January 28, 2015
Rise Of Impersonators Sitting Tests

More and more learners are turning to fraud to help them pass their practical test. It is clear that the process of learning to drive and taking the test has proved too much to handle for some and they are now turning to impersonators to take the test for them

Figures released from a Freedom of Information request show that there were 667 reported cases of learners hiring lookalikes between April and December 2014. This figure has significantly risen in recent years. In 2004, the figure was only 158.

Some fraudsters are charging up to £1,800 to sit an exam.

This is of concern as it puts innocent road users at risk and so the DVSA have employed stringent measures to catch out these fraudsters.

Jane Hunt of Britannia Driving School says “the test is there for a reason, people should learn to pass the test themselves instead of paying excessive amounts for fraudsters.”

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January 26, 2015
Cost of Being A Young Driver

The cost of being a young driver has risen significantly in the last few years. It is well known that car insurance for youngsters has become extortionate in recent years, with most young drivers spending well in excess of £2,000 a year on car insurance. However, according to recent research the exact figure has fallen since 2009. The average figure for young driver car insurance currently stands at £2,232 in comparison to £2,455 in 2009.

In fact, this is not the main expense for young drivers with car insurance only making up a third of a total bill. Another element to the cost is learning to drive, but again this is a small fraction of what is costing young drivers. The most significant expense seems to be young drivers, or their parents, splashing out on a first car. The average cost of a first car has gone up to £3,825 which is a vast increase in recent years.

In a survey of 2,000 parents, almost two third said their contributed to their children’s driving lessons, a third paid towards the cost of a car and 30% helped with insurance costs. The key to decreasing costs seems to be in choosing a car wisely (not going for the most expensive models!) and shopping around for insurance. These figures are average ones and those who pick their car and insurer carefully can find themselves spending less than £2,000 in total.

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January 21, 2015
Thoughts On New Hazard Perception

After the announcement by the DVSA that they will start using CGI in the Hazard Perception Test, Britannia Driving School have adapted the Hazard Perception available on the website to include sample CGI clips. This allows users to compare the two types of clips.

Britannia Driving School have also compared both types of clips to decide which is better. Whilst the images on the CGI test used are good, they are a cause for concern. The DVSA’s decision to use CGI is largely due to the fact that it helps them create scenarios that are too dangerous to film. It is also designed to make it easier for the DVSA to update the clips if need be in the future.

However, the clips do not on the whole help learners as they are not as realistic as the previous clips. Therefore, instead of accompanying what is learnt in driving lessons, it is merely a driving test designed to examine what can only be practised by using the CGI clips and not real life scenarios.

Britannia Driving School’s Hazard Perception practice test includes 7 CGI clips in order to help our pupils prepare for the new test but still contain some of the old clips in order to prepare them for the real world as well.

Feel free to try out the new clips on our website, let us know your thoughts by using the comments link below:

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January 19, 2015
Calls To Improve Driving Test

Two road safety charities have called the driving test to be updated urgently. They argue that the driving test does not reflect real world risks.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists have released a statement saying that the current driving test does not include testing of a driver’s ability to cope safely with country roads, poor weather or driving at night. Currently, the only courses that provide such training is Pass Plus which is not compulsory and is open to new drivers once the pass.

However, the IAM are calling for the graduated licensing system to be introduced which would provide such training before a learner can pass their test. A 12-month minimum learning period, graduated licences and limits on passenger numbers for newly qualified drivers are all among the IAM’s recommendations.

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January 15, 2015
Location Affects Chance Of Passing

It has been found that where you live affects test pass rates. Just over a quarter of women and a third of men were found to pass their test in inner city areas such as London. Rural learners also benefit from being able to practise driving off-road even before they turn 17. The benefit of this is that they can pass their test first time almost as soon as they turn 17.

The driving test is being constantly updated with it being announced last year that the turn in the road being scrapped and being replaced with parking manoeuvres and the use of satnav.

The latest figures around half of men pass their test compared to approximately 43% of women. Pass rates are also higher in more affluent areas which suggests those paying for more lessons before their test are more likely to pass.

Four out of the ten lowest pass rates in the country were in London with other areas including Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire which was recently found to have the UK’s worst learners.

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January 14, 2015
Hazard Perception to use CGI

The DVSA is to start using hazard perception tests, replacing the old classic video scenes with more accurate digital ones. This is in order to make the clips more accurate and realistic.

Though the current video clips used are good, CGI technologies can provide a much better visual experience than what most classic imagery used to date can expect. This would, therefore, make the test a lot more realistic.

DVSA have also said that a wider range of hazards will also be used which includes vulnerable road users. The clips will be updated with new vehicles, new types of roads and modern surroundings. In addition, changing weather and lighting conditions will become possible so that tests can be expanded to night time, bad weather, winter conditions and other settings.

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January 12, 2015
Flag Removed From NI Licences

New licences issued in the UK will carry the Union flag, Westminster has announced. However, since driver licensing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, licences there will not include the flag. The Union flag will appear alongside the European Union flag which currently appears on all licences.

This decision by the government in Northern Ireland has been widely criticised for insulting the vast majority of Northern Irish Residents. The Union flag carries the St Patrick’s cross yet the country that it represents will be denied the right to have this present on their licence.

It has also been argued that this decision along with the Scottish referendum would encourage the government at Westminster to realise the need to proactively promote the Union.

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December 15, 2014
Changes Mean Longer Waiting Times

A shortage of examiners and difficult government reforms mean learners will suffer long delays before being able to take their driving tests.

Since the DVSA’s merger in April, it has missed its target of providing aspiring drivers with a test within six weeks of applying. This is in part due to the fact that the new body suffered from a shortfall of 60 examiners when it started. Since the merger, the average way has been 6.2 weeks, peaking at 8 weeks in August and the latest available figure, for October, showing a wait of 7 weeks.

Government reforms have also been blamed for placing motoring agencies, like the DVSA, into chaos leading to a number of resignations within the agency. However, the DVSA argue that the increase in waiting time is due to higher demand for driving tests and that they are working to recruit more examiners to meet this demand.

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December 11, 2014
Hazard Perception Wins Road Safety Award

The Hazard Perception components of the theory test won the top prize at this year’s Prince Michael International Road Safety awards.

Research has shown that hazard perception training and testing could account for an 11% reduction in collisions, helping to improve road safety and reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on Britain’s Roads.

The theory test plays a vital role in making sure that new drivers know the Highway Code and the rules of the road, helping them to drive safely and responsibly and making our roads safer.

The award shows that the hazard perception test ensures that learner drivers can identify risks and apply these skills once they have passed their driving test.

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December 3, 2014
Passing In London Is The Most Difficult

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Today, only 39% of London drivers pass first time round, while 35% pass second time, with 10% of drivers taking four attempts or more before trading in their provisional licence. This is a significant decline in recent years, compared with 52% of first time passes in 1994.

With a rise in the number of cyclists to watch out for, yellow box junctions to stay out of for fear of landing a camera fine, red routes to avoid stopping on and the sheer pressure of traffic, it is getting more difficult to drive in London.

The driving test has also become harder in recent years with the introduction of the theory test, the independent driving section of the test and the greater focus on eco driving. Despite these changes, parents are still confident they can teach their kids to drive, cutting back on formal, expert tuition. This has led to the fall in the number of first time passes in the capital. The increasing changes in the driving test have put driving tuition beyond the capabilities of most drivers. Learners now need to be taught exactly what examiners are looking for and such instruction can only be given by a qualified instructor.

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