DSA press release

Real driving experience for learners

To help make the driving test more representative of real driving, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will no longer publish details of test routes, Road Safety Minister Mike Penning announced today.

Currently test routes used by each driving test centre are published online but this will stop when new routes are introduced at the beginning of October.

This change is being made to support the introduction of independent driving, which will allow candidates to demonstrate their ability to drive safely in more realistic driving situations rather than memorising a particular test route.

Mike Penning said:

“We want new drivers to be able to drive safely and independently and learning to drive test routes by rote isn't the way to achieve this.

"Stopping the publication of test routes will help to make sure that the driving test better reflects realistic driving conditions and will give new drivers the skills and confidence they need to stay safe on the roads.”

DSA’s Chief Driving Examiner Trevor Wedge said:

“Evidence shows that the biggest challenge newly qualified drivers face after passing their test is learning how to cope when they no longer have their instructor there to help and prompt them.”

“We want to make sure that new drivers and riders are ready to make their own decisions when driving alone; learning how to do that in preparation for their test should lead to better and safer drivers.”

To better assess whether a learner driver is ready to drive unsupervised, independent driving will be introduced into the test on 4 October 2010. Candidates will drive for about 10 minutes, without step-by-step direction from their examiner. This will involve either following a series of directions, following traffic signs, or a combination of both. To help candidates visualise the directions, the examiner may also show them a simple diagram. The remainder of the test is unchanged.

In January 2010, DSA published independent research showing that with careful route design, candidates were able to complete the independent driving tasks without any significant impact on pass rates. Additional research found widespread support for inclusion of independent driving in the practical test.

08 September 2010

Independent driving video on YouTube

Watch independent driving in action in this video on YouTube. It shows how the examiner will give you verbal directions, and how they will ask you to follow traffic signs. 

Watch the independent driving video on YouTube

Major road safety milestone as driving test clocks up 75 years of success

The British driving test marks three-quarters of a century of helping keep people safe on the road when it turns 75 on Tuesday 1 June.

The first car and driving licences were introduced in Britain in 1903. But it was not until 1 June 1935 - amid rising numbers of deaths as the popularity of the car increased - that a compulsory driving test was introduced.

The first driver to pass was Mr J Beene and within a year, the number of deaths on the road had fallen by 1,000.

In 1934, 7,343 people were killed on the roads and there were 1.5 million cars. The latest figures show there were 2,538 deaths on the roads in 2008 when there were around 34 million cars.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: “The driving test is not just a rite of passage, it has helped save thousands of lives on our roads.

“The test and the learning needed to pass it are a vital part of giving drivers the skills they need to drive efficiently and safely.  

"High standards of driver training and assessment are an essential contribution to helping Britain's roads remain among the safest in the world."

Trevor Wedge, Chief Driving Examiner at the Driving Standards Agency, said: “The driving test still retains some of the original elements included in 1935, such as turning in the road and reversing, but it is updated regularly. We continue to make sure that the test properly prepares drivers for the demands of modern roads. 

"This year will see the introduction of independent driving into the test, to help candidates demonstrate their ability to drive without step-by-step instruction.  We believe that this added element will lead to better and safer drivers." 

Facts and figures:

• the test became compulsory on 1 June 1935, after being introduced on a voluntary basis on 16 March the same year
• the test was suspended during World War II and the Suez Crisis – examiners were put in charge of fuel rationing instead
• until 1975, candidates still had to demonstrate hand signals
• the theory test was introduced in July 1996

Learner flips car on roof

Yahoo News May 14th 2010

Learner driver Krisztina Jaksa ended her second driving lesson by crawling out of an upside down car.

The bizarre accident happened in Headington, near Oxford, when the 24-year-old was crossing a junction.

The BSM Fiat 500 she was driving hit a gatepost then flipped onto its roof, smashing the side windows and windscreen. When local resident Ross Dunne heard a crash he rushed to the scene and helped Ms Jaksa out of the car; the instructor was already getting himself out.

Both Ms Jaksa and her instructor emerged relatively unscathed. According to witnesses, Ms Jaksa said that the steering locked and, panicking, she hit the accelerator hard.

There is no indication that a mechanical fault contributed to the accident in any way.

An ambulance arrived shortly afterwards and police closed the road briefly, but both the driver and instructor were treated only for minor cuts.

BSM Communications Manager Paul Shepherd said that the company had "spoken to the learner driver who is fine and is already hoping to book her next lesson with us soon."

Mark Nichol

Driving Instructors and accompanying drivers will from the 6th April 2010 be allowed to act as interpreters where necessary on practical driving tests.

Previously only a person who is not the candidates driving instructor has been allowed to fulfil this vital role where there has been a language problem.

This is may be of particular interest to driving test candidates who are deaf or Hard of Hearing and may require BSL language support at times while on test. Under this new arrangement instructors who use BSL will be permitted, when requested by the candidate or examiner to assist with any communication problems that may arise at any time during the test.

Where the DSA is notified of a serious hearing dificulty during the application process, the examiner will be allowed extra time to conduct such a test. This extra time is allowed also on tests where the candidate may have a physical disability. This takes pressure off the candidate and examiner,allowing extra time entering the car, more stops for communication/interpreting etc. The route used for the test would remain the same as for a standard test and therefore the driving time would be of the same duration. 

As you would expect, if the accompanying driver or instructor is found to be assisting the candidate in any way other than by interpreting the content of what is required to be said, then the driving test will be stopped and ithe incident recorded.

This is a most welcome development as it will help to remove what has been previously an additional unfair pressure put on a minority of driving test candidates.   

Motorists get up to £5,000 towards cost of an ultra-low carbon car

Pioneering motorists will receive up to £5,000 to buy an ultra-low carbon car, and the roll-out of supporting infrastructure will begin in selected regions, the government announced today.

The Plug-in Car Grant will be distributed directly to the consumer at the point of purchase and will be available across the UK from January 2011, by which time a range of eligible vehicles is expected to be available.

Also included in the government’s plans is the roll-out of a £30m fund for a network of electric vehicle hubs – called Plugged-In Places – which will see charging infrastructure appearing in car parks, major supermarkets, leisure and retail centres, as well as on the street.  The first Plugged-In Places were today named today as London, Milton Keynes and the North East; and between them they will be installing over 11,000 vehicle recharging points during the next three years. 

The initiatives are part of a £450 million government strategy to support the creation of a flourishing early market for ultra-low carbon vehicles. The programme will help to meet the UK’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions from transport; as well as creating new business opportunities for UK-based companies in the automotive and charging infrastructure sectors.

Transport Secretary Andrew Adonis said:

"Decarbonising transport isn't an aspiration - it's a reality. By this time next year, cutting edge motorists will be on the roads with these next generation cars they've purchased because of our help. 

“And thanks to the Plugged-In Places we will have in place infrastructure to support this growing early market.

"Transport has a huge part to play in helping the UK meet its stringent emission reduction targets and today's announcement is another step on the road to putting the UK at the global forefront of ultra-low carbon vehicle development, manufacture and use.”

Business minister Pat McFadden said:

"Low Carbon vehicles are an important part of the broader shift to a low carbon economy.

"We have already committed £450m to delivering our ambitious vision of supporting suppliers of low carbon technology, encouraging demand from consumers and enabling lead UK cities and regions to switch on charging infrastructure.

"The government is focusing on this sector as a priority and we are committed to helping British businesses take advantage of the growth potential and job opportunities this presents."

The Plug-in Car Grant will significantly reduce prices by providing 25 per cent towards the cost of a new car, capped at £5,000, and will be open to both private and business fleet buyers.

To be eligible for the scheme, cars will have to pass performance criteria to ensure safety, range, and ultra-low tailpipe emissions.

The Plugged-In Places will provide the charge points to support these vehicles – demonstrating how electric vehicle charging works in practice in a range of different settings – urban, suburban and regional – as well as testing innovative technologies such as rapid charging, inductive charging and battery swap. 

A second competition for Plugged-in Places funding is to follow later in the year, with consortia from the West Midlands, Cornwall, Sheffield, the Lake District, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland having already confirmed their intention to bid for the next wave of funding.

These measures – to be delivered by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) – will move the UK further towards its ambitious carbon reduction targets. They will also support the UK automotive, charging infrastructure and other related supply chain industries in realising the economic opportunities that a shift to low carbon represents.

OLEV will also lead work to join up the Plugged-In Places, working closely with partners including the Energy Technologies Institute and the Technology Strategy Board to ensure a fully interoperable network is established in the UK. OLEV will be assessing the feasibility of charging along strategic corridors with the Highways Agency and motorway service area operators; and of charging infrastructure at railway station parking facilities with the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) and Network Rail.

Here is the link to the DSA Youtube channel showing information on the new Independant Driving Test.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGWxptVQPEs

Disqualified drivers face international ban

From 28th January 2010, UK drivers disqualified for serious motoring offences in Ireland will no longer escape punishment when they return home, under a new law. The ban also extends to Irish drivers disqualified while in the UK, who will find the ban enforced when they return to Ireland.

International action on disqualified drivers

The new law means that if you are banned from driving in the UK, you will be banned in Ireland, and vice versa.

The measures are the result of a deal agreed between British, Irish and Northern Ireland ministers.

The new law is the first practical step to recognise driving disqualifications in Europe under the terms of the 1998 European Convention on driving disqualifications.

Road Safety Minister Paul Clark said: "We’ve cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 40 per cent since the mid-1990s – that’s more than 19,000 fewer deaths or serious injuries in a year. This means we now have some of the safest roads in the world.

"But we need to continue to work to make our roads even safer and if a UK driver commits a serious offence while in Ireland it is right that their ban should still apply when they return home.

"From today this new law will ensure that disqualified drivers are not able to escape their punishment and so keep dangerous drivers off the roads."

Find out more about driving disqualifications

Teenagers tune in to get sound driving skills

Bolton News Wednesday 16th December 2009

SPECIAL classes all about music and cars are being rolled out to bored teenagers to help keep them out of trouble.

It comes after a successful trial of the course, which has passed on new skills to youngsters while also giving them something to do.

The course gave the youngsters, aged 14 to 16, the chance to get their hands on a real car so they could learn how to fit its audio equipment during a series of sessions at Bolton garage, SC Auto electrics, which also provided the vehicle.

Over six sessions on Wednesday nights, the young people who attend the St Helens Road youth club covered subjects including car wiring, how to fit speakers and other audio equipment and how to measure sound and soundproof cars, as well looking at topics like how music affects people’s driving and how to drive safely while listening to music.

Wilson Litchmore, a youth worker for Bolton Council, said: “The young men involved in this course have responded really positively to the sessions because it is something they have an interest in and it really gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility.

“It has also improved their respect for cars because they realise the amount of time and money that goes into them.”

The scheme has been supported by the Government’s Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF), which is part of Aiming High, a 10-year strategy by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to provide young people with something to do in their local area.

And Wilson Litchmore added that the sessions have proved so popular that Bolton Council is planning to roll them out, so that even more young people can benefit.

He added: “The young men involved have conducted themselves really well and worked well together as a team, because they know that they will all get the opportunity to contribute to working on the car and therefore collectively they will have all learnt new skills over the six week period.

“The garage owner, Steve Challinor, has been really impressed with the boys’ behaviour and is now considering taking appren- tices on in the future because he knows that young people can do a really good job.

“It’s certainly something that some of the young lads might be looking at for a career.”

* More information about activities for young people in Bolton can be found at www.youngboltonlife.org.uk.