December 19, 2013
Cars For Cheap Car Insurance

The excitement of passing a test is deciding which car you are going to buy. On the other hand, the biggest worry is finding the cheapest car insurance with few cars attracting cheap car insurance for new drivers.

The Ford KA is the cheapest car to insure for new car drivers – with an average premium of £1,651.40 for 17-18 year-olds. The Peugeot 107, Citroen C1 and Mini One all also attract cheaper car insurance. The more energy efficient models will be in the lower insurance groups – the Suzuki Swift and Vauxhall Corsa all fall into this group.

When considering which car to buy it is best to ask your instructor’s opinion – they can advise you on not only what sort of car would suit you but also one which is not likely to be too expensive to insure.

Here are some tips on finding cheaper car insurance:

– Consider becoming a named driver on a parent or partner’s insurance policy.
– Do your own research on insurance quotes – don’t just rely on comparison sites as they don’t necessarily list all insurers.
– Consider insurers that uses a Black Box to calculate insurance.
– Pay upfront if you can as this works out cheaper than paying through instalments.

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December 12, 2013
Identical Twins Pass Test On Same Day

Identical twins Luke and Nicholas Jarvis-Smith, from Newcastle, have passed their driving test just an hour apart.

The twins, who are currently studying for their A-Levels, are naturally competitive but when it came to the driving test they wanted both of them to pass.

Nicholas took his test first at 8.20am and passed and had to wait with his granddad for Luke to complete his test. The twins helped each other through all stages of learning to drive and were very happy when they both passed.

It’s never been so simple to start learning to drive, Britannia Driving School offers the first lesson at £10.50 to get you started. With a range of intensive courses to suit all abilities and a number of instructors to choose from, you could be joining Luke and Nicholas in passing your test.

The right instructor will tailor make lessons to suit your pace and abilities and will make sure you are confident when it comes to taking your test.

Luke and Nicholas’s mum, Joanna, now points to the cost of finding car insurance for the twins, adding ‘I think their dad will have to sell a kidney or something to afford that’.

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December 4, 2013
Driving: Men vs Women

The debate on who is better at driving between the sexes is an ongoing one with statistics supporting both sides.

However, according to recent official statistics, men seem to be the winners. Not only do they learn to drive faster (men take on average six months to pass with women taking eight months) but more seem to pass their test first time compared with women – 48% of men pass first time compared with 44% of women.

It is believed that this is mainly to do with confidence with four out of ten of men believing that they are better drivers than women. Women, in particular, lack confidence when it comes to parallel parking and will often change their driving plans to avoid parallel parking.

Figures regarding accidents paint a different picture. 57% of men have been involved in one or more accidents compared with 44% of women. According to a survey by insurance provider 4autoinsurancequote in early 2012, traffic violations are higher for male drivers; these include reckless driving, failure to yield, seatbelt violations, speeding and drink-driving.

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December 3, 2013
Free Motorway Driving Training

Many new drivers are nervous about driving on motorways. With its inherent need for high speed and high volume of traffic, it can be a daunting prospect for even some of the more experienced of drivers. But that needn’t be the case any more.

If you are a newly qualified driver between the age of 17 and 24, you are entitled to free motorway lessons of 90 minutes, at no charge. The project is titled “Up to Speed” and is currently taking place is Somerset. The initiative is aimed to reduce the number of accidents on motorways for younger, less experienced drivers.

As learner drivers are not allowed to take lessons on motorways, newly qualified motorists have to either take a Pass Plus or venture onto the motorway itself to learn how different this can be to driving on normal roads. “Up to Speed” encourages drivers to attend, as it provides an hour-long workshop (again free of charge) to educate its pupils in the rules and etiquette of motorway driving.

After this, pupils are taken on a lesson of motorway driving for an hour and a half, to learn everything from the basics of motorway driving to the more complex art of manoeuvres and over-taking.

What are your thoughts on this article? Sound off in the comments section below!

Safe driving from Britannia!

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December 2, 2013
Points Regime For New Drivers

Nearly 50,000 drivers have had their licence revoked in the past four years under strict rules contained in the 1995 Road Traffic (New Drivers) Act in which new drivers who tot up six points or more within two years of passing their test face an automatic ban.

Male drivers are four times more likely than women to lose their licence in the first two years after passing their test, accounting for nearly eight out of ten bans. Information from the DVLA shows that 4,067 drivers aged 19 or under have points on his licence and 27 of these drivers have six points on their license.

It’s not just new younger drivers who are falling foul of this regime: some 1,608 motorists in their 40s were banned within 2 years of passing their test, 294 in their 50s, 38 in their 60s and 3 over 70s.

Speeding typically results in 3 or 6 points on a driver’s licence, use of a hand-held mobile phone whilst driving or running a red light results in 3 points, racing other cars on public roads results in between 3 and 11 points, driving an uninsured vehicle results in between 6 and 8 points and driving unfit due to drink results in 10 points on a driver’s licence.

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November 28, 2013
Christmas Is Approaching

It’s almost the 1st December, Christmas decorations and lights have started to make their first appearances, the Britannia head office has also started preparing for Christmas. What this lead up also brings, however, is the panic of Christmas presents and a lot of people have begun stressing already.

At Britannia we have the perfect Christmas present idea – why not give someone the gift of driving? Our Christmas deal is back on: First Five Lessons for £98.30 – all you need to do is call up our customer services and we will post the package of vouchers to you that very day.

Alternatively, if you’ve got a few weeks off for Christmas and haven’t passed your test yet, why not take one of our intensive courses? Our customer services will be able to discuss the course most suited to you and tailor the course around your availability and needs. Pass your test before the New Year!

We’ve got a number of skilled and professional instructors all over London, Surrey and Middlesex, take a look at our reviews to see the number of people who have successfully passed with Britannia!

Safe driving from Britannia!

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November 26, 2013
Teen Driving Statistics

Unfortunately motoring accidents involving teen drivers are a huge problem. Rarely does a week go by that stories aren’t reported of young drivers being injured or killed on UK roads.

Statistics show that young drivers are the most at risk when behind the wheel. Figures have revealed that a third of deaths of 13-19 year olds occurred when in a car in the year 2010, and that over half (56 %) of teens openly admit to driving whilst on the phone, despite this doubling the likelihood of an accident.

Most new drivers, having recently passed their tests, use their newfound freedom of driving as a social activity, often taking groups of friends out for a drive, and often at evening and night-times. However a worrying statistic shows that for every additional passenger inside a vehicle, a 17-year-old driver’s death rate will increase dramatically.

When it comes to teen passengers in a car, only 44% said that they would speak up if their friends’ driving was concerning them, with most content to sit idly by in a vehicle driving dangerously.

All drivers need to exercise caution behind the wheel – but with teen drivers being most at risk, it is no surprise that a new drive is being pushed forward by driving program BRAKES.

These statistics speak for themselves. Take care when out driving, and don’t allow your age to become a factor in you becoming another teen driving tragedy statistic.

Safe driving from Britannia!

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November 25, 2013
Lesson in Dangerous Driving

TV presenter Sophie Morgan spoke to Richmond College students on the harsh reality of dangerous driving this week as part of her ‘Licence to Kill’ campaign.

She highlighted the risks of driving too fast and not paying attention and informed students of the statistic that driving is the biggest killer of young people in the UK.

She was paralysed at the age of 18 following a car accident after a house party, despite being sober herself, where she over-steered on a corner.

Richmond Council cabinet member for performance and community safety Tony Arbour said: ‘It is a very imaginative scheme as driving is a very important skill to learn.’

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Safe driving from Britannia!

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November 20, 2013
Practical Test Day

The day of the practical test is nerve-wracking for most. Here are Britannia’s top tips for your test day.

– When booking your test: choose a date and time suitable for you, choose the test centre you’d prefer (your Britannia instructor will be able to advise you on test centres).

– Get plenty of rest the night before: don’t think about your test, relax and take your mind off driving. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep.

– Before the test: Make sure you eat a good breakfast beforehand, remember your documents and leave early so you don’t have to rush.

– Relax: It’s normal to be nervous on your test day, it is important to not let the nerves affect your driving. Keep calm and just think of the examiner as your instructor; examiners are not there to fail you.

– Confidence: Your instructor would not have allowed you to go on test if they didn’t think you were ready; this means that you clearly have a good chance of passing. If you make a mistake, don’t dwell on it and don’t assume you’ve failed – you are allowed 15 minor faults. Most fails happen when the learner thinks they have failed when they haven’t, lose concentration and make a silly error.

Follow these tips and good luck from Britannia!

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November 18, 2013
The Theory Test

A common misconception regarding the theory test is that it is that it is impossible to fail. No doubt you have heard the comment, ‘nobody fails the theory test’. The unfortunate effect of this misconception is that many people fail to prepare for the test deeming it ‘easy’ and do in fact fail.

The pass mark is quite high – the learner must get 43 or more out of 50 questions correct on the multiple choice section and 44 or more out of 75 in the hazard perception. The questions are relatively simple but some do need learning such as stopping distances and so effective revision and practice of these questions is vital. A common failing point on the theory test is however the hazard perception. This is the part that most closely resembles actual driving where 14 video clips are displayed featuring everyday road scenes with at least one developing hazard. The earlier you spot the hazard, the more marks you get. The best practice for this part of the test is of course actual driving but also practising the clips on a computer is also the key to success.

Many people do fail the theory test due to inadequate practice; currently, the record number of fails is held by a 26-year-old woman from Southwark who has failed her theory test 90 times costing her almost £3,000.

Britannia’s advice is to prepare thoroughly prior for your theory, feel free to use the free resources on our website.

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