April 6, 2020
Never Pay by Bank Transfer For Lessons, Find Out Why…

Kate Danby’s 19-year-old daughter Brook Mather learnt the hard way how ruthless the market can be. She booked a course of lessons with Drive Dynamics and was asked to pay by bank transfer.

The lessons never materialized and nor did a refund. Her bank couldn’t reclaim the money as it wasn’t a credit or debit card transaction.

“She was thrilled at the prospect of passing her driving test and in excitement, she didn’t research how long the company had been established,” says Kate. “She had saved hard for the money and was proud that she had organized her lessons and test herself, so the loss has left her devastated.”

Emily at Britannia Driving School Says: “be suspicious if you are asked to prepay for your lessons by bank transfer rather than a card, because if your lessons don’t materialize you will not be able to reclaim your money from the instructor’s bank. Also make sure when you get a quote for lessons that it’s for one hour lessons and not just 45 minutes.”

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April 3, 2020
Coronavirus Car Cleaning Tips

Cleaning your car is a fast, simple, low cost job that might minimise the spread of coronavirus and keep loved ones safe. Handy if there are ‘essential’ trips that cannot be avoided. So, how might you clean your vehicle to minimise the spread of coronavirus?

Clean first (then disinfect). It is hard to find disinfectant in the shops, so preserve resources and remove any typical dirt with standard vehicle cleaning products (or soapy water).
Disinfect after cleaning. Isopropyl alcohol is among the disinfectants that might kill coronavirus in your car.
Test disinfectant. Whatever disinfectant you choose, test it on a small, hidden part of each type of material in the car before applying throughout. Why? Because some disinfectants can be problematic. Bleach can discolour plastic, for example.
Focus effort. Whereas it is preferable to clean the whole vehicle, focus primarily on the parts that get touched most frequently. These include the: steering wheel, gear stick, parking brake, door handles, seatbelts, heater controls, etc.
Feed the leather. Consider whether your cleaning product has removed moisture from leather upholstery. If so, feed the leather to keep it comfortable, flexible, and attractive.
Beware moisture. Minimise how much moisture gets close to electrical items such as your window switches, heater controls, and stereo. Damp electrical components tend to behave erratically. Also, moisture can stain fabric seats.
Protect yourself. Wear gloves while cleaning the vehicle and wash your hands afterwards (with soap for twenty seconds).

Note too that coronavirus is a new, unprecedented issue and our understanding of it is still evolving. This article does not therefore contain medical advice. The National Health Service is the best place for that. However, car cleaning might be a further tool to tackle this virus and minimise casualties. Happy scrubbing!

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April 1, 2020
Coronavirus: MOTs due from 30 March 2020

If your car,motorcycle or light van has an MOT due on or after 30th March 2020, Your car, motorcycle or light vans MOT expiry date will automatically extended by 6 months, You will have a valid MOT certificate for an extra 6 months.

You will not have to do anything for this extension of MOT but you must make your vehicle is safe to drive and roadworthy. It can be unsafe even if your MOT expiry date has been extended.

Check your vehicle is safe to drive

Checks you should carry out

Every time you drive you should check:

the windscreen, windows and mirrors are clean
all lights work
the brakes work

Your vehicle’s handbook will tell you how often to check the:

engine oil
water level in the radiator or expansion tank
brake fluid level
battery
windscreen and rear window washer bottles – top up with windscreen washer fluid if necessary
tyres – they must have the correct tread depth and be free of cuts and defects

The handbook will also tell you when your vehicle needs to be serviced.

Example Your vehicle’s MOT was due to expire on 3 April 2020. This will automatically be extended to 3 October 2020. You will need to get your MOT by this date. Your MOT expiry date will usually be updated on the day your MOT is due to expire. However, it might be done up to a few days before.You can check your MOT history to see when your MOT expiry date has been extended. Keep checking back if your new expiry date is not showing yet.

You can Tax your vehicle as soon as the expiry date on the MOT has been extended.

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March 11, 2020
Drinking coffee or water while driving could see you hit with £5,000 fine and nine penalty points

MILLIONS of UK drivers sip on a coffee or bottle of water when behind the wheel. Brits risk being hit with hefty penalties if they take their eyes off the road to have a drink when driving.

While it’s not illegal to have a non-alcoholic beverage when driving, drivers can be hit with a careless driving charge if it causes them to be distracted.If you take your attention off the road to have a refreshment, police officers can deem you were “driving without due care and attention”

Motorists can also find themselves in trouble if they’re seen eating behind the wheel.Driving without due care and attention, or careless driving, carries a £100 on-the-spot fine and up to three penalty points on your licence.

But in more serious cases where someone has been injured, you could face an unlimited fine, up to nine penalty points and even a court-imposed driving ban – although for the majority of motorists, the fine won’t exceed £5,000.An Australian man was recently fined $173 (£94) for drinking water behind the wheel on a 39-degree day.Another Aussie was threatened with a $500 (£256) fine and three penalty points on her licence because she was drinking a coffee when driving.

While officers are more likely to give a warning than a fine, it is essential to keep your concentration on other road users.If you need a drink or something to eat, you should do it when you’ve completely stopped or pulled over.Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Eating at the wheel is just another classic example of multi-tasking that can take your attention away from safe driving.

“Obvious cases such as juggling hot drinks or a sandwich can be easily spotted by traffic police who can issue an on the spot ticket for careless driving.”That quick snack could end up costing you £100 fine plus three points on your licence so it’s always worth taking a proper break.

“Even if you try to hide that swift chocolate bar you are eating if it leads to a loss of control crash and a more serious charge, then the courts may take the fact you were eating into account and increase your fine and ban.

“It is always worth remembering with careless driving it is the impact on your driving and how it is seen by the police to effect other road users that leads to the charge, so any form of eating could land you in trouble if you end up swerving or weaving across the road.”

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October 18, 2019
MPs investigate road pricing to replace fuel tax

MPs are to investigate if drivers should be charged on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Experts believe ministers must think about road pricing as motoring taxes are likely to decline as people stop using conventionally-fuelled vehicles.

Road pricing covers a range of measures including tolls, congestion charges, HGV levies, workplace parking levies, and low emission and clean air zones.

Lilian Greenwood, who chairs the Transport Committee, said: “It’s been almost 10 years since the last real discussion of national road pricing. In that time, we have become much more aware of the dangers of air pollution and congestion.

“We cannot ignore the looming fiscal black hole. We need to ask how we will pay for roads in the future and in answering that question we have an opportunity for a much wider debate about our use of road space, cutting carbon emissions, tackling congestion, modal shift and how we prioritise active travel.

“Tackling the climate emergency is essential but this is about more than what we must do to meet that challenge. It’s also about our health and the sort of towns and cities we want to live in.”

AA president Edmund King, responding to the Transport Committee’s announcement, said: “We do need a national debate about how we pay for our road infrastructure to bridge the taxation gap between falling fuel duty revenue and the electric vehicle revolution.

“However, the British public will never vote for national road pricing so we need greater imagination to sell the public something that they actually want.”

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “For the Treasury, the beauty of fuel duty is its ease of collection and difficulty of evasion.

“Whatever replaces the existing system is bound to raise new challenges and complexities, will take time and effort to establish, and could potentially be difficult to explain to the public.”

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September 2, 2019
Common Reasons For Test Failure.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has revealed the 10 top reasons people failed the new driving test in its first year.

DVSA is encouraging learner drivers to spend more time practising their driving skills and techniques in these areas, using a variety of different roads, such as country roads and dual carriageways.

DVSA also wants learners to spend more time practising driving in different road conditions, such as driving in rain and driving in the dark.

This will better prepare them for a lifetime of safe driving.

Junctions – observation.
Mirrors – change direction.
Control – steering.
Junctions – turning right.
Move off – safely.
Response to signs – traffic lights.
Move off – control.
Positioning – normal driving.
Response to signs – road markings.
Reverse park – control.

The driving test report you get given after your practical driving test tells you what each area means, and what you need to do to pass.

Insufficient observation at junctions and not using mirrors effectively when changing direction accounted for 368,047 test failures.

You automatically fail your test if you make a serious or dangerous fault – sometimes called ‘majors’.

Driving test faults reflect the factors that cause accidents, 39% of all accidents in 2017 in Great Britain were as a result of drivers not looking properly.

Driving test faults reflect factors that cause accidents on Great Britain’s roads.

Drivers in 2017 failing to look properly contributed to 35,993 accidents and was the most common contributory factor in accidents.

Chief Driving Examiner, Mark Winn, said:

“It’s vital that learners can drive safely and have the skills to drive on all types of roads before taking their test. The driving test helps get drivers ready for a lifetime of safe driving and makes our roads safer for all.

Failing to look properly at junctions is the most common serious or dangerous test fault and the largest cause of accidents in Britain. Good observation, including proper use of mirrors, is a crucial skill that drivers must learn.”

Rules, Guidance and advice on how to avoid these common faults can be found in The Highway Code including:

When emerging from a junction look all around, and do not cross or join a road until a gap is

Large enough to do so safely.

Checking your mirrors frequently and you will know what is to each side of you and behind you, making sure you use them in plenty of time before you signal or charge you speed or direction.

Positioning your vehicle correctly in the road and maintaining a steady course.

It’s completely normal to be nervous on the day of your practical driving test. You will have no need to worry if your prepared properly and your driving instructor thinks your test standard, the driving examiner is there to check you can drive safely.

Why not check out our helpful tips on our website at Britannia Driving School.

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August 9, 2019
Theory Test

How would you fare if you had to sit your test again? As it emerges half of learner drivers now fail the tough theory exam, try our 25 sample questions to see if it’s still safe for you to be on the roads

The proportion falling the theory test has soared to its highest level in a decade
Last year, only 47 per cent managed to pass a series of recently reformed tests
The AA has complained that some of the new questions are now ‘quite obscure’

Never mind getting behind the wheel — the challenge that really strikes fear into learner drivers is the written theory test. The amount falling at this first hurdle has soared to its highest level in a decade — last year, only 47 per cent managed to pass it.

A number of changes designed to toughen up the test has included increasing the number of multiple-choice questions and no longer publishing them online in advance to stop people from memorising the answers.

The AA has complained that some of the questions are now ‘quite obscure’ — such as knowing what to do if someone suffers a burn in a road accident — which makes it hard for all but the most dedicated of learners to pass first time.

This may have led to more cheating. Last year, there were a reported 889 cases of fraud in practical and theory tests — a significant rise, says the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

For example, In July a 41-year-old woman was sentenced to 20 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, for hiding a radio headset under her hijab so that someone could supply her with the answers on her theory test, while others have used impersonators.

Would you pass the car theory exam today? Take our sample test to find out . . .

Following a collision, someone has suffered a burn. The burn needs to be cooled. What’s the shortest time it should be cooled for?
1. A) 5 minutes.
2. B) 10 minutes.
3. C) 15 minutes.
4. D) 20 minutes.
1. What colour are the reflective studs between a motorway and its slip road?
2. A) Amber.
3. B) White.
4. C) Green.
5. D) Red.
1. You’re approaching a red light at a puffin crossing. Pedestrians are on the crossing. When will the red light change?
2. A) When you start to edge forward on to the crossing.
3. B) When the pedestrians have cleared the crossing.
4. C) When the pedestrians push the button on the far side of the crossing.
5. D) When a driver from the opposite direction reaches the crossing.
1. What does this signal mean?
2. A) Cars must stop.
3. B) Trams must stop.
4. C) Both trams and cars must stop.
5. D) Both trams and cars can continue.
1. You wish to tow a trailer. Where would you find the maximum noseweight allowed on your vehicle’s tow hitch?
2. A) In the Highway Code.
3. B) In your vehicle registration certificate.
4. C) In the vehicle handbook.
5. D) In your licence documents.
1. You’ve just passed your practical test. You don’t hold a full licence in another category. Within two years, you get six penalty points on your licence. What will you have to do?
2. A) Retake only your theory test.
3. B) Retake only your practical test.
4. C) Retake your theory and practical tests.
5. D) Reapply for your full licence immediately.
1. You’re driving on an open road in dry weather. What should the distance be between you and the vehicle in front?
2. A) One car length.
3. B) Two metres (6 ft 6 in).
4. C) Two car lengths.
5. D) A two-second time gap.
1. At a junction, you see this sign partly covered by snow. What does it mean?
2. A) Crossroads.
3. B) Give way.
4. C) Stop.
5. D) Turn right.
1. You are travelling at 50 mph on a good, dry road. What is your typical overall stopping distance?
2. A) 36 metres (118 ft).
3. B) 53 metres (175 ft).
4. C) 75 metres (245 ft).
5. D) 96 metres (315 ft).
1. At a puffin crossing, which colour follows the green signal?
2. A) Steady red.
3. B) Flashing amber.
4. C) Steady amber.
5. D) Flashing green.
1. You are turning right on to a dual carriageway. What should you do before emerging?
2. A) Stop and apply the handbrake and then select a low gear.
3. B) Check that the central reservation is wide enough for your vehicle.
4. C) Position your vehicle well to the left of the side road.
5. D) Make sure you leave enough room for a vehicle behind.
1. What does this sign mean? A) Contraflow pedal cycle lane. B) With-flow pedal cycle lane. C) Pedal cycles and buses only. D) No pedal cycles or buses
2. A) Contraflow pedal cycle lane.
3. B) With-flow pedal cycle lane.
4. C) Pedal cycles and buses only.
5. D) No pedal cycles or buses.
1. You see a pedestrian with a dog. The dog has a yellow or burgundy coat. This especially warns you that the pedestrian is . . .
2. A) Elderly.
3. B) Dog training.
4. C) Colour blind.
5. D) Deaf.
1. For how long is a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) valid?
2. A) Until the vehicle is taxed, sold or scrapped.
3. B) Until the vehicle is insured and MOT’d.
4. C) Until the vehicle is repaired or modified.
5. D) Until the vehicle is used on the road.
1. What does this signal from a police officer mean to oncoming traffic? A) Go ahead. B) Stop. C) Turn left. D) Turn right
2. A) Go ahead.
3. B) Stop.
4. C) Turn left.
5. D) Turn right.
1. Given that one of the below is correct, what does the law require you to keep in good condition?
2. A) Gears.
3. B) Transmission.
4. C) Door locks.
5. D) Seat belts.
1. You are travelling behind a bus that pulls up at a bus stop. What should you do?
2. A) Accelerate past the bus.
3. B) Watch carefully for pedestrians.
4. C) Sound your horn.
5. D) Pull in closely behind the bus.
1. You may use front fog lights with headlights ONLY when visibility is reduced to less than . . .
2. A) 100 metres (328 ft).
3. B) 200 metres (656 ft).
4. C) 300 metres (984 ft).
5. D) 400 metres (1,312 ft).
1. What does this sign mean? A) No parking for buses or coaches. B) Direction to bus and coach park. C) Parking area for cars and coaches. D) Direction to park-and-ride car park
2. A) No parking for buses or coaches.
3. B) Direction to bus and coach park.
4. C) Parking area for cars and coaches.
5. D) Direction to park-and-ride car park.
1. What does this sign mean?
2. A) Waiting restrictions apply.
3. B) Waiting permitted.
4. C) National speed limit applies.
5. D) Clearway (no stopping).
1. Braking distances on ice can be . . .
2. A) Twice the normal distance.
3. B) Five times the normal distance.
4. C) Seven times the normal distance.
5. D) Ten times the normal distance.
1. For what percentage of all emissions does road transport account?
2. A) 10 per cent.
3. B) 20 per cent.
4. C) 30 per cent.
5. D) 40 per cent.
1. What does this sign mean? A) End of restricted speed area. B) End of restricted parking area. C) End of clearway. D) End of cycle route
2. A) End of restricted speed area.
3. B) End of restricted parking area.
4. C) End of clearway.
5. D) End of cycle route.
1. You can park on the right-hand side of a road at night . . .
2. A) In a one-way street.
3. B) With your sidelights on.
4. C) More than 10 metres (32 ft) from a junction.
5. D) Under a lamp-post.
1. At an incident, it is important to look after any casualties. When the area is safe, you should . . .
2. A) Get them out of the vehicle.
3. B) Give them a drink.
4. C) Give them something to eat.
5. D) Keep them in the vehicle.