Author Archives: Kerry Smith

Driving Tests restart today in England .

LEARNER drivers in England are able to take their tests again from today – but it won’t be the same as before. Driving tests were suspended in March at the start of lockdown to help stop the spread of the deadly covid 19.

Lessons and theory tests were allowed to restart in England from July 4th but learner drivers have been forced to wait two more weeks to take their practical. Easing lockdown measures is a matter for devolved governments so car practical tests won’t go ahead in Wales until August 17.

Dates for when tests can start again in Scotland and Northern Ireland haven’t been confirmed yet.

Those who had their tests cancelled due to lockdown will be prioritised to clear a backlog of Brits waiting to get their licences.

New bookings are taking a back seat for now and the government hasn’t said when it will start taking new bookings again. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) sent emails to learner drivers who had their tests postponed on July 16 asking them to rearrange their exams

Unfortunately, you’ll have to take your theory test again before rebooking your practical exam if it expired during lockdown.

DVSA chief driving examiner Mark Winn said: “I know many learners are keen to take their driving test but it is vital they have the right skills and knowledge to help them through a lifetime of safe driving before attempting it. “Learners should practice driving on a variety of roads and in different driving conditions so they are well prepared for driving independently.”

Like pubs and shops, driving centres have to make some changes to the way they carry out tests to make them Covid- 19 secure.

1. You will have to wear a face mask

Drivers and examiners will have to wear a face mask when they take their tests.

If you cant wear one, for example you suffer from asthma, then you should let the test centre know as soon as possible.

Some examiners can choose to wear gloves and use disposable seat covers as well.

You may be asked to remove your face covering briefly so that the examiner can check your ID.

You should also make sure you have one that fits correctly. The examiner will ask you to pull over if you need to adjust it.

If it becomes a safety issue, the examiner will end your test early.

2. You will find out midway through your test if you’ve failed

Normally, drivers have to wait until the end of their test to find out whether or not they had passed.

But now, those who commit a serious offence early on will find out immediately if they have failed.

They will immediately be directed back to the test centre to minimise the amount of time they spend in the vehicle.

Learners should carry on with the test if they make a minor mistake.

3. The car must be cleaned before your test

You must make sure the car has been cleaned before the instructor is allowed in the vehicle with you.

The examiner will also need to use an antiviral wipe to clean the passenger door and anything else they will need to touch inside the car.

5. Driving instructors can’t sit in the car during your test

To minimise the number of people in the car at the same time, driving instructors are not allowed to sit in the back seat while you take your test.

This is part of the new social distancing measures introduced at driving test centres.

6. You’ll be asked to get out of the car to get your results

To minimise the amount of time that you spend in the car, you and the examiner will need to step out of the vehicle while you get your results.

You will also be asked whether or not you’d like your instructor to join you while you hear the feedback.

7. Don’t come for your test if you’ve got coronavirus symptoms

You must not go for your drivers test if you or a member of your household have coronavirus symptoms.

If you’ve been contacted by NHS Test and Trace, you also shouldn’t go to the test centre.

If you get ill, you can change the time and date of your driving test free of charge, even if you do this at short notice, within three working days of your test.

Driving test news

Inviting Candidates to rebook tests.

From Thursday 16th July onwards the DVSA will be contacting practical car test candidates who had their driving test put on hold due to the lockdown.

Each candidate will be sent an email with a link to book a new test date and time as the usual booking system remains closed.The link will only work for people who have had their test put on hold,initially the DVSA will invite 10,000 people each day and split into batches as to spread out the demand. All the available appointments will be shown online, do not contact the customer service centre they cannot book slots.

Making sure your pupils are ready.

It’s important that you speak to your pupils before they rebook their tests to make sure:

they are ready to take their test
you are available to take them

As examiners will only be at test centres when they have a test booked, we have increased the minimum notice period for booking a test from 60 minutes to 10 hours.

Wearing a face covering

All candidates must wear a face covering when taking their driving test, unless they have a good reason not to. This includes if:

they have a physical or mental illness or impairment, or a disability that means they cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering
putting on, wearing or removing a face covering would cause them severe distress

When they arrange their test, they’ll need to say if there’s a good reason they cannot wear a face covering. The email will tell them how to do this.

Compulsory MOT testing reintroduced in England, Scotland, & Wales on August 1st 2020 as coronavirus lockdown eases.

Compulsory MOT testing for cars, vans, and motorcycles is to be reintroduced in England, Scotland, and Wales on August 1st 2020 as coronavirus restrictions continue to be lifted, the Government confirmed. But why was testing suspended in the first place, why is it being reintroduced soon, and what does it mean for your vehicle?

Mandatory MOT testing was suspended at the start of lockdown to minimise the spread of coronavirus. The policy therefore reduces the number of drivers, mechanics, and support staff that have to interact in person. Furthermore, it makes it easier to keep vehicles on the road legally which is handy at a time of national crisis. This helps doctors and nurses travel to work, for instance.

However, it appears that coronavirus is becoming a less serious threat. The Government is therefore becoming less focussed on keeping drivers, mechanics, and support staff separate and more on ensuring vehicles are roadworthy. Compulsory MOT testing is therefore being reintroduced in the near future. What this means for your vehicle depends when your current MOT certificate expires.

March 30th 2020 to July 31st 2020

If your vehicle’s MOT expires between March 30th and July 31st 2020, you still have an automatic 6 month extension. For example, July 5th 2020 is extended to January 5th 2021. However, you do not have to wait until the end of your coronavirus extension to have your vehicle checked. If you prefer, it can be done on any earlier date.

Also, irrespective of any extension it is your responsibility to ensure your vehicle is roadworthy. If not, you might be prosecuted.

August 1st 2020 onward

If your MOT expires on/after August 1st 2020 throughout England, Scotland, and Wales there is no extension for your vehicle. Simply have it assessed according to its normal, pre-coronavirus schedule.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: ‘As people return to our roads, it is vital motorists are able to keep their vehicles safe. That is why, as restrictions are eased, from August 1st MOT testing will again be mandatory. Garages across the country are open and I urge drivers who are due for their MOT to book a test as soon they can.’

The Government added further context. It said ‘only some garages remained open’ at the peak of the outbreak for ‘essential services’. However, 90% are now open and MOT testing capacity is 70%. These figures are ‘steadily increasing’. Also, if you still have to self-isolate some garages will collect and return your car.

Fire chiefs quash car fire risks with hand sanitizer.

Fire brigade bosses have rubbished claims that bottles of hand sanitiser could catch fire if they are left in hot cars.

The National Fire Chiefs Council confirmed that “hand sanitiser kept in cars do not pose a fire risk”, after NHS bosses issued a warning to staff.

The internal memo from NHS Property Services claimed it had received a “number of reports of hand sanitiser being the cause of fires when left in vehicles in the hot weather the UK is currently experiencing”.

It told workers that the current heatwave could mean alcohol-based gels reach their “flash point”, which would see them burst into flames when the vapour in them comes into contact with hot air.

Demand for hand sanitiser has sky-rocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, which caused major concern about potential fires.

But after the warning was shared widely online, NHS bosses have now clarified hand sanitiser cannot ignite on its own and would need a spark to be set alight.

An NHS Property Services spokesman told Sky News the alarm was raised by union safety officers who had heard about hand sanitiser car fires in the US.

Mogg lets cat out of bag on training

Leader of the House announces driver and rider training to resume from 4 July in England.

Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg has announced in parliament that all driver and rider training can resume from 4 July.

He was responding to a question from Greg Smith, MP for Buckingham. Mr Rees-Mogg described driving instructors as the “unseen engines of the country” and said:

“From the 4th July I am happy to say that people will be able to take driving lessons on a motorcycle or in a car, lorry or bus and there will be a phased approach to resuming practical testing so learners have the opportunity to practice before taking a test.”

NASP will be briefed fully later today on plans to resume testing and a full announcement from DVSA is expected imminently.

The DVA in Northern Ireland has announced a phased return for driving tests and MOTs. We will update you with the position in Wales and Scotland as soon as the information is available.

Driving Lessons and Tests Could soon resume – as soon as the 6th July 20

The coronavirus, once an “aggressive tiger” of a disease, has weakened and become more like a wild cat, according to a top Italian doctor. Professor Matteo Bassett said he is convinced the virus is changing in severity” and patients are now surviving infections that would have killed them before. And if the virus’s weakening is true, covid – 19 could even disappear without a vaccine by becoming so weak it dies on its own, he claimed.

Notwithstanding, when lessons and tests resume, learners’ drivers face new measures to help protect them, their instructors, and examiners from the spread of coronavirus. Test centers will be issuing examiners with personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves and face masks and they will be given training on cleaning equipment such as sat navs and tablets. You should also expect social distance measures to be in place at test centers.

Britannia Driving School will also be providing instructors with PPE and will mandate instructors to thoroughly clean all touch points on their car between lessons. Also, Instructors will ask all our customers to declare that they are symptom free before they step inside the car.

For Now, we cannot book a new driving test and when booking resumes drivers with a previous test date will be given priority. Britannia Driving School is aiming for July 6 as a provisional date for when driving lessons can resume. Obviously, pupils and our driving instructors will require the ability to plan; previously ‘test ready’ pupils without lessons for up to 3 months will require at least a couple of lessons prior to their driving test

In a world where we are not all able to pile onto public transport, being able to drive is a lifeline many wish they had. Hopefully, it will not be much longer before our instructors are able to provide their vital service to enable people to get about independently.

There is no doubt that Britannia Driving School has an important role to play in the weeks and months ahead to get pupils ready for their driving test safely and quickly. We have the commitment and the capacity to continue to support our instructors and pupils.

Changes to practical driving tests.

Practical driving tests are to be very different from the norm,Driving instructors will face a number of changes when lessons and tests can begin again after being postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.The Government has issued new guidance ahead of test centres reopening in the coming weeks – but as of yet no date has been set.

But updated government guidelines published this week suggest ways that instructors and examiners can keep themselves and their pupils safe once things do get up and running again.

The letter, written by Gareth Llewellyn, chief executive of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to driving instructors, said that civil servants are currently reviewing the guidance for driving examiners about carrying out tests.

This includes things like the personal protective equipment they need to wear, how they might greet candidates and how to properly clean equipment such as sat navs and tablets

The letter said masks and gloves have been ordered for all driving examiners, but there has been a delay in obtaining them because of wider shortages.

The agency, which is in charge of carrying out driving tests and approving people to be driving instructors, also warned that social distancing measures might limit the number of tests it can carry out in the coming months.

Currently all driving tests have been put on hold – meaning driving instructors, who are not employed by the government, have also been unable to work.

The Driving Instructors Association currently recommends that instructors should only give training in a car to key workers preparing for an essential driving test, such as emergency workers.

Of course all our instructors at Britannia Driving School are eager to get back on the road to get their pupils back up to test standard and we will be following the guidelines to the letter.

Are you waiting to take your practical driving test?

Hundreds of thousands of people have had their driving tests cancelled or delayed as a result of the pandemic. It has been more than just a minor inconvenience for those looking for work and caring for children, while instructors face a nervous wait to find out when and how they can return to work safely.

Natasha Wilson was heavily pregnant when she was due to take her test in April. With a three-year-old already in tow, she had been banking on passing before she had her baby.”It’s been a struggle,” said the 21-year-old from Oxford. “I’m not able to go shopping, I’ve had to get my mum to go and get it for me.”Ms Wilson, who has been learning since 2017, applied for her test at the beginning of the year. She said: “I got an email saying they had to cancel it. Now my test is on 9 July but I feel like I will fail at the moment because I have had no practice. “I’ve got two lessons booked in the week before. Passing my test would mean being able to do my food shopping, taking the kids out, going to see my mum and my family.”

In rural areas, the situation is difficult for other reasons – the government advised people to avoid public transport, so those without their own way of getting around are struggling.

George Vane, who lives in the village of Headcorn in Kent, had been due to take his test this month, but has had it postponed until August. “It’s really frustrating because it’s put a hold on being able to find work and I’m relying on my parents to drive me around,” said the 17-year-old.

“Living in the village, there’s a couple of jobs here and there, but it’s quite hard to get a proper job where I can earn enough money. Not being able to drive has hindered my chances of getting work. It’s a huge frustration.”

Abigail Showan, 17, was due to take her test on 19 March – the day her driving test centre closed.”I got an email saying it was just the tests from then on that were cancelled so if I’d have booked it for 18 March then I’d have been fine. “Abigail, from Witney in Oxfordshire, said: “I was so nervous – you mentally prepare for it so for it to be cancelled was so frustrating. “It’s been rebooked and early July is the supposed date but I’ve got no idea whether that will go ahead. “I’ve been able to go out with my parents a few times which is OK for confidence but it’s not the same as having your instructor sitting next to you.”

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) suspended all driving tests for up to three months from 20 March. It said the official number of cancelled tests was not yet available but government statistics show about 400,000 people take their practical car tests in Great Britain each quarter.

Instructors are facing numerous considerations about returning to work and have been advised by the Driving Instructors Association to check whether learners have been in contact with anyone experiencing virus symptoms, as well as asking them to wash their hands or use sanitiser before getting in the car.

They should also keep windows open for ventilation and wipe down contact points in the vehicle between lessons.

Jane Hunt,who teaches in the Wimbledon area says she will be reducing her teaching hours to make time for cleaning the car between pupils and may make lessons longer to reduce the number of people in the vehicle each day.

She is also scrapping late cancellation charges to encourage pupils to be honest if they don’t feel well or should be isolating.

“I know it’s going to impact on my business but it’s going to be about trusting each other. We will work together with our pupils in the interest of safety.

A spokesman for the DVSA said its priority was to “stop the spread of coronavirus and keep everyone safe”.

“We will continue to work closely with driving instructor associations on how and when we can resume driving tests and lessons.”

Petrol Heads flout social distancing for illegal Car Parade.

Hundreds of petrol-heads flouted social distancing rules to watch souped-up motors parade through a Sainsbury’s car park in Leeds. Flash cars drove through the area in Alwoodley on Saturday night, with residents complaining to West Yorkshire police after roads became blocked. Officers arrived to break the gathering up but no arrests were made.

The event came after messages advertising the meet had been shared around social media and the scene has been described as looking like a ‘car showroom’.

Social distancing rules put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic specifically prohibit mass gatherings. One resident who did not want to be named said: ‘The speed some of these people going it’s a 20mph zone all around this estate.

Our neighbours who have a four-year-old were concerned about the noise these type of cars make, they are so loud.’I’m disappointed really that police blocked Homebase entrance and not Moor Allerton Centre entrance.

Sainsburys is still open and their car park is rammed. It would be great to attend the event and look at the cars but it’s not correctly organised or policed.’

Videos show sports cars can be seen driving at high speeds in the car park and there were also been reports of speeding in the area, which has a speed limit of 20mph.

West Yorkshire Police officers were at the scene blocking the entrance for further vehicles.

A Fifth of drivers struggle to get behind the wheel after lockdown

The average UK car is driven more than 7,000 miles per year – or an average of 583 miles per month, according to MOT data.

But a survey of 2,000 motorists has revealed that over the past 28 days the average driver has covered just 90 miles – with 30 per cent driving 25 miles or fewer. With so few driving, 18 per cent have struggled to get back to normal behind the wheel of a car.

Of those who have found it difficult getting used to being back on the road, 28 per cent had stalled their car, 21 per cent had scraped their wheels on the kerb and more than one in five have forgotten to indicate.

Young woman with hands on eyes sitting depressed in car