instructors are struggling to get work and drop their lesson prices to make their services seem more attractive to those wanting to learn to drive.
As one instructor drops their prices, another sees what they're doing and fights back by undercutting the first price...then more join in, the effect spirals and the price goes further and further down until it reaches a level where it costs the instructor more to give the lesson than they get paid for it.
It might seem like a win-win situation if you're the customer - cheap driving lessons, that's got to be good hasn't it?...but a bargain at what price?
Monday 3 November 2008
How To Choose A Driving Instructor
Lots of professional organisations (including the DSA!) often pass on what they think is "helpful advice" to those trying to find a driving instructor. Unfortunately, although well meaning, the advice they offer can sometimes be misleading and/or irrelevant.
I
asked Peter Cary, Director of The ADI Federation and a fully qualified and very experienced driving instructor who specialises in teaching the disabled, nervous and those with learning difficulties to drive, what advice he would give to customers seeking a good driving instructor. Here's what he said;
"I believe that customers should be equipped with the "right questions" to ask.
The "right questions DO NOT include;
"What is your pass rate".
"What is your grade"
BUT should be....
1) Are you a fully qualified ADI? (Approved Driving Instructor)
It is possible to be taught by a PDI (Potential Driving Instructor) and to be honest some are very good, but unfortunately the vast majority never qualify as driving instructors.
29,000 people tried to become ADIs last year with just over 4,000 actually qualifying.
In fact in the case of one of the largest schools in the UK, almost half of their instructors are PDIs, easily recognised by a large red triangle being displayed on their ADI Licence displayed on the windscreen as apposed to the green octagon shown by a fully qualified ADI
2) How long have you been qualified?
A recently qualified ADI should be up to date with latest thinking, but may not have so much experience in teaching people to drive with various different techniques in helping clients to accomplish the task of driving.
3) Do you belong to a professional body?
Paying membership to one of the several bodies representing ADIs means they have the back up of a large organisation who can give them advice with problems they or their pupils may have with motoring law or the DSA.
4) Do you belong to any other road safety bodies?
A few instructors are members of bodies such as AIRSO (Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers) again demonstrating a strong commitment to improving driving for everybody.
5) Do you have any specialisms?
If the instructor teaches the more "challenging" members of society, the elderly, learning difficulties and disabled, they probably will have more patience than some who don't.
6) Do you have any extra qualifications?
You may not need some of the qualifications but the fact the ADI has gone out of his way to widen their knowledge shows that they have a commitment to their students
Some of the extra Qualifications they might have.
IAM/RoSPA membership
To belong to these organisations one has to pass a high standard of practical driving test.
Dip Di
This is a written exam in 5 parts that throughly tests the ADI knowledge in management of a driving school,car mechanics, motoring law, teaching techniques and of course driving theory, skills and procedures.
Banstead/ QEFH trained
This is a three day course devoted to teaching the disabled to drive, learning about "problems" the disabled may have and what aids are available to help overcome them.
City and Guilds 7307
This an adult teaching certificate that some colleges require before you can teach on the premises, but shows they have communication skills to impart their knowledge to others
Fleet Trainer
This is a voluntary register run by the DSA for ADIs to train FLH (Full Licence Holders) requiring an ADI to pass at a much higher standard than the basic ADI is required.
NDIS (National Driving Improvement Scheme)
This is as the name suggests a national scheme where drivers make an error of judgment, the police can offer a training course to improve their driving rather than taking the driver to court to be only fined and have points added to their licence, there are very few instructors selected to do this work.
SAFED (Safe And Fuel Efficient Driving)
This a government incentive to improve the driving of white van man there are approximately 320 ADIs out of a total of 42,000 ADIs doing this work.
There are more qualifications, but this should cover most of them.
You will be able to gauge what sort of instructor you are dealing with by the response you get to these questions, as most people don't know what to ask.
The DSA propose to make public the pass rate and grade of an instructor, which at first reading seems very useful information to make a subjective choice, however if you follow the thinking through you might not feel it's so useful.
There are lies, damned lies and statistics...
A) Grades
ADIs are graded 1 through to 6, six is the best grade, the vast majority of ADIs are grade 4.
With grades 3 and below the DSA will be taking action to remove them from the register if they do not improve very quickly.
However ADIs are graded by an examiner who sits in on ONE lesson and sees how they perform according to the DSA method of marking, we can all have a bad day, the examiner may have missed a key point in the lesson, it has happened that there has been personality clashes between ADI and examiner.
I know of many grade 4's that give wonderful training, make it fun for their clients and lots pass first time with them, I also know grade six instructors who shout and have a very short fuse with some of their students.
B) Pass Rates
The DSA used to send all ADIs their pass rates, but they gave up because no ADI ever agreed with the figures given by the DSA, there were instances of instructors who had been dead for over a year still getting pupils through the test - now thats what I call dedication!
Some instructors publish their pass rates, how are they working out their pass rate? Are they taking every customer on or are they "cherry picking"?
There is a recently formed driving school aiming at the top end of the public school market Eton, Harrow, etc and they are expecting their clients to have 4 times the average amount of lessons combined with plenty of private practice, I would be very disappointed if their pass rate was below 99.9%.
I believe if the pass rates are published it will hurt the more disadvantaged members of society as they will be turned away as "difficult" to teach and drag the pass rates of instructors down, or maybe even worse some instructors may take them on but have no intention of ever presenting them for a test.
Even though I specialise in this sector of the market and my pass rate is above the national average, if I thought it would effect potential clients considering me as an instructor, I would have to seriously consider if I would continue to accept them onto my books.
Raw statistics don't tell the whole story.
If you had a serious heart condition who would you prefer to treat you a surgeon whose patients had 20% survival rate or a surgeon with 99.9%?
The answer may seem obvious until you dig deeper, maybe the first surgeon specialises in the cases where the condition has progressed so far that no other person will attempt the operation, whilst the other specialises in "Ingrowing Toenails"!
As you can see there are lots of things to be considered when choosing an ADI.
Unfortunately most people think an ADI is an ADI and can be chosen on price alone, all the extra training I've listed above entails more cost and loss of earnings to an ADI so a more qualified ADI will normally be more expensive per lesson, but hopefully with a higher standard to training you should be better equipped to drive safely for life on the road.
The last question you should ask is
"When can you fit me in?" :) "
If you would like to find out more about Peter Cary, please see his website - Peter Cary, Driving Instructor - Specialising For Those With Disabilities Or Anxieties About Driving
For more information about The ADI Federation, please see their website - The ADI Federation
This interview was originally published on my webpage - How To Choose A Driving Instructor
I
asked Peter Cary, Director of The ADI Federation and a fully qualified and very experienced driving instructor who specialises in teaching the disabled, nervous and those with learning difficulties to drive, what advice he would give to customers seeking a good driving instructor. Here's what he said;"I believe that customers should be equipped with the "right questions" to ask.
The "right questions DO NOT include;
"What is your pass rate".
"What is your grade"
BUT should be....
1) Are you a fully qualified ADI? (Approved Driving Instructor)
It is possible to be taught by a PDI (Potential Driving Instructor) and to be honest some are very good, but unfortunately the vast majority never qualify as driving instructors.
29,000 people tried to become ADIs last year with just over 4,000 actually qualifying.
In fact in the case of one of the largest schools in the UK, almost half of their instructors are PDIs, easily recognised by a large red triangle being displayed on their ADI Licence displayed on the windscreen as apposed to the green octagon shown by a fully qualified ADI
2) How long have you been qualified?
A recently qualified ADI should be up to date with latest thinking, but may not have so much experience in teaching people to drive with various different techniques in helping clients to accomplish the task of driving.
3) Do you belong to a professional body?
Paying membership to one of the several bodies representing ADIs means they have the back up of a large organisation who can give them advice with problems they or their pupils may have with motoring law or the DSA.
4) Do you belong to any other road safety bodies?
A few instructors are members of bodies such as AIRSO (Association of Industrial Road Safety Officers) again demonstrating a strong commitment to improving driving for everybody.
5) Do you have any specialisms?
If the instructor teaches the more "challenging" members of society, the elderly, learning difficulties and disabled, they probably will have more patience than some who don't.
6) Do you have any extra qualifications?
You may not need some of the qualifications but the fact the ADI has gone out of his way to widen their knowledge shows that they have a commitment to their students
Some of the extra Qualifications they might have.
IAM/RoSPA membership
To belong to these organisations one has to pass a high standard of practical driving test.
Dip Di
This is a written exam in 5 parts that throughly tests the ADI knowledge in management of a driving school,car mechanics, motoring law, teaching techniques and of course driving theory, skills and procedures.
Banstead/ QEFH trained
This is a three day course devoted to teaching the disabled to drive, learning about "problems" the disabled may have and what aids are available to help overcome them.
City and Guilds 7307
This an adult teaching certificate that some colleges require before you can teach on the premises, but shows they have communication skills to impart their knowledge to others
Fleet Trainer
This is a voluntary register run by the DSA for ADIs to train FLH (Full Licence Holders) requiring an ADI to pass at a much higher standard than the basic ADI is required.
NDIS (National Driving Improvement Scheme)
This is as the name suggests a national scheme where drivers make an error of judgment, the police can offer a training course to improve their driving rather than taking the driver to court to be only fined and have points added to their licence, there are very few instructors selected to do this work.
SAFED (Safe And Fuel Efficient Driving)
This a government incentive to improve the driving of white van man there are approximately 320 ADIs out of a total of 42,000 ADIs doing this work.
There are more qualifications, but this should cover most of them.
You will be able to gauge what sort of instructor you are dealing with by the response you get to these questions, as most people don't know what to ask.
The DSA propose to make public the pass rate and grade of an instructor, which at first reading seems very useful information to make a subjective choice, however if you follow the thinking through you might not feel it's so useful.
There are lies, damned lies and statistics...
A) Grades
ADIs are graded 1 through to 6, six is the best grade, the vast majority of ADIs are grade 4.
With grades 3 and below the DSA will be taking action to remove them from the register if they do not improve very quickly.
However ADIs are graded by an examiner who sits in on ONE lesson and sees how they perform according to the DSA method of marking, we can all have a bad day, the examiner may have missed a key point in the lesson, it has happened that there has been personality clashes between ADI and examiner.
I know of many grade 4's that give wonderful training, make it fun for their clients and lots pass first time with them, I also know grade six instructors who shout and have a very short fuse with some of their students.
B) Pass Rates
The DSA used to send all ADIs their pass rates, but they gave up because no ADI ever agreed with the figures given by the DSA, there were instances of instructors who had been dead for over a year still getting pupils through the test - now thats what I call dedication!
Some instructors publish their pass rates, how are they working out their pass rate? Are they taking every customer on or are they "cherry picking"?
There is a recently formed driving school aiming at the top end of the public school market Eton, Harrow, etc and they are expecting their clients to have 4 times the average amount of lessons combined with plenty of private practice, I would be very disappointed if their pass rate was below 99.9%.
I believe if the pass rates are published it will hurt the more disadvantaged members of society as they will be turned away as "difficult" to teach and drag the pass rates of instructors down, or maybe even worse some instructors may take them on but have no intention of ever presenting them for a test.
Even though I specialise in this sector of the market and my pass rate is above the national average, if I thought it would effect potential clients considering me as an instructor, I would have to seriously consider if I would continue to accept them onto my books.
Raw statistics don't tell the whole story.
If you had a serious heart condition who would you prefer to treat you a surgeon whose patients had 20% survival rate or a surgeon with 99.9%?
The answer may seem obvious until you dig deeper, maybe the first surgeon specialises in the cases where the condition has progressed so far that no other person will attempt the operation, whilst the other specialises in "Ingrowing Toenails"!
As you can see there are lots of things to be considered when choosing an ADI.
Unfortunately most people think an ADI is an ADI and can be chosen on price alone, all the extra training I've listed above entails more cost and loss of earnings to an ADI so a more qualified ADI will normally be more expensive per lesson, but hopefully with a higher standard to training you should be better equipped to drive safely for life on the road.
The last question you should ask is
"When can you fit me in?" :) "
If you would like to find out more about Peter Cary, please see his website - Peter Cary, Driving Instructor - Specialising For Those With Disabilities Or Anxieties About Driving
For more information about The ADI Federation, please see their website - The ADI Federation
This interview was originally published on my webpage - How To Choose A Driving Instructor
Tuesday 28 October 2008
Cheap Driving Lessons - Part 1
With people worried about the credit crunch and the recession, it's perfectly natural and sensible to economise on what you spend. I do exactly the same myself.
When you go to a shop you usually know what you're getting. You know exactly what Coca Cola is and what to expect from the product inside the can or bottle. You can shop around and compare prices on a like for like basis. The can of Coke you buy from a big supermarket is going to be the same as the one you buy from the local corner shop or the petrol station as it's the same product - the only thing that is different is the price.
However, driving lessons aren't the same.
A driving lesson from one instructor will be totally different from one given by another instructor. Unlike cans of Coke, there's a variable "human" element involved.
Personality, teaching style, adaptability, professionalism, committment to customer service, reliability, punctuality...all of these are factors that wll be different in every single driving instructor, even though they are all ultimately teaching the same subject.
Over the past few months, I keep coming across people on the internet who want to learn to drive, but state that they want a driving instructor who is "good, cheap and will get me through my test in as few lessons as possible".
Unlike popular fizzy drinks, when it comes to driving instructors, the words "good" and "cheap" rarely go together.
Before I explain why I think that cheap driving lessons can be a very false economy, I'm going to put the reason why everyone should learn to drive PROPERLY into perspective...
Driving is a skill for life. A car is a dangerous weapon. When driving, you are in charge of several hundredweight of hard, unyielding metal with a powerful engine capable of travelling at an extremely fast speed.
A car can literally be lethal if not used properly...it can injure and kill, not only you, but other people too. Road accident statistics make horrifying reading;
Given that driving is so potentially dangerous, it never ceases to amaze me that so many people are determined to skimp on professional training and rush into doing something that could well cost them their lives if they make a mistake...
"Getting through your driving test in as few lessons as possible" does NOT mean that you will be safe on the roads. You need to think beyond "getting through your driving test" and think about what "driving" actually means.
Before you put the keys into the ignition of your own car and head off down life's highway, you need experience of different road and traffic situations and to know how to anticipate and plan to avoid or deal with dangerous or confusing situations. You also need to be considerate and responsible towards other road users yourself...in other words, you must be properly and adequately trained to handle your car safely. Just knowing enough to "get through your driving test quickly" isn't going to help you, if you meet a situation you don't know how to handle.
Learning to drive properly isn't cheap..but neither are the cost of funerals...think about it...
Back to the cost of driving lessons. Why are some instructors more expensive than others? I've heard people suggest that a driving instructor who charges more than £20 per hour is "ripping people off" and they know "someone who does 5 lessons for £49".
I won't make this blog entry too long, so I'll stop at this point. In Part 2 of this series of "Cheap Driving Lessons" blog posts, I'll be explaining EXACTLY why "someone who does 5 lessons for £49" can end up costing you MUCH MORE MONEY than a driving instructor charging £20 or more per hour...
When you go to a shop you usually know what you're getting. You know exactly what Coca Cola is and what to expect from the product inside the can or bottle. You can shop around and compare prices on a like for like basis. The can of Coke you buy from a big supermarket is going to be the same as the one you buy from the local corner shop or the petrol station as it's the same product - the only thing that is different is the price.
However, driving lessons aren't the same.
A driving lesson from one instructor will be totally different from one given by another instructor. Unlike cans of Coke, there's a variable "human" element involved.
Personality, teaching style, adaptability, professionalism, committment to customer service, reliability, punctuality...all of these are factors that wll be different in every single driving instructor, even though they are all ultimately teaching the same subject.
Over the past few months, I keep coming across people on the internet who want to learn to drive, but state that they want a driving instructor who is "good, cheap and will get me through my test in as few lessons as possible".
Unlike popular fizzy drinks, when it comes to driving instructors, the words "good" and "cheap" rarely go together.
Before I explain why I think that cheap driving lessons can be a very false economy, I'm going to put the reason why everyone should learn to drive PROPERLY into perspective...
Driving is a skill for life. A car is a dangerous weapon. When driving, you are in charge of several hundredweight of hard, unyielding metal with a powerful engine capable of travelling at an extremely fast speed.
A car can literally be lethal if not used properly...it can injure and kill, not only you, but other people too. Road accident statistics make horrifying reading;
- Every day in the UK, 23 young people, under the age of 25, are killed or seriously injured in vehicles. Most of these collisions are caused by bad driving. Not the vehicle, the road, or the conditions
- 1 in 5 drivers crash within their first year of driving
- It is estimated that as many as one in five of all serious road accidents involve drivers under the age of 21
- Around 3,000 young drivers are killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads each year
- Young drivers are more likely to be involved in high speed crashes, single vehicle crashes involving losing control, crashes in the dark and crashes when overtaking and negotiating bends
Given that driving is so potentially dangerous, it never ceases to amaze me that so many people are determined to skimp on professional training and rush into doing something that could well cost them their lives if they make a mistake...
"Getting through your driving test in as few lessons as possible" does NOT mean that you will be safe on the roads. You need to think beyond "getting through your driving test" and think about what "driving" actually means.
Before you put the keys into the ignition of your own car and head off down life's highway, you need experience of different road and traffic situations and to know how to anticipate and plan to avoid or deal with dangerous or confusing situations. You also need to be considerate and responsible towards other road users yourself...in other words, you must be properly and adequately trained to handle your car safely. Just knowing enough to "get through your driving test quickly" isn't going to help you, if you meet a situation you don't know how to handle.
Learning to drive properly isn't cheap..but neither are the cost of funerals...think about it...
Back to the cost of driving lessons. Why are some instructors more expensive than others? I've heard people suggest that a driving instructor who charges more than £20 per hour is "ripping people off" and they know "someone who does 5 lessons for £49".
I won't make this blog entry too long, so I'll stop at this point. In Part 2 of this series of "Cheap Driving Lessons" blog posts, I'll be explaining EXACTLY why "someone who does 5 lessons for £49" can end up costing you MUCH MORE MONEY than a driving instructor charging £20 or more per hour...
Thursday 21 August 2008
Where's The "Easiest" Place To Take My Driving Test?
You know what piddles me off with the driving test?
It's a standard test conducted in non-standard places.
I had a girl ring me up last week who'd failed her test a few times in London. She was looking for places she could get to on the train to come out of London and take her test...she wanted to know whether taking her test in Slough would be easier for her to pass...
The answer should be "No"...but it isn't.
The Driving Standards Agency don't release these figures very often but from the last published figures they gave out (April 2003 to March 2004), the national pass rate is 42.8% (that's a figure based on the total number of tests taken at every test centre in the UK)...BUT, when you look at the figures for individual test centres, it's massively variable e.g;
Slough 46%
Salen (Isle of Mull) 55.6%
Glasgow (Shettleston) 32.2%
Inveraray 80.0 %
Aberfedy 64.8%
Leeds 27.9%
Norwood South 29.5%
Pwllheli 60.8%
Reading 39.4%
Wood Green Lords 25.6%
Hayes 40.1%
It's a standard test conducted in non-standard places.
I had a girl ring me up last week who'd failed her test a few times in London. She was looking for places she could get to on the train to come out of London and take her test...she wanted to know whether taking her test in Slough would be easier for her to pass...
The answer should be "No"...but it isn't.
The Driving Standards Agency don't release these figures very often but from the last published figures they gave out (April 2003 to March 2004), the national pass rate is 42.8% (that's a figure based on the total number of tests taken at every test centre in the UK)...BUT, when you look at the figures for individual test centres, it's massively variable e.g;
Slough 46%
Salen (Isle of Mull) 55.6%
Glasgow (Shettleston) 32.2%
Inveraray 80.0 %
Aberfedy 64.8%
Leeds 27.9%
Norwood South 29.5%
Pwllheli 60.8%
Reading 39.4%
Wood Green Lords 25.6%
Hayes 40.1%
(source: http://www.2pass.co.uk/passrates.htm)
Does that mean that learner drivers in Inveraray and Aberfedy are miles better than those in Wood Green or Glasgow?
If you look at the stats, yes...but of course it's the fact that traffic conditions in Inveraray and Aberfedy are markedly different than the roads of Wood Green or Glasgow...
The system allows a person who passes their test in a rural area where the most taxing situation they meet is Farmer McGiles blocking the road with his sheep to then be fully licenced to head off to Glasgow or London or anywhere else, even though they've probably never driven round a one-way system or complex roundabout etc...
Barmy...
I told the young lady that...she's probably on her way to Inveraray as I type this...
Thursday 19 June 2008
DSA Overcharge 270,000 Driving Test Candidates Since November 2005
In a press release issued on 18 June 2008, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) have stated that due to "an error in regulations" dating back to November 2005, approximately 270,000 driving test candidates who booked their driving tests to take place on a SATURDAY were overcharged.
The DSA state that they will be writing to all those affected to apologise and to offer a refund, but that anyone wanting further information in the meantime can ring them on 0191 201 4098 and talk to an advisor.
The press release reads as follows;
"DSA Press release - SATURDAY DRIVING TESTS
SATURDAY DRIVING TESTS
The Driving Standards Agency is writing to learner driver candidates who have booked practical tests on a Saturday since November 2005, to offer a refund for overpayment of fees caused by accidental overcharging and to apologise for the error.
We are taking this action because of an error in regulations made on 1 November 2005 which had the unintended consequence of removing the differential between normal weekday hours and Saturday charges for taking a test.
The refund offered is the premium paid for a Saturday test, currently £10.50 for a car test.An amending regulation has now been laid in Parliament to reinstate in law the intended differential in fees. The Agency is obliged to recover administrative costs through fees, including the extra costs of Saturday operation, for example in overtime. Tests booked from 7 July onwards will be charged at the intended Saturday rate of £67.00.
The Driving Standards Agency apologises for the error and is contacting all those affected, but customers can speak direct to the Agency’s advisers by calling (0191) 201 4098 if they want information in the meantime. DSA believes around 270,000 candidates will be affected."
Source: DSA Press Release - Saturday Driving Tests
The DSA state that they will be writing to all those affected to apologise and to offer a refund, but that anyone wanting further information in the meantime can ring them on 0191 201 4098 and talk to an advisor.
The press release reads as follows;
"DSA Press release - SATURDAY DRIVING TESTS
SATURDAY DRIVING TESTS
The Driving Standards Agency is writing to learner driver candidates who have booked practical tests on a Saturday since November 2005, to offer a refund for overpayment of fees caused by accidental overcharging and to apologise for the error.
We are taking this action because of an error in regulations made on 1 November 2005 which had the unintended consequence of removing the differential between normal weekday hours and Saturday charges for taking a test.
The refund offered is the premium paid for a Saturday test, currently £10.50 for a car test.An amending regulation has now been laid in Parliament to reinstate in law the intended differential in fees. The Agency is obliged to recover administrative costs through fees, including the extra costs of Saturday operation, for example in overtime. Tests booked from 7 July onwards will be charged at the intended Saturday rate of £67.00.
The Driving Standards Agency apologises for the error and is contacting all those affected, but customers can speak direct to the Agency’s advisers by calling (0191) 201 4098 if they want information in the meantime. DSA believes around 270,000 candidates will be affected."
Source: DSA Press Release - Saturday Driving Tests
Monday 9 June 2008
Increase in Practical Test "Vehicle Safety Questions" (Show-Me-Tell-Me) from 01 July 2008
From 01 July 2008, six additional "Show-Me-Tell-Me" questions will be introduced to the Practical Driving Test.
The 13 current questions remain and test candidates will still only be asked 2 out of the 19 questions.
The additional questions are as follows;
"Show me how you would clean the windscreen using the windscreen washer and wipers
Show me how you would set the demister controls to clear all the windows effectively, this should include both front and rear screens
Show me how you would switch on the rear fog light(s) and explain when you would use it/them. (No need to exit vehicle)
Tell me how you make sure your head restraint is correctly adjusted so it provides the best protection in the event of a crash
Show me how you switch your headlight from dipped to main beam and explain how you would know the main beam is on whilst inside the car
Tell me how you would know if there was a problem with your anti lock braking system"
Full details of the existing and additional Vehicle Safety Questions can be found at the Driving Standards Agency website as follows;
Vehicle Safety Questions
The 13 current questions remain and test candidates will still only be asked 2 out of the 19 questions.
The additional questions are as follows;
"Show me how you would clean the windscreen using the windscreen washer and wipers
Show me how you would set the demister controls to clear all the windows effectively, this should include both front and rear screens
Show me how you would switch on the rear fog light(s) and explain when you would use it/them. (No need to exit vehicle)
Tell me how you make sure your head restraint is correctly adjusted so it provides the best protection in the event of a crash
Show me how you switch your headlight from dipped to main beam and explain how you would know the main beam is on whilst inside the car
Tell me how you would know if there was a problem with your anti lock braking system"
Full details of the existing and additional Vehicle Safety Questions can be found at the Driving Standards Agency website as follows;
Vehicle Safety Questions
Wednesday 7 May 2008
Driving Test Fees Increasing AGAIN
The DSA Business Plan 2008/2009 has outlined proposals to increase the Practical driving test fee for cars to £64.00 (daytimes)/£76.00 (evenings & weekends) in 2009.
See my previous blog entries for my thoughts on the massive price hikes in the cost of driving tests since 2007 already...
I cannot comment further at this stage...for once in my life, words completely fail me :(
See my previous blog entries for my thoughts on the massive price hikes in the cost of driving tests since 2007 already...
I cannot comment further at this stage...for once in my life, words completely fail me :(
Tuesday 22 April 2008
DSA Stop Issuing "Proper" Theory Test Pass Certificates
Theory Test pass certificates have been scrapped.
From 01 April 2008 the DSA stopped issuing separate Theory Test certificates. They now merely print the test pass number on the bottom of the computer generated results page that the test centre staff give to Theory Test candidates before they leave the test centre.
The Theory Test pass certificate used to look OK. It looked like a "proper" certificate and for many people gaining a pass and having a certificate to mark their achievement was tangible evidence that they'd succeeded and was rightly something for them to be proud of.
The Theory Test requires study and self-motivation. The test isn't so simple and straightforward that "everyone passes first time" - far from it, many people fail - so why does a Government agency treat laudable success with what amounts to derision?
This time last year it cost £21.50 to take the Theory Test. This increased to £28.50 in September 2007 and on 01 April 2008, a mere seven months later, the price increased again, this time to £30.00.
An increase of £8.50 - 39.5% over the course of a year. That's a big increase.
One can only assume that the "proper" Theory Test pass certificate has been abandoned in a cost-cutting measure...I would say perhaps that's fair enough, after all thrift is a virtue - if it weren't for the recent massive increases in the test fee...
How can they justify charging people more but giving them less?
It smacks of penny-pinching in the worst possible way...
Monday 14 April 2008
Your Driving Licence - Look After It!
I had a phone call today from someone saying she'd lost the "letter" that came with her driving licence and was it important...closer questioning revealed that she had lost the paper part of her licence....this is bad...this is not something you want to do...no, really, I'm not joking...
Those of us who deal with learner drivers on a daily basis have come across this time and time again. People (especially teenagers) get their provisional driving licence and eagerly grab the plastic photocard bit for use as ID to get into pubs, clubs etc and ignore the boring paper bit it's stuck too...BAD MOVE...THE PAPER BIT IS IMPORTANT SO DON'T LOSE IT, THROW IT AWAY OR DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN PUT IT SOMEWHERE VERY SAFE...
Why?
I'll tell you why...
Both the photocard and paper counterpart constitute your driving licence and they should ideally be kept together.
You should take good care of your driving licence as it is an important document and is widely acceptable as proof of identity - losing or throwing away the paper part of your driving licence could easily leave you vulnerable to identity fraud...
YOU MUST PRODUCE BOTH THE PAPER AND PHOTOCARD PARTS OF YOUR DRIVING LICENCE WHEN YOU TAKE BOTH THE THEORY AND PRACTICAL DRIVING TESTS - IF YOU DO NOT PRODUCE BOTH PARTS OF YOUR LICENCE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE EITHER TEST AND YOU WILL LOSE THE FEE YOU HAVE PAID FOR THE TEST.
You must replace your driving licence if it has been lost, stolen, defaced or destroyed.
Both the photocard and paper counterpart constitute your driving licence and they should ideally be kept together.
You should take good care of your driving licence as it is an important document and is widely acceptable as proof of identity - losing or throwing away the paper part of your driving licence could easily leave you vulnerable to identity fraud...
YOU MUST PRODUCE BOTH THE PAPER AND PHOTOCARD PARTS OF YOUR DRIVING LICENCE WHEN YOU TAKE BOTH THE THEORY AND PRACTICAL DRIVING TESTS - IF YOU DO NOT PRODUCE BOTH PARTS OF YOUR LICENCE YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE EITHER TEST AND YOU WILL LOSE THE FEE YOU HAVE PAID FOR THE TEST.
You must replace your driving licence if it has been lost, stolen, defaced or destroyed.
You must also replace your whole licence if you've lost either the paper counterpart or the photocard.
You can apply for a replacement driving licence online, by telephone or by post.
Fee For A Replacement Driving Licence
The fee for a duplicate driving licence is £17.50
How To Apply For A Replacement Driving Licence
The DVLA accepts the following forms of payment for online or phone applications; Visa, Eurocard, Mastercard and Maestro.
Apply for a replacement driving licence online
Telephone - 0870 240 0009 (Monday to Friday 8.00 am - 8.30 pm or Saturday 8.00 am - 5.30 pm)
For full details of how to apply for a replacement driving licence, please see DirectGov-Duplicate driving licence, replacing if lost, stolen, defaced or destroyed
You must also report any changes affecting your driving licence to the DVLA such as change of address, change of name etc - for more details, please see DirectGov - Change of name and address on your driving licence
Wednesday 9 April 2008
Driving Instructor Testing (check tests)
A couple of days ago someone found one of my websites using the search term "how often do driving instructors get tested ". I do give the answer there, but it's somewhat buried in a mass of other information and having looked round the internet, there seems to be a lack of information that answers that question properly. Hopefully this will help the next person wanting to know :)
Once the third and final part of the Approved Driving Instructor qualifying exams is successfully passed you must pay the registration fee (currently £300.00) and apply to join the Driving Standards Agency Register of Approved Driving Instructors . Your registration will last four years, then you will have to pay again.
In that four year period you will also have to undergo at least one "check-test" on the quality of your instruction. This will be performed by a senior grade driving examiner (SEADI) and will consist of the SEADI either observing you during a lesson with a pupil, or, if you prefer, the SEADI can "role-play" the part of a pupil for you to teach (similar to the Part Three test).
The first check test is often referred to an an "educational" check test and is usually carried out roughly 6 months or so after you qualify.
You will have to undergo periodic check-tests as long as you are a registered ADI. The frequency between check-tests depends on what grade you achieved on the previous check-test - generally speaking, the higher the grade achieved, the longer the interval between checks. You must however, achieve a grade 4 or above.
If you don't get a standard grade 4 at your check-test, then you will be asked to take another check-test within a certain time limit. These are:
* grade 3 - further check-test with six months
* grade 2 - further check-test within two months
* grade 1 - further check-test within a month
If you're given a grade 1 after three check-tests, you will be formally told that you will be struck off the ADI Register.
Once the third and final part of the Approved Driving Instructor qualifying exams is successfully passed you must pay the registration fee (currently £300.00) and apply to join the Driving Standards Agency Register of Approved Driving Instructors . Your registration will last four years, then you will have to pay again.
In that four year period you will also have to undergo at least one "check-test" on the quality of your instruction. This will be performed by a senior grade driving examiner (SEADI) and will consist of the SEADI either observing you during a lesson with a pupil, or, if you prefer, the SEADI can "role-play" the part of a pupil for you to teach (similar to the Part Three test).
The first check test is often referred to an an "educational" check test and is usually carried out roughly 6 months or so after you qualify.
You will have to undergo periodic check-tests as long as you are a registered ADI. The frequency between check-tests depends on what grade you achieved on the previous check-test - generally speaking, the higher the grade achieved, the longer the interval between checks. You must however, achieve a grade 4 or above.
If you don't get a standard grade 4 at your check-test, then you will be asked to take another check-test within a certain time limit. These are:
* grade 3 - further check-test with six months
* grade 2 - further check-test within two months
* grade 1 - further check-test within a month
If you're given a grade 1 after three check-tests, you will be formally told that you will be struck off the ADI Register.
Saturday 5 April 2008
Beware of unlicenced driving instructors - what to look out for...
On 26 February 2008, the BBC programme "The One Show" highlighted the fact that there is a growing problem with unlicenced instructors giving driving tuition illegally. These instructors are more often than not, untrained and their vehicles are frequently uninsured for the purposes of driving tuition which could mean serious consequences in the event of an accident...
To read a synopsis of the programme and to see an online video of the report featured on the show please click the following link - BBC - The One Show - Driving Instructors.
A driving instructor MUST have their name entered on the register of driving instructors held by the Driving Standards Agency. It is illegal for anyone other than a DSA licenced driving instructor to give driving instruction in exchange for money.
A fully qualified Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) must display their licence
(green octagon) on the windscreen of his/her tuition vehicle at all times when giving driving tuition in exchange for payment.
If the instructor is a trainee (Potential Driving Instructor/PDI), they must display their licence (pink triangle) on the windscreen of his/her tuition vehicle at all times when giving driving tuition in exchange for payment.
IF THERE'S NO LICENCE DISPLAYED ASK TO SEE IT - the instructor may simply have forgotten to stick it back on the windscreen after washing the car...or it may mean that the person you are paying to teach you is acting illegally...
You can check if someone offering driving tuition is registered at the ADI branch of the Driving Standards Agency:
Email: ADIReg@dsa.gsi.gov.uk
Phone: 0115 901 2618
To read a synopsis of the programme and to see an online video of the report featured on the show please click the following link - BBC - The One Show - Driving Instructors.
A driving instructor MUST have their name entered on the register of driving instructors held by the Driving Standards Agency. It is illegal for anyone other than a DSA licenced driving instructor to give driving instruction in exchange for money.
A fully qualified Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) must display their licence
(green octagon) on the windscreen of his/her tuition vehicle at all times when giving driving tuition in exchange for payment.If the instructor is a trainee (Potential Driving Instructor/PDI), they must display their licence (pink triangle) on the windscreen of his/her tuition vehicle at all times when giving driving tuition in exchange for payment.
IF THERE'S NO LICENCE DISPLAYED ASK TO SEE IT - the instructor may simply have forgotten to stick it back on the windscreen after washing the car...or it may mean that the person you are paying to teach you is acting illegally...
You can check if someone offering driving tuition is registered at the ADI branch of the Driving Standards Agency:
Email: ADIReg@dsa.gsi.gov.uk
Phone: 0115 901 2618
Friday 4 April 2008
Increase in cost of UK provisional driving licence and theory and practical driving test fees
On 01 April 2008 in what appears to be a rather unfunny April Fool's Day joke, the cost of a provisional driving licence and the fees for both the Theory and Practical tests increased.
The cost of a provisional driving licence is now £50.00. This time last year it was £38.00. It went up to £45.00 in May 2007. An increase of 31.5% in a year.
The Theory Test fee is now £30.00. This time last year it was £21.50. It increased to £28.50 in September 2007. An increase of 39.5% in a year.
The Practical Test fee for cars is now £56.50 (daytimes) / £67.00 (evenings & weekends). Prior to 01 April it was £48.50 (daytimes) / £58.00 (evenings & weekends). An increase of 16.5%/15.5% in a year.
Massive increases...well above the rate of inflation (around 2.5%), but the customer has no alternative but to pay if they want to drive legally.
Value for money?
Has the service improved?
How are increases of this size justified?
Beats me...
The cost of a provisional driving licence is now £50.00. This time last year it was £38.00. It went up to £45.00 in May 2007. An increase of 31.5% in a year.
The Theory Test fee is now £30.00. This time last year it was £21.50. It increased to £28.50 in September 2007. An increase of 39.5% in a year.
The Practical Test fee for cars is now £56.50 (daytimes) / £67.00 (evenings & weekends). Prior to 01 April it was £48.50 (daytimes) / £58.00 (evenings & weekends). An increase of 16.5%/15.5% in a year.
Massive increases...well above the rate of inflation (around 2.5%), but the customer has no alternative but to pay if they want to drive legally.
Value for money?
Has the service improved?
How are increases of this size justified?
Beats me...
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