New DVLA figures suggest motorists are missing out on millions

British motorists could have missed out on savings of nearly £5 million last year by not going online to apply for or renew driving licence, according to new DVLA figures published on 27th June 2019.

Online driving licence applications now account for nearly 4 out of 5 provisional driving licence applications and around half of all driving licence renewals – an increase of around 10% over the last 3 years. A provisional licence costs £43 when applying by post, but only £34 online, with renewals costing £17 by post and £14 online.

But some drivers missed out on the savings last year with more than 1.2 million drivers posting their applications to DVLA.

DVLA Chief Executive Julie Lennard said:

Each year, more and more people are choosing to use our online services and it is always cheaper and quicker to renew your driving licence on GOV.UK. It’s also the quickest way for those who have lost or misplaced their licence to apply for a replacement.

Notes to editors:

1.   Drivers who apply online should only use GOV.UK so they can be sure of dealing with DVLA directly and paying the lowest price for services that carry a fee.

2.   By using GOV.UK when applying for services online, motorists can also ensure they avoid using third party websites. Such sites will often charge an additional fee for services that are free - or cost significantly less - on GOV.UK. Websites such as these are not connected with the DVLA in any way.

3.   Customers can apply for a provisional licence online with DVLA on GOV.UK

4.   Customers can find out more about renewing their driving licence and renew it online with DVLA on GOV.UK

5.   If they are aged 70 or over, customers can renew their driving licence online with DVLA for free on GOV.UK

6.   It’s free to renew a driving licence at the age of 70 or older, irrespective of the route chosen.

Driving test: Hardest and easiest places to pass

Driving test: Hardest and easiest places to pass

AGE

About 45% of drivers pass their driving test first time, while some others need more than 30 attempts. But does it matter where in Britain you take your test?

Every three months, pass rate data is published on all driving test centres in England, Scotland and Wales. The rates vary from below 30% to more than 80%.

According to the latest stats - for April to December 2018 - Britain's highest pass rate and lowest pass rate are listed below.  Driving test centres with highest pass rate were in Inveraray, in Argyll and Bute, where 83.3% of learner drivers passed their test..

Top places with highest pass rate

	Test centre	Number of tests Apr-Dec 2018	Pass rate %
1	Inveraray	53	84.9
2	Mallaig	18	83.3
3	Gairloch	24	83.3
4	Pitlochry	93	78.5
5	Isle of Mull	18	77.8

Source: DVSA

The lowest, meanwhile, is the Pavilion test centre in north Birmingham, at 29.6%.

Top places with lowest pass rate

	Test centre	Number of tests Apr-Dec 2018	Pass rate %
1	Birmingham (The Pavilion)	2,338	29.6
2	Birmingham (South Yardley)	6,916	32.3
3	Speke (Liverpool)	4,858	32.6
4	Enfield (Bancroft Way)	67	32.8
5	Erith (London)	4,710	33.5

-

Source: DVSA

At first glance, it appears pass rates are generally higher in rural areas and lower in busy cities. This might sound obvious: less traffic and fewer hazards. But driving instructors say it may be more complex than this.

In Pitlochry, Perthshire, the pass rate there is 78.5%. It is one of the highest in the country, although the test centre is small with an average of 11 learners sitting the exam each month.

Is the high pass rate because of the rural setting? a driving instructor in 2016 after quitting her job running a restaurant

"Definitely through the winter it's an easier place to pass," said one driving instructor . "It's very quiet. But in the summer, it's worse than driving in the centre of London .

"Because these are a tourist town, the place is heaving. And driving through the main street is like running the gauntlet. People are not really engaging their brains, they are on holiday. People go out in the middle of the road taking pictures. There are lots of tourists who are driving. They don't know where they are going. It can be incredibly hazardous."

In more rural test centres, the hazards are "different" - for example bad parking, narrower roads, tractors and cyclists.

"Interestingly, a couple of people who I have taught say driving in Pitlochry is 10 times harder than in Glasgow," she said. "In Glasgow they are following the person in front, whereas in Pitlochry there are not as many traffic lights, so at the junction the pupil has to make the decision themselves."

Almost 400 miles away, Belvedere test centre in south-east London is near the other end of the scale. It has a pass rate of just 33.8%.

August last year was particularly bad, when only 28.5% of the 403 candidates managed to ditch the L-plates.

Driving Instructor  from Belvedere, believes "people simply go to the test too soon".ho was born in Poland, now teaches people to drive in south-east London

"Here we have a very large mix of many nationalities and some people's beliefs of standards are not the same," . "You have to make sure you're at a good enough standard of driving to pass the test."

Meanwhile, one instructor from Birmingham - where pass rates are below average at all test centres and as low as 29% at one - said he did not think "the standard of instruction in Birmingham is very good".

He blamed the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's checks - instructors are required to deliver a lesson under observation every four years - for being not rigorous enough.

And the instructor - who did not want to be named - said he believed "50% of the instructors in the area should not be teaching".

Many do not care about getting students through the test, he said, but "are doing it purely for the money".

DVSA-approved driving instructor registrar Jacqui Turland said it monitors "the performance and standard of instruction".

"Where instructors are bringing candidates to test at an unsatisfactory level, our enforcement managers will investigate and help educate them, in order to achieve best practice."

According to the AA Driving School, although the highest pass rates tend to be in rural areas and the lowest in urban areas, the difference should not be solely attributed to the type of traffic.

There are "probably other social factors that may be playing a part in the pass-rate disparity", it said.

your first attempt at the driving test, you're more likely to fail. On the second attempt, your likelihood of passing goes up. But after that, the pass rate drops with every attempt you take.

So are learner drivers flocking to rural Scottish areas, in an effort to boost their chances?

The DVSA doesn't believe so.

"All candidates are assessed to the same level and the result of their test is entirely dependent on their performance on the day," said chief driving examiner Mark Winn said. "It's essential that all drivers demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge and attitude to drive safely.

"The driver testing and training regime tests candidates' ability to drive safely and responsibly as well as making sure they know the theory behind safe driving."

---

Is Driving Test Doing its Job

www.afzal-driving-lessons.co.uk

www.afzal-driving-lessons.co.uk

Is Driving Test Doing its Job

According a survey by GEM Motoring Assist 9 out of 10 drivers want  L- test  t be graduated Driver Licencing (GDL).

It is believed that GDL add all important Intermediate elements between learner driver and full licence holder, and allows new drivers to build up their skills and experience over a period of time.

Where versions of GDL are already in place, the reduction in young and novice driver collisions have been remarkable. For example research from TRL show that 16-year old drivers in USA who learned to drive through GDL system 15 years ago had 37% fewer crashes than those who followed other systems.

Many other organisation, public health bodies and research institutes believe a graduated driver licencing system should be implemented across the UK, including key components such as minimum learning period of 12 months,automatic driving disqualification for any driving offence for 2 years after passing the test.

Learn Driving on motorways: what you to know

Learner drivers on motorways: what you to know

How the rules work

Any Motorway Lessons learner drivers take are voluntary. They must be taken with an approved driving instructor – so there’ll be no learners driving on motorways with mum or dad in the passenger seat.

The car they’re driving must have dual-controls and must display L plates.

Driving instructors will only take learner drivers on the motorway when they have the right skills and experience to drive in a high-speed environment. Learner drivers would  already have practiced  driving on dual carriageways, so this will be a natural progression.

Driving instructors are highly-skilled and have experience  training people to drive safely. They’ll be sitting next to their pupil in their driving school car and for their own safety, they’re very unlikely to take anyone who is not ready onto the motorway.

What motorway lessons include

During motorway lessons, learner drivers will be trained on:

·         how to join and leave the motorway, overtake and use lanes correctly

·         using smart motorways correctly

·         driving at high speed in motorway conditions

·         motorway-specific traffic signs

·         what to do if a vehicle breaks down on a motorway

DVSA  think it’s much safer for learners to be accompanied by a professional driving instructor,  the first time they go on a motorway, rather than just to drive onto the motorway for the first time after they pass their test without any prior experience.

Motorway driving lessons will help prepare learners for a lifetime of safe driving and will:

·         give them broader driving experience before taking their driving test

·         give them more practice driving on a variety of roads and at higher speeds

·         improve their confidence to drive on the motorway unsupervised after passing their driving test

That last point is particularly important. Research with new drivers has shown that some avoid using motorways because they lack confidence to use them. This means they spend more time driving on rural roads.

In fact, 80% of all young driver deaths happen on rural roads (just 4% are on motorways). These can be more challenging because of sharp bends, hidden dips, blind summits and concealed entrances.

But this isn’t just about building learner drivers’ confidence. It will also have benefits for everyone travelling on the motorway.

Improving road safety

We know it’s frustrating and unsafe when drivers:

·         Hog the middle lane

·         Sit in your blind spot

·         Tailgate

·         overtake and then cut back in too quickly

It is hoped  that by teaching the next generation of drivers good lane discipline and how to interact with all vehicles – including lorries and coaches - we can make the motorways safer and more efficient for everyone.

Also it should contribute to a reduction in the number of young drivers being killed on rural roads.

Road casualties devastate families and communities. Collisions also cost the economy an estimated £16.3 billion a year, and they add pressure on the NHS and our emergency services.

How you can help

It is hoped all drivers will  treat learner drivers how you’d like to be treated, be patient and considerate of them, and remember what The Highway Code says.

Rule 217
Learners and inexperienced drivers may not be so skillful at anticipating and responding to events. Be particularly patient with learner drivers and young drivers.

Most drivers do that already, but if everyone follows this advice, we can make a big difference and help make our motorways safer.

Learner Drivers to be allowed on Motorways

Learner Drivers to be allowed on motorways

Government is considering plans under which learner drivers will be able to take driving lessons on motorways before passing their driving test.

Learner drivers would need to be accompanied by an approved driving instructor and in a car fitted with dual controls.

These changes will allow learner drivers to:

• get broader driving experience before taking their driving test
• get training on how to join and leave the motorway, overtake and use lanes correctly
• practice driving at higher speeds
• put their theoretical knowledge into practice

 

Ultimately this should lead better prepared drivers and reduction in road accidents.

Do you need motorway driving lessons if so visit   www.afzalschoolofmotoring.com  and send text message to book your driving lessons with afzal school of motoring.

Cyclist Killed on Road

 Another Cyclist Killed on Road 

83 years old cyclist who suffered serious head injuries in a fall from his bike after striking a path hole has died. Roger Hamer of Manchester road, Ramsbottom died at Salford Royal hospital, Manchester.

Hamer who was not wearing a helmet, was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital. Police said there was no evidence that another driving vehicle was involved.

Earlier in March, Surrey resident Ralph Brazier, 52 of Thames Ditton, suffered fatal injuries when he rode over deep path hole on a busy road in Weybridge.

www.afzal-driving-lessons.co.uk

Do we take driving while drowsy seriously enough? 

Driving when you are drowsy can be as dangerous as having a few drinks, says the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.    A survey of 1000 drivers in UK by Brake, the road safety charity, found that one in eight drivers had nodded off for up to 30 seconds. Drowsiness, like alcohol, makes you less alert, slows your reaction times and it means you are more likely to have an accident even if you don’t actually fall asleep. About one in five crashes, in which a person is killed involves a drowsy driver.
Driving while drowsy usually occurs at high speeds, is most common in men between 16 and 24 years of age and occurs most often between 11pm and 8am. The car typically veers off the road and the driver isn’t alert enough to brake.

What can we Do ?

When tired you are bit too relaxed about driving. Shift workers, people on medications that cause sleepiness and anyone who is sleep deprived, as a new parent, should realise that they could be drowsy drivers.

There are obvious symptoms of tiredness such as yawning, but other big clues include, unable to recall the last few miles, missing road signs, drifting out of your lane, getting too close to the car in front or finding it hard to maintain your speed and needing more effort to keep your head up. If you do feel sleepy you should pull over immediately or, if you’re on a motorway, as soon as it is safe to do so.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents says that two cups of caffeinated coffee and a 15-minute nap is the most effective way to stop feeling sleepy. Turning on the radio, opening the window or asking a passenger to say something interesting won’t wake you up sufficiently.
Driving is best done during normal waking hours; in particular, avoid driving between midnight and 6am, when you are naturally sleepy. Plan your journey so that you have a break for 15 minutes every two hours – ideally getting out of the car – avoiding long drive after you have worked a full day. If your drive is monotonous, especially if its on a motorway driving, it is even more important to get a good night’s sleep (around seven hours). Whenever possible, avoid driving alone and, if on a long trip, try to share the driving.