DVSA PLANS TO REDUCE DRIVING TEST WAITING TIMES

 

DVSA sets out NEW plan to reduce Driving Test Waiting Times

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has today (Wednesday 18 December 2024) set out a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times, and get new drivers on road.

Lilian Greenwood, Minister for the Future of Roads, said:

Passing your driving test is a life changing opportunity for millions – but sky-high waiting times for tests in recent years have denied that opportunity to too many people.

No one should have to wait six months when they’re ready to pass, travel to the other side of the country to take a driving test or be ripped off by unscrupulous websites just because they can’t afford to wait.

The scale of the backlog we have inherited is huge, but today’s measures are a crucial step to tackle the long driving test wait times, protect learner drivers from being exploited, and support more people to hit the road.

1. Recruit and train 450 Driving Examiners

DVSA will recruit and train 450 driving examiners across Great Britain.

2. Review and improve the Rules for Booking Driving Tests

DVSA will review and improve the driving test booking system to make sure that learner drivers can book their driving test easily and efficiently.

To do this, DVSA will follow these steps:

1.   Launch a call for evidence about the current rules and processes, which DVSA has done today (18 December 2024).

 

2.   Analyse the evidence and develop proposals to improve the rules and booking system.

 

3.   Run a consultation on the proposed improved rules.

 

4.   Introduce the improved rules - changing the law if necessary.

This work will take time to complete, and it will take some time for learner drivers and driving instructors to see improvements. But it will help to make the system fairer for learners and better protect them from being exploited.

3. Introduce tougher terms and conditions for the service driving instructors use to book and Manage Car Driving Tests for their Pupils

These new terms and conditions will come into force on 6 January 2025.

They set out that only driving instructors or businesses that employ driving instructors can use the service to book car driving tests.

The new terms and conditions make it clear that driving instructors and businesses must not book driving tests on behalf of learner drivers they are not teaching.

They also stop driving instructors and businesses from using a learner driver’s details to book a driving test that they have no intention of that particular learner driver using. This is sometimes done to create a placeholder so the test can be swapped to another learner driver later.

If anyone breaks the terms and conditions, DVSA can:

·         issue them with a warning notice

·         suspend their account

·         close their account

4. Consult on new proposals to increase the amount of time people have to wait to book another test in certain situations

DVSA will run a consultation on new proposals to increase the amount of time people have to wait to book another test if they either:

·         make multiple serious or dangerous faults during their driving test

·         physically or verbally assault their driving examiner

·         fail to attend their driving test without telling DVSA - and consider charging them a penalty

Learner drivers currently have to wait 10 working days before being able to book another test. The consultation, which will launch at a later date, will set out the full details of the potential options.

5. Increase the amount of notice you need to give to change or Cancel a Car Driving Test without losing the fee

DVSA will increase the amount of notice people need to give to change or cancel their car driving test without losing their fee to 10 clear working days.

It’s currently set at 3 clear working days. DVSA consulted on proposals to increase this in 2022.  

This change will:

·         encourage people to change or cancel their test sooner if they’re not ready

·         give more chance for appointments to be used by someone else

DVSA is working to bring in this change from spring 2025. The exact date has not yet been confirmed. DVSA will let learner drivers and driving instructors know when the date is confirmed.

Learner drivers will still be able to apply for a refund in cases such as illness or bereavement.

DVSA will continue to pay out-of-pocket expenses for any car driving tests it cancels with fewer than 3 clear working days’ notice while it conducts a review of its out-of-pocket expenses process.

6. Explore changing the current 24-week limit on how far ahead car driving testscan be booked

DVSA will explore ways of changing how far ahead car driving tests can be booked. This is currently set at 24 weeks.

Any changes DVSA makes will be made so it can better understand how many people want to take a driving test at each test centre.

7. Encourage learner drivers to be better prepared for their driving test through the ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign

DVSA will continue to run its ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign, which 95% of users rate as useful, to encourage learner drivers to take the right action to prepare for their driving test.

Research from DVSA shows that about 23% of learner drivers take their first attempt at the driving test within one month of starting driving lessons.

The campaign aims to change this behaviour, and focuses on helping learner drivers to:

·         understand what skills they need to have mastered

·         prepare for their test by giving tips on managing nerves

·         take a realistic mock driving test

·         understand what will happen during their driving test

It also encourages people who are not ready to pass to move their test back.

Reducing waiting times

The actions being taken will help DVSA to provide 1.95 million car driving tests between April 2024 and March 2025 and to reduce the waiting time to 7 weeks by December 2025.

BEATING DRIVING ANXIETY ON YOUR DRIVING TEST

Beating Anxiety on Your Driving Test

1. Put any thoughts of drinking alcohol or taking drugs – at least the night before your driving test – out of your mind.

 

2. Have some food and stay well hydrated. There’s nothing worse than having the jitters before and during your test and focusing on a growling stomach will disturb your concentration.

 

3. Take an hour long driving lesson with your Driving Instructor before your test. This’ll give you the chance to have a last-minute practice, brush up on manoeuvres and warm up for your Driving Test.

 

4. It’s perfectly acceptable to let the examiner know if you have any additional support needs. Examiners give instructions in good time but if you don't understand ask them to repeat.

 

5. During your test, make safety your number one priority. If you’ve been told to go left, but you are in a right only lane for example, go where the lane takes you. You might have to pull over and allow your Examiner to reroute, but what is important is that you demonstrate your ability to follow traffic rules and are always aware of your surroundings.

 

6. After your test, whether you pass or not, pay close attention to your examiner’s feedback. This is what will be most useful to you afterwards.

 

7. Finally, stay safe, trust yourself and your instructor and treat your test as a learning experience, regardless of the outcome.

MOTORISTS TO TAX VEHICLES WITHOUT LOG BOOK

Motorists to tax vehicle without log book and tax reminder letter

 

Motorists applying for a duplicate V5C (log book) can now tax their vehicle without needing to wait for their log book to arrive.

V5C - Log Book

DVLA has announced a new service update that allows motorists to tax their vehicle even if they have lost their V5C (log book) and their vehicle tax reminder letter (V11).

Previously, customers who had lost these documents would have had to wait up to 5 days for a replacement V5C to arrive, or phone DVLA’s Contact Centre to tax their vehicle. This latest update will allow customers to apply online for a new V5C and tax their vehicle at the same time.

This is the first time that DVLA has linked their online registration service with their online licensing service, allowing the customer to self-serve through the 2 digital channels in one seamless customer journey.

Julie Lennard, DVLA Chief Executive, said:

We are always looking for ways to improve our digital services to provide more convenience for motorists. This latest enhancement will enable customers who have misplaced or lost their V5C to get a replacement and tax their vehicle quickly and easily.

Father killed By Police, while chasing Illegal Driver

13 March 2014

    Chloe Sutton said she and her family wanted answers about how her father James Sutton died

Police pursuing a disqualified driver ran down and killed a pedestrian on Wednesday night. The officers  were searching for the a motorist, reportedly seen at the wheel of a vehicle, when their car hit James Sutton at a junction near the sea front in Hastings, East Sussex.

Mr Sutton, a 46 years old father from St Leonards, died at the scene, despite efforts to save him. His daughter Chloe said ‘ He liked to drink and I expect he probably had a drink last night, and probably did not know what was happening. At least there’s some sort of relief knowing that he did not suffer’ . An investigation was launched after the accident. The illegal driver was never found.

Witness Chris Paraskeva said 12 police vehicles went to the scene where emergency teams tried to save the man.

Mark Norman the driver of the police car had been injured slightly by broken glass and had been suspended from driving duties while the IPCC conducted its investigation.

Fine Increase for Uninsured Drivers

 Fines for driving without insurance are to rise from £200 to £300 .

Earlier this month, it was announced that the fixed penalty fine for driving without insurance would rise by 50 per cent in July - from £200 to £300.

This increase comes at the same time as new fines for middle-lane hogging and tailgating are introduced.

But a leading motorists' group says that the £100 rise in the fine for driving without cover will have no impact on repeat offenders. It is believed many drivers make a financial decision to drive without car insurance rather than pay annual premiums that dwarf any fines imposed by police or the courts. Currently maximum fine for no car insurance is up to £5,000, but this has never been imposed. Fines are  means-tested, which means that the average fine is £299 - just under the new £300 fixed penalty. Also in 2012 more than half of court fines imposed for driving without insurance were £200 or less.

£300 fine versus £2,850 car insurance cost

By way of comparison, men aged between 17 and 20 face average annual premiums of around £2,850.

This is according to the latest study, which looked at more than four million quotes to see what prices drivers were getting for cover between January and March 2013.

Those aged 21 to 25 paid an average of £1,500 a year for cover.

Many driving uninsured cars are young men who may already have several motoring offences to their name. So potential fines have little deterrent value and you can easily pick another cheap banger for cash, no questions asked, and continue offending.

Hotspot for uninsured drivers

David Ward, MP for Bradford East, said that simply increasing fines was unlikely to be effective.

He said: "When the court sets these charges, they have to bear in mind whether a person can afford it. "The fine could be £3 million rather than £300: but if they can't pay it, they can't pay it."

Around 160 people a year are killed by uninsured drivers in England and Wales, with thousands more injured, according to road safety organisation Brake.

The AA wants the government to take a much tougher line with uninsured drivers, particularly those who offend time and again.

Is prison the way to tackle uninsured drivers?

The AA says that in extreme cases the courts should impose electronic tags or prison sentences.

It also wants minister to increase the number of police patrols equipped with automatic number plate-recognition technology, which is used to identify vehicles without insurance, an MoT, or tax.

Large fines for those who can't pay them are not effective, But if uninsured drivers know they'll quickly be caught then that will act as a big disincentive. We need a tough, no-compromise approach to uninsured drivers which should include community service.

However, Bradford East MP David Ward is less convinced that prison is the answer.

He said: "The problem with custodial sentences is that our prisons are full enough as they are.

But there is a strong case for saying that the fines from uninsured drivers should be given to the police so they can upgrade their vehicles with this number plate-recognition technology.

'Forgetful' drivers could be caught out

There are concerns that a tougher approach could hit motorists who are driving uninsured as a result of their own error.

A senior motoring lawyer said: "I come across many drivers who inadvertently commit the offence of driving without insurance through sheer forgetfulness or disorganisation rather than any intent to break the law. "The offence is one of strict liability – either you are insured or you are not.

"Therefore it does not distinguish between someone who changed bank accounts and forgot to move their insurance direct debit and the serial offender."

It would be difficult for the courts to bring intention into the equation.

This would require prosecutors to establish that a defendant had deliberately chosen to drive without cover.

She also said: "As long as there is no distinction between offenders of this kind, I think the increase in the fixed penalty fine is as far as it should go."

                                          www.afzalschoolofmotoring.com

Safety Concerns for Young Drivers

MOST PARENTS of young drivers worry that their children are under prepared for the roads after passing their driving test, according to a survey carried out by insurance company.

A survey was carried out by direct line insurance company, based on 1000 parents of children aged 16–26 who have a driving licence or are expected to learn to drive soon.

The survey found that :

·         23% of parents worried all the time about their child's safety on the road;

·         58% of parents believed their child was not properly equipped to drive on a motorway;

·         36% reckoned their children were under-equipped for driving in congested city centres and 39% admitted they worried for their ability to drive in the dark;

·         64% wanted a minimum learning-to-drive period;

·         50% said their children were distracted by their friends talking to them when they were driving.

Direct Line managing director  said: "Too many young people are killed or injured on Britain's roads today. We need to give young drivers the time to build their confidence and capability to become proficient and safe drivers.

"We welcome the Government's recognition that there is a safety issue involving young drivers by their announcement to publish a Green Paper on young drivers this summer.

 And we hope these measures will all help to reduce the number of car accidents involving drivers under 25s."

If you have never driven on motorway lessons, driven at night, in rain, fog or icy conditions then why not book Pass Plus course or Refresher Course. There is no test at the end of the driving course, you will get a Pass Plus certificate and you can get discount towards your car insurance.

www.afzalschoolofmotoring.com/

Driving Lessons For Learner Drivers

Driving Lessons for Learners

Driving lessons are normally for a minimum of 1 hour but the pupil can decide to take 1½, 2 hour driving lessons etc. if it suites them or wish to get to driving test standard quicker.

The Driving Lesson will begin by instructor asking what was covered in last driving lesson and how much of that student can remember . The instructor will have  planned todays lesson and a route relative to the pupils experience and will state todays lessons plan and objectives. 

Through out driving lesson the instructor will monitor the learner, the road and other vehicles very carefully.  The car will have dual controls so that the driving instructor can stop if necessary.

Subjects covered will include:

·         Controls of the car.

·          Moving off & stopping safely.

·          Angled / uphill / downhill start.

·          Turning left & right from major to minor roads.

·          Emerging at T Junctions.

·          Crossroads.

·          Roundabouts.

·          Pedestrian crossings.

·          Meet, cross & overtake other traffic.

·          Turn in the road.

·          Left hand reverse.

·          Reverse park.

·         Bay Parking

·          Emergency stop.

·         Mock Test

·          Show Me / Tell Me.

The subjects will not necessarily be covered in that exact order as much will depend on the  pupils needs.  Also, the lesson plan could change during the lesson if , the pupil is experiencing difficulty in a particular area then the lesson may be diverted to concentrate on that.

Additionally, driving skills such as clutch control, steering, use of mirrors, road positioning, speed and anticipation will be taught and assessed.

You will also be given tuition and practice on town driving, rural driving & dual carriageway driving.

Knowledge of the Highway Code will also be taught and tested during the driving lessons. When the pupil is ready for the test, they will be asked to apply for driving test date.