I don’t go there often, so yesterday I had to take a pupil to the Barnet driving test centre and was caught short on the way down, and had forgotten that they don’t have any toilet facilites for their customers!

I rushed out of the car, and as I entered the waiting room it clicked no toilets. I had to run down the road to the local pub, order a drink, and then ask to use their facilities.

Luckly it was me that ended up panicking, so if you have a driving test in the barnet centre (especially those using their own private car for the practical), make sure you empty your bladder before setting off.

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I didn’t post this information yesterday, just incase people thought it was an April Fool’s day joke, but DSA driving test fees have gone up again.

It now costs £31.00 to take the driving theory test for cars and motorcycles and the practical car driving assessment is now £62 weekdays and £75 for weekday evenings and weekend tests.

If you are fortunate enough to have been a disqualified driver, then it will cost you £124.00 weekday or £150.00 for the priviledge of an extended saturday driving test.

Potential/Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) theory test fees will increase to £90 from 24 April 2009, while part 2 and part 3 fees will be £111.

More DSA News
New driving Test oct 2010

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ADI Criminal Checks

One of the Driving Standards Agency requirements to be an instructor is that the person must be ‘fit and proper’ in order for their name to be entered into the Register of Approved Driving Instructors (ADI).

Prior to 12 March 2007 anyone applying to become a driving instructor and start ADI training never had a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check done on them, relying on the applicant to disclose any convitions on their application forms. These CRB checks are now compulsary to ensure that all potential driving instructors (PDI) and existing ADIs meet the ‘fit and proper’ criterion.

As an existing driving instructor, I recently had my CRB check done, and the DSA are pleased to inform me that I meet the requirements, and therefore my name can remain on the register for approved driving instructors. All I have to do now is pass my next ADI check tests.

Is your driving instructor fit and proper?

I made a post not too long ago about illegal driving instructors, mentioning that you should check that your teacher is currently registered as an ADI with the DSA, and that their green or pink ADI number badge has their photo on it, and the expiry date has not lapsed. This is more important if you are one of those who chose your instructor because they where offering cheap driving lessons and they were the lowest priced tutor in your area. You want to make sure that your driving instructor does not have any criminal convictions which the DSA consider to be improper for an ADI especially since you would be spending time alone with a total stranger in a car for extentended periods of time, and the fact they have a car with a roof sign, dual controls does not make them legal.

The DSA are doing everything they can to ensure driving instructors are legal, and the best you learner drivers can do is to make sure you only take driving lessons with DSA ADIs who have been CRB checked, and this is easy to know, check their registration badge which they legally have to display on their windscreen/dashboard when giving you paid tuition otherwise you don’t have to pay them for the driving lesson.

More Reading
Affordable ADI Training
Avoid Red driving school instructor training scheme.

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http://www.ukadi.co.uk

If you are currently learning to drive a car with a family member or friend, have you ever thought of asking yourself the question: Will my current teacher pass the driving test if they took it today?

I remember watching a programme on television sometime ago where I think 6 people who had full UK driving licences where asked to re-take the DSA test again as part of an experiement, the ages of the people varied, so did their sex and how long they had been driving for. One thing was common with all of them, they thought they were safe drivers because they had not been involved in an accident, and had full no claims bonus on their insurance. Only 2 out of the 6 passed the DSA test!

How are you sure that your Dad, Friend or Spouse is giving you the right tuition while you are learning to drive with them? The fact that they’ve never been involved in an accident doesn’t mean they are very safe, more importantly it has no bearing on whether they can drive at the current DSA driving test standard, which is why I would recommend that they get a copy of the AA book supervising a learner as it lets them know how to prepare a provisional licence holder for the driving test.

Now if the person who is teaching you to drive can not pass the test, how are you the learner driver going to do the same? Obviously you will learn how to move a car from A to B, have an idea what the manuovers are, and how to carry them out to an extent, but how you can think of booking a driving test without learning to drive properly with a driving instructor beats me! Yet everyday many test candidates go to a driving test centre having only been taught to drive by a friend or family member, no wonder the current pass rate is only 40%.

Now don’t get me wrong, learning to drive with a DSA approved driving instuctor is no gurantee that you will pass the driving test, but at least the ADI can pass the current test because they are aware of what the DSA requires, drive at that standard everyday (well they should be), and will not get you into unsafe driving habits.

If you are learning to drive, you should think about your teacher, whether an instructor or not, are you confident that they are giving you the right tuition and developing the right driving habits, if not, then it is time for change! Even the driving standards agency that conducts the test in the UK, recognise that many people will prepare for the pratctical with friends and family, and have written a book to help with this process.

It is designed to give the much needed guidance to the specifuc standards that the examiner is looking for on the test, something which your dad, mum or friend can easily teach you even if they don’t currently drive that way. So don’t waste that expensive driving test fee and all that practising time, get the full facts before going to the test centre!

More Reading
Driving age is not changing.
Cheap driving lessons.

Pass Plus driving lessons

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No matter how many driving lessons you take a week in your preparation towards passing the UK driving test, there is always something extra that you can do between your appointments with your driving instructor or supervising driver that could give you that extra edge that could mean the difference between you passing and failing the DSA practical car assessment. One thing that I keep telling my learner driver pupils is that you can never over prepare for the driving test, but you can always be underprepared, and a lot of people who present themselves to a DSA Examiner are! They attend their appointment hoping that they don’t get taken on a difficult test route, are not asked to do the parallel parking or left reverse round the corner, the end result being failure and they add to the statistics of the low 40% pass rate!

So what is the extra work that a test candidate can do in between driving lessons that will better prepare them and increase their chances of them pass the driving test and earn them that highly coveted full british licence? You will find out that some of the following advice and tips that I’m about to give will not cost you a lot in terms of money, can easily be done on a daily basis as long as your are disciplined and willing to dedicate some time to the tasks and could actually end up saving you money, be it from passing the driving test, making better progress during your lessons and thus needing fewer.

Learner Driver Journal or Diary: Not everyone will remember every single thing that they learnt during their driving lesson, and keeping a driving journal which you can fill out after your 1hr or 2hrs tuition with your ADI will give you a record of things that you learnt, tips you were given, and skills you need to work. I remember when I was in college not taking notes in class during particular subject lectures because these were hobbies of mine which I had magazines or practical experience of, some other students copied me, but where surprised when I always did better than them during tests, what they failed to realise was that I had an unfair advantage over them, because I wasn’t learning the subject in class, but was just getting a reminder of the knowledge I already possessed from the magazines which I probably had read cover to cover 2 or 3 times and the practical experience I had gained from the club workshops I attended. By revising your journal notes, you will be using your driving lessons for practice, and will be more relaxed and this will produce a smooth drive which can only improve or boost your confidence.

Know your road traffic signs: As part of the driving test preparation for my learner driver pupils I take them on some country roads or dual carriageways where the National Speed Limit applies, and I’m always amazed at the number of people who either fail to recognise the NSL sign or don’t know what the speed limit translates to on the specific road they are driving on! You should continue to read your highway code book in between driving lessons even if you have passed the theory test, as any of the knowledge could be tested by the test route chosen by the DSA examiner. Simple things like who to give way to at a roundabout (many test candidates under pressure give ways to vehicles on the left!), who has the right of way when turning right at traffic lights with oncoming cars, the purpose of hatched areas marked on the road! Yes you can ask your driving instructor or supervising driver, but suppose you encounter something on the test which you can’t remember how to deal with because it was long ago that it happened? Reading the Highway Code on the bus or train while going to work in the morning, or returning home in the evening is much more productive than newpapers or gossip magazines and while people might know you are learning to drive, surely your pride can take a backstage if you are really serious about passing the UK driving test.

Use the internet to your advantage: If you are reading this article, then you are already doing this, but make sure you have everything covered. My driving test tips blog has a lot advise, videos and tips to help with the DSA test, but there are many other resources you there that can cover any gaps in your knowledge. The DL25 report form is a good document that you should familiarise yourself with, it explains the skills you will be tested on, and the standard expected of you by the DSA.

Learn from Driving Standards Agency resources. As the government agency that is responsible for conducting the UK driving test, they have a few books that you could also read when not taking driving lessons, and you could get tips on things that you could practise with your instructor or supervising driver during your next lesson. As has been said before the more you know about what the DSA requires of you during the practical car assessment, the better placed you are to satisfy that requirement and the little work you put into reading a £5.99 could be key to your success at the next driving test attempt.

Finally for those of you who prefer to use computer based games to prepare for the test, you might want to try the driving test simulator which is a very popular educational software for the PC that simulates the DSA test and contains additional videos to further suppliment your knowledge gained during your driving lessons. By trying one or two of these tips, I’m sure you will have the extra confidence, knowledge and skills required to get that pass certificate required to apply to the DVLA for your full UK driving licence.

For quality manual driving lessons in NW London call me on 07956233032. Please note that while I’m fully knowledgable of the Hendon and Mill Hill test routes, I don’t confine learner drivers who are taking a 2hr assessment to use my car on a practical to these areas only.

More Reading
Pass Plus advanced driving lessons.

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