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

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

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

No Restrictions on Deaf or Hard of Hearing Drivers in the UK.

Some people quite wrongly assume that being Deaf means a person cannot drive here in the UK. Although in some countries they do ban Deaf drivers, here in the UK we have no such restrictions. There have been many cases of Deaf pople obtaining a licence to drive vehicles of other groups, such as Pubic service vehicles and Goods vehicles. 

The DSA (Driving Standards Agency) make special provision for Deaf drivers when taking the Theory/Hazard perception test and the practical driving test.

As with users of other languages, Deaf candidates who use BSL (British Sign Language) are given the option of using a translator during both exams.

 In addition, Deaf candidates are given extra time to complete the Theory/Hazard perception test. Extra time is also granted on the practical test, to help both examiner and candidate overcome any communication problems that might occur during the test.

The DSA should be informed of any moderate to severe level of deafness at the application stage for both tests, so that arrangements for support can be made in good time.

Similar support is available to Deaf drivers wishing to take either the DIAmond advanced Driving test or the DIAmond Special test. For further information, contact DIAmond Advanced Motorists at http://www.driving.org/diamond/ or through ourselves via the link below.

For further advice and information on Deafness and Driving, contact myself, Steve Swinton ADI at www.aditraining123.co.uk

Steve Swinton ADI Dip DI

Blog Administrator