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The date is fast approaching that the DSA’s latest change to the driving test will be implemented. The independent driving element of the driving test will come into effect on 4 October 2010. But does that mean you have to rush into taking your driving test before this date? I don’t think so. The new element to the test is designed to be more realistic, and more like the type of driving you’ll be doing after passing. It will involve you following a series of verbal directions, following traffic signs to a destination or a combination of both. There really is nothing to be scared of. It’s exactly what you’ll be doing when you’ve passed your test and you’re driving alone. As long as you are driving safely, it doesn’t even matter too much if you take the wrong direction or forget where you are supposed to be going. After all, that even happens to experienced drivers.

For more information click here to view a video clip from the DSA

The summer’s here and it’s hot for once! Just as in the winter there are a few things you can do to help stay safe on the roads:

1. Stay cool – open your windows, or preferably use your air conditioning. Being hot and sticky will lead to drowsiness and a lack of concentration
2. Take regular breaks  –  when you start to feel tired make sure you stop and have a break. Don’t drive if you’re feeling too tired to fully concentrate.
3. Keep hydrated  –  drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated
4. Screen wash – don’t forget to have plenty of screen wash. Flies hitting your windscreen soon affect visibility. Keep the windscreen clean.
5. Check your fluids and tyres – ensure that you have the correct coolant and oil levels. An engine is more likely to overheat in hot weather, especially if you get caught in a traffic jam.  Tyres can also get very hot on a long journey; the hotter the tyre, the higher the tyre pressure. Regularly check the condition of your tyres.
6. Animals – never leave a dog or other animal in a hot car. The temperature inside a parked car can soar very quickly, potentially resulting in the death of your pet and possibly even criminal charges for animal cruelty.

During the course of driving lessons in Birmingham you’re bound to see any number of illegal acts committed by other drivers. Speeding, overtaking on the left, and parking on double yellow lines (most annoyingly outside Lloyds Bank by Kings Heath Test Centre!) to name a few.  But why do people do this? I guess there are many motivations for acting illegally whilst driving. Common excuses could include “I sped because I was late” or “I wanted to show my mates how quickly I can drive” or “I only parked there for a second while I nipped to the bank”. None of these excuses are valid, but some people take things a bit too far! Recently a London borough published some of the excuses that it had been given for driving offences. The excuses range from a UFO spotter having been forced to swerve into a bus lane to avoid a UFO, to someone believing he’d been hypnotised into parking illegally. My personal favourite however is this one: "I won't lie. I should know better than to speed on that stretch of road because I ran a woman over there last week."

Most learners I teach don’t have the opportunity to drive other than when on driving lessons. But some do get the benefit of being able to practise in their own/parent’s/partner’s car. These lucky few are able to gain experience of different road traffic situations more quickly and are generally ready to take their test earlier than those who haven’t had extra practice.  Some instructors feel that learners tend to pick up bad habits from their family and friends supervising them, but as long as the practice is taken alongside regular professional driving lessons then I don’t believe that this is the case.

Adding a younger learner to a policy can be prohibitively expensive. There are cheaper options available such as short term policies, held by the learner themselves. One such policy is offered by a company called Marmalade Provisional, who have a tie in with Halfords. They offer policies from as little as £90 per month although this does vary with location. I have checked with them, and for a learner with a Selly Oak B29 postcode, the cost would be £99.50 for one month, or £187.00 for two months.

I believe that in the run up to a test this type of policy can really give a learner an extra boost to their learning experience, raise their confidence and increase their chances of passing the test first time.

Click here for more details…

This year, the driving test in the United Kingdom is 75 years old! Back in 1935 there were 200 examiners across the country. Now there are around 2000. The current test has changed quite a bit  – it’s considerably longer and involves more reversing manoeuvres, not to mention the relatively recent additions of the theory test, hazard perception test and more recently still the “Show me, tell me” element of the practical test. It’s a constantly evolving beast, with more changes ready to be introduced later this year with an independent driving element set to be included.

Currently Britain has the second safest roads in Europe, and this is surely in part due to the high standard of driving required to achieve a pass. So happy 75th birthday driving test. Here’s to another 75 years. Mind you I very much doubt I’ll still be teaching people to pass it by then………

Whilst doing a little driving test research, I stumbled across this newspaper article from 2006.  Not sure exactly how true it is but I found it quite amusing all the same…

With snow and ice covering most of the side roads, and many of the main roads in the area, very few tests have taken place this week. The tests are being cancelled for reasons of safety for you the candidate as well as for the examiner.

With no imminent end to the cold weather in sight, the outlook is a little bleak for tests in the week of Monday 11 January onwards. If you have a test booked during this period, all you can do is to follow the instructions on the appointment letter and call your test centre on the day of the test. There is normally someone in the office from 8.00am. If your test is cancelled due to adverse weather, then you will receive a new date and time in the post in due course.
 

The phone number for the Kings Heath Test Centre (Maypole) is

0121 430 5294

                         To all past, present and prospective pupils,
                     Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year!
                                           
                                            Best wishes from
                                 Ceri at South Brum Driving School.

Recently an incident occurred on one of my driving lessons just after the Maypole roundabout near the Kings Heath test centre, during which my pupil had to take evasive action due to a small child of no more than 6 years of age running straight across a pelican crossing that was showing a green light to drivers. Fortunately, my pupil had reduced her speed on approach to the crossing, in anticipation of such an incident.  But many drivers would not have, and the consequences could have been horrific. 
 

This got me thinking about how road safety education seems to have changed over the years. Nowadays we are quite likely to see adverts targeted towards drivers. For example drink/drive campaigns, kill your speed and beware of bikers are a few that crop up from time to time. The emphasis is always on the driver. But there seems to be very little high profile road safety education for pedestrians (although many local authorities do have various initiatives within schools). This hasn’t always been the case as this video clip shows. Although it’s simplistic in its approach, I and many of my friends still remember the ad clearly, and the message has stuck with us throughout our lives, despite us being incredibly young when it first aired on TV.
 

A number of my pupils have commented recently on how learning to drive has made them better pedestrians, giving them a better understanding of the responsibilities they have to keep themselves safe whilst walking. If the above and other similar video clips were still being aired (or at least updated versions of them) they may appeal to the younger pedestrian, and who knows, maybe save some lives.

South Brum Driving School is pleased to be able to offer you the opportunity to learn to drive in an automatic car for the first time.  Although I don’t teach automatic lessons myself, I have teamed up with another instructor, who teaches automatics in the South Birmingham area.

So whether you live in Selly Oak, Moseley, Kings Heath, Northfield or any other surrounding areas, and you want automatic driving lessons, then please contact us, either by phone, text or email and I will put you in touch with Alan, who’s an experienced, high grade instructor, specialising in automatics.

Other areas covered include Harborne, Hall Green, Longbridge, Balsall Heath and anywhere in between.