There has been a surge in the number of young learners turning to their mothers to learn how to drive. The number of mothers teaching their children to drive has trebled in the past 20 years, from 11% in 1994 to 30% today, a study has found.

This has led to a number of concerns that young drivers are not learning to drive properly by seeking to save money and gaining a lower standard of teaching. This is especially clear from a recent survey that found that 75% of parents believe they would fail the practical test if they were to retake it.

Taking lessons from parents rather than a DVSA approved instructor is in fact a hindrance and may be to blame for the fall in pass rates over the years. First time pass rates in the past 20 years have fallen from 48% to 41%.

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An insurer has demanded that customers caught speeding or driving poorly should be made to have counselling to become aware of the consequences of driving dangerously. Otherwise, they should lose their car insurance.

The motorists will have to undergo the same type of techniques originally designed for use with drink and drug addicts in the 1980s.

The firm calling for this kind of therapy, Ingenie, is one of the firms specialising in black box insurance, specifically designed for young drivers. This policy usually penalises drivers for driving poorly by asking them to pay a higher premium; however, with Ingenie, if the driver commits a major error, such as driving at 100mph on the motorway, they will contacts and asked to have treatment.

The sessions are carried out over the phone by a team of trained psychology experts who have worked with young or offenders or those with drink problems or eating disorders. The sessions work by getting the customer to recognise their dangerous behaviour and to understand the consequences of their actions.

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Since 7^th April, learners have not been able to use interpreters on practical test. Learners can only take their test in English or Welsh. However, even this is proving problematic as certain Welsh-speaking learners have been told to take their test in English due to a lack of Welsh-speaking examiners.

In Bala, an area in North West Wales, learners who have applied to take their driving test through Welsh have been told on the day it had to be in English. A driving instructor in the area has expressed concern at how this has thrown some of his pupils as they turned up from test expecting it to be in Welsh only to be told it had to be in English.

The DVSA have said that they are recruiting somebody for the position but it could take another five or six months for them to be in place so this is going to continue to be a problem. Calls have been made for The Welsh language test service to be restored to which the DVSA have responded that they are looking to recruit more Welsh-speaking examiners, specifically in North Wales.

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Inconsiderate drivers can be a pain for many experienced drivers; however, for learners the concern is even greater.

As a learner there are certain pointers to bear in mind when dealing with inconsiderate drivers:

If you make a mistake and find a driver to be particularly hostile about it then it is best to ignore that behaviour and focus on what you’re doing

Listen to the guidance of your driving instructor – they will guide you through a stressful situation

Let your instructor know if you are struggling to cope with a situation

Think of safety first, keep calm and avoid road rage.

Follow this guidance and you should be able to cope with inconsiderate drivers.

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The price of the driving theory test is set to fall by £5 this October – with plans to reduce the fee even further the following year.

The move, which is at the moment limited to Northern Ireland, comes after new contracts were negotiated with theory test providers in the province.

The Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan, has said that by agreeing new deals with the test providers, he has managed to secure significant savings, and he believes that it is “right and proper” to pass these savings onto the customers of the Theory test – meaning that those signing up for the Theory test after October will get a reduced rate.

Durkan added: “It is my intention to ensure that my department’s services are delivered in such a way that they meet customers’ needs at the least cost possible.”

Many learner drivers in Northern Ireland will surely be happy to hear this good news, as bringing down the cost of driving will always benefit new and young drivers.

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Safe driving from Britannia!