Who has to sit a theory, where to sit the theory and how much it costs.

There are lots of websites who offer you the service of booking a theory test and you may wish to use them but most people will book it through the DSA (Driving Standards Agency). The cost of the test is £31 and booking online or over the phone allows you to choose which test centre to sit it at and what time and day you want.

With theory test centres dotted all over the country, you can use the DSA’s website to establish your nearest test centres. You will find that availability at each test centre will vary, so it’s worth looking at a few of your closest.

If you have a category B automatic licence and want to convert it to a category B manual licence, you do not need to re-sit the theory test. If you want to upgrade within a vehicle category you won’t normally need to take a theory test.

If you hold a B1 licence (3 or 4-wheeled light vehicle) you don’t need to take the car theory test. For everyone else, start your revision, you can use our website free of charge to practice.

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The debate rages on between whether it is easier to learn to drive in a manual or an automatic car. For some, manual cars are the only cars worth driving, whereas others swear by their automatic. Whilst we are not going to persuade you one way or another, it can be useful to know the facts, and the advantages and disadvantages of both before making up your mind.

Advantages of driving a manual:

–          Once you have passed your test in a manual car, you will then be licensed to drive either a manual or an automatic car, so the choice will remain yours should you wish to go down the automatic route later in life. This ruling only works one way, as if you pass your test in an automatic, you will be restricted to driving an automatic only.

–          Manual cars use less fuel – but only when driven properly. A driver in full control of their manual car will know precisely when to change gears to avoid over revving and wasting fuel. For future reference, the recommended point to change gear is about 2000rpm in a Diesel, and 2500rpm in a petrol.

–          Manual cars will keep you alert – this is certainly true when taking driving lessons. There is much more to focus on when driving a manual car as opposed to an automatic, such as changing gears and maintaining correct clutch control.

–          Many drivers prefer to learn in a manual to begin with, as they feel it forces them to become much more aware of their surroundings in view of upcoming gear changes, etc, and this therefore allows them to become better drivers in the future.

Advantages of driving an automatic:

–          It’s faster to learn – Most pupils who learn in an automatic will learn much faster than those who learn in a manual, simply due to having less to learn such as changing gears, bite point, clutch control, etc.

–          It can be more economical – If you’re not 100% certain you will be able to drive a manual car properly in terms of fuel consumption, then it may be more beneficial to stay with an automatic – fuel is getting more expensive, and you want to be sure you’re getting the most for your money!

–          They are generally easier to pass in – The pass rate is higher for automatic tests, due to there being fewer criterions to meet in terms of clutch control and gear changes, therefore less chance to fail.

–          It’s easier- the most strongly persuasive point towards the argument of learning in an automatic is that it is simply easier. No gears, no bite point, no awkward clutch control or embarrassing stalling – the car does all this for you, leaving you free to spend more of your time concentrating on the road around you than operating the vehicle.

Whatever your persuasion, the argument continues about whether a manual or automatic car is the better to learn in.

What do you think? Are automatics easier and therefore better, or is manual the only “real” form of driving? Let us know your views in the comments section below!

The DSA (Driving Standards Agency) have announced that as of 2014 the check test for ADI’s will no longer be called check test and will be known as ‘standards check’.

The new name is there to reflect what the DSA really want to check and the three main areas to be assessed will be:

Lesson planning

Risk management and teaching

Learning strategies

During the new assessment, examiners want to see the trainer encouraging the learner to take ownership of their learning and allow the learner to reflect on their own performance, goals and strengths and weaknesses.

With 16 boxes on the new test sheet and a possible three marks to be awarded per box, a trainer can score a maximum of 48 points.

It is hoped the new scoring system will make it easier for trainers to identify their strengths and weaknesses, which will help them develop their skills and achieve the highest grade possible.

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Want to start driving, but you’re nervous to take that first step? Fear not, here at Britannia we deal with nervous learner drivers every day, and our instructors are experts with helping to beat motoring anxiety in our pupils, regardless of their age.

Most nervousness comes from an innate fear of the unknown. So let’s break down that daunting first lesson for you – if you know exactly what to expect, you are almost certain to be much less nervous!

–          Pick-up Location: First things first, consider carefully where you will be picked up from. Most learners will choose their own home, however if you are choosing a place such as college or work, consider what time you will be picked up and how busy the roads will be around here… You definitely don’t want a rush of traffic around you on your first lesson!

–          Cockpit Drill: Your instructor will run through the cockpit drill with you. This consists of checking your doors, seats, steering wheel, seatbelts and mirrors – If you have been a passenger in a car on more than one occasion, you will probably already have a good idea of how to adjust seats, seatbelts and the like – this is basically a formality of how to adjust the features of the car to enable you to drive at your best and a brief introduction to what controls are what are where they can be found in the car.

–          Your instructor will take you to a suitable location – most likely a quiet residential street – and allow you to begin operating the vehicle. Don’t be daunted by this – you are in a safe place in the hands of a professional – nothing can go wrong. You are highly unlikely to put yourself or any other motorist in danger, and if you still feel uneasy remember, learner cars are dual controlled for a reason. Just give it your best shot.

–          Your instructor will start you off with the basics of moving off and stopping. This will involve an explanation of how the gears and clutch work and advice on safety and clutch control. Most learner drivers say this is the easy part, as at first your instructor will only allow you to move a short distance before applying the brakes and pulling over. This procedure will be repeated several times throughout the lesson, most likely increasing in length driven and duration of driving the car as your instructor realises how much of a natural driver you are.

–          Accept that you will stall. Stalling is simply part of the learning curve of being a driver. This will almost certainly happen on your first lesson, and many afterwards, and this is not as terrible as it sounds. Your instructor will be expecting this, and they will be well prepared for the eventuality, so don’t worry about it, simply recover well from this, learn from it, and move on.

–          Have a debrief: At the end of the lesson, your instructor will take you back to your drop-off location, and it is always good to have a discussion on how you both think the lesson went, to vent any nerves or frustrations, and to plan a course of action for future lessons. We would recommend this at the end of every lesson to chart your progress and to enable you to learn to drive faster.

The main thing is to relax and to be able to enjoy your driving lessons. The tenser you are, the harder it will be to take in information and to maintain concentration. Just try to enjoy the experience, remember that everyone was a learner once, and we look forward to seeing you on the roads in no time!

Has this article made your first driving lesson seem less daunting? Sound off in the comments section below!

Insurance firm Ingenie has criticised the government’s plans to impose curfews on young drivers.

The telematics insurance firm that rewards careful drivers by assessing their driving using a black box that records their driving patterns, say statistics show that only 9% of claims made by young drivers were for crashes that took place at night.

They want the government to look at ways of educating young drivers not punishing them.

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THE DSA want to remind driving instructors that customer service is just as important as being qualified as an ADI.

Customer service can often get overlooked as seemingly more important issues take priority.

Being a driving instructor, whether as a one-man-band, with a school or a large organisation, you are representing yourself and your business.

Pupils are your customers. Just like you are a customer when you go shopping or go on holiday, you expect a certain service.

Starting with the basics, as a pupil you would want to enter a clean car that has enough fuel to complete your lesson and doesn’t smell. You would want your instructor to be clean, presentable and friendly. And for the instructor to pay attention, not use their mobile phone or take a fag break when you have paid for their time.

A good trainer will get recommendations and their business will grow based on positive feedback, but you need to achieve this first.

The DSA have often received complaints from pupils whose instructor has not turned up and provided no explanation, left a pupil stranded, taken money and then done a disappearing act.

So when planning a lesson or thinking of new ways to teach a manoeuvre, also think about how you are going to stand out from the rest, go that extra mile and leave your customers with a smile on their face.

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Picture the scenario; you are in your car, stuck at the front of a long line of traffic, waiting for the light to turn green, when suddenly, flashing lights appear behind you, sirens screaming and urging all drivers to clear a path immediately. You have a choice, you can either remain stationary, and allow this ambulance, police car, or fire tender to pass it’s in own time, or you can make the split-second decision to move to allow the emergency vehicle safe passage. What do you do?

Recent surveys have shown that almost half of all UK motorists believe that in the event of traffic being stopped due to an emergency, a lane should be kept free to allow emergency vehicles to pass or to access the emergency without delays. Most also tended to agree with trial runs being tested in Europe, whereby drivers can be fined for remaining in the way of an emergency vehicle.

Over a third of those questioned admitted to not being fully aware on the rules regarding emergency vehicles, with 1 in three willing to break laws to allow ambulances and police cars to pass, such as by going through a red light or entering a bus lane – despite both of these courses of action remaining illegal, even in these circumstances.

Almost half of drivers involved in the survey consider it unfair to prosecute a driver for breaking a law to allow an emergency vehicle to pass. In some cases, after receiving a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) the charge can be waived under extreme circumstances when the relevant authority can confirm that the vehicle in question was indeed in the area at this time en route to attending an emergency.

When it comes to going through a red light to allow the emergency vehicle to pass, motorists seem to be split down the middle, with half refusing to cross a red light under any circumstances, whilst another half are willing to flout this rule – despite a massive 82% aware that this is still illegal.

The recommended actions to take in this situation are as follows:

–          Move wherever possible, without breaking a law. If you can switch lanes to allow an emergency vehicle to pass, or if you can pull over safely after indicating, without danger of causing harm to yourself or any other motorists, then do so.

–          Never enter a bus lane or cross on a red light, under any circumstances. Not only is this illegal regardless of the circumstance, it is also highly dangerous. Don’t open yourself up to unnecessary danger or prosecution – move only when safe and legal to do so.

–          Remember, these are professionals. Drivers of emergency vehicles are given authorisation to ignore rules when necessary, such as travelling above the speed limit and crossing on red lights, and they are given this authorisation to do this so you don’t have to.

Stay alert for emergency vehicles, and stay safe. Try not to obstruct them when possible (how would you feel if it was your loved ones in need of the emergency services?), but above all stay safe – otherwise it might end up being you who needs their services.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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Association of Chief Police Officers have challenged Vauxhall to build a police car packed with gadgets.

The car maker took an Astra and kitted it out with extras only the police could opt for. Extras such as three computers armed with forensics and face-recognition software.

The car also boasts high-definition cameras that will pick up images outside of the vehicle, even scanning faces.

It is hoped that by allowing officers to take their office with them, 000they can spend longer in the field.

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Two of the UK’s most popular driving schools have revealed plans to teach cyclist awareness to its pupils.

Both the AA Driving School and the British School of Motoring have announced their decision to introduce a module to their lessons to encourage their students how to correctly avoid accidents with cyclists.

Amongst the key points of this new initiative are worksheets highlighting key facts and statistics about cyclists on UK roads, aimed to promote the consideration motorists show cyclists on a daily basis.

The main aim of the move is to reduce the amount of accidents involving drivers and cyclists. Last year the number of cyclists killed on British roads was at its highest in five years, with 122 killed in 2012- 14 of which were in London alone.

Edmund King, the president of the AA, has spoken of the new plans, saying: “I am personally committed to breaking down the ‘two-tribes’ attitude displayed between some drivers and cyclists. I am convinced that this initiative will change attitudes and save lives.”

Mark Peacock, the head of BSM, added to this with: “It can be intimidating and confusing for learners the first few times they come across a cyclist. Understanding why cyclists behave in certain ways, such as avoiding potholes or how they are affected in strong winds, is key to being safe around them.”

Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond welcomed the initiative, saying Anything that improves the safety of cyclists is to be welcomed, and it is great to see driving schools taking the initiative to build on what is already in the driving syllabus.”

One of the main issues highlighted by those in charge is the tribal attitude tantamount to rivalry in terms of the relationship between drivers and cyclists, which the move intends to eliminate. To this end, Scottish government agency Transport Scotland launches its “mutual respect” campaign later to this year, to encourage positive relationships between users of both transport forms.

The CEO of Cycling Scotland (a charity funded by Transport Scotland) Ian Aitken has said of the plans: “Research carried out for our campaign revealed that many drivers are simply unsure of the correct way to pass cyclists.”

The problems highlighted here seem to be much more prominent north of the border. The number of cyclists injured or killed in Scotland has risen in recent years, with recent figures suggesting that the average number of victims was 143 per annum between 2004-2008, with this number rising to 156 on average between 2007-2011.

Scotland has been a pro-cycling nation for some time, even launching a government-backed Action Plan for cyclists three years ago, with the ultimate aim of ensuring that 10% of journeys will be undertaken on a bicycle by the year 2020.

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

With some learners failing their driving test the first time or even the second, third or fourth time, it can become very expensive coming face to face with an examiner.

Research has found that failed driving tests are costing learners in the region of £52m a year.

Tests cost £62 to book and many pupils after failing don’t want to or can’t afford to take lessons in-between, so simply book another test. The problem with this is they then find themselves not quite ready and often fail again costing them even more.

Our advice to pupils that fail, keep having a few lessons in-between test dates to keep the consistency there. Working on the minor points that lead to failing the last test, will hopefully see you pass next time with flying colours.

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