Blog posts tagged ‘DSA’

I’m often asked by learners why they can’t do any lessons on motorways. After all, as soon as you pass your test you are entitled to drive on motorways straight away without having had any training on them. It sounds like a sensible question to me, and there is a lot for the powers that be to think about when reviewing policies that address this question.

Some of the arguments used by people against having learners on motorways are that learners don’t have the skill levels to drive at high speeds. Or maybe learners will hold up other traffic on the motorway causing frustration to other drivers; perhaps a learner will inadvertently hog the middle lane; and a driver can take a pass plus course or motorway lessons after they pass their test anyway – not many do though!

But currently learners are allowed to drive on dual carriageways where the national speed limit of 70mph for cars and motorcycles applies. The skills used when driving on such a road are pretty much identical to driving on a motorway – good awareness of traffic both in the distance and around you, smooth lane changes for overtaking, high speeds, using slip roads on and off the main carriageway. If you take your driving test at the King’s Heath Test Centre in Birmingham then there is a good chance that the A435 Hollywood bypass, near the Maypole roundabout, could be a part of your test route.

I would suggest the main difference that new drivers see between a motorway and a dual carriageway is a psychological one. This could be due to the lower volume of traffic, two lanes not three (not all motorways have three lanes however) and the lack of the name “motorway”.  Surely part of the psychological problem that some inexperienced drivers who have passed their test have with motorways, is the fact that they are built up to be something different and difficult to drive on. If that were not the case surely they could have gone on them as learners?  I believe that allowing learners (who are assessed to be ready and have the necessary skills by their instructors) onto the motorway network would actually help to improve the standard of driving on motorways as a whole. How often do we see drivers on motorways that seem to lack the skills required to change lanes, so they sit in the middle lane thereby reducing a perfectly adequate three lane road into a congested two lane road? Surely being taught how to drive on a motorway can only be a good thing in the long run?

So what can be done about this? In July the first of a series of meetings aimed at planning the future of the driver training industry was held. At this meeting was Mike Penning, the minister for road safety, three senior DSA officials and a number of others who are involved at a high level within the driver training industry. Among others, the subject of learners on motorways was raised. Some ideas such as allowing learners deemed competent by their instructor and accompanied only by their qualified instructor, not a parent or other supervising driver, onto motorways were proposed. The question of accessibility to motorways was raised. Some learners may live 80 plus miles from their nearest motorway (I did when I learnt to drive in Mid-Wales) should this be compulsory or voluntary for learners. If it was compulsory, it was discussed whether the use of high speed dual carriageways count as sufficient for the training record (again, where I learnt to drive the nearest high speed dual carriageway was 50 miles away).

There is clearly much to debate, but I am glad that the debate is finally taking place. After this series of meeting has been completed, the findings will be reported in an impact assessment document, and it will be down to Government Ministers to make the final decision on the way to proceed. I look forward to some progress being made in this important area, where there are currently deficiencies in the adequate training of drivers.

If you’re looking for a local driving instructor, you may be interested to know that the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has launched a free online directory of fully qualified instructors, searchable by postcode.  One of the benefits of using the directory is that you can now find instructors, like myself, who have signed up to the voluntary continuing professional development (CPD) scheme and the voluntary code of practice which sets out the professional standards expected in the industry.  Hopefully this means that it will be easier for you to make a more informed decision when choosing a driving instructor.

For more information and to search the DSA directory of driving instructors, click here.

Despite over 81,500 driving tests being cancelled across the country due to the recent bad weather, practical driving test waiting times at the King's Heath Test Centre are as short I can remember them being in recent years. According to the DSA's website, the current waiting time is only four weeks. For much of last year the waiting time was between six to eight weeks. Appointment availability is defined as when a test centre has 10 per cent or more of its appointments available. However there are some dates available at even shorter notice than that. So keep up those driving lessons and you’ll be taking and passing a test before you know it!

You may have heard that on the 4^th October this year the driving test is changing. I’d like to clear up some of the facts surrounding the new test, as I’ve heard all sorts of rumours and scare stories about it. Following a meeting with the test centre manager at the King’s Heath test centre, I have it on good authority that this isn’t going to be the problem that many in the media have made it out to be. Some may even find the new test easier, and all should find it beneficial.

Independent driving
The main change is the inclusion of an independent driving phase. This will take about ten minutes of the time on test. It will involve you having to either:
1.  Follow signs to a specific location e.g.  “follow signs to the station until I tell you otherwise”
or
2.  Follow a short series of up to three directions given verbally by the examiner and sometimes backed up by a simple route diagram. You will be asked to repeat the instructions to the examiner before you set off. 
or
3. A combination of the two.

It is the second of these that seems to worry people the most. Many are scared that they won’t be able to remember where they’re supposed to go. Well fear not, as it is perfectly acceptable to ask the examiner if you have forgotten. The examiners are generally nice people, and are there to help you achieve your potential on the test. Feel free to ask them anything that isn’t clear to you. Also, just like on the rest of the test, if you make a wrong turn (get left and right mixed up for example), so long as you’ve driven correctly to wherever you’ve gone, then there is no problem at all. It is not a test of your ability to follow direction instructions, merely a test of your ability to drive a route with minimal prompting.

Manoeuvres
Now for the good bit! Before the changes, you would have had to perform at least two reversing exercises. Now, there will be only one! So that’s got to be good for you hasn’t it? There is still a second manoeuvre, as EU law states that there has to be two on all tests. The second manoeuvre is “moving off at an angle”. This means that you’ll be asked to pull up about a car length behind a parked vehicle, and then to pull away from behind it. This is something that has always been asked of you in the driving test anyway, but it wasn’t given its own status as a manoeuvre before.

Test Routes
This won’t directly affect your test at all, but the test routes will no longer be published by the DSA. As a driving instructor, my aim is to teach you to drive safely, and legally wherever in the country, or even the world you will be driving. As such, I have never taught “test routes”. If you can drive well, you can drive anywhere. Obviously there can be some tricky junctions that can confuse in every area, and of course you will familiarise yourself with these on your lessons with me. For example, many find the bus lanes and approach to the Maypole roundabout confusing, and having a go at these before the test is a good idea. In my opinion  the lack of published test routes won’t affect your chances of passing the driving test in any way.

Hopefully this has clarified some of the facts about the changes to the test, but if you are still unsure, please feel free to give me a call, and also check out the DSA’s You Tube video about the changes.

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

From 28 September this year the theory test for car drivers, motorcycle and moped riders will include a case study. It will take the form of a scenario on which five multiple choice questions will be asked. This case study, and the questions based on it will appear at the end of the multiple choice phase of the test and make up the final five questions of the fifty asked. 

The reason for the inclusion of a case study is to improve the assessment of the understanding of the candidate, rather than just their ability to memorise answers. Unlike the theory questions, the DSA won’t be publishing the case study scenarios.  If you know your theory and understand it, then the case study element shouldn’t be a problem for you.

I attended a meeting a couple of weeks ago, where the speaker was a DSA Assistant Chief Driving Examiner. He works for a department within the DSA which looks at and regulates the standards of driving examiners. The presentation he gave mainly related to the examination and continued testing of driving instructors (ADIs) but was also relevant to examiners who take learners out on test. His talk certainly reassured me that every effort is taken to ensure that all driving tests carried out are fairly and consistently marked as far as they can be.

Obviously there is always a possibility of human error, and for those occasions that you feel you’ve been unfairly treated then there is a complaints procedure that can be followed. This procedure is marked out on the driving test report, a copy of which you receive at the end of the test.

But in general I believe that examiners' marking is consistent and fair. If anyone fails a test there is always a genuine reason for it, and that reason needs to be addressed and worked on to get you ready for, and able to pass,  the next test you take.

In an earlier post I touched on the fact that the driving test and driving tuition is going to change.  Some of those changes have been decided upon, and the DSA is in the process of introducing them.

There will be several stages to the introduction of these changes and the following is stage one, taken from the summary of the main decisions of the DSA from the report on the Learning to drive consultation

1.  Continued roll out across Great Britain of the new pre-driver qualification in safe road use.

2.  Introduction of a partial credit for the theory test for those awarded the new pre-driver qualification in safe road use – target date October 2009.

3.  Introduction of case studies for the theory test for learner drivers with the next update of the theory question bank – target date October 2009.

4.  Continued research and trialling of driver training syllabus and workbook, attitude adviser, record of test readiness, independent driving and 3D animation.

5.  A trial to assess the effectiveness of the proposed new learning to drive syllabus – By March 2010 .

6.  Undertake a consultation on modernising driver training including proposals to enable a more informed choice of instructor – by March 2010.

7.  Analysis of the implications of separating the published theory test questions, from the theory questions used in the actual test – by Spring 2010.

Then during the 2010/2011 financial year the following decisions will be implemented:

1.  Introduction of an assessment of competence whilst driving independently into all practical tests for learner drivers – shifting the current emphasis on manoeuvring and creating the opportunity to open out test routes and increase the driving time by reducing the number of special manoeuvres – target date October 2010.

2.  Supervising drivers to sit in on car practical tests and debrief – Target date October 2010.

3. Continue research and trial the use of 3D animation by spring 2011 for:

     the current hazard perception test

     the 2^nd generation hazard perception test

     introducing situational judgement into the theory test

4.  Introduce a new, improved Pass Plus scheme – by March 2011

The full report can be found on the DSA website in the form of a PDF file.

I intend to write a further post on these changes to show how they will directly affect you as learners.

From 17 May 2009 the DSA is changing the way it decides which test centres will offer out-of-hours tests.   Appointments classed as out-of-hours are those offered at the weekend and, during the summer, weekday early mornings and evenings.
 

These will only be available at test centres where there is a high demand, and not at those where there isn’t.
 

I would imagine that all of the test centres in Birmingham will fit into this category, but contact the DSA after 17 May if you'd like to check.

Two weeks ago I was a delegate at a DSA conference held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Among the varied items in the agenda was a presentation given by Trevor Wedge, the chief driving examiner, outlining the modernisation of the driving test, and possible changes to achieve this. I’ve summarised some of the proposals below and what I have written is my understanding based on a twenty minute Powerpoint presentation.

1) Changes to the way the test is marked:

The marking system may be entirely overhauled and changing from a negative scheme, whereby only your faults are recorded, to a competency based scheme. This would involve core competencies being effectively ticked off as you deal with certain situations such as meeting traffic, and marking you according to how you deal with these situations.

>How this would be implemented wasn’t discussed in great detail, but it seems like a positive step to me, and would bring the driving test up to modern testing standards.

2) Introduction of an independent driving element:

This is not to say that you’d be in the car on your own (flying solo!) but that you may be given an instruction such as “Follow the signs to Kings Heath until I ask you to pull over and stop”

>This would more closely mirror the type of driving you’ll be doing when you have passed your test and is therefore a much better way to judge your skill as a driver rather than being told exactly where to go. It means you’ll have to look at the signs to interpret where you’re going, and have to decide for yourself when you’ll need to change lanes to turn right for example. This might sound like extra pressure, but the driving test is there to test you, and make sure that you are a safe driver from the moment you’ve passed.

3) Changes to the manoeuvres:

This could involve making the reversing exercises more relevant to everyday driving, but still testing the same competencies that are currently assessed in the test. For example, you might be asked to turn the car around to face the opposite direction using a method of your choice. You may decide to perform a turn in the road, or maybe choose to reverse into a side road, depending on the traffic situation, width of the road etc.

>This would test your decision making ability, and make you more aware of why you are practicing these exercises in the first place.

It’s worth bearing in mind that all of the changes discussed (and other possible changes that I have not covered) are just proposals at present. As such they are unlikely to be implemented imminently without further research and consultation. But I can imagine that they will be introduced in one way or another over time.  In an effort to recognise the need for these changes, I will slowly be introducing some of the elements mentioned above into your driving lessons.  I am confident that this will make you safer drivers, and prepare you more fully for the driving test as it currently stands, let alone when the changes are finally introduced.