January 21, 2015
Thoughts On New Hazard Perception

After the announcement by the DVSA that they will start using CGI in the Hazard Perception Test, Britannia Driving School have adapted the Hazard Perception available on the website to include sample CGI clips. This allows users to compare the two types of clips.

Britannia Driving School have also compared both types of clips to decide which is better. Whilst the images on the CGI test used are good, they are a cause for concern. The DVSA’s decision to use CGI is largely due to the fact that it helps them create scenarios that are too dangerous to film. It is also designed to make it easier for the DVSA to update the clips if need be in the future.

However, the clips do not on the whole help learners as they are not as realistic as the previous clips. Therefore, instead of accompanying what is learnt in driving lessons, it is merely a driving test designed to examine what can only be practised by using the CGI clips and not real life scenarios.

Britannia Driving School’s Hazard Perception practice test includes 7 CGI clips in order to help our pupils prepare for the new test but still contain some of the old clips in order to prepare them for the real world as well.

Feel free to try out the new clips on our website, let us know your thoughts by using the comments link below:

Comments(0)

January 19, 2015
Calls To Improve Driving Test

Two road safety charities have called the driving test to be updated urgently. They argue that the driving test does not reflect real world risks.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists have released a statement saying that the current driving test does not include testing of a driver’s ability to cope safely with country roads, poor weather or driving at night. Currently, the only courses that provide such training is Pass Plus which is not compulsory and is open to new drivers once the pass.

However, the IAM are calling for the graduated licensing system to be introduced which would provide such training before a learner can pass their test. A 12-month minimum learning period, graduated licences and limits on passenger numbers for newly qualified drivers are all among the IAM’s recommendations.

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

Comments(0)

January 15, 2015
Location Affects Chance Of Passing

It has been found that where you live affects test pass rates. Just over a quarter of women and a third of men were found to pass their test in inner city areas such as London. Rural learners also benefit from being able to practise driving off-road even before they turn 17. The benefit of this is that they can pass their test first time almost as soon as they turn 17.

The driving test is being constantly updated with it being announced last year that the turn in the road being scrapped and being replaced with parking manoeuvres and the use of satnav.

The latest figures around half of men pass their test compared to approximately 43% of women. Pass rates are also higher in more affluent areas which suggests those paying for more lessons before their test are more likely to pass.

Four out of the ten lowest pass rates in the country were in London with other areas including Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire which was recently found to have the UK’s worst learners.

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

Comments(0)

January 14, 2015
Hazard Perception to use CGI

The DVSA is to start using hazard perception tests, replacing the old classic video scenes with more accurate digital ones. This is in order to make the clips more accurate and realistic.

Though the current video clips used are good, CGI technologies can provide a much better visual experience than what most classic imagery used to date can expect. This would, therefore, make the test a lot more realistic.

DVSA have also said that a wider range of hazards will also be used which includes vulnerable road users. The clips will be updated with new vehicles, new types of roads and modern surroundings. In addition, changing weather and lighting conditions will become possible so that tests can be expanded to night time, bad weather, winter conditions and other settings.

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

Comments(0)

January 12, 2015
Flag Removed From NI Licences

New licences issued in the UK will carry the Union flag, Westminster has announced. However, since driver licensing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, licences there will not include the flag. The Union flag will appear alongside the European Union flag which currently appears on all licences.

This decision by the government in Northern Ireland has been widely criticised for insulting the vast majority of Northern Irish Residents. The Union flag carries the St Patrick’s cross yet the country that it represents will be denied the right to have this present on their licence.

It has also been argued that this decision along with the Scottish referendum would encourage the government at Westminster to realise the need to proactively promote the Union.

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

Comments(0)

December 15, 2014
Changes Mean Longer Waiting Times

A shortage of examiners and difficult government reforms mean learners will suffer long delays before being able to take their driving tests.

Since the DVSA’s merger in April, it has missed its target of providing aspiring drivers with a test within six weeks of applying. This is in part due to the fact that the new body suffered from a shortfall of 60 examiners when it started. Since the merger, the average way has been 6.2 weeks, peaking at 8 weeks in August and the latest available figure, for October, showing a wait of 7 weeks.

Government reforms have also been blamed for placing motoring agencies, like the DVSA, into chaos leading to a number of resignations within the agency. However, the DVSA argue that the increase in waiting time is due to higher demand for driving tests and that they are working to recruit more examiners to meet this demand.

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

 

Comments(0)

December 11, 2014
Hazard Perception Wins Road Safety Award

The Hazard Perception components of the theory test won the top prize at this year’s Prince Michael International Road Safety awards.

Research has shown that hazard perception training and testing could account for an 11% reduction in collisions, helping to improve road safety and reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on Britain’s Roads.

The theory test plays a vital role in making sure that new drivers know the Highway Code and the rules of the road, helping them to drive safely and responsibly and making our roads safer.

The award shows that the hazard perception test ensures that learner drivers can identify risks and apply these skills once they have passed their driving test.

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

Comments(0)

December 3, 2014
Passing In London Is The Most Difficult

Leave a reply

Today, only 39% of London drivers pass first time round, while 35% pass second time, with 10% of drivers taking four attempts or more before trading in their provisional licence. This is a significant decline in recent years, compared with 52% of first time passes in 1994.

With a rise in the number of cyclists to watch out for, yellow box junctions to stay out of for fear of landing a camera fine, red routes to avoid stopping on and the sheer pressure of traffic, it is getting more difficult to drive in London.

The driving test has also become harder in recent years with the introduction of the theory test, the independent driving section of the test and the greater focus on eco driving. Despite these changes, parents are still confident they can teach their kids to drive, cutting back on formal, expert tuition. This has led to the fall in the number of first time passes in the capital. The increasing changes in the driving test have put driving tuition beyond the capabilities of most drivers. Learners now need to be taught exactly what examiners are looking for and such instruction can only be given by a qualified instructor.

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

 

Comments(0)

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

Leave a reply

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.

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

Comments(0)

November 17, 2014
Driving Test Turns 80

Leave a reply

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.

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

Comments(0)