December 1, 2014
The End Of The Turn In The Road?

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Some call it tricky, some say it is the easiest manoeuvre. The notorious turn in the road, sometimes incorrectly termed three-point-turn, looks set to be scrapped in the biggest shake-up to the driving test in 20 years.

The new changes being considered would see the doubling of the independent driving section from 10 to 20 minutes to take up half the total length of the practical test. The trial, to be taken by 1,000 learners, will also ask candidates to follow directions on a car satnav ‘as an alternative to using road signs’. The trial will also consider replacing the ‘reverse around a corner’ and ‘turn in the road’ manoeuvres with more ‘realistic’ everyday manoeuvres, such as ‘reversing out of a parking bay’ or ‘pulling up on the left or right before re-joining the flow of traffic’. It could also see candidates being asked one of the two safety questions whilst on the move.

However, motoring groups have argued that removing basic manoeuvres like the turn in the road could be detrimental since they are essential, for example, in situations where satnavs lead you down a dead road, a scenario far from rare.

The driving test has seen a number of changes over its lifetime, from the removal of the requirement for hand signals to the introduction of the theory test and independent driving section in recent years. However, the proposed changes are arguably the most radical over the past 20 years.

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November 17, 2014
Driving Test Turns 80

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The UK driving test which was created following the passing of the Road Traffic Act 1934 and will soon be celebrating its 80th birthday. Driving tests began in April 1935 and the test was made compulsory that June.

Before test centres were introduced, instructors would meet candidates at car parks, railway stations and similar areas and they would assess motorcyclists by standing at the roadside and watching them ride around the likes of a town square or common.

The test has gone through many changes throughout its history, most notably the introduction of the theory test in 1996 and the hazard perception element in 2002.  Despite this there are questions over whether the 80-year-old test is still fit for purpose particularly since new drivers, specifically young drivers, remain the most risk on the road.

It is argued that this examination method doesn’t remain relevant today since young people can take their driving test the day after their 17th birthday if they’ve passed their theory test beforehand; provided they drive well for the 40 minutes, they will be out on the road.

A report was produced on graduated licences was produced last year and the changes were to be implemented this year. However, these changes have been stalled, and there currently isn’t a date to implement them.

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October 27, 2014
Provisional Licence Fee Dropped to £34

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The cost of apply for a provisional driving licence is being dropped from £50 to £34. This is the figure for those applying online, whilst the price of renewing online will be cut from £20 to £14.

This comes after the cost of the theory test dropped from £31 to £25. The Department for Transport state that these changes are key for the economy.

The slashes in price of both the cost of applying for a licence and the theory test is likely to encourage more young people to learn to drive. Recent years have seen the number of young learners fall and the cost of learning to drive could be a reason for this.

Other fees being considered in the DVLA review include vehicle first registrations and duplicate registration certificates.

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September 17, 2014
Man Without Arms Passes His Test

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A 26-year-old man from Riga, Latvia lost both of his arms at the age of six by being hit by a strong electrical current after entering an unlocked electrical unit whilst playing hide and seek.

Despite his disability, he sought to find a driving instructor willing to teach him despite the fact he would need to use his feet to drive the car. On Sunday, he successfully passed his driving test first time and gained a full driver’s licence.

He is only able to drive an automatic car but apart from that can control the car just like any other driver. He uses his left foot to steer the car, resting it on the steering wheel; meanwhile, his right food is used to push the pedals, move the gear stick and turn on the ignition.

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July 14, 2014
A Record Number Of Theory Test Attempts

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A 28-year-old woman from Southwark has spent £3,410 sitting her theory test 110 times and is still yet to pass her test. After that, she then has to attempt the practical test.

The driving theory test, costing £31 a time but set to drop down in price, comprises multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception exam.

Although no learner has come close to this incredible number of theory test attempts there a number of learners who have taken significant attempts to pass. A 41-year-old from Birmingham passed on his 80th attempt whilst a 27-year-old man from Pembrokeshire failed 64 tests and a 46-year-old male from Reading failed 61 times.

Figures from a Freedom of Information request to the DVSA also showed that even when learners managed to pass the theory test, they still struggled to master the practical exam. The highest number of practical test attempts comes from a 40-year-old man from Stoke-On-Trent who took 37 attempts to pass the practical test. A high proportion of the top 20 of highest number of practical test attempts taken come from candidates of the Heckmondwike test centre, renowed as the worst test centre. In London, Hendon and South Norwood feature with the learner taking 33 and 32 attempts respectively. The majority of these learners were aged over 35 whilst those candidates struggling with the theory test range in ages.

A DVSA spokesman stated that ‘It is essential that all drivers demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge and attitude to drive safely.’

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July 9, 2014
The Worst Driving Experiences

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Nerves make learners commit the strangest of errors. We have heard of quite a few, and I am sure we have all committed various blunders whilst learning to drive.

It is commonplace to hear of learners driving on the wrong side of the road, cutting people up on roundabouts and crossing their hands over the steering wheel. We have even heard people selecting reverse gear instead of first gear and crashing into a wall. But have you heard of the pupil saluting each time they turned the corner or the pupil who wished to take her driving lessons in an Eskimo outfit? These are all real-life stories experienced by instructors in the UK.

Driving tests have seen even stranger occurrences. One particular learner from Guildford drove straight into the river Wye at the start of her 5th driving test. The car sank, she swam ashore and the examiner, who could not swim, crawled onto the roof of the vehicle screaming for help. Another learner accidentally drove the car straight through the test centre, demolishing the building.

On another test, the blunder was committed by the examiner. The examiner was working at a different test centre to usual and went out to conduct a test. Colleagues started to get concerned after the examiner hadn’t returned in two hours. The examiner and pupil then arrived back at the test centre in a taxi. The examiner had gotten completely lost and apologised to the driving instructor that he had no idea where his car was.

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July 7, 2014
Driving Test Superstitions

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Many learners are resorting to various rituals in the hope they pass their practical test. One particular student’s mother cracked an egg on every tyre before the test whilst another pupil spent the last lesson prior to the test parking up and standing on drain covers every time she spotted them in pairs.

These rituals may seem far-fetched but both students passed.

A driving instructor has been reported to make sure his cuddly monkey toy is safely strapped in for every test. He also gets his pupils to book tests in the morning.

Other anecdotes include a pupil wearing the same T-shirt on her test that she wore when she gave birth to her daughter.

With the number of first-time passes falling, the message is ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try again’. One 24-year-old pupil even took 24 attempts before passing her test and was one of either Britons who have racked-up at least 20 tests by the end of 2013 according to the DVSA.

In the end, it is good driving that will ensure a learner passes. However, if superstitions ease the nerves, then this can’t be harmless.

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July 3, 2014
When To Take Your Lessons

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It is very common for learners to be fitting their lessons into a schedule around school or work. The result of this is that learners will tend to take their lessons at the same time each day and even the same days each week.

This is not the productive way to take lessons since you must get used to all driving conditions to prepare you for the road. Over the course of the day, there are a number of different conditions – quiet roads in the early morning, the rush hour commute, steady daytime traffic, the evening rush-hour and night-time.

It is important to experience all these conditions before going for your practical test. In particular, tests take place during the day and so only having lessons in the evenings will not prepare you for the conditions when you take your test. Even if you work during the week, most driving instructors work weekends and so you should be able to take a lesson in the weekend in addition to your evening lessons during the week.

If you can experience as many conditions as possible once taking your lessons, you will become a much more confident driver once you pass.

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July 2, 2014
Limits For New Drivers

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Older, experienced drivers do fear getting into a car with a newly qualified young driver, gritting their teeth and clutching at the sides of their seat. Is this a fair criticism of young drivers?

A poll of more than 2000 adults found that 68% supported some form of ‘graduated licensing’ for young drivers in their first year of driving. The type of restrictions backed by those who were polled included limitations on the number of passengers they could carry and restrictions on driving between midnight and 5am.

Almost one in eight of all injuries and deaths on the roads involved a driver aged 17 to 19 despite the fact the age group only represents one in 60 of all licensed drivers. This explains the reasoning behind placing some restriction on their driving to improve their safety.

However, is this a good idea? There are risky drivers of all ages, is it really fair to curtail the freedom of young drivers? Do restrictions really help young drivers learn safety on the road?

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June 30, 2014
Changes In Driving Test Statistics

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The DVSA has released statistics regarding the driving theory and practical tests for the January-March 2014 period. From the statistics, a number of trends can be deduced.

The total number of practical tests have been on a downward medium-trend from the period of 2007/08; an important factor that is potentially influencing this is the generally increasing practical test pass rates, hence fewer candidates taking retests. However, in this quarter the pass rate has decreased to 46.9% and the number of practical tests taken has increased which can be attributed to, as well as the lower pass rate, to the fact that there was an unusually low number of tests taken in the same period last year due to the severe weather.

In addition, the pass rate for the theory tests have decreased, standing at 50.5% which is 19% lower than last year’s pass rate in the same period. This may be affected by the withdrawal of voice-overs and translators for foreign language tests from April 2014 resulting in a surge of less well prepared candidates taking their test.

Previously, the economic recession from 2008 had discouraged some people from taking the theory and practical tests; however, the increase in test number suggests that the economic conditions are no longer a limiting factor.

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