Over a century since their first arrival, the paper driving licence is set to be phased out from the start of 2015.

Since its introduction in 1903, the paper licence has been a compulsory part of being permitted to drive. However new cost saving measures announced in 2011 are to be brought in to replace the traditional counterpart licence, estimated to be saving £8 million from the UK budget.

The paper licence will be replaced with a photocard (which was originally introduced alongside the paper licence in 1998). If you currently have a paper licence, you will need to keep this until its expiration, at which point you will be required to replace it with the new photocard, at no extra charge.

The change comes shortly after the replacement of the traditional tax disc with a new digital system.

What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

It has recently been suggested that a parent with particularly bad habits when behind the wheel will be influencing their child to adopt the same habits when they themselves become drivers – even years before they ever get behind a wheel for the first time.

Mike Frisby, (CEO of the Driving Instructors Association) has made the claim that parents are unwittingly affecting their offspring’s motoring habits long before they ever take to driving themselves – which in turn stresses the importance of making sure that you clamp down on your own bad habits when driving, to help prevent a future generation of poor drivers.

The claims have been made after recent research has revealed that three-quarters of parents are ready to admit that they would fail their driving test if they were to take it again – yet still insist on teaching their young to drive.

Like anything in life, if you are going to learn to drive it is best to do it the right way – otherwise, you will just become better at being a bad driver.

Safe driving from Britannia!

The Government has announced that they will trial the sharing of data between HM Revenue and Customs, the DVLA and six police forces to ensure foreign vehicles that stay in the country longer than six months pay their share of motoring taxation and can be pursued to pay motoring fines.

The trial is being announced by transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin and will run from 3^rd November 2014 until February 2015. It aims to reduce the revenue lost through drivers using UK roads illegally and will ensure that such vehicles have a current MOT certificate and are therefore fit to be on the road.

Vehicles found to be on UK roads illegally will be impounded and subject to a £200 release fee.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Think! is launching a new campaign to warn drivers of the dangers of country roads. The following statistics have been released: 60% of people killed on Britain’s roads die on rural roads, 25% of drivers report having had a near miss on a country road and 40% have been surprised by an unexpected hazard, such as an animal. A third also confess to taking a bend too fast.

The statistics evidently show that many drivers are failing to anticipate dangers on the road ahead when driving on country roads.

– The new THINK! campaign urges drivers using country roads to:

– Read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards

– Drive at a speed that allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear

– Stay in control and give yourself time to react by braking before a bend, not on it

– Give cyclists and horse riders plenty of space when overtaking

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

It has been found that ‘Siri’ and other voice-activated systems designed to keep drivers’ eyes on the road are as distracting as making a mobile phone call.

The studies conducted on this measured the drivers’ mental capacity, reaction time and heart rate during the tests. They found that not all the in-car systems were the same, with some significantly more distracting than others, but the majority of them were as distracting as a demanding mental maths problem.

In a simulator, interacting with Siri caused two virtual crashes despite the driver only interacting with Siri using their voice and not looking at the screen or tapping any buttons.

The research concluded that while well-designed voice control systems with minimal steps and accurate recognition could potentially be less distracting than manual controls, clicking a button or flicking a switch was much faster and less dangerous.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Many drivers have horrific horror stories of their experiences learning to drive – some involving minor misdemeanour’s on driving lessons, others as severe as having a road accident during the dreaded driving test.

Here at Britannia we have heard all sorts of stories in regards to bad driving tests, including multi-car pile-ups on the test, and sometimes even tales of nerves getting the better of some participants resulting in cancelling the test part-way through.

It is best to prepare yourself in advance before attempting the driving test – we do recommend mock tests prior to taking the real thing, so that you have an idea of how well you will perform. Also read our guide on dealing with exam nerves, which should help you to deal with any pre-test anxiety.

Have you got any stories about your driving lessons or test? Let us know here!

Safe driving from Britannia!

After the abolition of the tax disc on 1st October 2014, it appears that there is another DVLA change on the horizon.

From January 2015, the paper part of the driving licence will officially disappear as the DVLA continues to transfer motorists’ records online. Last October, the Department for Transport launched a review into the DVLA’s services. Following this, roads minister Stephen Hammond concluded that, amongst other reforms, the paper counterpart was to be removed.

For those who only have the paper counterpart, approximately 46 million motorists, no action is required. The paper licence will continue to be valid until it need to be updated with a change of details. When it is renewed, these motorists will be issued with only a photocard.

Those with a photo card should continue using it, remembering to renew it when necessary.

What are your thoughts on this article? Send your views to Britannia Driving School by using the comments link below:

Here at Britannia we spend a lot of our time dealing with young drivers, particularly learners and those who have recently started driving and are trying to improve their motoring skills with a Pass Plus course. However, when we’re not instructing the young how to become the better drivers of tomorrow, we like to help existing drivers improve their own proficiency behind the wheel, and elderly drivers are one of those groups that we feel could benefit from our professional advice.

Many older drivers are quite willing to admit that they would probably not pass the driving test if they were to take it today – however just because it has been several years since you passed your test does not give you an excuse to slip into bad driving habits. As a driver of a certain age, you are just as required to adhere to the rules of the road as a driver who has just passed their test.

If necessary, it may be an idea to have a health and physical check-up, to ensure that you are still fully capable behind the wheel if you feel that your eyesight and/or hearing may have deteriorated over time. If you feel you need to brush up on your driving skills with some professional mentoring, then our Refresher Courses may well be the best option for yourself.

Safe driving from Britannia!