Posts Tagged ‘DSA’
Monday, May 25th, 2009
The industry is changing, and it’s about time! Out with the old-fashioned and largely ineffective teaching methods, and in with the successful new coaching style. Some may argue that their current instructional style is proving very effective, but they largely base this claim on their pass rates.
But pass rates mean nothing when young drivers pass their tests and go on to have crashes. The facts:
- An 18-year-old driver is more than three times as likely to be involved in a crash as a 48 year-old.
- One in five new drivers has a crash within six months of passing their test.
So at long last, it appears that the DSA are supporting the approaches that many driver trainers like myself have been pushing for for years – progressing from short-term instructional methods which tend to help learners pass the driving test, towards more active-learning methods which prepare learners for solo driving and to foster ongoing learning after passing their driving test.
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Tags: ADI Training, Coaching, Consultations, Driver Coaching, Driving coach, Driving instructor, Driving Lessons, DSA, Road casualties, Road deaths, Road Safety, Sir John Whitmore
Posted in Industry News, Road Safety | No Comments »
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
Road Safety Consultation
Following the recent publication of the results of the DSA’s Learning to Drive Consultation comes the Government’s latest document seeking views on the vision, targets and measures for improving road safety in Great Britain beyond 2010.
“Making Britain’s Roads Safer” is the title of the consultation document, and we would urge you all to get involved and make your opinions known. The full document and related research articles can be found here. The closing date for this consultation is 14th July 2009.
The key challenges for the new strategy are as follows:
- reducing the number of road deaths, which have fallen at a slower rate than serious injuries;
- pedestrian and cyclist casualties in our towns and cities – particularly in deprived communities;
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Tags: Consultations, crash avoidance systems, Crash statistics, Dangerous driving, Department for Transport, DfT, Drinking and driving, Driving Law, Driving Tests, Drug driving, DSA, Making Britain's Roads Safer, Motorcyle News, Road casualties, Road deaths, Road Safety, Rural roads, Speed cameras, Speed limits, Speeding, Think
Posted in Cars, Driving Law, Industry News, Road Safety | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
Results of the DSA Learning to Drive Consultation
On 7th May 2008, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) issued a Consultation Paper setting out wide-ranged proposals intended to make Britain’s roads safer by getting newly qualified drivers to cope with the challenges of driving unsupervised in today’s modern driving conditions. The Government’s preferred approach to achieving this is through education and incentives, encouraging young people to participate in more effective and efficient learning.
The four key elements of the proposed programme were:
- An improved learning process
- Improved driving tests
- Better information about driving instructors and improved driving instructor training
- Further options for qualifications and learning
Today (21st April 2009), the DSA published its report on this consultation. Having read the document this evening, I have listed the main changes that will happen, changes that may happen and proposals that have been rejected or indefinitely postponed.
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Tags: 3D driving test, Abridged theory test, Changes to the driving test, Consultations, Driving Law, Driving Lessons, Driving Test changes, Driving Tests, DSA, Independent driving, Latics Driver Training, Learning to drive, Learning to drive syllabus, Motorcyle News, Pass plus, Practical driving test, Pre-driver qualification, Road Safety, Supervising drivers, Theory test, Van driver qualification
Posted in Driving Law, Industry News, Road Safety, Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
The DSA has outlined several possible changes to the way people learn to drive. This is currently under scrutiny following the publication of the DSA’s ‘Learning to Drive’ consultation document, the outcome of which should be released shortly.
Possible changes include:
Changes to the marking scheme
Currently the driving test marking sheet simply records faults committed by the pupil during the test, which seems to be seen by most as a very negative approach. The DSA are therefore considering implementing a more competency-based scheme, whereby the pupil will be marked on a list of key skills, according to how well they deal with particular situations which arise during the driving test.
Changes to the set manoeuvres
In an effort to make the manoeuvres more closely relate to those required in everyday driving situations, the DSA are considering introducing an element of choice to the candidate. For example, the examiner may pull the pupil over at the side of the road and then ask them to turn the vehicle around using a method of their choice.
Independent driving
This proposed element has been undergoing a test phase at various test centres around the country to see how effective it can be. The idea is that the examiner would ask the pupil to follow the direction signs towards a particular place / landmark until asked to pull over. Latics would welcome the introduction of such an element – in our experience people struggle to find their way around once they’ve passed their driving tests, since they have only ever been directed where to go by their driving instructor.
It may be some time before the DSA implement these changes (if at all), but all Latics instructors will be encouraged to integrate the above elements into their training courses from May 2009.
Tags: Driving Tests, DSA, Independent driving
Posted in Industry News, Latics News | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
Many Driving Standards Agency (DSA) internet services have moved from the Transport Office website to Business Link.
Driving instructors, transport operators, motorcycle instructors, driving instructor trainers or lorry, bus or taxi drivers can now access a range of online Department for Transport (DfT) tools and services through Business Link.
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Tags: ADI Training, DSA, Websites
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
Thursday, March 26th, 2009
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has rather controversially confirmed its new test fee structure for 2009/10 following a public consultation in October last year, raising test fees yet again. This latest round of fee increases comes at a time when recession is hitting the UK hard, and has provoked outrage amongst driving instructors, motoring organisations and even MP’s.
The above-inflation fee increases will apply to theory and practical driving tests booked on or after 30 March 2009. Fees relating to the Approved Driving Instructor scheme will increase from 24 April 2009.
General fee increases include:
|
Current fee |
New fee |
| Car theory test |
£30.00 |
£31.00 |
| Car practical test |
£56.50 |
£62.00 |
| Motorcycle theory test |
£30.00 |
£31.00 |
| Motorcycle practical test * |
£80.00 |
£90.50 |
* (in October 2009)
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Tags: ADI Training, Driving Tests, DSA, Motorcyle News
Posted in Driving Law, Industry News | No Comments »
Friday, February 20th, 2009
Following a lengthy joint investigation by the DSA and Police, Mohamed Ahmed Hameed, 37 of Luton was today sentenced by Luton Crown Court to 15 months imprisonment for carrying out over 40 theory test impersonations over an 18 month period.
He was joined in court by four of the candidates he falsely represented – Sobhi El Husseini 37 of Maida Vale, Mohamed Zaatari 32 of west London, Omar Benlfekir 35 of Croydon and Aziz Hassan 28 of West London. They were convicted on conspiracy charges and sentenced to two months imprisonment each.
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Tags: Driving Tests, DSA
Posted in Driving Law, Industry News | No Comments »
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
Martin Bowyer was sentenced yesterday at Stoke Crown Court for duping learner drivers out of thousands of pounds by pretending to be an approved driving instructor.
Bowyer, 48 of Leek, Staffordshire, advertised his illegal services in his wife’s hairdressing shop, had a top box on his vehicle and dual controls inside his car. He misled unwitting candidates into believing he was a qualified driving instructor, one of whom was a close family friend.
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Tags: Driving Law, Driving Tests, DSA, Illegal Driving Instructor
Posted in Driving Law, Industry News | 1 Comment »
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
1 Million copies of The Official Highway Code (2007 edition) have been sold in the UK – are you one of the other 33 million UK road users without this life saving book?
The Driving Standards Agency is proud to announce record sales of the 2007 edition of The Official Highway Code. 1 million copies sold in 15 months compared to the previous 2004 edition which sold 1 million copies in 20 months. The Bookseller Magazine has also recorded this latest edition as the No. 1 best selling non-fiction paperback for 2008!
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Tags: DSA, Highway Code, Stationery Office
Posted in Driving Law, Events, Industry News, Road Safety | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
The Driving Standards Agency is writing to learner driver candidates who have booked practical tests on a Saturday since November 2005, to offer a refund for overpayment of fees caused by accidental overcharging and to apologise for the error.
They are taking this action because of an error in regulations made on 1 November 2005 which had the unintended consequence of removing the differential between normal weekday hours and Saturday charges for taking a test. The refund offered is the premium paid for a Saturday test, currently £10.50 for a car test.
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Tags: Driving Tests, DSA
Posted in Industry News | No Comments »
