 Telegraph.co.uk | Learning to drive: who'd be a driving instructor? Telegraph.co.uk It would be fair to say that I was apprehensive about meeting my instructor for the first time. After all, the average Briton has 47 hours of lessons (more if they don’t practise on their own) before they pass their driving test. That’s the best part of two whole days sat next to one person in a cramped metal box, propelled by a series of small gas explosions (the box, that is). There are ex-girlfriends I know less intimately. The relationship between pupil and master is also complicated somewhat by the fact that the former holds the latter’s life in his unskilled hands, a state of affairs which separates it from, say, a Latin lesson. The instructor wants his charge to make the odd mistake, in order to learn from it, but only certain sorts of mistake. A stall on a quiet side street is potentially instructive. Turning the wrong way on a busy road is potentially rather final, for teacher and pupil alike. This lifestyle, a rich gateau of brain-melting tedium dusted with terror, perhaps explains why “driving instructor” raises eyebrows like few other professions. Another reason could be that, over the course of 48 hours of conversation, everyone would say one or two memorably eccentric things. Whatever the cause, everyone who has learnt to drive has an anecdote about their instructor. I collected a few. Some are surreal: “Mine used to keep a fridge-freezer on the back seat, and threatened to throw it at another car on a back lane in Brentford.” Others are more tragic. “Mine was addicted to online roulette.” “Mine got home from one lesson just in time to stop the bailiffs knocking down his door, which had his prized Pink Floyd stained-glass in it.” One or two are frankly unsavoury. “My instructor used to refer to anyone not-white as 'my colonial cousin’,” said one friend. Several stories carried a certain dubious frisson. One friend’s instructor complained that “summer was a difficult time, because 17-year-old girls in strappy tops aren’t good for an instructor’s heart”. Another (allegedly, and several decades ago) passed her test by pulling her top down. Tests are notorious. In one apocryphal tale, the candidate was so hopeless that the examiner had to bring things to a halt. Normally this would entail a humiliating switch of seats and the examiner taking over. Not the most heartening experience for a candidate, but at least everyone is in one piece. In this story, however, the examiner couldn’t drive back because he had a prosthetic leg. Being cut up on a roundabout and failing the test is one thing. Arriving back at the centre car-less with your examiner on crutches is quite another. All of which meant I was anxious about my first meeting with Paul. In most ways it was like a date. He picked me up somewhere convenient (my house), promising to drop me off on time. We chatted anxiously. I was worried that a lifetime of driving might have drained him of anecdotes, but I was badly wrong. Surprisingly for a man with the patience of a Buddhist Mary Poppins, he is a Liverpudlian with Italian heritage. Before becoming an instructor nine years ago he was in the record industry, working with plenty of people you’d have heard of. He is also a diehard Liverpool fan, which is one of only a select band of pursuits I imagine to be more frustrating than teaching me to drive. He was present for the club’s remarkable Champion’s League Final victory over AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, and their defeat to the same team in 2007. Compared to sitting in the stands at Anfield for the past few years, bouncing haphazardly around north-west London with me must seem tantamount to a religious epiphany. The upshot of it, however, is that if you were designing someone to drive around with me for a long time, you could do far worse than an even-tempered football fan with a stock of stories about Nineties musicians. The interesting conversation, together with the uninteresting north London traffic, perhaps explain why it took me about 15 lessons to get into fourth gear. I’m there now, however, and cruising around at speeds of up to and including the limit. I am confident not only on my right indicator but also my left, and the kangarooing has been all but phased out of my “away from the lights” repertoire. It seems the thing that driving is most like is skiing. The trick is to remember a dozen different things at once, while at the same time not being conscious of remembering them. As soon as you remember the remembering, as it were, you immediately forget some others and plough into a tree. Slowly, confidently, I’m learning not to remember. Perhaps it’s not so different from Latin after all. |
Sunday 31 March 2013
Learning to drive: who'd be a driving instructor? - Telegraph.co.uk
Learning to drive: who'd be a driving instructor? - Telegraph.co.uk:
It's official – women are worst at driving - The Sun
It's official – women are worst at driving - The Sun:
The Sun | 
It's official – women are worst at driving
The Sun WOMEN are officially worse drivers than men, figures yesterday revealed. A Driving Standards Agency study into reasons given by examiners for failing learners showed women clocked up 857,000 major errors last year. Men made 646,000.
The findings also showed women are most likely to fail for bungled reverse parking, steering mistakes and botched gear changes. But the findings confirmed men are boy racers.
They often fail for going too fast, ignoring lights or missing signs.
The most common reason for failing an L-test for both sexes was not spotting a hazard at a road junction. It topped the list, followed by failing to check mirrors.
Women need praise from men to help them become better drivers, experts said last night.
Psychologist Dr Zachary Estes said: “Our research suggests that by making a woman feel better about herself she’ll become better at spatial tasks such as parking the car or reading a map.”
Recent research into 19,000 drivers showed that women were up to a fifth safer than men once they passed their tests.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4867279/Its-official-women-are-worst-at-driving.html#ixzz2P6laiYOh |
Saturday 30 March 2013
Learner driver rescues stray rabbit - East Lothian Courier
Learner driver rescues stray rabbit - East Lothian Courier:
ITV News | 
Learner driver rescues stray rabbit
East Lothian Courier THE Scottish SPCA is seeking the owner of a rabbit rescued by a driving instructor and her pupil after straying towards a busy road. The charity was alerted on Wednesday after the adult male lionhead crossbreed rabbit was discovered on ... Duncan ... Easter bunny 'rescued' by learner driverITV News all 3 news articles » |
Tuesday 26 March 2013
ADI check test to be replaced from April 2014
ADI check test to be replaced from April 2014
The approved driving instructor (ADI) check test will be replaced with a new ‘standards check’ from April 2014.
The Driving Standards Agency published the ‘National standard for driver and rider training’ in 2011. It sets out the skills, knowledge and understanding that you need to be an effective trainer.
The new check will assess how well you meet the standard, which is why it’s being called a ‘standards check’.
New standards check
We want the examiner to assess whether your instruction helps a person to learn in an effective way. So, during the standards check, the examiner will observe you giving a normal lesson to a real pupil.
There’ll be a new assessment form which will have 3 assessment areas:
- lesson planning
- risk management
- teaching and learning strategies
The form will give you clear and specific feedback about your strengths and areas where you can develop your competence.
Booking standards checks
The proposed consultation on modernising driver training will ask for views on making the standards check booking process fairer.
Options include:
- an online booking facility
- whether you should pay a separate fee for the standards check
A separate fee would be in line with the government’s ‘user pays’ principle. It would split the single registration fee into separate fees – one when you register, and one when you book the standards check.
Young Drivers & the Law (new Green Paper)
Press releaseGovernment to overhaul young driver rules in bid to improve safety and cut insurance costs
Green paper on improving the safety and reducing risks to young drivers launched.
Young drivers could benefit from improved training and lower insurance premiums as the government confirmed its intention to launch a green paper on improving the safety and reducing risks to young drivers.
The proposals were unveiled today at a summit for the motor insurance industry, hosted by the Department for Transport. Representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Department for Health and consumer organisation uSwitch were also present. The government is expecting the changes to result in a reduction in the high cost of vehicle insurance currently facing motorists – especially young drivers.
A green paper looking at a range of options for improving the safety of newly-qualified drivers will be published later in the spring. Among the proposals being considered are:
- a minimum learning period before candidates are permitted to sit their test
- enabling learner drivers to take lessons on motorways, and perhaps during adverse weather conditions or during darkness to encourage greater practice prior to taking a test
- increasing the existing probationary period from 2 to 3 years for a new driver’s licence to be revoked if they receive 6 or more penalty points
- making the driving test more rigorous to better prepare learners to drive unsupervised
- incentives for young drivers to take up additional training after passing their test.
The government is also considering the possibility of imposing temporary restrictions on newly qualified drivers and further details will be included for discussion when the green paper is published.
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 to 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.
I have been clear that I want to see insurance premiums reflecting conditions, performance and risks on the road. 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.
Justice Minister Helen Grant said:
Honest drivers should not have to foot the bill for a system that has been exploited by others to generate large profits for themselves. We have taken major steps to put this right, including changing no-win no-fee deals so lawyers can no longer double their money, banning behaviour which encourages questionable claims and tackling the whiplash problem. This will all help to create savings that insurers can pass on to their customers through lower premiums.
Today’s summit follows an inaugural meeting held at No10 Downing Street last year. A number of changes have already been implemented to address a range of concerns relating to motor insurance. These include:
- introducing Continuous Insurance Enforcement, making it illegal to own an uninsured vehicle unless it is registered SORN
- recently consulting on increasing the penalty for uninsured driving
- transforming no win, no fee law suits so that, from April, lawyers will no longer be able to double their fees if they win (at the expense of the defendant and their insurers)
- banning ‘referral fees’ paid between lawyers, insurers, claims firms, garages and others trading in profitable accident claims, also from April
- banning claims firms from offering upfront cash incentives or other gifts to people who bring claims to them, from April. Recommend a friend deals will also be banned
- cracking down on the number of whiplash claims – the Ministry of Justice has consulted on proposals including setting up independent medical panels to improve injury assessment and increasing the small claims court limit so more questionable claims can be challenged by insurers
Notes to editors
In addition to the measures outlined above, the government is also considering improving the training of driving instructors. Information would also be made available to parents and young drivers on what to look for when choosing an instructor, as we well as evidence on the most risky behaviours and how to avoid them.
The following organisations were present at the summit held at the Department for Transport:
- Association of British Insurers
- Admiral Insurance
- Aviva UK and Ireland
- Axa UK and Ireland
- Co-operative insurance
- RBS Insurance
- RSA Group
- Zurich UK
- The Motor Insurers Bureau
- The British Insurance Brokers’ Association
- uSwitch
- HM Treasury
- Driving Standards Agency
The Department for Transport has also published some qualitative research today on attitudes amongst young drivers and parents to driver training, driving and motor insurance.
Monday 25 March 2013
Young drivers 'could have to take motorway lessons'
Young drivers 'could have to take motorway lessons' - Telegraph.co.uk:
 Telegraph.co.uk |   Young drivers 'could have to take motorway lessons' Telegraph.co.uk They may also have to spend up to a year learning to drive before they are allowed to take their test. Once they have ... or driving after dark. At present learner drivers are not allowed onto motorways but can the moment they are qualified ... Government considers minimum lesson time and motorway sessions for learner ...Fleet Directory all 3 news articles » |
Well done George
Congratulations to George Robinson who passed today at the 1st attempt - despite taking 20 minutes to find his driving licence! (which was hidden in a very safe place)!
Enjoy your celebrations
25 March 2013
Monday 18 March 2013
Friday 15 March 2013
Congratulations to Amy
Teenager given licence without passing test
Driving chief calls for action after Sunderland teenager given licence without passing test
19-year-old Rheece Lowden has been sent a driving licence despite not yet sitting his test.
THE head of a national driving instructors’ group is calling for urgent action after a teenager was mistakenly handed a licence without sitting his test.
Barry Kenward, chairman of Delivering Information Developing Understanding (DIDU), has written to the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) demanding that steps are taken to prevent a repeat of the blunder which saw Rheece Lowden sent a full licence in the post.
As reported in the Echo, the 19-year-old, of Washington Village, was due to take his examination earlier this year, but cancelled it online.
However, the former Usworth Sixth Form student still received the official paper and plastic authorisation just days later.
The teenager, who feared he would be charged for a replacement provisional licence as well as a new test, refused to hand it back until officials took responsibility for the mistake.
“I have written to the chief executive officer at the DSA, Rosemary Thew, to ask questions about how this could have happened and for reassurance it will not be happening again,” said Mr Kenward.
“Additionally, in an attempt to champion his cause, I have also asked that between the DSA and the DVLA they sort this fiasco out and that Rheece gets another test without further payment and that he is not further charged the £20 for a new provisional licence.”
Rheece, who is unemployed, said he hoped passing his test would improve his job prospects, and spent hundreds of pounds on lessons.
Mr Kenward, who is chief of the association of driving instructors, said: “I was heartened to see how Rheece has handled himself and the situation.
“He is a credit to himself, his family and young people.”
A spokesman for the DSA has apologised for the mistake.
“This was an isolated incident and we are grateful to the customer who drew it to our attention,” he said.
“We took immediate action to avoid any repeat and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.”
Thursday 14 March 2013
Congratulations to David
Congratulations to Josh
Congratulations to Claire
Congratulations to Kristina
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