back to school · personal accident cover for anyone in your car zero excess policy transferable no...

DrivingInstructor

THE VOICE OF THE PROFESSIONAL DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

BACK TO SCHOOLTRAIN IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE CAR TO BOOST YOUR STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE

ISSUE NINE 2019

p01_Instructor_2019_Issue09.indd 1 23/09/2019 11:52 am

Driving Instructor 13

A Driving Instructors Association Service

01227 285550diainsurance.co.uk*Subject to terms and conditions, see website for detailsDIA Insurance is a trading name of quotemetoday.co.uk Quotemetoday.co.uk Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Reference no 786619

Specialist driving school cover from the DIA’s only authorised and approved brokerDIA’s only authorised and approved broker

Training car insurance which covers more

24/7/365 claims management teamDual control courtesy car as standard*(Unlimited hire for non-fault or 21 days hire for fault claims)Personal accident cover for anyone in your carZero excess policyTransferable no claims bonusMotor prosecution defence coverOff road cover for students as young as 14

The industry’s most comprehensive training car insurance, our policies cover as standard:

p02_03_Instructor_Issue09.indd 1 23/09/2019 11:55 am

Driving Instructor 03Driving Instructor 13

A Driving Instructors Association Service

01227 285550diainsurance.co.uk*Subject to terms and conditions, see website for detailsDIA Insurance is a trading name of quotemetoday.co.uk Quotemetoday.co.uk Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Reference no 786619

Specialist driving school cover from the DIA’s only authorised and approved broker

Training car insurance which covers more

24/7/365 claims management teamDual control courtesy car as standard*(Unlimited hire for non-fault or 21 days hire for fault claims)Personal accident cover for anyone in your carZero excess policyTransferable no claims bonusMotor prosecution defence coverOff road cover for students as young as 14

The industry’s most comprehensive training car insurance, our policies cover as standard:

It’s September which means it’s the start of the new school year. Even a decade or two after taking my A-Levels, I still have that back to school feeling. September feels like a great time for a fresh start with the changing of the seasons. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn something new, or examine your future goals to see what else you’d like to achieve.

� ough most of us left the classroom years ago, Carly Brook� eld suggests we return, this time as teacher. Her feature on page 20 explains the positives of training your students in both the classroom and the car. Not only will it help your pupils learn, she says, it can be a great way to supplement your income.

Lowering the speed limit to 20mph in busy urban areas is designed to keep everyone safe. Many councils have installed 20mph zones, but have they made a di� erence to casualty rates? RoSPA discusses the issue on page 25.

Elsewhere, Anthony Fuller takes us through the process of a pupil’s very � rst driving lesson with his handy step-by-step guide. Nick Heath has spotted many bumper stickers apologising for driving at the speed limit because a black box is � tted. He looks at what this says about attitudes to road safety. See pages 28-34 to � nd out more.

Don’t forget our DIA Conference is fast approaching. � is year we’re hosting three, in Bristol, Nottingham and the DVSA training centre at Cardington. We want it to be as easy as possible for you all to attend. See page 37 for all the details of the November events and information about the CPD workshops on o� er.

Kathy MansonEditor

03

Welcome

DIA SPONSORS

DRIVING INSTRUCTORS ASSOCIATION

020 8686 8010 | [email protected] | driving.org

11 Gleneagles Court, Brighton Road, Crawley RH10 6AD

The official monthly magazine of the Driving Instructors Association

Driving Instructor is published monthly by DIA (Int.) Ltd Copyright © DIA (Int.) Ltd 2019Printed by Warners Midlands plc

The views contained may not be the views of the publishers. Publication of an advertisement does not imply approval for the goods or services offered. Reproduction by any means, electronically or otherwise, in whole or part, of any material appearing in this magazine is forbidden without the express prior permission of the publishers.

Editorial and design

Kathy Manson | [email protected]

Adam Trimby | [email protected]

Advertising and marketing

Matt Russell | Head of marketing, publishing and [email protected]

Sara Jardine | Advertising [email protected]

Megan Cooper | Marketing [email protected]

DIA Membership and training team

Olivia Baldock-Ward | Head of membership and [email protected]

Tom Foster | Training [email protected]

Vicky Wilson | Membership services [email protected]

Rebecca Walker | Membership and e-commerce [email protected]

Diamond membership and training team

Karen Bransgrove | Diamond chief [email protected]

Chloe Denny | Diamond [email protected]

Carly Brook� eld | Chief [email protected]

Dean Mayer | [email protected]

facebook.com/drivinginstructorsassociation

twitter.com/the_DIA

youtube.com/user/drivinginstruction

DIA GROUP

DrivingInstructor


20

20 BACK TO THE CLASSROOM

Carly Brookfield talks about how getting out of the car for lessons can supplement and improve the training experience for pupils.

37

INSTRUCTOR

Driving Instructor04

CONTENTS

33 BOXCLEVER

Nick Heath discusses black boxes and what they can show about attitudes towards safe driving.

25 SLOWLY IMPROVING SAFETY

RoSPA looks at the thinking behind lowering the speed limit to 20mph and whether previous schemes have proved effective.

16 CHIEF EXECUTIVE REPORT

Carly Brookfield believes a problem shared is a problem halved so urges our members to pick up the phone if they have any issues.

18 KING’S COMMENT

Edmund King OBE gives us the results of a recent AA survey and wonders how many of us really know what goes on under the bonnet.

06 ADINEWS

App to record driving tests, only 2% of illegal instructor complaints result in conviction, test centre closures and more.

15 BUSINESS HELPDESK

Keith Halstead tells us that an investigation into your tax affairs by HMRC can be onerous, and takes us through the process.

16 GUEST COMMENT

28FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Anthony Fuller, ADI, fleet trainer and Diamond examiner, explains what you need to cover in a learner’s initial driving lesson.

Jim Milton reveals an anecdote that he shares when trying to persuade riders of the merits of post-test training.

#@!+?YOU CANDO IT!

#@!+?


42


41 TRAIN THEBRAIN

Kev and Tracey Field from Confident Drivers look at coaching questions to help conquer motorway lesson nerves.

52 WHAT IS A SMART MOTORWAY?

Auto Express tells us that less than half of drivers are aware of where to pull over safely when driving on a smart motorway.

42 FOLLOWING THE CROWD

James Whalen discusses how some traffic violations can be explained by the psychology of group behaviour.

FINAL WORD70

Reading practical test centre is due for closure next year and local instructors are concerned.

48 MONTH IN NEWS

M1 safety week success, Halifax home to Britain’s worst drivers, problems with popular cars and more.

51 DIAMONDCOMMENT

Chloe Denny gives us her top tips for driving safely in the changeable autumn weather.

37 LEARN ANDDEVELOP

Olivia Baldock-Ward gives us the lowdown on what to expect at this year’s three DIA conferences in November.

facebook.com/drivinginstructorsassociation

Follow us

twitter.com/the_DIA

youtube.com/user/drivinginstruction

47 driving

28


The largest driver trainer news resource adinews.co.uk


App to record driving testsDVSA is developing an app to electronically record driving tests.

The new app prepopulates candidate and test information automatically from the booking and allows an overview of the previous test to be easily completed.

It provides examiners with immediate access to their testing schedule and highlights any specific needs the candidate might have. This will better prepare the examiner before meeting the candidate, to know how to help them.

Examiners will conduct the test in exactly the same way as with the current paper form but will record it electronically on the app.

Capturing test results electronically will remove the need for almost two million test forms to be scanned each year and speed up notification of the result to DVLA, cutting the time taken for successful candidates to receive their full driving licence.

DVSA says the prototype version of the app has received positive feedback

from examiners. It has also held small trial sessions with potential candidates.

To begin with, the app will only be used on car driving tests. DVSA will deliver a small number of tests, taking on board any feedback from the examiners and candidates, before increasing its use.

Over time, the app will be rolled out to all other test categories, including ADI tests.

DVSA will be providing more details at our conferences in November. Visit page 37 for more information.

p06_13_Instructor_2019_Issue09.indd 1 23/09/2019 11:59 am


Just 2% of complaints made about illegal driving instructors have resulted in a conviction over the last five years.

The data, obtained by Hippo Leasing via a freedom of information request to DVSA, reveals 961 complaints about unqualified instructors taking payment for lessons since 2014, with only 18 convictions.

The data reveals not a single prosecution was made for illegal driving instructors in the 2014/15 financial year, despite DVSA receiving 125 complaints from members of the public.

DVSA says that multiple complaints may have been about the same instructor, and there is no indication whether the complaints this data relates to were valid.

Since the 2018/19 financial year, DVSA decided to make prosecutions for these offences itself, rather than rely on police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

DVSA said: “We have stringent measures in place to detect

fraud and bring offenders to justice. Obtaining co-operation and witness statements is a vital part of the evidence required to prevent illegal driving instructors from operating. Therefore DVSA encourages individuals to come forward and work with our investigators.”

There is an estimated 30 Blue Badge holders for every council-owned disabled parking space.

Currently over two million people own a Blue Badge in Great Britain. However, with the scheme now being extended to people with hidden disabilities, Blue Badge spaces are going to be in even higher demand.

Despite this, 74% of councils don’t have any current plans to create more parking spaces, research from confused.com has found.

Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at confused.com, said: “Clearly more parking for Blue Badge holders is needed – 30 drivers to one space is quite a challenge. It’s no wonder some of these drivers have had to park elsewhere. And the number of people competing for spaces is only going to grow as more people can apply for a Blue Badge now.

“Drivers who misuse these spaces are making the problem even worse. They should be more respectful and leave them free for those who need them.”

Confused.com also conducted a survey of 2,000 UK drivers, which found that 48% of people believe that allowing drivers with hidden disabilities to claim a Blue Badge is a positive move.

However, 30% think that councils should be creating more spaces to compensate, while 25% of respondents who currently have a Blue Badge, or drive someone who has, are worried that they won’t be able to find a disabled space because of the increase in the number of people eligible for the scheme.

Only 2% of illegal instructor complaints resulted in conviction

Demand for Blue Badge spaces grows

Change of address for DVSA expense claimsThe address to which candidates send their out-of-pocket expense applications has changed.

The new address is:DVSAPO Box 349 Newcastle-upon-TyneNE12 2GN

Any applications sent to the old address will not be processed.

The address for applications for a cancelled theory test is not changing.

Your candidates are able to apply for a refund of out-of-pocket expenses if their theory test or driving test is cancelled at short notice.

‘Short notice’ means less than three clear working days’ notice. Working days do not include Sundays and public holidays.



Increase in drink drive deathsThe Department for Transport’s latest statistics show that there has been an estimated increase in the number of people killed in crashes where one driver was over the drink drive limit.

The DfT reached a final central estimate of 250, up from 230 in 2016, an increase of 9% and the highest level since 2009.

However the number of total crashes involving a drink driver is estimated to have fallen by 6% to 5,700, down from 6,070 in 2016.

The new figures come after road safety charity Brake revealed that more than 5,000 drivers have been caught drink driving on two or more occasions in the past four years. The figures from DVLA, obtained via a freedom of information request, showed that in the past four years, there have been 5,181 repeat drink-drive offenders, including 4,879 who were caught twice, 275 drivers who were caught three times and one driver who was caught six times in the same period.

Drivers who are caught driving, or attempting to drive, while above the legal limit or unfit through drink, face an unlimited fine, between three and 11 points on their licence, a driving ban of at least one year, and six months in prison.

Joshua Harris from Brake said: “Driving over the alcohol limit can have devastating consequences, and it is troubling to see such levels of repeat offending. What is worse is that many of these drivers shouldn’t have been on the roads to offend again, if the full extent of the law had been used.

“Technology also has a role to play in tackling the menace of drink driving. The use of alcohol interlocks must seriously be considered to prevent convicted drink-drive offenders from getting behind the wheel over the limit.”

Stop drivers using hands-free mobiles, say MPsA ban on drivers using hands-free mobile phones should be considered, a report published by the Commons Transport Select Committee has said.

Current laws only ban the use of devices being held by drivers. This gives the “misleading impression” that hands-free use is safe despite it creating “the same risks of a collision”, according to the report.

It recommended that the government should explore options for extending the current ban on hand-held mobiles and publish a public consultation on the issue by the end of 2019.

In 2017, there were 773 casualties on Britain’s roads – including 43 deaths and 135 serious injuries – in crashes where a driver using a mobile was a contributory factor.

The committee said the number of people killed or seriously injured in such accidents has risen steadily since 2011 but the rate of enforcement of the law regarding phone use has plunged by more than two-thirds since the same year.

Since March 2017, motorists caught using a hand-held phone have faced incurring six points on their licence and a £200 fine – up from the previous penalty of three points and £100.

The MPs urged the government to consider whether penalties should be increased further “to better reflect the serious risks created by drivers committing this offence”.

Labour MP Lilian Greenwood, who chairs the committee, said: “There is a misleading impression that hands-free use is safe. The reality is that any use of a phone distracts from a driver’s ability to pay full attention and the government should consider extending the ban to reflect this.”


Bournemouth test centre will not reopenDVSA has announced the Bournemouth test centre is to permanently close.

The Gillam Road centre has been closed since February due to a flooding problem but driving instructors in the area believed it would reopen. However this is not the case and learner drivers will have to travel to Poole, Southampton, Salisbury or Dorchester to take their tests.

DVSA said: “Following a detailed independent survey, we’ve taken the difficult decision to not re-open the test centre as a result of the prohibitive repair costs.

“Candidates should continue to book tests at Poole driving test centre. Traffic congestion in Bournemouth means that by moving tests to Poole we will be able to better test candidates on all parts of the new test, helping make Dorset roads even safer.

“To meet demand for testing, we’ll be refurbishing and extending the test centre building in Poole.”

Local instructors are unhappy about the closure and have started a petition which can be found here: ipetitions.com/petition/bournemouth-test-centre

Hayes driving test centre closure

Hayes driving test centre is closing and relocating to Yeading driving test centre.

The last day of testing at the current test centre in Rigby Lane will be 25 October 2019.

Yeading driving test centre will be open for testing on 4 November 2019 and tests are available to book. Test centre detailsCygnet WayWillow Tree LaneYeadingGreater London UB4 9BS

Calls to stop Reading test centre closureReading practical test centre is due to close in May 2020.

Local instructors are concerned as Reading is one of the busiest test centres in the UK, with more than 10 tests an hour undertaken. Students generally have to wait eight to 10 weeks for a test in Reading. The waiting list is currently much longer due to concerns regarding the closure.

A petition has been started to stop the closure. If you wish to add your support, visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/268839

There is no official information available at the moment regarding an alternative test centre if Reading closes.

For more information on this, see final word on page 70.

New locations for Salisbury and Sutton Coldfield theory test centres The location of the Salisbury theory test centre is to change in October.

The last day of testing at the current site at 39 Brown Street, Salisbury, will be Monday 24 September. Testing will start at the new site on Tuesday 1 October and bookings can now be made at the new site. The address of the new theory test site is:Suite 104, Ground Floor,Warner House 123 Castle Street Salisbury SP1 3TB

Sutton Coldfield theory test centre will change location in November.

The last day of testing at the current site at Four Oaks House, 160 Lichfield Road, Sutton Coldfield will be Saturday 16 November. Testing will start at the new site on Monday 25 November and bookings can now be made at the new site. The address of the new theory test site is:31-33 Birmingham RoadSutton Coldfield B72 1QE Candidates will be informed of the new addresses in their email confirmation of their test booking.


TEST CENTRE NEWS

If you have any information about test centres

or want to let us know what you think about

closures, email [email protected]



Peak-time drivers on the M6 are now travelling up to 15 miles per hour faster than before the motorway was upgraded earlier this year.

Highways England says drivers travelling towards Crewe after 9am and leaving the office after 6pm are seeing the biggest improvement to their journeys – saving more than eight minutes along the 19-mile route every day.

Commuters working nine-to-five near Manchester are also spending over 30 minutes less time on the road each week. They are now able to travel at an average speed of 66 miles per hour on their way home from work – 15 miles per hour faster than before work started on the upgrade.

Drivers travelling southbound previously faced average speeds of 50 miles per hour between midday and 1pm. They are now able to travel 14 miles per hour faster, saving almost six minutes along the route and cutting journey times by over a quarter.

Initial statistics from the first three months following the M6 smart motorway’s completion also show that the number of

collisions along the route has fallen by around 30%. There were 97 incidents reported from April to June 2015 compared to 68 incidents during the same three months this year – an average of 10 fewer collisions every month.

Overall, safety has improved by over 25% on England’s ‘all-lane running’ sections of motorway where electronic signs display red Xs and variable speed limits to close lanes and control the flow of traffic, and emergency areas provide a safer place to stop. See page 52 for more on smart motorways.

Highways England completed the £255 million project to upgrade the M6 between Crewe and Knutsford in March 2019.

A fourth lane has been introduced in each direction and a total of 258 electronic signs, 104 traffic sensors and 70 CCTV cameras are helping to tackle congestion and improve journey times for around 120,000 drivers every day.

Construction work is currently taking place on a similar upgrade of the M62 near Warrington, and preliminary work is also due to start later this year on the stretch of the M62 over the Pennines which links the North West to Yorkshire.

M6 drivers save time after upgrade


Call today or visit our website for more information0344 9842 515 www.fbtc.co.uk

Call today or visit our website for more informationCall today or visit our website for more information

The specialist accountancy servicefor independent and franchised driving instructorsA trusted and reliable accountancy and tax support service offering peace of mind and value for money.

• HMRC Registration• Annual accounts and Tax Returns• Tax and Accountancy advice and support• HMRC Investigation Support• Access to the FBTC Members area• Online Cashbook• Income Projections• Professional References

Join now and enjoy 4 months free**Terms and conditions apply, call us for details.

Special Offer




THE AA has uncovered a report, first published in 2016, that claims smart motorways could be 216% more dangerous for drivers who have broken down.

The report differs from information given to the Transport Select Committee in 2016 who were told that Stopped Vehicle Detection Systems (SVDS) would be rolled out across all sections of smart motorways.

SVDS is only in place on a few parts of the road network, with some not due to be completed until 2022.

SVDS warns Highways England of any danger, enabling it to turn on the lane closure signs.

The AA has learned that of the stretches of motorway that do have the SVDS fitted, it’s sometimes taking too long to activate the safety measures in place.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “Taking three minutes to set the red-X (the sign on the gantry that closes lanes and advises of stopped vehicles) is too long for someone in a broken-down vehicle to wait. Expecting someone to wait in a dangerous and life-threatening position for 20 minutes is simply inexcusable.”

Highways England responded with a statement. Chief highway engineer Mike Wilson said: “Motorways in this country are among the very safest roads in the world. Highways England would never carry out a major improvement scheme without being confident that we would maintain or enhance this position.

“Evidence indicates that smart motorways are helping to improve safety. The first nine of the latest generation of smart motorways have reduced casualty rates by more than 25%.

“Smart motorways are good for drivers, adding vital extra lanes to some of our busiest motorways and making journeys safer and more reliable.”

Highways England also said that smart motorways are reducing casualty rates. It also claims that more than a hundred people are killed or injured on the hard shoulder every year, and people stopping on them unnecessarily is an issue.

Smart motorways have emergency areas a maximum of 1.5 miles apart – around 75 seconds of driving. They have emergency telephones and are wider than hard shoulders to enable drivers to get further away from traffic.

Highways England says that the information that smart motorways increase risk by 216% is incorrect – smart motorways

were predicted to reduce safety risk compared to conventional motorways and evidence states:

■ The figure is an estimate made before the schemes were built and relates to one specific hazard relating to the risk associated with stopping in a live lane when there is little traffic.

■ This is one of over 140 hazards that exist on a motorway when driving. Others include driving too fast, driver fatigue and the risks associated with hard shoulders.

■ Many of these hazards are reduced by the introduction of smart motorways, but Highways England has always said the risk around stopping in a live lane increases, but this represents less than 5% of the overall risk of driving on a smart motorway.

■ This same analysis showed that overall there would be around an 18% reduction in risk – this has been shown in practice with a reduced casualty rate with completed schemes of 28%.

Drivers avoid hard shoulder

Over half of UK drivers wrongly avoid driving on the hard shoulder of smart motorways, new research has revealed.

According to a survey, 56% of motorists avoid using the lane – even when signs indicate they should do so.

This research shows, many motorists still don’t understand the rules of ‘all-land running’ smart motorways. The poll, by KwikFit, found high levels of confusion among drivers, with less than a third able to correctly identify which smart motorway sign indicated an open hard shoulder.

A fifth (20%) of motorists said they have no idea when a hard shoulder is in use as a driving lane, while 13% wrongly claim you should never use a hard shoulder – even on a smart motorway.

15% of drivers believe a blank sign indicates an open hard shoulder – when it actually means it’s closed to traffic.

Four people have been killed on the M1 in just 10 months after being hit by vehicles while on the hard shoulder – prompting one of the victim’s widows to sue Highways England for corporate manslaughter.

Concerns over smart motorway safety



Government doubles funding for on-street electric car chargingThe government has announced an additional £2.5 million to fund the installation of over 1,000 new electric car chargepoints.

The funding will support the on-street residential chargepoint scheme, launched in 2017, which helps people access charging infrastructure near their homes when they don’t have off-street parking. It will go towards helping local authorities to install these chargepoints, which can be built into existing structures like lampposts.

The scheme aims to encourage more people to choose an electric vehicle by making it easier to charge their cars near home, following a 158% increase in battery electric vehicle sales compared to July last year.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “It’s fantastic that there are now more than 20,000 publicly accessible chargepoints and double the number of electric vehicle chargepoints than petrol stations, but we want to do much more.

“It’s vital that electric vehicle drivers feel confident about the availability of chargepoints near their homes, and that charging an electric car is seen as easy as plugging in a smartphone.

“That’s why we are now doubling the funding available for local authorities to continue building the infrastructure we need to super-charge the zero emission revolution – right across the country.”

The allocation of funding for on-street residential chargepoints is part of the £1.5 billion investment underpinned by the Road to Zero Strategy.

As part of this, the government is also investing £37m into British engineering to develop electric chargepoint infrastructure that could rapidly expand the UK chargepoint network for people without off-street parking and put the UK on the map as the best place in the world to own an electric vehicle.

Innovations to receive investment include underground charging systems, solar powered charging forecourts and wireless charging projects. Much like current mobile phone technology, wireless charging could mean an end to needing to plug in your electric vehicle.

NI Road Safety Award for driving instructorsDo you know any driving instructors who should be recognised for their road safety work? Entries are now being sought for the Northern Ireland Road Safety Awards 2019.

The awards, now in their fifth year, are organised by Road Safe NI Charity and there is a total of 10 categories on offer. These include schools, emergency services, voluntary, public and private sectors as well as a dedicated driving instructor prize

Pat Martin MBE Chairperson of Road Safe NI Charity said: “We’ve had a great response to the Awards over the last four years and we now look forward to emulating that with our 2019 nominees. It is vitally important that we properly recognise the hard work and commitment that goes into helping keep our roads safe.”

The closing date for entries is Thursday 31 October. Visit roadsafeni.com/campaign/ni-road-safety-awards/

The awards ceremony takes place at Cultra Manor on Friday 22 November as part of Road Safety Week.

Ford Fiesta top of the pops againThe Ford Fiesta is the UK’s bestselling car of the year so far. New car registration figures show that the Fiesta is once again the most popular car, with 43,379 registered. Ford has the car in second place as well; the Focus has 32,149 registrations. Rounding off the top ten are:3 Volkswagen Golf – 31,385 registrations4 Vauxhall Corsa – 29,876 registrations5 Nissan Qashqai – 29,215 registrations6 Range Rover – 27,043 registrations7 Volkswagen Polo – 23,691 registrations8 Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 21,863 registrations9 Ford Kuga – 20,483 registrations10 Volkswagen Tiguan – 20,285 registrations


p14_15_Instructor_2019_Issue09.indd 1 23/09/2019 12:10 pm


HELPDESKBUSINESS

KEITH HALSTEAD AN INVESTIGATION INTO YOUR TAX AFFAIRS BY HMRC CAN BE ONEROUS

An investigation by HMRC is every small business owner and sole trader’s worst nightmare. Along with the enormous stress, it can take up a great deal of time

and, in the worst case scenario, you could end up with a heavy tax bill.

It’s important to be aware of what might trigger an HMRC investigation. It might be one or more of the following factors:

Ä HMRC receives a tip off that you are defrauding the Revenue

Ä Your returns show unprofitability for multiple years

Ä Your returns regularly include mistakesÄ There are large fluctuations in your reported

figures Ä Your figures look dramatically out of kilter

with the normal position for a business in your industry

Ä You don’t have an accountant. It’s been suggested that HMRC is less likely to investigate those who have an accountant to prepare their returns.

Not all enquiries by HMRC are the same, and the type of investigation you may be subject to will depend on its suspicions or concerns. There are two main types of HMRC enquiry:

Full enquiries: These may take place when HMRC believes there is a high risk of errors on your returns. If you’re subject to a full enquiry, the Revenue will look through all of your business records and, potentially, your personal records.

Aspect enquiries: An aspect enquiry happens when HMRC is concerned about one or more specific elements of your finances.

This type of enquiry is much more common in the case of genuine mistakes, as opposed to wilful tax evasion.

Keith Halstead MA (Oxon) FCA has been a partner in the chartered accountancy profession for more than 20 years. He is responsible for a wide range of owner managed businesses, including driving instructors. He currently heads up the DIA Tax Service for members.

ABOUT THE WRITER

If HMRC launches an investigation into you or your business, there’s a broad range of records and documents it might check. HMRC will contact you or your accountant in advance to set out the evidence it wants to see or information it’s collecting.

Occasionally HMRC might indicate that it wants to visit your home or other business premises. It can’t legally force you to attend, but doing so willingly is generally seen as a sign of co-operation and may have an impact on the outcome of the investigation. You’re entitled to have an advisor such as your accountant present.

HMRC must tell you what it wants to discuss in advance of a visit.

Once the investigation finishes, HMRC will write to you to explain the outcome.

If it finds something wrong on your returns but doesn’t believe the errors were made fraudulently or negligently, it’ll tell you how it thinks the return needs to be corrected. You have 30 days to make the correction.

If HMRC believes that you have acted with negligence or fraudulently, you’ll be made to pay penalties, extra tax, and interest. You’ll normally be required to sign a contract pledging to do so, in exchange for HMRC waiving its rights to prosecute.

The main message is, avoid being investigated

“NOT ALL ENQUIRIES BY HMRC ARE THE

SAME, AND THE TYPE OF INVESTIGATION YOU WILL

BE SUBJECT TO WILL DEPEND ON

ITS SUSPICIONS”



always endeavour to offer advice and support, we can struggle to help with scant notice.

We have cases where members have also panicked or lashed out due to the stress (or perceived injustice) of an issue, taken matters into their own hands and made a situation even more challenging. It is always prudent to seek some support in how best to tackle a problem before just wading in.

We also have members who have engaged legal advice at great expense when we could have offered a free initial consultation as part of their membership, or even been able to provide full representation under the public liability or professional indemnity policy.

The bottom line? Call us as soon as you realise you need some help and we’ll do our damndest to help you.

We understand that situations are stressful, feelings run high and that when you have a sense of injustice, you can also have anger. We get ADIs swearing at us the moment we pick up the phone (not because of something we’ve done but because they’re mad as heck!), we get shouting and we get people who just won’t listen to advice at all – or respect there are simply some things at which we cannot wave a magic wand. But still the team tries to help.

When listening helps, and is all we can do, then we’ll spend as long as you need, just listening. The team here is incredibly passionate and caring (but not afraid to give some tough love at times when needed) and spend hours sometimes just talking things over with a member who clearly needs someone to talk to. So remember the sooner you call us, the sooner a problem is shared and hopefully, halved

We’ve noted an increase in calls to our helpdesk of late. Some of our members are facing quite thorny issues. We can offer advice directly on a lot of topics,

we can even help solve some problems in a single phone call. We can go away and do some research when we’re not so sure, so we make sure we give you the latest and most in-depth answers to queries or challenges you may have. And, when we exhaust all those avenues and we reach the limits of our own expertise (because we want you to have the right advice from suitably qualified and regulated people), we can also pass you onto other expert advisors.

Our team has a pretty comprehensive span of knowledge across a number of training and business related issues, indeed we have personnel qualified in many areas of business and driver education who work with us full time to provide that helpdesk function.

The one piece of advice (which is common to all issues) I’d give upfront to all members is that – whatever the issue, however bad it is – the earlier you speak to someone who can offer you advice, or refer you to a point of advice, the better.

Some issues get worse when a) they’re ignored or left too long (because people are scared/nervous/just don’t know what to do) or b) you try and have a go at resolving it yourself, with no advice. From the moment you even suspect you have an issue, giving the helpdesk a call or email helps us help you better.

We sometimes have members call us when they have a matter of days before a transport tribunal or interview with Fraud and Integrity, and whilst we

REPORTCHIEF EXECUTIVE

CARLY BROOKFIELDPICK UP THE PHONE IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS

Carly has over 18 years experience in senior management helping to develop and promote both private and public sector bodies including professional membership and industry bodies in the medical, education and financial services arena. She is also an experienced campaigner and lobbyist on road safety issues and member of the DfT’s Road Safety Delivery Group and a board member of the research and knowledge hub The Road Safety Observatory.

ABOUT THE WRITER



Acouple of years ago I decided to sell my wares (advanced riding courses). I was at a biking event that supports a local hospital that provides respite care for veterans. I felt

it was certainly a worthy cause as the fee for my stall was being donated to the hospital.

I’d had a few enquiries before a couple of new riders had a chat with me. One in particular asked why should he give me his hard earned cash for a bespoke riding course as he “could do all that stuff ”. “I mean,” he said, “I’ve already passed my test, and they just don’t give it away you know!” I gave them a lot of my time and information regarding the content of the course, and suggested to him the virtues of further training in general, and he left.

Some time later he and his friend returned for further discussion, one reminding the other that he came off his bike. “Remember, after we passed the test we went on a run to Oban. You came off under the bridge at Crianlarich,” he said.

The other then felt he had to explain. He told me that he came off his bike as it slid under the front bumper of a petrol tanker below the bridge. “But no one was hurt and it didn’t hit the tanker,” he said. The signage at that location is clear and easily seen, on the approach to the bridge. The conversation went as follows:

Me: “Didn’t you see the sign saying oncoming vehicles in the middle of the road?”

Him: “Yes, but it wasn’t my fault. I was braking, but I came off because the ‘shellgrip’ was loose.”

It seems it had been recently renewed and his mate said there were small piles of the material on the left as

you go under the railway bridge. Me: “So you didn’t take the road surface conditions

into account?” Him: “Well it was raining heavily”.I then suggested that perhaps he didn’t take the

weather conditions into account. Him: “What is it with you?” Me: “What is it with me? Well… it wasn’t me that

came off my bike under the bridge at Crianlarich!” Luckily the biker told me that no one was hurt,

and there was no damage to the truck and very little damage to his bike, as his speed was low at the time of the incident. However the whole event was entirely preventable.

I’m sure the tanker driver didn’t find that part of his day very enjoyable. After he assisted the bloke with the removal of his bike from under his vehicle. It seemed he had quite a few choice words with him. The biker’s bravado and his attitude while telling me what happened, perhaps explains some of his actions. He could not or would not recognise his lack of skills as a new rider.

This is a short but true anecdote. I’ve passed it on to many pre-test bikers and drivers but convincing drivers and riders to take up post-test training remains a difficult task, as I’m sure we all know too well

COMMENTGUEST

Jim Milton is a car and motorcycle trainer, and Diamond examiner.

ABOUT THE WRITER

JIM MILTON NEW RIDERS SOMETIMES WON’T ACCEPT THEY DON’T KNOW IT ALL

“HE COULD NOT RECOGNISE HIS LACK OF SKILLS AS A NEW RIDER”


Staying safe on the roads is about more than just a driver’s ability and attitude behind the wheel, although they are, of course, vitally important.

The roads we drive on and the cars we drive also play a hugely important part in keeping all road users safe.

The engineering and maintenance of roads is managed by Government, both local and national.

But, while the engineering behind cars is down to the manufacturers, the basic day-to-day maintenance to keep them roadworthy is a driver’s responsibility.

So, it came as a bit of a surprise when a recent AA/Populus survey showed nearly one in 20 (4%) drivers cannot even open their car’s bonnet and nearly one in 10 (8%) do not feel confident checking tyre pressures.

Tasks that drivers were least confident carrying out include changing the oil and oil filter (32% would feel confident doing this), checking that power steering is working (46%), changing a wheel, checking there is a safe level of brake fluid (both 62%), and changing a windscreen wiper blade (73%).

Given the ‘Show Me, Tell Me’ section of the driving test it was even more surprising that young people (18-24) were more likely than older drivers to say that they were not confident carrying out car maintenance checks; in every category they scored lower than over 65s.

COMMENTKING’S

Edmund King is best known for media appearances on the subject of motoring and transport policy. He is president of the Automobile Association and a visiting professor of transport at Newcastle University

ABOUT THE WRITER

EDMUND KING OBEHOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW WHAT GOES ON UNDER THE BONNET?


Only a third (34%) of young people surveyed said they could fit a spare wheel compared to two in three pensioners (66%).

When it comes to checking the tread depth on a car’s tyres, one in three (30%) young drivers said they couldn’t do it alone, compared to one in five older drivers (18%).

Being able to check fluid levels and tyre pressures are basic checks that all drivers should be able to perform; they help ensure drivers can maintain their cars and minimise their risk of breaking down.

At best, breaking down is inconvenient, but at worst it is stressful and dangerous. As a new driver, the thought of breaking down can be even more troubling than for more experienced motorists. Learner drivers with the AA get a year’s Standby membership included with their lessons, which helps reduce worry about a potential breakdown.

Anything novice drivers can do to alleviate the likelihood and stress of a breakdown should be done. Taking the theory test and ‘Show Me Tell Me’ elements of their driving test seriously is a good place to start.

New drivers should also make sure they know what to do in the event of a breakdown; how to safely exit their vehicle, where to place a warning triangle and who to contact. In a vulnerable situation on the roadside, a little knowledge can go a long way

Dual ControlsFit the Best

He-Man are experts in the design, manufacture and installation of dual controls with

over 80 years manufacturing experience. The dual controls are “tailor-made” for each

make and model of car, ensuring the ideal fit and optimum performance. He-Man Dual

Controls promise quality, safety and value to driving instructors everywhere.

• Comprehensive range available from stock

• Utilises as many existing fixing points as possible

• ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 accredited

• Over 250,000 units sold worldwide

• As supplied to the police and other emergency services for training purposes

• Experienced network of installers across the UK

In-Car Teaching CameraThis He-Man approved in-car teaching camera with wide angle lens is an ideal teaching aid,

allowing immediate video playback of elements of a driving lesson on a smartphone or tablet.

Android and IOS compatible via a free app.

GPS Display SpeedometerThis plug and play speedometer is the ideal solution for a driving instructor. No need to check

the car’s speedometer when it’s at a difficult angle or obscured by the pupil’s arm - the speed

is projected onto the passenger side of the windscreen and can be closely aligned to the speed

shown on the car’s own speedometer.

Contact He-Man on 023 8022 6952www.he-mandualcontrols.co.ukHe-Man Dual Controls Ltd, Cable Street, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 5AR

Tailor made to suit most popular cars used for driving tuition

“NEARLY ONE IN 20 DRIVERS CANNOT EVEN

OPEN THEIR CAR’S BONNET”

“ONLY A THIRD OF YOUNG PEOPLE SAID THEY COULD

FIT A SPARE WHEEL”


Dual ControlsFit the Best

He-Man are experts in the design, manufacture and installation of dual controls with

over 80 years manufacturing experience. The dual controls are “tailor-made” for each

make and model of car, ensuring the ideal fit and optimum performance. He-Man Dual

Controls promise quality, safety and value to driving instructors everywhere.

• Comprehensive range available from stock

• Utilises as many existing fixing points as possible

• ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 accredited

• Over 250,000 units sold worldwide

• As supplied to the police and other emergency services for training purposes

• Experienced network of installers across the UK

In-Car Teaching CameraThis He-Man approved in-car teaching camera with wide angle lens is an ideal teaching aid,

allowing immediate video playback of elements of a driving lesson on a smartphone or tablet.

Android and IOS compatible via a free app.

GPS Display SpeedometerThis plug and play speedometer is the ideal solution for a driving instructor. No need to check

the car’s speedometer when it’s at a difficult angle or obscured by the pupil’s arm - the speed

is projected onto the passenger side of the windscreen and can be closely aligned to the speed

shown on the car’s own speedometer.

Contact He-Man on 023 8022 6952www.he-mandualcontrols.co.ukHe-Man Dual Controls Ltd, Cable Street, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 5AR

Tailor made to suit most popular cars used for driving tuition


FEATURE: BACK TO THE CLASSROOMDriving Instructor


Back to the classroom


In this day and age, driver training can be delivered in a much wider way than simply in-car practical sessions. Interacting with your students more

regularly, and expanding the educational experience and exposure of your pupils to driver training can really boost their learning and understanding – and ultimately their driver competency and safety.

An increasing amount of ADIs are starting to offer their pupils supplementary forms of learning outside the box with four wheels. In this feature we’ll look at why more trainers should consider diversifying their training offering into classroom-based activity, either on and offline – as we’re now firmly in the age of the virtual classroom!

WHY GET INTO THE CLASSROOM?

Apart from the fact it gives you some variety and diversity in how you train, it’s a great opportunity to extend your pupil’s learning – and encourage helpful peer group learning opportunities. And rather than being another cost of time or money to your business, it can actually be a profitable part of your business – costing little to deliver but delivering lots of value to your pupils, and extra income to you. Let’s look at some of those key benefits in a bit more detail.

PROMOTING GROUP LEARNINGMany scholarly papers and research reports point to the positive impact of learning delivered in a peer group context. Some key benefits include:

Ä Direct interaction between students promotes active learning

Ä Studying with friends is more fun than learning alone

Ä Students able to take ownership of the subject matter

Ä Students develop communication and teamwork skills

Ä Content is reinforced as students work together and ‘teach’ each other. This improves understanding through additional discussion and explanation

Ä Content may be broken down into parts. This allows students to tackle larger and more complex problems and assignments than they would be able to do individually

Ä Students can work together to pool their expertise, knowledge and skills

Ä Students hold one another responsible and accountable

Ä Teaches students to plan more effectively and manage their time

Ä Instructors benefit by seeing students approach problems in novel and unique ways. This can improve the instructor’s perspective and make their future teaching more effective

Ä Instructors are able to have the content reinforced by giving the students ways to apply what they have learned in a collaborative setting

Ä More time to focus on content that’s maybe not working in the car and use a range of teaching tools and approaches less easy to use by the side of the road or on the road (such as video, roleplay etc).

RISK MITIGATION?

Could classroom-based learning, particularly before on-road lessons or



AS YOUR SCHOOL AND COLLEGE AGE PUPILS HEAD BACK TO THE CLASSROOM THIS AUTUMN, MAYBE TRAINERS SHOULD TOO. CARLY BROOKFIELD TALKS ABOUT HOW GETTING OUT OF THE CAR FOR LESSONS CAN SUPPLEMENT AND IMPROVE THE TRAINING EXPERIENCE FOR OUR PUPILS

Back to the classroom


any kind of in-car session where riskier activities are being undertaken, help lower the risk of learning on road? Think of it like this, if you were to book a flying lesson or a session on a racetrack in a performance car, there is no way your first session would be operating that expensive vehicle and company asset.

An initial classroom-based session for learners – one-on-one or in a group – is vital in areas such as motorsport or flying. These are high-risk environments, so it’s important to teach learners how to mitigate and manage risk before letting them loose. Yet some driving instructors let learners drive after a quick in-car briefing – a learning environment where the student’s mind is already on the road and probably not able to concentrate on what they’re being told.

Classroom-based briefings before a first lesson can give you and your pupil more time to discuss key risks, embed learning, test knowledge and find out how your pupil will react to key situations before taking to the road. They will be better prepared to safely acquire new skills in new driving contexts and environments.

EXTEND YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH LEARNERS

Delivering more than a learner would expect from the typical driving instructor can become your unique selling point. It will be a talking point among pupils, creating valuable word of mouth – the most powerful form of marketing.

Your existing pupils will have an opportunity to have more regular interaction with you, which studies show can increase retention of customers. Companies, who regularly engage with their customers and provide more information and advice, as well as other services around the core product, add more value to the customer experience and the customer is more likely to be retained. Engaged and happy customers are also more likely to talk about their experiences to other potential customers, aiding new business development.

It could also aid recruitment without too much cost if you encouraged your pupils’ friends to attend your classroom or

online sessions. A group where the costs are already being covered by the paying pupils, and therefore delivering a profit, can withstand a few freebies or tasters for potential new pupils to try you out. You can provide this extra service to the pupils of other ADIs who do not offer this product, without necessarily ‘stealing’ their pupils – you’re simply offering wider access to driver education.

INCREASE YOUR INCOME

I’ve been encouraging ADIs to think outside the metal box on four wheels when it comes to learning delivery for a while now. I’m sometimes met with expressions of incredulity as to why on earth I’d suggest that. “Oh yeah, and how do I afford to do that – I haven’t got a classroom and why would I spend money on that?” or “why would I want to spend time I could be delivering lessons for money, in a classroom for free?”.

Who said anything about these additional learning opportunities being free to the user or you not both covering costs and making a profit? Pupils perceive real value in additional learning opportunities and are willing to pay extra for extra time, skills and knowledge development.

Let’s consider the resources and costs for this for one second.

ROOM HIRECost to hire a church or village hall, local training room etc: £50-100 (could be even cheaper if you’re a volume booker) per two-hour session.

TRAINING MATERIALSFREE! Develop your PowerPoint skills or create simple paper handouts. You can receive free help from DIA’s wonderful training team on structure and content.

A word of advice, there will be some ADIs delivering in-classrooms sessions already who may be marketing their

package to other ADIs for a licence fee or one-off charge. I’m really not convinced it’s worth paying extra for that when the majority of the content can easily be developed from your own knowledge, the National Standards, for free from expert training bodies like us or from other online road safety/driver education resources. This is fundamentally where some of the ‘unique’ programmes I’ve seen being delivered have already have been drawn from. It’s fine to pay someone else for the ease and convenience of the materials already being pulled together, but don’t be sold into thinking it’s a unique product you couldn’t create yourself with a little time, research and effort. We’ll be putting together some lesson outlines and classroom resources shortly for DIA members to use for free.

EQUIPMENT: This depends whether you want to go full on projector/whiteboard/video. Some training venues already come with this equipment pre-installed and included in the costs so shop around rather than thinking you have to invest and lug your equipment around.

Our basic training kit is a low cost laptop or tablet and an inexpensive projector. I’ve seen mini projectors on the internet, perfectly serviceable for classroom training for as little as £30! Quite frankly a blank light coloured wall is perfectly

adequate on which to project in most situations so check out the venues locally and see what they have and what could work before investing in lots of equipment.

The benefit of using digital tools is that you can include video and other interactive elements in your sessions.

However, worksheets on piece of paper, group work or just a stand-up routine can be just as interactive and very low cost. There’s less margin for error too when power or programmes fail!

YOUR TIMEMake sure you cost your time for a true evaluation of cost to deliver. Base it on your hourly rate for a two-hour session and also spread the cost at your hourly rate of the time it took you to pull the training sessions together or consider that and the equipment part of the start up costs/an investment.


“PUPILS PERCEIVE REAL VALUE IN

ADDITIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES”





Factoring in the cost of a meeting room for each session, teaching resources, equipment, your time and even refreshments for longer sessions (get down a value supermarket and pick up cheap individual bottled water or juices and a few biscuits), you’d be into profit on these sessions quite quickly.

Of course, one learning you could offer for free is online learning. You could consider the value of that as a marketing, engagement or retention tactic, with only an investment of your time. Free webinar tools now abound – either via specific webinar services such as GoToWebinar or via social media group chat and group video functions (think Facebook Live, Google Hangouts, Skype etc).

Next issue we’ll delve more deeply into content, curriculum, lesson plans and online learning. In the meantime, have a think about how widening your learning offering could work for you and your pupils or if you’re already doing this, share your stories, tips and advice by emailing [email protected]. For any help and advice about developing what you deliver as a trainer our ADI Helpdesk is always available to give advice and share resources

CASE STUDY

Jimmy Ho, DIA’s Driver and Rider Training Awards ‘ADI Hero’ winner 2016, talks about how delivering additional teaching sessions using classroom and online programmes works for him and his pupils.

“We are currently the only driving school in our area to offer theory test workshops, not only for our customers but also clients of other driving schools. We hold these in various conference rooms, and they have grown exponentially with all attendees giving us great feedback for the interactive and fun sessions. We provide handouts for them to take home, theory test questions and discussions, and hazard perception practice on a large projector screen.

“We are delighted that these have helped many clients to pass their theory test, despite struggling and failing multiple times before. We believe this interactive and engaging environment really helps individuals who would otherwise struggle to effectively learn on their own. These workshops also cover discussions on practical elements of driving in different scenarios as well as the practical driving test. “From past experience, we’ve seen learners getting theory questions correct by learning the questions and answers ‘parrot-fashion’ but do they really understand it? It’s a bit like telling a pupil what to do in the car. How do we know it has been analysed and fully understood? “As driver trainers, it is important to understand that everyone learns differently and that ADIs could and should offer other educational interactions with pupils other than just in-car training. We also offer monthly webinar chats for those who require extra help, free of charge.”

Class Size Charge Revenue

10 pupils £25 per 2-hour session £250

20 pupils £25 per 2-hour session £500

10 pupils £50 per 4-hour session (aka one morning or afternoon) £500

20 pupils £50 per session £1000

NOW LET’S LOOK AT WHAT YOU CHARGE AND POTENTIAL INCOME



Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Spectrum Building, 7th Floor, 55, Blythswood Street, Glasgow, G2 7AT. Registered in Scotland. Company Number: SC108909. FP1134-2018 Exp. 12.11.2019. ©2018 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.G

ST-2

9099

6717

For more information contact:

T: 0800 612 3656 | ajg.com/uk/driving-instructors

Please contact us if you would like a copy of the full policy terms and conditions.

Instructor insurance that passes your testWith over 20 years experience we understand your needs as a busy instructor.

Whether you are a PDI or ADI, our insurance solution offers comprehensive motor cover.

• Discounts for claim free driving & qualifications

• Dual-controlled courtesy car available*

• Negligent tuition liability cover as standard

• Banned driver & off-highway young driver cover

• Parts and repairs guaranteed for 3 years*

Dual Control

*Subject to an approved repairer being used.



There has been substantial expansion in the number of 20mph schemes throughout Great Britain over the last few decades,

beginning with 20mph zones, and more recently, 20mph limits.

Many local authorities are introducing 20mph limit areas to reduce road risk, and encourage active travel, increase walking and cycling and improve air quality. Areas where traffic moves at around 20mph are more conducive to walking and cycling.

TYPES OF 20MPH SCHEMES20mph zones use physical traffic calming measures, such as speed cushions and road humps, chicanes, mini- roundabouts and road narrowing, to reduce traffic speed, so that the zone becomes ‘self-enforcing’. 20mph zones tend to be the most effective and reliable way to reduce speed in small areas.

20mph limits are areas where the speed limit has been reduced to 20mph but there are no physical measures to reduce vehicle speeds. Signs are used to notify the driver of

the speed limit in the area. They tend to be most appropriate for roads where average speeds are already low (guidance suggests below 24mph) and the layout and use of the road gives the clear impression that 20mph or lower is the most appropriate speed.

A SAFER OPTION?Evidence strongly suggests that speed significantly increases the likelihood of collisions, the chances of those collisions causing injury and the severity of those injuries, and that both 20mph zones and 20mph limits reduce the number and risk of these accidents and the casualties they cause.

Drivers who travel at higher speeds have less time to identify and react to what is happening around them. It takes them longer to stop, and if they are involved in a collision, it is more severe, causing greater injury to the occupants and any pedestrian or rider they hit.

Most pedestrian casualties occur in built up areas: 19 of the 22 child pedestrians and 338 of the 448 adult pedestrians who were killed in 2017, died on built-up roads. Over half of cyclist deaths (62 of 101) and

most casualties (16,886 of 18,321) also occur on these roads.

For pedestrians struck by cars, the risk of being killed increases slowly until impact speeds of around 30mph, but above this speed, the risk increases rapidly. A pedestrian hit by a car travelling at between 30mph and 40mph is 3.5 to 5.5 times more likely to be killed than one struck by a car travelling at less than 30mph.

Elderly pedestrians have a much greater risk of suffering fatal injuries than other age groups.

For car occupants, the risk of being in a collision with another vehicle also increases with speed. The risk is much higher in a side impact than in a frontal impact.

Drivers who travel at higher speeds have less time to identify and react to what is happening around them. It takes them longer to stop, and if they are involved in a collision, it is more severe, causing greater injury to any vehicle occupant, pedestrian or rider involved. The purpose of 20mph limits is to create conditions in which drivers choose to drive at no more than 20mph and so reduce the likelihood of collisions, and the severity of any that do occur.

FEATURE: SLOWLY IMPROVING SAFETYDriving Instructor

Slowly improving

safetyWith TfL announcing it will enforce a 20mph speed limit on all its central

London roads, RoSPA looks at the thinking behind the lower limit and whether previous schemes have proved effective



FEATURE: SLOWLY IMPROVING SAFETYDriving Instructor

GET INVOLVED IN SHAPING THE FUTUREOF DRIVER TRAINING AND TESTING!

Driver 2020 is an exciting opportunity for you and your pupils to be part of the biggest research project ever aimed at improving the safety of novice drivers.

Here’s how you can help:

Encourage yourpupils to visit

Driver2020.co.uk and sign up for the trial

ENCOURAGE

Share information about the trial and how to sign

up on social media

SHARE

When invited to participate in individual

trial activity by your pupils, get involved!

GET INVOLVED

DRIVER 2020 - A VISION OF HOW WE CANIMPROVE NOVICE DRIVER SAFETY

DRIVER2020.CO.UK

ARE 20MPH LIMITS EFFECTIVE?In 2014, the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned engineering consultancy firm Atkins to conduct an evaluation into signed-only 20mph limits without physical traffic calming measures based on 12 case study schemes in England and various comparable areas with a 30mph speed limit in place. The report was published in November 2018.

The Atkins report, as it is known, stated that there was no evidence yet to conclude that there had been a significant change in collisions and casualties following the introduction of 20mph limits in residential areas. However, this may change as more data becomes available.

20mph zones with physical traffic calming produce greater speed reductions, but are more costly to implement and so tend to be placed in smaller areas with a record of pedestrian and cyclist casualties.

20mph limits, without traffic calming, are most effective where speeds are at 24mph or below. However, they are less expensive than 20mph zones and so can cover larger areas, which may make them a more cost effective measure, if they are able to reduce collisions and the severity of any that do occur. Local communities often support them and they encourage sustainable travel, and are viewed as an important element of clean air strategies.

The study explored the enablers and barriers to implementing a successful 20mph speed limit scheme. It had long been thought that most residents and drivers support them, and this study confirmed it.

However, there was a concern among members of the public regarding a lack of enforcement of 20mph limits and a view that the chance of being caught exceeding the speed limit is very small.

Overall, the introduction of 20mph limits led to a small reduction in median speed (0.7mph in residential areas and 0.9mph in cities), but vehicles travelling at higher speeds before the change of speed limit reduced their speed more than those already travelling at lower speeds.

There was a small but statistically significant rise in reported levels of cycling and walking. 5% of residents said they were walking more and 2% said they were cycling more since the introduction of the limits.

Benefits of the schemes included an improvement in quality of life, community benefits and encouragement of healthier travel modes such as cycling and walking.

Welsh research has suggested that if all current 30mph limit roads in Wales became 20mph limits, it is estimated that 6–10 lives would be saved and 1,200–2,000 casualties avoided each year, at a value of prevention of £58M–£94M.

CASE STUDIES

PORTSMOUTH In 2007, the speed limit was reduced from 30mph to 20mph on around 94% of roads in Portsmouth. A study found that on roads with an average speed of 20mph or less before the limit was introduced, there was an average speed reduction of 1.3mph, which varied from 0.6mph to 1.7mph. Average speed dropped from 19.8mph to 18.5mph. This was a statistically significant reduction in speeds.

There was also a 21% reduction in reported injuries of all severities. The number of killed or seriously injured casualties rose in the same time period, although the relatively low numbers meant that small fluctuations by chance could have had an undue influence. It was not possible to measure whether or not the amount of pedestrian activity had increased following the introduction of the limits.

BIRMINGHAM Birmingham City Council has introduced 20mph speed limits to improve safety. A citywide publicity campaign is underway to show road users the benefits of driving at 20mph on residential roads. There are also a number of other activities to encourage drivers to stick to the 20mph limits.

These activities include ‘kid’s court’, which gives speeding drivers the opportunity to face a panel of schoolchildren or receive penalty points on their licence and a £100 fine. A video featuring local schoolchildren has been produced and delivers a message to speeding drivers when the police are out on location delivering roadside education and enforcement activities. An evaluation report has not yet been published.

DO PEOPLE STICK TO THE LIMIT?A 2017 Brake survey of 2,000 UK drivers revealed that more than half (52%) admit to driving at 25 mph or faster in a 20mph speed limit, and 26% admitted to speeding in 20mph limits once a week or more. 25-34 year olds were most likely to drive at 25mph or faster in a 20mph speed limit (73%), while 55-64 year olds were least likely (45%).

The Atkins report found 47% of drivers in residential areas and 65% of drivers in city centre areas (equating to 51% across both categories) complied with the new 20mph limit, travelling at speeds of less than 20mph. While a substantial proportion is exceeding the limit, the majority are travelling at less than 24mph (ie at speeds close to 20mph): 70% in residential areas and 85% in city centre areas.

The nature of the roads where the limits have been introduced means that lower speeds were already ‘self- enforced’. Reducing the speed limit to 20mph has helped reinforce this process. There are now slightly more drivers travelling at speeds of less than 24mph (+5 percentage points in residential areas, and +7 percentage points in city centre areas), suggesting faster drivers have slowed down.

Though there is not yet enough evidence to conclude that in residential areas the introduction of 20mph limits had led to a significant change in casualty and collision rates, this could change with time as more data is available.

In addition to monitoring pre and post speed and casualty data, it is important to monitor behavioural change, education, training and publicity interventions to assess whether and how 20mph limit road safety programmes have achieved their aims (and if not, why not) so that future road safety programmes can be improved.

Publishing the results of evaluations also helps to share any lessons learned. Evaluation results become part of the evidence base for road safety. Keeping people safe is an ongoing process

For more information visit rospa.com

“THERE WAS A CONCERN AMONG MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC REGARDING

A LACK OF ENFORCEMENT OF 20MPH LIMITS”


GET INVOLVED IN SHAPING THE FUTUREOF DRIVER TRAINING AND TESTING!

Driver 2020 is an exciting opportunity for you and your pupils to be part of the biggest research project ever aimed at improving the safety of novice drivers.

Here’s how you can help:

Encourage yourpupils to visit

Driver2020.co.uk and sign up for the trial

ENCOURAGE

Share information about the trial and how to sign

up on social media

SHARE

When invited to participate in individual

trial activity by your pupils, get involved!

GET INVOLVED

DRIVER 2020 - A VISION OF HOW WE CANIMPROVE NOVICE DRIVER SAFETY

DRIVER2020.CO.UK


When I was asked to write an article for Driving Instructor I was delighted to accept, and the first

thing that entered my mind was ‘eyesight test’!

Why? Well I’ve always been astonished at the number of students who attend a lesson with me, part-trained, and tell me when I request their eyesight test that their previous instructor didn’t do one.

A few years ago a student approached me as she suffers from Nystagmus. Her cost of not having been asked to take an eyesight test by her original instructor was to fail the eyesight test at the start of her practical test. Not only this, but she lost her licence to the DVLA until she was able to pass the eyesight test at a much later date. Had her original instructor taken just a few moments in her first lesson to carry out the test, she would never have suffered such a disappointing and costly experience!

The first driving lesson is an exciting moment in most of our lives. Your student is likely to feel anxious, excited, nervous and apprehensive, so reassure them and always stay calm. Never shout or raise your voice towards a student in any lesson at any time. If you do you’ve lost control of the lesson and very likely their confidence and trust.

First impressions are important, so when you meet for the first time the tuition vehicle should be presentable, clean and tidy, you should be smart in appearance, polite and friendly, to ensure the student (and often parents) understands who is in control of the lessons and safety.

Terms and conditions are important; a few minutes to explain terms and conditions and having documents signed by all parties helps everyone to understand what’s expected of them and can avoid misunderstandings and disagreements at a later date. The terms and conditions ‘my school’ use are signed ahead of the first


FEATURE: FIRST IMPRESSIONSDRIVING INSTRUCTOR

ANTHONY FULLER, ADI, FLEET TRAINER AND DIAMOND EXAMINER, EXPLAINS WHAT YOU NEED TO COVER IN A LEARNER’S INITIAL DRIVING LESSON

First Impressions




lesson, online and electronically. It’s simple, quick, professional and efficient.

CONTROLS LESSONThe first lesson is called the controls lesson and includes the cockpit drill. Make no mistake, your student will be disappointed if they don’t do some driving too. Don’t forget to deal with safety precautions on entering the car.

At the start of the lesson set the objective. Explain “today I want to teach you how to perform the cockpit drill and introduce you to the car controls. It’s essential for safe driving that you understand the function and use of all the car controls. If time permits, I shall then explain the procedures for moving off and stopping, so you’ll then be able to drive the car. By the end of the lesson you’ll be able to seat yourself correctly, adjust the mirrors and know how the main car controls are used. I’ll give you plenty of opportunity to ask questions, but feel free at any time to ask anything you’re not sure about”.

It is often necessary for the instructor to drive the student to a safe place, so if they occupy the passenger seat for this reason, ensure you point out the dual controls and ask them not to touch them. Use the drive to demonstrate; make the short journey part of the lesson and stay focused on the objective. You can explain and demonstrate the use of the steering, hand positioning and the push and pull method, you can discuss the use of mirrors and signals explaining what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. After an explanation ask questions such as: “So I’m turning left at the end of the road, what mirrors do I use and what am I looking for?”.

It is likely you are the highest qualified driver the student has observed, so don’t

waste this drive, demonstrate and don’t allow any minor mistakes to creep into your driving. If you do, they will be noticed!

Before your student takes their place in the driving seat leave the seat as far back as it will go. Ask them not to adjust the seat and leave their seatbelt off, otherwise without thinking they’ll try to adjust the seat and strap themselves in.

Don’t provide too much detail in this part of the lesson. A good controls lesson delivered to an absolute beginner will take considerably longer than 30 minutes. If time permits, remembering your student is keen to drive, try to find time to give some instruction in moving off and stopping.

DSSSMBefore driving your student needs to carry out the cockpit drill to ensure their safety, your safety, the safety of any other passengers and other road users. It’s easily remembered as DSSSM, standing for doors, seat, seatbelt, steering column and mirrors. Before the cockpit drill, once seated, the handbrake needs to be checked to ensure it’s applied and the car should be secure, the gear lever should be in neutral.

Firstly the doors need to be checked to ensure they’re secure. This may be your student’s first drive, but they’ll have closed doors in cars on many occasions so use Q&A:

“How do you know whether the doors are closed securely?”

You’ll find the usual response is “If I drive away with the door open I’ll hear an alarm.”

Ask questions to find the answers you’re looking for – your student will know the answers. Demonstrate the ‘bang’ as the door closes securely, ask them to look in the door mirrors at the alignment, showing the

difference between when a door is shut and not quite shut. Discuss the courtesy light and how that usually reacts when all doors are closed. Then of course, they’re quite right, usually last of all there is an audible and often visual warning that a door might not be closed correctly, but with the correct checks, this will be discovered before moving away.

Next, adjust the driving seat so the driver can see all round and operate controls easily and with comfort. In a manual car the driver should be able to push the clutch to the floor with the left foot without stretching and hold the steering wheel at ten to two or quarter to three with a break at the elbow, not stretching. Don’t forget the height if it can be adjusted, the angle of the back of the seat and the adjustment and importance of the head restraint and how to adjust it.

The head restraint is sometimes overlooked by drivers, so make the point about its importance – it’s there for safety and should not be ignored. The centre, the most rigid part, should be at least as high as the top of the ears and as close as is comfortable to the back of the head.

Use diagrams or illustrations in a folder or on an iPad, this helps. There are plenty of excellent aids out there for ADIs and some great apps, which usually impress students. Their use does not just make it easier for you to explain but they help the student remember. If the car has an adjustable steering wheel explain its use and, if necessary, readjust the seat position.

MIRRORSMirrors are vitally important. Consider the car’s location before advising the student how to adjust the mirrors. If the car is backed up to a wall or fence in a car park




it is difficult for a student to make accurate adjustments, so ensure there’s plenty of space behind.

It’s useful if you have positioned the car with driveways alongside. After the mirrors are adjusted ask the student to tell you the colour of a car on a driveway or the colour of the front door of the house. This is a great way to demonstrate blind spots. They quickly realise they cannot see the parked car or door by using mirrors alone, so would miss a cyclist or car leaving the driveway if blind spots are not checked before moving away.

The interior mirror should be adjusted by holding the outer edges so as not to smudge the glass. Advise the student they should be able to frame the whole of the rear window, but if for any reason they can’t, ensure the top and offside of the rear window is within view.

The door mirrors should be adjusted so the driver can see a small part of the sides of the car so there is no gap and the horizon should appear to be in the middle of the mirror. This is not possible unless there is a good view behind.

Use questions throughout, for example you can ask: “If you look at the red car behind in the primary mirror, then look at it in the door mirror how does it differ?” This creates the opportunity to discuss flat and convex glass and the possible consequences of being misled by convex mirrors.

SEATBELTS Ask the student to put on their seatbelt and stress the seatbelt must be worn no matter how short the journey. Check the belt is not twisted and not too loose. Ensure the student removes the seatbelt safely, ensuring control, not allowing it to fly away at speed, possibly endangering the student or glass.

Say to the student: “That’s the cockpit drill have you any questions?” and “Can you tell me the sequence for the cockpit drill?”

Stress the point: “It is very important you complete the cockpit drill before moving off. It would be dangerous to adjust the seat, steering or mirrors whilst driving.”

FOOT CONTROLS “There are three pedals at your feet, do you know what they are?”

Explain how the foot controls work. For example: “The pedal to the right is the accelerator or gas pedal, it controls the rate at which fuel and air is supplied to the engine. It should only be used with your right foot and the harder it’s pressed the more power is generated. You should press the pedal lightly using gentle changes of pressure. If you ease pressure less fuel and

air is supplied to the engine and the car will slow down. That’s called acceleration sense and good drivers use acceleration sense”.

Explain the brake pedal, advise on progressive braking and ask what lights are displayed at the rear when it’s pressed.

Finally, explain the use of the clutch, that it is needed when changing gear, just before stopping and when manoeuvring at slow speeds.

“The clutch is a device that allows the engine to run without driving the wheels. It’s made up of two plates held together by spring pressure. One plate is attached to the engine and rotates all the time when the engine is running; the other plate is attached through the gearbox to the drive wheels. I’ll deal with this in more detail when explaining how to move off ”.

It is useful to use a diagram or an app on an iPad to assist the student to understand the use of the clutch, otherwise they’ll find it confusing.

When explaining foot controls encourage the student to place their feet on the pedals, transferring from gear to brake. Explain the dual controls and tell the student if you need to use the dual controls you’ll tell them and you’ll explain why. This is really important – students must be made aware when and why dual

controls have been used. Ask questions to ensure understanding and finish with “have you any questions?”.

HANDBRAKEMove onto the hand controls. Ask questions to check the student’s knowledge about the handbrake. They may surprise you with how much they know. Ensure understanding and demonstrate the use.

“The handbrake or parking brake usually only operates on the rear wheels via a cable and is used to secure the car once it has been stopped. To apply, push in the button, pull up firmly upwards and release the button. The button will then lock against the ratchet. To release, pull up slightly to take

the pressure off the ratchet and move the lever down then release the button. The handbrake should not be used while the vehicle is moving except to help stop the car if the footbrake has failed. Press the footbrake down with your right foot to secure the car, now have a go at releasing and applying the handbrake”.

Cover the dual control if necessary and don’t forget to tell the student to remove their foot from the footbrake once the exercise is complete.

GEARSNext we explain the gears. The purpose of the gears is to allow the car to be driven with minimum engine strain, just like riding a bicycle. The gear lever allows you to change from one gear to another and to

“IT IS USEFUL TO USE A DIAGRAM OR AN APP ON AN IPAD TO ASSIST THE STUDENT TO

UNDERSTAND THE USE OF THE CLUTCH, OTHERWISE

THEY’LL FIND IT CONFUSING”



select the neutral position which breaks the link between engine and wheels.

Each gear is used within a range of speed, the higher the gear the higher the speed. First gear is the lowest in the range and is usually used to move off from a stationary position.

The higher gears ( fifth and sixth) are least powerful and used to cruise, reducing the engine workload, engine noise and use of fuel. Low gears are used for low speeds and when the engine has to work hard, for example negotiating a steep hill.

It’s a good idea without the engine running to encourage your student to use the clutch to change gears. Show them that when releasing pressure with the lever in neutral the gear lever falls into line with third and fourth.

Whilst explaining emphasise there’s no need to rush from one gear to another and force is not only, not necessary, but to be avoided.

Modern cars often have gear changing prompts; make the student aware of this to assist them in the early stages of their lessons. Later they’ll get used to the engine noise as a prompt and change automatically at appropriate times.

STEERING WHEELWe then turn (excuse the pun) to the steering wheel. This controls the car’s direction by turning the front wheels.

The steering wheel should be held lightly, but firmly with hands either in the ten to two or quarter to three position. Nowadays some prefer the quarter to three position in case the airbag is deployed.

Personally I still prefer the ten to two position as I feel I have more control.

Make the point that both hands should be kept on the wheel at all times unless it is necessary to operate another handheld control. Emphasise that they should never remove both hands from the steering wheel while the vehicle is in motion.

It’s a good idea at this stage to ask the student to look ahead. Explain where they need to look while driving – well ahead in the distance, the middle ground, the foreground and to the sides using peripheral vision.

The push and pull method of control should then be explained and again, visual aids including some great apps are available to assist the explanation.

A demonstration sometimes assists and, as previously explained, the ideal opportunity for this is in the drive from the student’s home to a safe place. Explain they should avoid crossing their hands and treat the steering wheel as a clock face with the left hand staying to the left of 12 and the right hand always staying to the right of 12.

OTHER CONTROLSMoving onto other controls, at this stage explain only what is necessary such as the indicators and the horn and give a brief explanation of warning lights. Wipers, washers, lights and demisters can often be left to later, however this will depend on the time of year and the weather conditions. An explanation of warning lights is important and often missed out. Students need to understand to ignore a warning light may cause danger and/or damage the engine.

STARTING THE ENGINEStarting the engine is an important part of the controls lesson and checking the handbrake and gear lever is in the neutral position is part of the preparation. Explain why it’s important to carry out these checks before starting the car. If in gear, not neutral, the car may surge forward and collide with anything or anyone close by, if the handbrake is not set the car may roll forwards or backwards!

Explain how the ignition works (I appreciate some cars now have starting buttons) but with the conventional key one turn clockwise will activate some but not all of the electrics, while a second turn usually activates all the electrics apart from rear demisters. A third turn fires the engine and the key should be released as soon as the engine fires.

Point out sometimes there may be difficulty in turning the key if pressure is applied by the steering lock, so a little movement of the wheel while turning the key may be required.

During this process the warning lights can be viewed, discussed and explained. In some cars it’s recommended that the clutch pedal is pressed down when starting the vehicle.

A good Q&A technique is essential and students will already have some of the knowledge you’re intending to pass on. At this early stage of their lessons keep questions simple and to the point.

I’d then move on to moving away and stopping so the student does drive during the first lesson as otherwise I’m sure they’d feel disappointed!



BE SECURE

BEPROTECTED

BEPLUS

Visit www.driving.org/upgrade or call 020 8686 8010

Introducing the most comprehensive

professional membership package

available for driver and rider

trainers... and loved ones benefit too

DIA is the UK’s largest membership body for professional driver and rider trainers and provides the most comprehensive range of benefits to instructors – including elements which can also benefit your loved ones.

Sign up today and receive a FREE GIFT

1080p Action Sports Cam

Already a DIA member? Call 020 8686 8010 to see what we can do for you


NICK HEATH DISCUSSES BLACK BOXES AND WHAT THEY CAN

SHOW ABOUT ATTITUDES TOWARDS SAFE DRIVING

BOX C L E V E R

FEATURE: BOX CLEVERDriving Instructor


BE SECURE

BEPROTECTED

BEPLUS

Visit www.driving.org/upgrade or call 020 8686 8010

Introducing the most comprehensive

professional membership package

available for driver and rider

trainers... and loved ones benefit too

DIA is the UK’s largest membership body for professional driver and rider trainers and provides the most comprehensive range of benefits to instructors – including elements which can also benefit your loved ones.

Sign up today and receive a FREE GIFT

1080p Action Sports Cam

Already a DIA member? Call 020 8686 8010 to see what we can do for you

Iguess most of us support the thinking behind black boxes. The idea that insurance companies can increase premiums based on factual evidence

of the presence of risky driving habits such as late braking or fast cornering is a good one which offers fairness to those drivers who try their best to drive safely by increasing the burden of cost on those who are most likely to crash.

I don’t know if I’m the only one, but in the last 12 months or so I’ve noticed a worrying trend in the area where I work. Stickers are appearing on cars that either warn other drivers or apologise to them because the driver they are following will be doing things like sticking to speed limits due to the presence of a black box. Wording on the stickers includes “I’m not an OAP”, “I’m sorry for the lack of speed” and “I’m more annoyed about it than you are.”

A quick consultation with Google reveals that all sorts of these stickers are freely available and to be fair, a lot of them are marketed as jokes and I like a joke as much as anyone else. The worrying thing for me is that it’s indicative of a widespread

change in attitude towards road safety that unfortunately seems to be heading in the wrong direction and as we know, young people are particularly keen to follow trends whilst being very bad at assessing levels of risk.


Learner drivers and their families will thank you for introducing Finito.

The Employability Specialists


FEATURE: BOX CLEVER

Over the same time period, clients in the car have also started to discuss a move away from black boxes as it appears that the insurance companies are withdrawing their support. A female client of mine in her early 20s recently saved just £50 by having a black box fitted when just a few years ago, this figure would have typically been around £750. Her monthly insurance premium was less than £5 lower with a black box than it would have been without one and her boyfriend (who is also an ex-client of mine) was very clear in his opinion – “I don’t know why you’re bothering with it for a fiver!” That’s making me wonder how many of our new drivers that do have black boxes fitted are doing so purely because parents insist on it?

A few years ago, a parent contacted me to discuss her daughter’s driving after having a black box fitted. Now Becki, the daughter, was a model client in many ways. She picked things up easily, had the confidence to make decisions and when it came to her test, she was a first time pass with just one or two driver faults. She embraced the idea of a black box in the car but found that she was attracting a lot of negative attention from other road users. Her mum phoned me after Becki was involved in a frightening road rage incident in which another driver got angry with her driving in a 30mph zone near home and she

wanted to know what she could do to avoid that happening again.

From talking it over, it seems as though Becki’s parents held the belief that the black box was there to act as a spy for an insurance company trying hard to look for any slight excuse to massively hike up the cost of the insurance.

They believed that if, for example, Becki drove at 31mph in a 30 zone for a short time before noticing and slowing down, then her insurance would act instantly to raise the premiums. This meant their advice to their daughter had been to never exceed 25mph in the 30 zones and to never exceed 40mph in the national speed limits for the next 12 months until the box could be removed. The result was a lot of tailgating, overtaking, flashing of headlights and head shaking from other drivers.

My response to hearing this was to reassure Becki and both parents that the box was there to spot signs of ‘risky driving styles’ rather than ‘normal driving styles’. I explained that all drivers driving to a speed limit to the best of their ability will find that their speed varies within a few mph, but dangerous drivers with bad attitudes will exceed the limits by larger margins and with more regularity and that it was those

that the black box is looking for. Over the next few weeks, as the driving style relaxed and became more progressive, the concerns eased and there were no more road rage incidents.

One of the interesting things I find about this job is the way you notice swings in attitudes towards driving as the different generations of learners pass through the system. It’s almost as though certain lines of thought are fashionable for a few years until a different one comes along.

The presence of social media allows us to see people’s attitudes like never before as they write them down for all to see more willingly than previous generations ever wanted to speak up. I have also noticed a similar change in attitudes towards something else I see as being a very positive step in the strive for safer roads, the speed awareness course. Where people used to write about how they were surprised how much they’d forgotten and how much they took away from the course, they now write about how inconvenient but necessary the course was to avoid having points placed on their licence.

Whilst black boxes and speed awareness courses are great ideas, they will only succeed in having the desired effect on road safety statistics if the people using them understand and embrace their purpose and objectives. I suppose that the challenge facing us all as driving instructors is one of how to steer those attitudes in the right direction

BLACK BOX MONITOREDI’M NOT AN OAP

SORRY FOR BEING A ROLLING ROAD BLOCK, I CANNOT EXCEED THE SPEED LIMIT

Driving Instructor

SORRY FOR THE LACK OF SPEED

BLACKBOXFITTED

BLACKBOXFITTEDTRUST ME, I’M MORE F**KEDOFF THAN YOU


Learner drivers and their families will thank you for introducing Finito.

The Employability Specialists


Bring Your Own CarBring your own car or benefit from our exclusive Renault Clio leasing deal.

Our Premium Hourly Rate Earns You MoreLearner demand means RED instructors enjoy the best hourly rates. Your learners can use our Road Brain Trainer for free, helping them be safer drivers.

Maximised Earnings withUnlimited Quality Learner SupplyNew RED instructors average 17+ new pupils in their first 4 weeks, supplied by RED’s fast-start marketing programme.

Outstanding Business SupportOur Instructor Support Team are always on hand to help improve your business.

Reliable, Consistent Incomewith Quality Prepaid PupilsOver 80% of our customers pre-pay - we collect their fees so you get paid on time, every time.

Achieve Your Full PotentialRED instructors can train to become Fleet Trainers and also move on to join our first-class Instructor Training Team.

Customers love REDRead the latest independent reviews of our service on Trust Pilot

Sign up for a RED Brand Franchise and benefit from an unbeatable package to drive your business forward:

Driving you Forward

For full details and to find out more:Call us now on 0330 332 2689Email [email protected] visit reddrivingschool.com/franchise

Earn between £31 & £40 p/h

with the UK’s largest automatic

instructor n

etwork

Enjoy a better supported andmore profitable business


Bring Your Own CarBring your own car or benefit from our exclusive Renault Clio leasing deal.

Our Premium Hourly Rate Earns You MoreLearner demand means RED instructors enjoy the best hourly rates. Your learners can use our Road Brain Trainer for free, helping them be safer drivers.

Maximised Earnings withUnlimited Quality Learner SupplyNew RED instructors average 17+ new pupils in their first 4 weeks, supplied by RED’s fast-start marketing programme.

Outstanding Business SupportOur Instructor Support Team are always on hand to help improve your business.

Reliable, Consistent Incomewith Quality Prepaid PupilsOver 80% of our customers pre-pay - we collect their fees so you get paid on time, every time.

Achieve Your Full PotentialRED instructors can train to become Fleet Trainers and also move on to join our first-class Instructor Training Team.

Customers love REDRead the latest independent reviews of our service on Trust Pilot

Sign up for a RED Brand Franchise and benefit from an unbeatable package to drive your business forward:

Driving you Forward

For full details and to find out more:Call us now on 0330 332 2689Email [email protected] visit reddrivingschool.com/franchise

Earn between £31 & £40 p/h

with the UK’s largest automatic

instructor n

etwork

Enjoy a better supported andmore profitable business


DIA CONFERENCE 2019DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

LEARN ANDDEVELOP

OLIVIA BALDOCK-WARD GIVES US THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT TO EXPECT AT THIS YEAR’S DIA CONFERENCES

AT THIS YEAR’S DIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE

#@!+?YOU CANDO IT!

#@!+?


Apart from essential CPD for all driver and rider trainers (which we’ll come onto in a minute), you will have the opportunity to hear all the latest updates from DVSA and take a look into next year to see what 2020 will hold for each of us as trainers.

DVSA will be holding a talk on the new DL25 app and tablet – one of the biggest changes to the way DVSA delivers practical tests. Find out how this will impact you and your pupils, as well as the benefits it promises to bring.

DVSA will also bring you all the latest updates and developments as a round up of 2019, plus share with us what’s in store for 2020. Come and have your say and ask the DVSA your questions about this or anything else you have a burning question about!

The conference is a day of professional development. We want to ensure you are staying up to date with industry changes to keep you ‘in the know’. It is also a day of networking, meeting your peers and like-minded trainers, plus key decision-makers from DVSA. Catch up with the DIA team or come and say hello if you are new and have not previously attended one of our events before – we look forward to catching up with our members!

We know that a trainer’s professional development is personal to each individual, so one of the benefits of attending this year’s conference is that we are appealing to many with a combination of a traditional conference, plus three interactive workshops on key topic areas for trainers. These are:

Apart from essential CPD for all driver and rider trainers (which we’ll come onto in a minute), you will have the opportunity to hear all the latest updates from DVSA and take a look into next year to see what 2020 will hold for each of us as trainers.

DVSA will be holding a talk on the new DL25 app and tablet – one of the biggest changes to the way DVSA delivers practical tests. one of the biggest changes to the way DVSA delivers practical tests. Find out how this will impact you and your pupils, as well as the benefits it promises to bring.

DVSA will also bring you all the latest updates and developments as a round up of 2019, plus share with us what’s in store for 2020. Come and have your say and ask the DVSA your questions about this or anything else you have a burning question

The conference is a day of professional development. We want to ensure you are staying up to date with industry changes to keep you ‘in the know’. It is also a day of networking, meeting your peers you ‘in the know’. It is also a day of networking, meeting your peers and like-minded trainers, plus key decision-makers from DVSA. Catch up with the DIA team or come and say hello if you are new and have not previously attended one of our events before – we look and have not previously attended one of our events before – we look forward to catching up with our members!

We know that a trainer’s professional development is personal We know that a trainer’s professional development is personal to each individual, so one of the benefits of attending this year’s to each individual, so one of the benefits of attending this year’s conference is that we are appealing to many with a combination of conference is that we are appealing to many with a combination of a traditional conference, plus three interactive workshops on key a traditional conference, plus three interactive workshops on key topic areas for trainers. These are:topic areas for trainers. These are:


DRIVING INSTRUCTOR DIA CONFERENCE 2019

THE DIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE IS GOING ON TOUR. WE’RE VISITING THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS

BRISTOL: 11 NOVEMBER

NOTTINGHAM: 19 NOVEMBER

BEDFORD (CARDINGTON): 27 NOVEMBER

T H I SY E A R

WHAT CAN

ON THE DAY?YOU EXPECT

STANDARDS CHECK AND NATIONAL STANDARDS – A SUBJECT ALL TRAINERS MUST KEEP UP TO DATE WITH!

PUPIL CONFIDENCE

SAFEGUARDING AND LONE WORKING FOR TRAINERS


39

DRIVING INSTRUCTOR DIA CONFERENCE 2019

Driving Instructor

WE HAVE LOADS PLANNED FOR YOU AND WE’RE SURE YOU’LL ENJOY WHAT WE HAVE IN STORE. WE

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE

The safeguarding workshop will look at this very hot industry topic. We’ll also be including the latest safeguarding issues for you to be aware of to help you to look out for signs and symptoms of a safeguarding issue with pupils. This training can extend much further than just your pupils, as it could affect any aspect of your life. It’s important to spot the signs early on.

Looking out for signs and symptoms with pupils is only half of it though – trainers need to learn how to protect themselves against pupil complaints. We have more recently

seen an increase in serious complaints against ADIs and so will be covering some common pupils complaints.

Both driver and rider trainers are, in the main, lone workers and this is an additional layer of risk that we face each day. Trainers deal with the public, deal with people’s money, enforce rules and often work in quiet and remote places. All of these aspects increase certain risks for us each day and so we’ll also be looking at this too, especially with the evenings getting darker earlier on as we come into autumn and winter.

The pupil confidence workshop will look at this important topic that affects many pupils, as well as full licence holders.

A driver’s confidence can not only affect how they control the car, but also how they interact with other road users.

Over confidence brings with it many risks for not only the driver and any passengers, but also for other road users nearby as this issue generally sees an increase in risky behaviour. We have all seen the driver who tailgates, drives at excessive speed, and many other risky manoeuvres where over confidence can be a factor.

Under confidence, again, brings its own set of issues for the driver to overcome with the help of the trainer. Drivers who drive too slowly for the road and conditions or show signs of hesitation when emerging from junctions and dealing with other traffic are likely to cause frustration

and anger amongst others, which can then lead to bigger problems where other drivers react. We commonly see this as ‘road rage’ in varying degrees.

It is better to be a little under confident than over and a little caution can be a good thing. A few nerves can keep you in check. It is this mindset that allows the driver to think ‘what if ?’ and ‘what is around that bend?’

Building confidence takes time and we as trainers need to support our pupils to take a step at a time approach. They need to keep at it and practice as much as they can! Build them up slowly during lessons and remember that the time once they have passed their test is crucial.

We’ll share tips and advice on how to best support people and give them tools so they can self-monitor to keep themselves in check.

The standards check and national standards workshop will have something for everyone. Whether you have your standards check date through, have not long had your standards check, or just have the feeling it won’t be soon until that invite comes to find you, we’ll have something to suit.

For those that are new to standards checks, we’ll provide some essential tips and advice for you. Plus, as a DIA member, we offer continuous support, whether for your standards check or anything else, so come and have a chat with us so we can give you the best possible assistance.

If your standards check was not long ago, you still need to keep on top of things and ensure you are meeting the standards during every lesson and we’ll help you with that too. If your date is looming large on the horizon then you’ll gain from this workshop as we look at different lesson plan scenarios, using various approaches from group work, exercises and critiquing training videos. We will also be looking at how the national standards for driver and rider training is so pivotal and why you need to know all about these too!

SAFEGUARDING

UNDER AND OVER CONFIDENCE

STANDARDS CHECK AND NATIONAL STANDARDS



Motorway driving can be intimidating, both for learners and more experienced drivers. Many

qualified drivers avoid motorways wherever possible. Avoidance and feeling nervous at the idea of driving on the motorway is a stress response to the individual’s thoughts. Coaching, and imagery can be used to help work on the problematic thoughts to prepare in advance of driving on the motorway.

Nerves can result in a change in driving behaviour such as gripping the steering wheel tightly, saying they don’t like it, being indecisive or quick to panic. This reaction is a stress response to the situation around them while driving, as well as their thoughts. Practising coaching and imagery before driving can help to minimise this type of reaction by building knowledge and confidence. Coaching would take the form of encouragement while driving and guidance and instruction if needed.

Using coaching questions can help you to discover what the underpinning issue is with the learner driver. You will then be able to practice the skills needed to build confidence, and the corresponding answers will help to determine how best to use imagery. Mind mapping might be a useful tool to use.

MIND MAPPINGThe responses to your questions may have resulted in setting small goals or identifying perceived gaps in skills or knowledge. Mind mapping is a useful tool to help the learner work through the gaps or plan for their goals.

USING IMAGERYImagery is another of the key elements in building confidence. Every time we imagine something we are creating or strengthening neural pathways in the brain

KEV AND TRACEY FIELD FROM CONFIDENT DRIVERS LOOK AT HOW YOU MIGHT USE COACHING QUESTIONS AND IMAGERY TO HELP SOMEONE WHO FEELS NERVOUS ABOUT A MOTORWAY LESSON

TRAIN THE

EDITORIAL | CONFIDENT DRIVERS

BRAIN

POSSIBLE COACHING QUESTIONSWhat are your thoughts about driving on the motorway? or How do you feel about today’s motorway lesson?

These are open questions which allow the learner to share their thoughts without being led by your assumptions. They allow you to gather information about what the specific issue is (joining, speed, heavy traffic, overtaking, lorries, etc).

On a scale of 1-10, with ten being confident and one being not confident, what score would you give yourself?

This question helps you judge how nervous your learner is and allows you to compare again at the end of the lesson and in future lessons.

What would you like to happen today? How will we make that happen? or What can we do that is going to get you one step closer to driving on the motorway?

These questions allow your learner to be in control of the lesson and set their own goals. Some learners may want to give it a go, and others may feel they need smaller goals.

What skills have you got that are going to help you today? or What skills do you need to help you drive on the motorway?

Verbal persuasion is one of the key elements in building confidence. These questions help remind the learner of past achievements, what has already gone well and the skills they have. They also help identify any gaps they would like to master to feel more confident.

in the same way as if we were doing what we are imagining. We can choose what we are going to imagine or play in our mind’s eye and create mini mind movies to help us achieve our goals.

Imagery can be used to replay past achievements, to mentally rehearse skills and to visualise future success. Whichever of the three options you ask your learner to do they should try to replay, rehearse or imagine in fine detail. Making their mind movie really clear, what would be happening? What would they be doing? How would they be feeling? What would they see? What would they hear?

Incorporating as many senses and details as possible to make it as close to the real experience will help them prepare for the real thing.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE MOTORWAYOnce your learner is driving on the motorway, coaching will now take the form of verbal persuasion with encouragement. You might remind your student of their skills and your belief in their ability. Questions will target their actions relating to their driving, possibly using instruction if required based on your learners’ needs


FEATURETRAINING


Following the crowd


For the April issue of Driving Instructor (pages 41-44) earlier this year I outlined James Reason’s system model of human error.

The article went on to discuss how this approach can improve the important task of providing feedback to clients.

While outlining this model of human error it was mentioned that one of the layers of defence could be compromised by the people within the system. These active failures come in the form of mistakes, lapses and procedural violations. The first two are not deliberate acts, but procedural violations are. This article will focus on procedural violations and how some of these behaviours can be explained by using group behaviour as a basis.

The field of social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Social psychologists focus on situations and the interplay between group dynamics and individual behaviour.

Areas studied include group behaviour, the self-concept, social perception, leadership, non-verbal behaviour, conformity, aggression, prejudice, attitudes and stereotypes. The cultural impact on driver behaviour will be used here to provide a means of starting GDE Matrix Level 4 (and Level 5

– Society – for those who think the matrix should include such concepts – I certainly do) conversations with clients.

To start off the conversation an example of a group’s social influence should be given. Regarding social influence, there are three major types:

1) Compliance (public conformity) 2) Identification (conforming to

someone who is liked and respected) 3) Internalisation – acceptance of the

belief or behaviour and conforming both publicly and privately).

A type of social influence is normative influence, which occurs when a person conforms to be liked or accepted by the members of the group. To demonstrate the powerful influence a group can have on individual behaviour, Solomon Asch conducted an experiment where participants had to say which line on one card of three lines matched the line printed on another card. He found that a third of the individual members of a group, on average, complied with their group by giving the wrong answer.

AUDIENCE EFFECTA concept referred to as the audience effect in psychology refers to how people’s behaviour can be affected by who is watching them. One example of an audience effect is where an individual’s performance (in sports, for example) can


DRIVING.ORG/TRAINING

JAMES WHALEN DISCUSSES HOW SOME TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS CAN BE EXPLAINED BY GROUP BEHAVIOUR

Following the crowd


FEATURETRAINING


be aff ected either positively or negatively due to an audience being present. Studies have found that adolescents are more aff ected by who is watching them than adults. To counteract this phenomenon, some countries have banned teenage drivers from having teenage passengers as the risk of being involved in a crash in this age group increases in relation to the number of passengers they have. California, for example, achieved a 23% reduction in teenage accidents when they banned young drivers from having peers as passengers.

Th e Driver Behaviour Questionnaire used by psychologists based at the University of Manchester is a well-known assessment used in the fi eld of traffi c psychology. One of their fi ndings is that there is a correlation between violations and self-reported collisions.

Professor Steven Stradling coined the term “crash magnets” when referring to individuals who were involved in more incidents due to their attitudes regarding driving and owning cars. As people buy cars to make statements about themselves, some often display behaviour that demonstrates they believe it is socially acceptable to commit violations (eg breaking the speed limit, or using a hand-held mobile phone) or choose vehicles to show their status, such as an new expensive Range Rover with a pricey private registration plate. It doesn’t usually take long to fi nd an example during a driving lesson to start a conversation about social infl uences and group behaviour.

An example I frequently use is drivers who remove their front registration plate and put it onto their dashboard. Th is trend has evolved to include using a small curved plate that is mounted onto the front bumper or putting a dark fi lm over both their number plates. Once it has been agreed that the observed behaviour is illegal and the driver is carrying out the behaviour on purpose a brief outline of the terms used by researchers – mistake, error (or habit), and violation (intentionally breaking law or advice in the Highway Code, what they’ve been taught, etc.) the conversation can develop as seen in the example given right (table 1) of a conversation I had with one of my pupils, who was an 18-year-old male, last year.

If you have a group of drivers who think its socially acceptable to commit violations, what do you think their accident record might be like?

It is higher, it has been shown that people who commit violations and drive that way on purpose are more likely to be at risk.

If you’re at a set of traffi c lights and the driver behind you is not wearing their seatbelt, or talking on their mobile phone – what does that say about that driver’s attitude toward risk?

If they don’t really care about risk, what might their driving style be like?

Yes, quite often if you see someone committing a violation you can predict they’ll have an aggressive driving style and you’ll be amazed at how often you’re right.

We’re going to do some driving around and see if we can spot anyone else committing violations, things they know they shouldn’t be doing but they’re doing it anyway.

Twenty-minute drive

Just as we were stopping there what did I point out about the driver behind?

So, do you think that was a violation?

And what did you say about their driving style as we were stopping?

Yes, during the drive today after we had a little chat about people who commit violations, did we see anybody committing violations during the last 20 minutes?

Yeah, that’s only 20 minutes.

That’s one every fi ve minutes as an average.

Trainer

Table 1 – Social infl uences in driving video transcript

Client

Much higher.

They don’t really care.

Quite aggressive.

Ok

That he was on his phone.

Yeah

He seemed to be quite close behind us.

Yeah, we saw the person run the red light and be over the speed limit, we saw the person riding the bike on the pavement, we saw the woman who was parked in the taxis rank, and just then when we came to pull over there was a guy behind on a mobile phone. I think that was the only four that we saw.

Well, yeah.


DRIVING.ORG/TRAINING


CAR CRUISINGAnother example I use to initiate a conversation regarding group behaviour in driving and social influences involves signs that are the result of a response by the local councils and police to anti-social behaviour.

On some of the trunk roads around the Black Country there are signs warning that there is a high court injunction in place banning car cruising. On the West Midlands Police website this is described as: “Where drivers meet on the public highway to race or show off their vehicles. A minority of these drivers perform dangerous stunts, speed and behave in an anti-social manner. The cruises can also attract large crowds who can also commit anti-social behaviour and risk being injured by cars driving dangerously.” The website also has a serious of options for people who want to report being affected by car cruising.

The injunction bans people from taking part in a car cruise anywhere within Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall, or from promoting, organising or publicising any such event in the four areas.

The injunction has led to a significant reduction in car cruising in many parts of the Black Country, with the problem being eliminated entirely in some areas. Seventeen people have been convicted

of breaching the injunction, either by participating in or organising a car cruise, and have received suspended prison sentences, been fined up to £1,000 and ordered to pay court costs.

This injunction began in 2015 and, due to its success, was extended last year for another three years and is due to finish in 2021. This extension was awarded by His Honour Judge McKenna because there are still car cruising hotspots in the region with a number of fatalities linked to car cruising in recent years.

SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE SPEEDING?The final example I’ll outline in this article which I often use to start conversations about group behaviour in driving is that it is socially acceptable to break the speed limit. Questions such as: “Have you ever seen people warning others about speed camera vans on social media?” or “How many people who you know stick to the 30mph speed limit?” or discussing why someone is following so closely while we are driving at 30mph will soon start the conversation.

Here in Wolverhampton there is an app for local driving instructors, that the local test centre manager is a member of, on which, at least twice, I have seen instructors post warnings about a speed camera van. The observation that some

driving instructors will behave in this manner is a good indication of how socially acceptable it is to break the speed limit and I sometimes mention the fact I have seen these posts to my pupils. Another way to start the conversation is to spot a black box sticker on a car similar to the example pictured on page 33 in Nick Heath’s feature.

This topic area will bring up many issues to discuss, such as having the confidence to drive at the speed you feel is appropriate despite pressure from road users behind you. It is also a good topic to use to meet the criteria under the teaching and learning strategies section on the standards check “Were opportunities and examples used to clarify learning outcomes?” as there are nearly always examples of people driving too fast or following too closely behind during a driving lesson.

To summarise, driving is usually done within a social context which, along with a person’s personality, can have a significant impact on how people drive.

It is an important aspect of driving and it is a good topic to get clients participating during a session. They will have experienced examples of poor road user behaviour that will help the conversation evolve and show the relevance of the topic being discussed


p46_47_Instructor_Issue09.indd 1 23/09/2019 1:17 pm

driving

List price Euro NCAP crash safety rating

CO2 emissions – useful on a company scheme

Insurance group – rated from 1-50

Fuel consumption – miles per gallon

Gearbox

First year tax payment

Engine size

48 MONTHIN NEWS

M1 safety week success, Halifax home to Britain’s worst drivers, problems with popular cars, 1st Gear most popular driving school name and more.

51 DIAMONDCOMMENT

Chloe Denny gives us her top tips for driving safely in the changeable autumn weather, where dazzling sunlight can turn to torrential rain in an instant.

Stats key

In association with:


56DS 3 CROSSBACK

The DS 3 Crossback is a leftfield choice in the small premium SUV segment.

58SKODA KAMIQ

The Skoda Kamiq has some talented rivals to beat but this could be the pick of the bunch.

60KIA NIRO HYBRID

The Kia Niro Hybrid has been treated to a mid-life refresh but have the updates made it better?

52 WHAT IS A SMART MOTORWAY?

Auto Express tells us that less than half of drivers are aware of where to pull over safely when driving on a smart motorway.

CAR REVIEWS

How many doors does the car have?

Electric Car battery range

p46_47_Instructor_Issue09.indd 2 23/09/2019 1:18 pm

MONTHIN NEWS

A week of action to improve safety on the M1 helped to reduce collisions by almost a third.

The M1 safety week, which took place between Monday 13 and Sunday 19 May saw 200 dangerous drivers stopped by police and hundreds given safety tips at motorway services.

The number of incidents during the Highways England initiative fell from 90 collisions during the previous week to 64 during the week of action.

Highways England’s traffic officers also joined forces with the emergency services to provide free tyre checks and safety tips to hundreds of drivers.

Footage was released of a lorry driver using a credit card to make a payment on his mobile phone to raise awareness of the dangers of using mobiles at the wheel.

Similar safety initiatives are now being planned for other motorways across England.

Richard Leonard, head of road safety at Highways England, said: “We’ve been really impressed with the

results of our week of action on the M1 which shows how making little changes to the way you drive can make a big difference to safety on our motorways.

“Our HGV supercabs helped the police identify almost 200 dangerous drivers who could have caused collisions if they hadn’t been pulled over.

“As part of our current campaign, we’re encouraging drivers to remember the basics of motorway driving to help keep us all moving so that the number of accidents continues to fall in the weeks and months ahead.”

The HGV supercabs, which are funded by Highways England, allow police officers to film evidence of unsafe driving behaviour by pulling up alongside vehicles, and drivers are then pulled over by police cars following a short distance behind.

They have derestricted speed limiters which mean they can travel at speeds up to the national speed limit, and flashing lights have been installed for use by police forces in an emergency.

M1 SAFETY WEEK SUCCESS

PROBLEMS WITH POPULAR CARSWidespread reliability issues with some of the UK’s most popular cars have been uncovered by new research by Which?.

Faulty batteries, malfunctioning exterior features and problematic suspension systems are among the problems encountered by motorists, according to a survey of nearly 44,000 people covering more than 52,000 cars.

One in five Nissan Qashqai owners said they had to replace their battery in the past 12 months. Owners of the new Tesla Model S report widespread issues with the exterior handle/lock/boot – 10

times higher than the average. Seat Alhambra owners have revealed two entirely separate issues with the car’s exhaust/emission system and the car’s suspension.

Which? also discovered widespread issues with the previous generations of the Ford B-Max and BMW 5 Series Touring.

Which? car editor Lisa Barber said: “Thanks to our in-depth reliability survey, we know these faults are happening. They may not be safety critical, but we still want the manufacturers to take action and recall these cars.”

HALIFAX HOME TO BRITAIN’S WORST DRIVERSHalifax is home to Britain’s worst drivers, according to Vantage Leasing research.

Analysis of the latest Department for Transport (DfT) driving licence and postcode data found Halifax has the highest share of drivers with penalty points. Of the 111,820 licence holders in the area, 9.62% were found to have at least one point on their driving record.

Bradford is home to the second highest share of points holders in Britain. As of March 2019, 34,455 motorists in Bradford have been caught by cameras and the police for breaking the law, representing 9.46% of the driving population.

Drivers in Huddersfield have the third highest share of offences racked up, at 9.04%. In contrast, Canterbury is home to the UK’s best drivers, with just 3.72% of the town’s licence holders having penalty points on their record.

The DfT data shows there are 2,711,493 motorists in Great Britain with penalty points, accounting for 6.65% of the total driving population. However, a significant number of motorists have racked up 12 points or more. As of March 2019, there were 11,021 motorists with 12 or more points on their licence.

London is home to the highest number of 12+ point offenders, with 969 drivers. Birmingham is second at 393, while Peterborough has the third highest share of serial offenders.

The highest number of points on record is 60, belonging to a 41-year old male in East Sussex. The Department for Transport notes that its records of drivers with points include those with active driving disqualifications.


1ST GEAR MOST POPULAR DRIVING SCHOOL NAME1st Gear is the UK’s most popular driving school name.

Research by Esme of 1,757 registered driving school businesses in the UK has found that this name is used by 25 businesses.

Second most popular was Learn 2 Drive, followed by 1st Choice and Fast Pass, with the similar Pass Fast as fifth most popular.

According to government data, there were 3,339 new driving instructors in 2017/18, bringing the total number of UK registered driving instructors to 39,710. The number of licence holders has also grown; in 2003 there were 28 million UK driving license holders; in 2018 that increased to an estimated 34 million people.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES CLOSING GAPIN PRICEThe UK is now the second cheapest country in Europe to own an electric vehicle.

According to the Car Cost Index, the average monthly total cost of ownership for electric vehicles in the UK is €676, with only Greece offering a lower total cost of ownership of €656.

LeasePlan’s annual Car Cost Index found that compared to 2018, there has been a sharp decline in the price differences between electric cars and petrol/diesel vehicles across the European markets.

Alfonso Martinez, managing director of LeasePlan UK said: “This year’s Car Cost Index has shown that electric vehicles are increasingly becoming a rival option to traditionally fuelled vehicles, as costs are continuing to fall and legislation, such as the Company Car Tax announcement from July, is now actively encouraging drivers to look for electric alternatives.

“The issue around supply, however, isn’t going anywhere. For the nation to see a real boost in the uptake of electric vehicles, we need reassurance from manufacturers that these products will be available in the UK in shorter timeframes than what is predicted currently.”

SMART MOTORWAY TRAINING FOR ROADSIDE RECOVERY SERVICESHighways England is to offer rescue and roadside recovery services a training course to help them work safely on smart motorways.

The Smart Motorways Awareness For The Roadside Rescue & Recovery Industry course has been designed to provide practical, relevant training to identify safe working practices when attending breakdowns or collisions on the smart motorway network.

The course will train recovery vehicle operators to formulate a recovery plan upon evaluating the safe working practices when attending breakdowns or collisions on the smart motorway network. It covers the working methods that enable recovery operatives to carry out their vital roles safely. Key safety principles include:

■ Vehicle recovery operators are never expected to recover a vehicle in a live lane on a smart motorway

■ Highways England can close lanes and set speed limits to support recovery operators by setting signs and signals

■ Highways England can allocate traffic officers or call on police resource to ensure recovery vehicle operators’ safety

Colin Stevenson, strategic partnerships manager at Highways England said: “The course has been developed specifically for roadside rescue and recovery drivers who use the motorway network and has been designed to aid practical, relevant training.

“Those completing the course will have a better understanding of the different types of smart motorways and how to formulate a recovery plan incorporating safe working practices when dealing with incidents on smart motorways.”


WE HAVE WON AWARDS FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR STUDENTS!

CollingwoodInstructors.co.uk

L

Your Students Could Now Save up to 35% on Short-Term Learner Driver Insurance With Your Code*

Excellent 9.8 out of 10

Our Customers love usOur Customers love us9.8out of 10as of 07/01/19

Trustpilot

NOT A MEMBER? SIGN UP TODAY AND GET £50 FOR YOUR FIRST REFERRALAND THEN £20 FOR EVERY SUBSEQUENT NEW REFERRAL.

*Discount based on savings made on 28 day policy as of 07/01/19 applies to comprehensive policies only. Trustpilot score as of 07/01/19. Collingwood Insurance Services (UK) Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Register no. 310870. Registered in England No 4174235. Collingwood Insurance Services (UK) Ltd, Collingwood House, Redburn Court, Earl Grey Way, North Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE29 6AR. For security and training purposes calls may be monitored or recorded.

Visit www.collingwoodinstructors.co.uk with code DIA2019

This Extra Discount is only available to Learner Drivers that have been refered to Collingwood with a valid code.

Collingwood Discount Advert.indd 1 07/01/2019 16:52:31

Taxi Insurance

If you are already a driving instructor involved in taxi training registered on the Collingwoodearner Driver Insurance Affiliate programme you can earn a fee of £50 each time your affiliate

code is used to buy Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance.

Start earning now! If you’re already registered with them, Collingwood can provide you with free promotional material for you to hand to your taxi drivers/taxi firms.

If you’re not registered, visit collingwoodinstructors.co.uk to find out more.

Karen Bransgrove, Diamond Chief Examiner

“When I was teaching learners, I used to refer them to the Collingwood scheme and it was an excellent way for me to make a little extra money. Nowadays, I am involved with training and testing occupational drivers and in particular taxi drivers. Collingwood offers a brilliant Annual Taxi Insurance referral scheme that works in the same way as earning from the learner referrals. I get £50 when a policy is purchased using my unique referral code, it’s so easy!”

Already a member and looking for some free Collingwood Annual Taxi promotional material to be sent out to you? Call Helen on 07789 998 894 or email [email protected]

*Terms and conditions apply

Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance benefits:

Earn £50 per referralWE HAVE WON AWARDS FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR STUDENTS!


L




Trustpilot







Great rates

Private, public hire & London PCO

No credit checks

Interest free monthly payments

Ages 21-75 covered

Up to 65% no claims discount*

L


be very hard to see in front with the sun shining in your eyes. Keep the sun visor down and a spare pair of sunglasses in your car, so when you find yourself squinting and unable to see you can pop the sunnies on. If you get to the point where you can’t see then pull over and only carry on when you feel fit to do so.

RAINAs I type this it’s a miserable day – dark, cloudy, windy and wet. It’s a day to stay in bed all day in your comfortable clothes, watching films, with a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows and some biscuits. Unfortunately we cannot do that anytime we would like to, we still have to get on the road and go to work!

Days like today can be daunting on the roads, particularly when I drive on the long busy roads to Eastbourne and there’s heavy rain. I have come close to pulling over and waiting for it stop or calm down a little before I carry on with my journey.

TYRESI always make sure that I check my tyres before I start one of my regular trips to Eastbourne from Crawley. It’s a longer drive so I always make sure everything is checked before I leave for my journey.

Diamond is actually looking at a new product to sell in our shop which helps with tyres. It is a small key ring to place in the tread of your tyre to confirm that it is safe, nearly at its limit or time to replace.

This will also come in handy if you are taking a new client out on a lesson and they have supplied their own vehicle as you will be able to check the tyres are safe to go out in


It’s September already and before we know it we will be driving to and from work in the dark again. With autumn on the horizon with its

promise of cosy nights, bonfires and pumpkin spice lattes, every road user needs to prepare for the changing weather. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first autumn behind the wheel or your 25th. Every year brings new challenges.

Throughout the year the average rainfall within the UK is a whopping 854mm (mainly Sept-Jan). No matter how many times you check the weather before you set off you can almost guarantee that there will be a chance of rain at some point, which leads to hazardous conditions while driving.

LOWER YOUR SPEEDKeep your speed to what is necessary. In our fast-paced world it’s easy to go into autopilot and drive in your usual manner. High speed can lead to aquaplaning, caused by a build up of water between your car tyres and the road surface. Ultimately this leads to no grip and little traction. A recipe for disaster.

LIGHTS, LIGHTS AND MORE LIGHTS!With the dark mornings and nights merging into one it’s important to check your lights. Make sure they are clean and working on all functions. We recommend that you check your lights every few weeks. Remember to check your headlights and also your brake lights, fog lights and number plate light, even when the lights are not needed.

I have had issues with my lights – one minute they work the next they don’t. I have had someone check them yet they’re unable to find a fault. Each time I get in my car I give them a check.

SUNSHINEAlthough we have had a few lovely days this year, the sun at this time of year is very low and it can

Chloe assists Karen in the day-to-day running of Diamond, dealing with all examiner enquiries, administration and is first point of call on the phones.

ABOUT THE WRITER

CHLOE DENNY TOP TIPS FOR DRIVING IN THE CHANGEABLE AUTUMN WEATHER

Tweet your thoughts @diamondadvanced #diamond

Email [email protected] 020 8253 0120

Contact Chloe on

COMMENTDIAMOND

WE HAVE WON AWARDS FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR STUDENTS!


L




Trustpilot






Taxi Insurance

If you are already a driving instructor involved in taxi training registered on the Collingwoodearner Driver Insurance Affiliate programme you can earn a fee of £50 each time your affiliate

code is used to buy Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance.

Start earning now! If you’re already registered with them, Collingwood can provide you with free promotional material for you to hand to your taxi drivers/taxi firms.

If you’re not registered, visit collingwoodinstructors.co.uk to find out more.

Karen Bransgrove, Diamond Chief Examiner

“When I was teaching learners, I used to refer them to the Collingwood scheme and it was an excellent way for me to make a little extra money. Nowadays, I am involved with training and testing occupational drivers and in particular taxi drivers. Collingwood offers a brilliant Annual Taxi Insurance referral scheme that works in the same way as earning from the learner referrals. I get £50 when a policy is purchased using my unique referral code, it’s so easy!”

Already a member and looking for some free Collingwood Annual Taxi promotional material to be sent out to you? Call Helen on 07789 998 894 or email [email protected]


Collingwood Annual Taxi Insurance benefits:

Earn £50 per referralWE HAVE WON AWARDS FOR LOOKING AFTER YOUR STUDENTS!


L




Trustpilot






Great rates

Private, public hire & London PCO

No credit checks

Interest free monthly payments

Ages 21-75 covered

Up to 65% no claims discount*

L


X60

mart motorways have been a controversial addition to the UK road network since 2013. While they are part of

the existing motorway network, smart motorway sections rely on the use of several cameras along the route to manage speed and monitor the tra� c � ow to decide how best to cope with any scenario that should occur, whether it’s congestion, an accident or otherwise.

� e current generation of smart motorway is designed to ease tra� c � ow during busy periods (ie rush hour) in congested areas around the country. � is system is known as Active Tra� c Management (ATM) and usually involves turning the hard shoulder into an additional lane of tra� c to help ease the

burden. Motorists are informed about the use of the hard shoulder as an extra lane via the overhead gantries that run along the entire route of the smart motorway.

Despite being in place for several years now, drivers still feel unsure about the rules when driving along a smart motorway, especially what to do in the event of a breakdown. With the hard shoulder removed, many drivers fear that a simple breakdown will result in a possible collision, as the hard shoulder becomes an additional lane. To combat this, extra emergency refuge areas are positioned at 1.6-mile intervals but this is not immediately clear to motorists. Safety concerns have led to Highways England increasing the number of smart motorway refuge areas, with one appearing every mile where possible.


LESS THAN HALF OF DRIVERS ARE AWARE OF WHERE TO PULL OVER SAFELY WHEN DRIVING ON A ‘SMART’ MOTORWAY. HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW.

S

WHAT ISA SMART MOTORWAY?

driving


XDriving Instructor 53

FEATURE: WHAT IS A SMART MOTORWAY?driving

Bizley, said: “Even though the � rst smart motorway was created more than 10 years ago, there will still be many people who have not driven on one. Existing signage for emergency refuge areas is clear but will be further improved to make it even better for everyone.

“It is essential that motorists understand how and when to use an emergency refuge area so they do not put their own safety and that of other road users at risk. Vehicles should pull up to the indicated mark on the tarmac and occupants should leave the vehicle from the passenger side. Everyone should stand behind the barriers and use the emergency roadside telephone provided to speak to a Highways England representative.”

SMART MOTORWAY SAFETY TIPS

Ä Use an emergency refuge area if you are able to reach one safely. � ese are marked with blue signs featuring an orange SOS telephone symbol on them.

SMART MOTORWAYS: THE BACKGROUND� e � rst smart motorway with hard shoulder running was opened in 2006 on the M42 in the West Midlands, but now there are smart sections found in many busy parts of the country. Sections of the M6 in Birmingham, M62 in Manchester, the M1 from London to Luton and further north all have hard-shoulder running available. � e M25 has yet to use hard shoulder running, but the overhead gantries can post a variable speed limit when busy.

Smart motorways require a lot of awareness of a driver’s surroundings. � e issue of emergency refuge areas is a case in point. While the RAC’s survey revealed half of motorists didn’t know what they were, these areas are clearly signposted on the motorway, while a trial scheme that saw refuge areas on the M3 painted orange is set to be introduced across the country.

With emergency refuge areas being positioned 1.5 miles apart, that means it’s not far between sections. As smart motorways should be constantly monitored, if somebody does end up being stranded away from one of these areas, a Highways England patrol should be nearby to o� er assistance. If your vehicle can move, they will attempt to get you to the emergency refuge area, while the overhead gantries will warn approaching drivers of the obstruction by using reduced speed limits and lane closure signs.

� ose speed limit signs are there for a reason, and while some can be malfunctioning (it’s not uncommon for a single gantry to � ash up 40mph limits when all others are blank) if you pass a number of gantries with � ashing lights and lower speed limits, there’s a fair chance that there is trouble ahead that you need to slow down for. Even dropping your speed by a few mph well in advance could be the di� erence between cruising merrily along and being stuck in a jam.

MORE SMART MOTORWAYS PLANNEDWhile drivers don’t feel educated about smart motorways, they’re here to stay. By 2020, even more of the network is expected to be upgraded to smart status, which will provide more than 472 extra lane miles of capacity to the strategic road network.

While they will be more common, the experience of driving on a smart motorway will be daunting to those unfamiliar with how they work. RAC chief engineer David

Ä If you can leave your vehicle safely, contact Highways England via the roadside emergency telephone provided in all emergency refuge areas. A tra� c o� cer will either be sent to help, or the motorway signs will be set to temporarily close lanes or reduce speed limits whilst you remain in the emergency refuge area.

Ä A further call to Highways England is recommended when you plan to re-join the motorway.

Ä If you cannot get to an emergency refuge area but the vehicle can be driven, move it to the hard shoulder (where provided) or as close to the nearside verge or other nearside boundary as possible. In an emergency, Highways England advises to call 999.

Ä In all cases, switch on your hazard warning lights, exit the car through the nearside door and stand on the far side of the safety barrier away from moving tra� c.

RED XA red X shows that a lane is closed and MUST not be used. This is so incidents and roadworks can be managed while creating a safer environment for road users and road workers.

Ä Driving in a lane with a red X sign is dangerous both to you and anyone working or stopped on the carriageway ahead

Ä Red X signs sometimes needs to be set far in advance of an incident in order to provide access for emergency vehicles

Ä Digital cameras can be used by the police to enforce the redX sign

The red X can be displayed on signs above each lane or large signs on the verge of the carriageway.

EXITING IN A RED X LANEIf you need to exit the motorway and the exit lane is showing a red X, do not enter that lane until the exit countdown markers start.


anufacturers are determined to put autonomous cars on UK roads. Testing in public is already underway, using

specially built vehicles loaded with sensors and computers which process information about the car’s surroundings. On board, there’s at least one engineer to monitor the system and regain control if required.

As a result, all current autonomous cars feature a steering wheel and pedal setup. These will be eliminated on the vehicles of the future, with the vision that occupants will simply climb aboard, set their destination and let the vehicle drive.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion in autonomous vehicle research and development. Volvo unveiled a fully autonomous version of its XC90 SUV, designed for Uber, while BMW and Mercedes have entered a partnership to build fully autonomous, consumer-targeted production vehicles as early as 2024.

Car manufacturers are busy forming other partnerships to ease the financial burden of development. Jaguar Land Rover has teamed up with the Google-owned technology firm Waymo, with the aim of producing up to 20,000 driverless versions of the all-electric I-Pace, while Toyota and Suzuki entered an agreement in August.

Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ system is probably the best known semi-autonomous car technology out there and remains under development. Currently, it can assume control of the car’s throttle, steering and braking on the motorway. It also features an automatic lane-changing function, an auto-park function and a ‘summon’ feature, allowing the car to automatically drive to its owner in a car park.

The UK is one of the countries leading the way in autonomous vehicle research. However, many manufacturers are realising the scale of financial input required for the technology’s development, and are scaling back. Ford recently realigned its estimate for the arrival of fully autonomous vehicles, while Google’s spin-off driverless vehicle firm, Waymo is unsure whether truly automated cars will be able to cope in adverse weather. There are still massive technical and legislative hurdles.

THE AUTONOMOUS CAR ROADMAP

The word driverless is a loaded term in the automotive industry, regarded by some as misleading, as it will take a decade or more for manufacturers and lawmakers to find the correct combination of technology and

legislation to allow a vehicle without direct driver oversight to appear on public roads.

To help define what a driverless car can do there are five key stages of automation, separated into levels. Level 1 automation refers to technologies such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and autonomous emergency braking, where the driver and electronics share control of the vehicle. Adaptive cruise control has been in production since the 1990s.

Vehicles fitted with Level 2 autonomous technology can assume full control of their throttle, steering and brakes in controlled circumstances, such as motorway driving or parking. The driver must monitor the system and be ready to regain control, should the electronics be unable to deal with a situation.

Level 2 autonomy is currently the most advanced commercially available version of the technology, and features on cars such as the latest Tesla Model S, the BMW 7 Series and the Mercedes S-Class.

Level 3 and 4-capable vehicles could appear in 2021. The systems will respectively allow ‘conditional’ and ‘high’ automation on dedicated stretches of motorway, where the vehicle can assume complete control of all its functions without the driver’s supervision. A Level 3 system


AUTO EXPRESS INVESTIGATES THE WORLD OF DRIVERLESS CAR TECHNOLOGY, TO BRING YOU THE ANSWERS ABOUT THE CUTTING EDGE OF MOBILITY

M

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

driving



FEATURE: AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

would expect the driver to reassume control in extenuating circumstances, while a Level 4 system will be able to respond to incidents independently in all cases.

Level 5 autonomy could arrive as soon as 2025 but is hugely challenging. Th e system would allow a vehicle to complete a journey on its own, in both motorway and city environments without input from the driver. Cars will be wirelessly connected to one another and communicate with the road infrastructure to make decisions on traffi c and journey times.

It’s likely that a conventional steering wheel and pedal box will still feature on most cars. However, beyond 2025, it’s feasible we could see the fi rst commercially available vehicle without manual controls.

UK CODE OF PRACTICE

Th e Department for Transport has issued a Code of Practice, which dictates how autonomous vehicles should be developed on UK roads. Th e code was designed to promote the “safe trialling and use of automated technologies and services on public roads and places in the UK.”

Th e three main legal requirements are that the test vehicle is roadworthy, appropriately insured and accompanied by an operative who is ready to reassume control of the car if required. Th e law says the operative needn’t be in the vehicle and off ers the option to regain control of the test car remotely from a tracking vehicle.

Any vehicle testers must inform local communities and law enforcement of their planned development programme and the test vehicles must also abide by local driving laws, sticking to the enforced speed limits. Finally, all test mules must be fi tted with a black box to allow police offi cers and insurers to easily analyse the events of any accident, should the worst happen.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

Developing autonomous car technology is just one of the many hurdles between drivers and fully autonomous motoring; the government also faces a huge legal restructure before self-driving cars become a commercial reality. Questions still remain over whether the manufacturer or the driver would be liable in the case of an accident, and whether motorists would still require driving licences if the car is driving.

POTENTIAL CHANGES IN MOTORING LAWS

INSURANCEPotentially the biggest unanswered legal question about autonomous technology is one of insurance. Eleven major insurers, including Aviva and Direct Line, recently drafted a solution.

One option is to extend compulsory motoring insurance to cover product liability, to protect motorists if the software in their autonomous vehicle malfunctions when they’re not in control.

Specialist insurance broker Adrian Flux has announced it will launch a unique policy, to protect drivers of autonomous vehicles from hacking or software failure, in systems such as self-parking or adaptive cruise control. In any case, the government and motoring industry wants it to be easy for drivers to make a claim, rather than allowing insurance fi rms to shift the blame.

DRIVING LICENCESTh e government makes a clear distinction between highly automated vehicles and fully automated vehicles. In the case of the former, existing licence laws will remain as a driver must be ready to assume control of the vehicle at all times. However, the latter may require changes in legislation, as fully self-driving cars may appeal to drivers who can’t drive conventional cars.

A report by the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee recently concluded that drivers with existing licences should take a second driving exam in an autonomous car to make sure they’re capable of taking back control.

Th e research showed that drivers of automated vehicles took on average six times longer to respond to emergency braking situations compared with those in non-autonomous cars. Th e report concluded that drivers of autonomous cars risk becoming complacent and trusting the technology too much.

THE HIGHWAY CODEAutonomous vehicles can drive more accurately than humans, so the Highway Code will need to change. As such, autonomous vehicles could be programmed to overtake cyclists at a closer distance. Tailgating may also no longer be an off ence – running several automated vehicles close together brings effi ciency benefi ts, with the leading vehicle’s aerodynamic wash reducing the drag on the vehicles behind it.

LIMITED MOBILITY

One of the biggest benefi ts that autonomous cars will off er is mobility to those who currently cannot drive. A recent study by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that six out of ten people with limited mobility would benefi t from an autonomous car.

Of those who agreed their lives would be improved, almost half said they would be able to pursue hobbies outside their home or go out to places like restaurants more often. A further 39% said an autonomous vehicle would provide them with better access to healthcare services.

ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE

Th e eff ectiveness of autonomous technology can vary according to its surroundings. An autonomous vehicle can have all the radar, camera and laser-based guidance available to help it ‘see’ its environment, but the number of variables in more complex driving situations requires huge amounts of processing power to make sense of the information.

Th e usefulness of driverless cars may ultimately depend on the quality of the road infrastructure and its ability to standardise the driving environment.

Current quality standards for the UK’s road infrastructure vary widely depending on where you drive. A brand-new dual carriageway will be perfectly laid out, with defi ned white lines and clear signage but, over time, the quality of the road markings and clarity of the signage will deteriorate, making it more diffi cult for autonomous vehicles to operate correctly.

Narrow lanes in rural areas could pose a diff erent challenge for autonomous vehicles. If there are no white lines defi ning the edge of the road, will the vehicle be able to ‘see’ where the tarmac ends? What happens if the autonomous vehicle meets an oncoming vehicle? Will it be able to locate a passing place?

In the UK, many country lanes are covered by the 60mph national speed limit. Would an autonomous vehicle attempt to constantly attain this speed, regardless of the road’s twistiness and width? All of these scenarios will need to be trialled before full autonomy can be expected to work as eff ectively as a driver at the wheel

driving


he DS 3 Crossback stands out from the crowd with a style that’s all its own, but it’s a little bit average in most other

respects. There’s a generous amount of standard equipment but prices are high for a small premium SUV that can’t quite match its rivals for outright quality and polish.

The DS 3 has been designed with comfort in mind and as such rides well – there’s not as much control as in some rivals, but it’s comfortable around town and refinement is good. It’s easy to drive, the interior is trimmed in some nice materials (even if outright build quality isn’t quite there) and the engine and gearbox combinations are strong. The Audi Q2 is a more accomplished all-rounder, though, as are the BMW X1, Lexus UX, Mercedes GLA and MINI Countryman.


THE DS 3 CROSSBACK IS A LEFT-FIELD CHOICE IN THE SMALL PREMIUM SUV SEGMENT, ONE THAT’S BEEN DEVELOPED WITH COMFORT IN MIND

T

Bold style lacks substance

driving

The DS brand is the luxury arm of PSA, the French parent company of Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall. Previously, the DS name was attached to high-end Citroen models, but now it stands on its own.

The larger DS 7 Crossback arrived in 2018 to take on the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC, with the smaller DS 3 introduced soon after. The DS 3 is a small premium SUV that’s aimed at the Audi Q2 and BMW X1, along with higher-end versions of the Mazda CX-3 and Volkswagen T-Roc.

The DS 3 comes with three petrols and one diesel. The petrols are 1.2-litre three-cylinder units with incremental power increases, while the diesel is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder. The less powerful engines come with a six-speed manual, while those from the upper end of the range get an eight-speed automatic.

An electric version – the E-Tense – is set to arrive by the end of 2019 with a 100kW motor, 50kWh battery and a real-world range of 200 miles. It’ll go up against the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric.

ENGINES, PERFORMANCE AND DRIVE

There are five trim levels to pick from, but even entry-level Elegance models get 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and a seven-inch infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, along with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist and speed limit recognition as part of DS’ Safety Pack – which helped the DS 3 gain its five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.



REVIEW: DS3 CROSSBACK

Unlike so many cars in this class, the DS 3 Crossback has been developed with comfort put ahead of sportiness. Sadly though, the DS’ soft suspension set-up isn’t very well judged. Lumps and bumps around town are soaked up, but bigger imperfections are not very well handled. It’s not hopeless on a twisty road, but corners see the DS 3 exhibit a bit too much body roll, while braking and acceleration cause far too much pitching for a modern car.

The DS 3 Crossback would be good for those whose driving is confined to city streets, but faster driving isn’t a forte. The softer set-up works well on the motorway, however, proving smooth and refined.

Elsewhere, the steering is light but entirely devoid of feedback; there’s a decent amount of grip but it’s very hard to tell how much is left in harder cornering.

The good news is that the DS 3 comes with a range of decent engines. Our pick of the bunch is the PureTech 130, the most powerful version of the turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine. With 129bhp and a standard eight-speed automatic, there’s always plenty of power on tap; our tests revealed in-gear acceleration in third and fourth gears that was demonstrably stronger than that of a MINI Countryman with a 134bhp 1.5-litre three-pot. The engine feels eager and doesn’t need to excessively change down through its gearbox thanks to a good spread of ratios.

driving

ENGINES, 0-60 ACCELERATION AND TOP SPEED

There are three petrol engines and one diesel available. A 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol features in the PureTech 100, PureTech 130 and PureTech 130 – these come with 99bhp, 128bhp and 153bhp respectively. The entry-level 99bhp model only comes with a manual gearbox, while all others get an eight-speed auto.

The entry-level model manages 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds and its slick manual gearbox is good to use, while the top-spec 152bhp car has a little more power low-down but doesn’t feel much faster than the mid-range PureTech 130. This manages 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and the top-spec is quicker at 8.2 seconds. The only diesel option is the BlueHDi 100, available exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox. 0-62mph takes 11.4 seconds.

MPG, C02 AND RUNNING COSTS

Good economy and cheaper running costs than many rivals are two of the DS 3 Crossback’s redeeming features. The most frugal model is the BlueHDi 100, with official fuel economy figures of 54.4mpg to 62.7mpg depending on spec.

Of the three petrol options it’s the

least powerful that’s easiest on fuel: the PureTech 100 manages 46mpg to 52mpg, while the 130 returns 42.2 to 47.1mpg. The most powerful PureTech 155 model is (predictably) the least efficient, with official figures of between 41.7mpg and 46.6mpg.

It’s a similar story with CO2 emissions too. They sit at 97-102g/km for the diesel, 105-113g/km for the PureTech 100, 109-117g/km for the PureTech 130 and 114-121g/km for the top-spec PureTech 155. All these figures are subject to varying wheel sizes and weight changes depending on trim level – stay with smaller wheels if economy and efficiency is a concern.

All internal-combustion-powered DS 3 Crossback models will cost £145 per year to tax, after the initial CO2-weighted first year payment that’s usually rolled into the on-the-road price.

INSURANCE GROUPSThe DS 3 Crossback occupies insurance groups 14 to 24; the lower end of that spectrum accounts for PureTech 100 models, with premiums increasing with engine power and pricier trims. For comparison, the Audi Q2 begins one group below and tops out in group 27 for a 40 TFSI petrol model.

DEPRECIATIONDespite its left-field appeal, the DS 3 Crossback is likely to hold on to around



driving

40 to 49% of its value after three years and 36,000 miles come trade-in time, according to our experts. This compares favorably with rivals like the Lexus UX (46 to 53%) and Mazda CX-3 (43 to 51%).

INTERIOR, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGYThe DS 3 Crossback was the first PSA Group product to use its Common Modular Platform (CMP) – the same one that’s found under the new Peugeot 208. It’s a rigid structure that’s also been designed to allow for the inclusion of electrified powertrains, uprated in-car technology and Level 2 autonomous driving aids.

From the outside, the Crossback looks the part. It won’t be mistaken for anything else thanks to a bold front end with a large grille, a usefully lofty ride-height, a distinctive kick in the windowline on the car’s profile and large badging to the rear. Some models get two large rear tail pipes for an extra touch of sportiness. The Crossback’s party-piece deployable door handles pop out when you unlock the car. There are plenty of personalisation options, with nine exterior colours, three contrasting roof colours and a total of nine alloy wheel design/colour combinations available through the range.

Things are just as interesting inside too. The Crossback’s interior is a cacophony of tactile materials, geometric shapes and oddly placed buttons; it looks unlike anything else and puts design ahead of ergonomics in some places. There’s lots of suedecloth-effect coverings and added leather on higher-spec models; it’s far more exciting than the interior of an Audi Q2 and – while not built to quite the same standard – can match the MINI Countryman in the left-field design stakes.

Ergonomics aren’t fantastic, however. There are relatively few buttons in the

cabin, with lots of key features – including the climate control – being controlled via the car’s dash-top infotainment screen. It takes a bit of getting used to.

SAT-NAV, STEREO AND INFOTAINMENTElegance and Performance Line cars come as standard with a seven-inch touch screen atop the dashboard, joined by a smaller screen behind the steering wheel in place of traditional analogue dials. The seven-inch screen is replaced by an impressive 10-inch item on Prestige models and above and is worth the upgrade – it’s not the best in use but it certainly looks great. Prestige models also get automatic cruise control, 3D sat nav and two USB ports in the front.

The DS 3 Crossback comes with a digital dash, which isn’t available on rivals like the MINI Countryman. The large 10-inch touchscreen display is bigger than many and is fitted with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The smartphone connectivity works well here, but the standard interface for music and sat-nav on lower-spec models is poor; it’s best to resort to plugging in your phone.

There are plenty of features, then, but the Crossback’s infotainment isn’t easy to use. The interface is frustrating – the screen sometimes takes time to register touches and often doesn’t recognise them at all. Many rival systems are more intuitive, and because the DS’s air-conditioning controls are only accessed through the screen, you have to look away from the road more often.

PRACTICALITY, COMFORT AND BOOT SPACE

The DS 3 Crossback is a small five-door SUV, but it doesn’t offer much more in the way of practicality over larger superminis – there’s seating for five and an average-sized

boot, but you’ll find more space overall inside a Volkswagen Polo.

We’re not fans of the driving position either – hard seats and a limited range of adjustment to the seat and steering wheel mean you may find it hard to get comfortable behind the wheel.

All-round visibility isn’t fantastic but we found the car easy to place on the road – its pronounced bonnet edges help make judging the car’s size around town easy.

Elsewhere, the DS 3 Crossback’s odd approach to ergonomics continues with cupholders located behind the gear selector, a wireless phone charger pad (where fitted) that might not fit larger phones and small door bins. It may look interesting, but user-friendliness was perhaps not top of the list when the Crossback was designed.

SIZEThe DS 3 Crossback measures in at 4,118mm in length, 1,988mm in width (including mirrors) and 1,534mm in height. For comparison, the Audi Q2 is a little longer at 4,191mm and wider at 2,009mm (with mirrors), but is lower at 1,508mm. The DS 3’s decent ground clearance (170mm) is worth noting – it could be helpful if farm tracks or large speed bumps are regular features of your driving.

LEG ROOM, HEAD ROOM & PASSENGER SPACESpace for passengers in the front of the Crossback is decent and it should prove comfortable sitting here provided you can adjust the seats to suit.

It’s a different story in the rear, however – space for passengers’ legs and heads is limited and certainly below average for the class. If you plan on regularly carrying adults in the back, rivals like the MINI Countryman are a better bet. There’s enough space for children and smaller teenagers, though.



REVIEW: DS3 CROSSBACKdriving

Verdict

Engines, performance and drive 3/5The DS 3 Crossback’s strong engines are let down by poor body control and distant steering

MPG, CO2 and running costs 4/5Running costs for the DS 3 Crossback should be good regardless of engine choice

Interior, design and technology 3.5/5It’s boldly designed but the DS 3 Crossback doesn’t quite have the substance to back up its style

Practicality, comfort and boot space 3/5The DS 3 Crossback’s focus on style means practicality is compromised versus rivals

Reliability and Safety 3.5/5The DS 3 Crossback redeems itself with great safety credentials but reliability is largely untested

It’s quite dark and dingy in the rear too, thanks in part to tinted rear glass and a small glasshouse that’s interrupted by a protruding design feature on the high window line, so children may struggle to see out. ISOfix points are supplied on the outer two rear seats.

BOOTThere’s an adequate amount of space in the back, with 350 litres on offer and the ability to fold the rear seats with a 60/40 split for a total of 1,050 litres.

By contrast, the MINI Countryman boasts a 450-litre boot that can expand to 1,390 litres.

TOWINGSmall issues include a high boot lip with a drop down to what is a rather deep boot floor, along with a rear bench that doesn’t quite fold flat – there’s a step between the boot and the folded seats that might hamper loading.

All DS 3 Crossback models are rated to tow a braked trailer of up to 1,200kg or an unbraked trailer weighing up to 620kg.

The maximum tow hitch download is 48kg.

RELIABILITY AND SAFETYThe standard, European-spec DS 3 Crossback was awarded a four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP – not a great result for this class. However, the addition of DS’s Safety Pack (standard in the UK) bumps that up to a full five stars, with an impressive 96% adult occupant score. All Crossbacks sold here come with an emergency brake system, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, speed limit recognition and intelligent speed adaptation.

The Advanced Safety Pack is a £500 option on Elegance models, £400 for Performance Line cars or £200 on Prestige models; it adds more sophisticated AEB (Auto Emergency Braking) and lane-keep systems along with blind-spot detection. This pack is standard on Ultra Prestige and La Premiere models. A Premium Safety Pack is also available, which adds even more active systems.

The DS 3 Crossback is too new to have featured in our 2019 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey. DS itself is a fairly young brand and so hasn’t had much time to garner a reputation or loyal following – it finished 28th out of 30 manufacturers.

Owners enjoyed driving their cars but reliability proved poor – just over 25% of owners surveyed reported experiencing a fault with their car. However, we don’t have the same worries about the French brand’s latest, more modern products like the DS 3.

WARRANTYAll DS 3 Crossback models are covered by a two-year, unlimited mileage manufacturer’s warranty that’s extendable with a three-year retailer’s warranty with a 60,000-mile limit as a no-fee option – though this only applies to cars ‘sourced from DS Automobiles’. A DS Assistance roadside assistance package is free for three years.

SERVICINGDS provides the option of fixed-price servicing for all of its cars. A first-year, 12,000-mile service costs £249, followed by £299 for the year-two, 20,000-mile service. Minor servicing every 12 months or 10,000 miles costs £225; a major service every two years or 20,000 miles is priced at £375. DS also offers brake fluid changes for £69 and MoTs for £54 – but it’s unlikely you’ll need these on an average three-year PCP ownership cycle


hree new SUVs in a little over three years: Skoda’s recent push into the crossover market is bang on trend with where the new car market is heading, and

following the debut of the Kodiaq in 2016 and the Karoq 12 months later, 2019 sees Skoda line-up yet another newcomer in this growing segment.

It’s the arrival of the brand’s smallest and possibly most important SUV model: the Kamiq. Pronounced ‘Ka-mick’, this is a rival for the Renault Captur, Volkswagen T-Cross, and the soon-to-be-replaced Nissan Juke, competing in the small, supermini-sized SUV market.

Instantly recognisable as the third of Skoda’s SUVs, the Kamiq inherits its siblings’ split headlights, clamshell bonnet and V-shaped grille. Based on the familiar MQB A0 platform underpinning the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda insists it offers all the flexibility and ‘Simply Clever’ features

we’ve come to expect, in a smaller and more manageable package.

On the whole, it feels well built; the cabin is a mix of soft, squashy rubber and slightly cheaper hard plastics on the face of the dash. Most of the touch points are covered in tactile leather, while all the buttons and switches are solid and easy to use.

Skoda is looking to overtake its SEAT sibling as one of the VWGroup’s most

technological brands, and a quick glance at the Kamiq’s interior would suggest it’s edging ever closer to stealing that accolade. Our car had the optional 9.2-inch touchscreen, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto – something none of the Kamiq’s competitors can offer yet. The infotainment is typically functional, sharp and simple to navigate, though frustratingly, there’s no rotary dial to control the volume.


THE SKODA KAMIQ HAS SOME TALENTED RIVALS TO BEAT, BUT THE NEW SUPERMINI-SIZED SUV COULD BE THE PICK OF THE BUNCH

T

Impressively easy to live with

driving

“IT’S A LOVELY CAR TO DRIVE, OFFERING WHAT COULD PROVE TO BE THE BEST COMPROMISE OF RIDE AND HANDLING

IN ANY CAR IN THIS CLASS”



REVIEW: SKODA KAMIQ

Exact specs haven’t been confirmed, but the Virtual Cockpit dials are likely to be extra, too. It isn’t as clear or sharp as the equivalent Audi set-up, but it adds a touch of class missing in many of the Kamiq’s rivals. We’d suggest they’re a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential bit of kit, though.

There will be three engines at launch; a pair of 1.0-litre petrols (94bhp or 113bhp) and a 1.6-litre TDI diesel. The more powerful 148bhp 1.5 TSI hasn’t been homologated yet, but it’ll join the range before the end of 2019.

On the road, the Kamiq felt safe and solid no matter what we threw at it. We were driving the more powerful 113bhp 1.0-litre, which Skoda expects to be its biggest seller. It accelerates cleanly, and while the control weights – the pedals and gearbox especially – are light, they’re perfectly accurate. Few buyers will feel short changed in this area, regardless.

Up at motorway cruising speed, the Kamiq’s engine is all but silent. There’s little to no tyre roar, but the A-pillars and door mirrors do generate quite a bit of wind

driving

Verdict

The new Skoda Kamiq is predictably brilliant. It pulls together all that we

love about VW’s tried and tested MQB platform, with a stylish, spacious,

and cleverly designed body. While exact specs, prices and all-important

PCP deals could make or break the SUV’s chance of success, there’s a

very real chance this Kamiq will shoot straight to the top of the class when

we test it in the UK in the coming months.

noise, which proves the only interruption in an otherwise refined drive.

Despite its jacked-up styling and raised body (the Kamiq is 60mm taller than the Scala hatch), Skoda’s newest SUV handles neatly in the corners. It’s a lovely car to drive, in fact, offering what could prove to be the best compromise of ride and handling of any car in this class; grip is good and body control is well contained. We’ll find out if it can pinch dynamic honours from the SEAT Arona when we put it against its rivals in the UK in the coming months.

So, the Kamiq ticks the driving and technology boxes, but what about practicality? Skoda prides itself on the ‘Simply Clever’ touches that make all its cars unique, and rest assured, the Kamiq is littered with bits and bobs designed to make this SUV incredibly easy to live with.

There’s the usual ice scraper in the fuel filler cap, and an umbrella in the driver’s door. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find an LED torch in the boot, a funnel for the washer fluid, and slick, but optional pop-

Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive

£19,750 (est)

1.0-litre 3cyl turbo petrol

55mpg (est)

Stats

112g/km (est)

out door-edge protectors. That’s something Ford has been doing for years, yet it’s a trick that never fails to impress.

But fun features aside, the Kamiq’s outright space and practicality can shame in the class above. The 400-litre boot (1,395 litres with the rear seats folded flat) is pretty much par for the course, but rear seat accommodation leaves its rivals trailing. There is ample head and leg room for six-foot adults, even with the front seat set to fit a similarly-sized driver. It certainly feels bigger inside than its compact dimensions would suggest.

Skoda hasn’t revealed official pricing, specs or fuel economy data for any Kamiq model just yet. However, initial signs point towards a £17,500 starting price (Kamiq S 1.0 TSI 95PS), or £19,750 for the well-equipped SE in punchier 1.0 115PS trim. Residual values should be strong, which will likely result in favourable PCP rates, too.

The trim structure will largely mirror the new Scala’s format, offering a choice of S, SE and SE L. Entry-level cars should bring 16-inch wheels, LED lights, the smallest 6.5-inch infotainment screen, DAB radio and manual air conditioning. Continuing to use the Scala as a guide, SE would add a larger eight-inch display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, parking sensors, cruise control and an eight-speaker stereo. SE L sits atop the range, with 17-inch wheels, privacy glass, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control and a 9.2-inch sat-nav with complimentary Virtual Cockpit dials.

This engine is a known quantity, as well, as it’s used throughout the VW Group range on a wide variety of vehicles. Expect around 50- 55mpg and CO2 emissions of 112g/km depending on spec and wheel size


he Koreans, for whatever reason, don’t conform to the car industry’s standardised four-year product cycles.

So, just three years after it launched, we find ourselves sat in the driver’s seat of a refreshed Kia Niro.

Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring, the Hybrid and Plug-in models get all the usual mid-life updates – including a fresh face, tweaked bumpers, and new wheel designs. There’s some new trim inside, as well as improved interior tech options, too.

While it’d be a stretch to suggest this car is instantly recognisable as the facelifted car, the styling is certainly sharper than before. The new LED daytime running lights give the Niro a better defined signature, while the updated rear light clusters offer a

subtle improvement on the old car’s plainer design. Its SUV body continues to give it the edge over the polarising Toyota Prius, too.

It’s inside where prospective buyers will notice the biggest differences, however. The entry-level ‘2’ model gets a run-of-the-mill eight-inch display, but ‘3’ cars and above boast a slick new 10.25-inch touchscreen, which sits neatly in the middle of the dash. With our car’s new seven-inch digital instrument cluster, it’s the kind of set-up you’d expect in a top-spec BMW, rather than a sub-£30k Kia crossover.

It all works really well; the central screen is clear and responsive to the touch, and with standard-fit Android and Apple connectivity it’s easy to use your smartphone’s functions on the move. The whole set-up feels beautifully integrated, though it’s a shame you can’t get the map to

display within the dials – as you might in an Audi or even a Volkswagen.

Overall, interior quality feels solid, with only a few cheap and scratchy plastics within easy reach. The kit list for our flagship 4-spec test car includes everything from heated and ventilated leather seats, to wireless phone charging and an eight-speaker JBL stereo. The things you touch most often are nicely screwed together, and visibility is decent – helped by the standard-fit reversing camera.

Also new on this revised Niro is Kia’s UVO Connect Services. Mimicking many premium manufacturers’ take on ‘live’ connected services, the Niro can now provide real-time information on things like the traffic and weather. There’s a downloadable smartphone app, too, allowing owners to check things like trip


THE KIA NIRO HYBRID HAS BEEN TREATED TO A MID-LIFE REFRESH, BUT HAVE THE UPDATES MADE IT BETTER THAN EVER?

T

Refreshed and reliable

driving



REVIEW: KIA NIRO HYBRID

info – and remotely send destination information to their car’s sat-nav.

The three powertrain choices (hybrid, plug-in and electric) remain – though due to the fact the EV only went on sale late last year, only the HEV and PHEV models have been tweaked for now.

It’s the standard Hybrid we’re driving here – though Kia has left everything under the skin well alone. That means it carries over the previous car’s 1.6-litre petrol engine and electric motor, which together produce 139bhp and 265Nm of torque. The car starts in its Eco setting by default; this works wonders for fuel economy, but hampers performance somewhat.

This is not a fast car, yet take things easy and it’ll soothe and relax its way up to the national speed limit without fuss. Around town it’s hushed, running for short distances on electric power alone. When the engine does kick in, it’s more intrusive than the set-up in the latest Toyota Prius – and we prefer that car’s CVT gearbox, too.

Few buyers will ever care to hustle the Niro down a bendy back road, but those who do will find it handles neatly and predictably. Again, the Toyota’s chassis

driving

Verdict

The Kia Niro Hybrid has been treated to an early mid-life refresh and

it’s all the better for it. Its technology and connectivity offerings are

among the best in this class, and the hybrid drivetrain remains quiet

and efficient around town. It’s still an entirely safe and predictable

car to drive, and that’ll suit most of its potential buyers down to the

ground.

has the edge in this department, but the steering is direct and the brakes progressive – there’s none of the violent ‘regen’ found in the Hybrid model’s e-Niro electric stablemate.

But arguably the biggest reason you buy a hybrid is for their low emissions and rock-bottom running costs – and while the Niro is among the cleanest SUVs on sale, it can’t come close to the penny-pinching Prius. Even the flashiest Toyota emits just 82g/km of CO2 – placing it one Benefit in Kind tax band lower than the Kia in top-spec trim

Six-speed automatic, front-wheel drive

Five

£29,270

1.6-litre 4cyl petrol hybrid

54.3mpg

Stats

99g/km


THIS

MO

NTH

’S D

IA M

EM

BE

R O

FF

ER £5

OFF[FULL PRICE £15.76]

ORDER CODE

84099

Get set for 2020 with your brand new DIA Diary. With a week to view format and space for each hour it will make it easier to plan ahead and mark in your appointments.

DIA 2020 Diary A4

DIA Members

DIA Plus Members£9.68

£10.22

[FULL PRICE £15.76]

Get set for 2020 with your brand new DIA Diary. With a week to view format and space for each hour it will make it

Driving InstructorDriving Instructor64

SHOPINSTRUCTORINSTRUCTORINSTRUCTOR

ORDER CODE

2000

DIA Plus members: £9.18DIA members: £9.69

DIA APPOINTMENT CARDS (250)

Pack of 250 appointment cards. Simple appointment booking card, providing a clear record for pupil and instructor.

1


THEORY TEST MOCK PAPERS

Covers everything that could be asked in the theory test and case study sample questions with explanations so your pupils know what to expect on the big day! Includes free Highway Code eBook.

DIA Plus Members: £8.09DIA Members: £8.54

ORDER CODE

1009

4

ORDER CODE

2998


CONVEX BLIND SPOT MIRROR (SMALL 2IN)

This chrome plated convex mirror is perfect for eliminating that overtaking blind spot. The self-adhesive back makes it easy to attach to the door mirror.

3

£5OFF


DRIVING.ORG/SHOP | 020 8686 8010DRIVING.ORG/SHOP | 020 8686 8010DRIVING.ORG/SHOP | 020 8686 8010

2

ORDER CODE

3003

DIA Plus members: £5.31

DIA members: £5.61

DIA MAGNETIC SIGN (180MM)

Attract more business by displaying the DIA member logo on your training vehicle.


BELKIN CAR UNIVERSAL MOUNT

6

DIA Plus Members: £17.99 DIA Members: £18.99

ORDER CODE

3444985

From the small and discreet, to the biggest smartphones on the market, the Car Universal Mount will fi t your phone perfectly. Extendable arms fi rmly cradle your phone, while the mount adheres securely to your windscreen or dashboard. Plus, with the ability to tilt and rotate the cradle, it’s easy to fi nd the perfect viewing angle for navigation.

THE OFFICIAL DVSA GUIDE TO DRIVING – THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Offi cial Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency publication containing skills, tips and techniques on how to be a better driver. This latest edition also includes the most up-to-date thinking on eco-driving and the environment, equipping you with all the information you need to become a more sensitive driver.


ORDER CODE

0119

Driving InstructorDriving Instructor66

PICKSINSTRUCTORINSTRUCTORTOP

LEARNER HANDOUT COLLECTION

5


ORDER CODE

1029

This collection includes: Show Me, Tell Me Pad, Colour Lesson Recap Pads and Responding to Emergency Vehicles Pad. We know how important it is to provide extra information for your learners to help them with their training, and handout sheets are a great tool to do this.

7


DIA VISION IMPAIRMENT GOGGLES

These unique goggles simulate the effects of impairment, including reduced alertness, slowed reaction time, confusion, visual distortion, alteration of depth and distance perception, reduction of peripheral vision, poor judgement and decision making, double vision, and lack of muscular coordination. DIA Vision Impairment Goggles – blood alcohol level .08 – .15


ORDER CODE

1035

9


DRIVING.ORG/SHOP | 020 8686 8010DRIVING.ORG/SHOP | 020 8686 8010DRIVING.ORG/SHOP | 020 8686 8010

FIND OUT MORE VISIT

www.driving.org/webbuilder

HOW TO ORDER You can order shop goods from us via our website at driving.org/shop or over the phone by calling us on 020 8686 8010

You’ll need to have your credit/debit card details handy and your membership number available to make use of our special member prices. If you’d like to pay by cheque, get in touch and we’ll post you an order form that you can fill out and return to the office. Postage costs £4 per order, so get the best value by ordering more items in one go. We aim to despatch items to you the next working day, but allow up to five working days for delivery. UK and NI only.

This collection includes: Show Me, Tell Me Pad, Colour Lesson Recap Pads and Responding to Emergency Vehicles Pad. We know how important it is to provide extra information for your learners to help them with their training, and handout sheets are a great tool to do this.

ROOF FILM FOR AERO ROOF SIGN

Protects roof from scratches caused by vibrations from the roof sign. Measures 61cm x 70cm


ORDER CODE

3019

10

ORDER CODE

0134


THE DIA ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE NATIONAL STANDARDS AND STANDARDS CHECK

Our guide examines the key standards for driving, as well as driver and rider training in the UK, focuses on the core competencies of driver training (assessed under the standards check), and looks at client-centred learning in detail as the foundation stone for the effective delivery of driver education.

8


DIA (Driving Instructors Association)

Carly Brookfield, CEO, Gleneagles Court, Brighton Rd,Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6AD

T: 020 8686 8010 | E: [email protected] | W: www.driving.orgInternational Associations

Other UK Associations

National Associations Strategic Partnership

If you have any questions or queries for NASP please contact us through our website: www.n-a-s-p.co.uk

ADINJC (Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council)

Clive Snook, Liaison Officer, 47 Sweetmans Road, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8EH

E: [email protected] | W: www.adinjc.org.uk

AIRSO (Association of Industrial Road Safety Ofiicers)

Graham Feest, Secretary, 68 The Boulevard, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1LA

T: 01903 506095 | E: [email protected] | W: www.airso.org.uk

EFA (European Driving Schools Association)

101 Wellington Road North, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 2LP

T: 0161 883 1665 | E: [email protected] | W: www.efa- eu.com

IVV (Internation Association for Driver Education

Gleneagles Court, Brighton Rd, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 6AD

T: 020 8686 8010 | E: [email protected] | W: www.ivv.org.uk

IMTD (Institute of Master Tutors of Driving

Kathy Higgins, Secretary, 24 Highfield Road, Knowsley, Huyton L36 3XR

T: 07748 303545 | E: [email protected] | W: www.imtd.org.uk

MSA (Motor Schools Association)

John Lepine MBE, General Manager, Motor Schools Association of Great Britain Ltd, 101 Wellington Road North, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 2LP

T: 0161 429 9669 | E: [email protected] | W: www.msagb.com

Local AssociationsAberdeen & DistrictDerek Young | 01224 897606

AshfordDerek Goodwin | 01233 641924

AylesburyRichard Stansfield | 07738 408089

BanburySally Franklin| 07870 545431

BarnetRamesh Versani | 020 7386 9943

BarnsleyDave Peacock | 07773 978949

Bedford & DistrictMike Jozwiak | 01234 342435

Berkshire (BDI)Andy Lee | 07931 545777

BirminghamJames Quinn | 07734 915363

Bishop AucklandDarran Shaw | 01388 451315

BlackburnLinda Brooks | 07749 960304

BlackpoolDavid Bell | 01253 595179

Bolton & BuryDave Thomas | 01204 382557

BournemouthDebbie Axworthy | 07980 618305

BridgendJohn Essaye | 01656 725778

CambridgeshireSue Papworth | 07703 355722

CarlisleDavid Hamilton | 07747 038938

Causeway/Northwest IrelandWilliam Ogilby | 07563 649025

ChesterfieldMark Comford | 07979 383999

CornwallF. Rossin | 01726 66566

ColchesterChris Barnett | 07876 416031

Crewe & DistrictEmma Newell | 07790 601987

DerbyKen Butterworth | 01332 411501

DoncasterRoy Nelson | 01302 770160

DorsetJulie Mansley | 07702 886109

DundeeDave Howie | 01382 350650

DurhamBrian McGee | 07843 200314

East KilbrideBryan Harper | 07747 530684

East LondonJoseph Danquah | 07956 241082

EdinburghMansour Marouf | 0131 553 5600

EssexPhilip Matthews | 07980 938290

FifeKenny MacLean | 01592 773724

Forth ValleyGareth Marchant | 01786 451542

GlasgowAlex Buist | 01360 312717

GloucestershireDoug Birch | 07885 482470

GraveshamJohn Shailer | 01474 814438

GrimsbyMark Camburn | 014722 692266

HaltonGraham Cain | 0151 420 2688

Hampshire & West SussexJane Le Feuvre | 07939 002129

HarrogatePhil Hirst | 07801 503423

HarrowMansha Kapur | 07854294825

HerefordCraig Preedy | 07949 026126

Huddersfield & DistrictNigel Deans | 07581 387891

InvernessOrlando Collesso | 07931 528344

InverurieRichard Gilbert | 01467 642861

KendalDavid Morgan | 01539 731296

Kettering & DistrictAndrew Love | 07812 537 562

LanarkGraham May | 07963 331418

LanarkshireDavid Thomson | 07766 270837

Lancaster & MorecambeBarry Price | 07721 391758

LeedsDerek Smith | 0113 232 8900

LeicesterCarl Wasilewski | 01509 646471

LewesJohn Rennie | 07717 101713

LutonJohn Neilson | 01582 583 783

Mansfield & AshfieldPhil Lawson | 07751 488111

MerseysidePeter Barnes | 0151 521 3136

Milton KeynesDerek Wormald | 07958 715927

Montrose (MDIA)Moira Parker | 07773 765 483

MorayIain Holgan | 07870 593441

Newcastle upon TyneElizabeth Cairns | 07855 762 045

North AvonJerry Price | 07770 608 848

North London (LDIS)Roy E.Gerondaes | 07956 275230

North WalesArthur Carpenter | 0777 9662868

North West FederationDes Desai | 07900 513372

NottinghamKate Fennelly | 07751 156 408

Nuneaton & DistrictRalph Walton | 024 76386873

OxfordshireDavid Ryman | 07514 093217

PerthJ. Fotheringham | 01764 670259

Plymouth & DistrictRob Bullen | 01566 782431

PontefractIan Sidaway | 07935498518

PowysPaul Wilson | 01544 350263

RochdaleHarold Lightfoot | 01706 341785

RotherhamJames Crowe | 07811 236773

RugbySunil Rana | 01788 575859

RushdenIan Green | 07966 149589

SalisburyJo Horswell | 01725 517595

Scarborough and DistrictJohn White | 01723 500600

SloughLorraine Maunder |07989 414711

SolihullPeter Williams | 07970 782690

South East (Kent)Adrian Lewis| 07984 603898

South ManchesterRob Farrelly | 07526 005140

South StaffordshirePaul Buckle | 07773 359128

Southend and DistrictMark Christmas | 07733 649719

SouthportIan Duff | 07752 913917

St Albans & DistrictLouise Watson | 07973 309661

St Helens & DistrictChristine Holland | 01942 713743

StocktonBrian Docherty | 07891 864219

SunderlandBert Moncur | 07976 539179

SussexRob Ward | 01903 774929

TeessidePaul Coleman | 01642 517848

Three Counties (Hants, Surrey & Berks)Sue Pitchley | 01252 716723

WakefieldPeter Gamewell | 07713 444126

WarringtonAnne Green | 07840 077807

WatfordPeter Fraser | 020 8950 8111

WessexColin Gladwell | 01373 822006

West LothianIan Sidaway | 07935 498518

West YorkshireTom Meechan | 07970 412421

WhitchurchBill Hancock | 07860 477833

WirralRichard Gillmore | 07790 193138

Worcester & DistrictAdrian Care | 01905 757234

WycombeDavid Wallington | 01494 714678

YeovilSue Miles | 01935 420885

YorkEdward Marshall | 07971 431515

Not listed? Email [email protected]

LOCAL AND NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONSDriving Instructor



This is a quick reference guide of advertisers in Driving Instructor. To advertise in Driving Instructor please contact us on020 8686 8010 or email [email protected]

Standard

DIA MembershipAdvertiser Index

Keeping it simple. There are two great levels of membership — offering you a choice of insurance cover and benefits.

Standard membership includes £25 million of professional indemnity and public liability insurance, as well as access to a wide range of support and advisory services.

Our new DIA Plus membership is the most comprehensive association package currently available for driver and rider trainers. As well as all the benefits of our standard membership, DIA Plus membership also includes enhanced discounts on DIA Shop, CPD training, tax services, income protection cover. It also provides access to a whole range of discounts/cashbacks and offers on popular brands and services such as Marks & Spencer, Currys PC World, free telephone legal service and much more.

Income protection insurance

PG Mutual discounts

Drive Car Hire

Private healthcare

Theory Test Pro

With a DIA Plus membership, you

can recieve all the same benefits

of a standard membership, plus all

these extras.

Join or find out more visit driving.org/membership-plans

Parking with Q-Park

Specsavers discount

Experian AutoCheck

Car insurance

Fuel card

Web builder

Tax service

Vauxhall partners

Recommend a friend

Legal support

Private healthcare

Driving Test SuccessAnytime Pro

Vehicle recovery

Listing on getintodriving.org

02 DIA Insurance0800 458 0823driving.org/insurance

24 Drive Car Hire020 7308 1360drivecarhire.co.uk

41 Adrian Flux0800 916 1290adrianflux.co.uk

11 FBTC0344 9842 515fbtc.co.uk

32 DIA Plus020 8686 8010driving.org

71

72

DIA Academy020 8686 8010diaacademy.co.uk

DIA National Conference020 8686 8010driving.org/conference

11 DIA Recovery020 8686 8010driving.org/recovery

24 Arthur J Gallagher08457 697 323dual-control.com

46 Auto Expressautoexpress.co.uk

14 DIA Training | Safeguarding020 8686 8010driving.org/safeguarding

35 Finito020 3780 7700finito.org.uk

11 Pertempspertemps.co.uk

27 Driver 2020driver2020.co.uk

50 Collingwood0345 470 0014collingwoodinstructors.co.uk

19 He-Man023 8022 6952he-mandualcontrols.co.uk

36 Red0800 688 8054reddrivingschool.com/franchise

ADVERTISER INDEXDriving Instructor



READING PRACTICAL TEST CENTRE IS DUE FOR CLOSURE NEXT YEAR AND LOCAL INSTRUCTORS ARE CONCERNED

About the author

Berkshire Driving Instructors (BDI) is a group that unites driving instructors in the Reading area. Visit the-bdi.com for more information

Driving Instructor

FINAL WORD

@ruthm4x

70

COMING SOONwww.diaacademy.co.uk

The Reading Practical Test Centre is closing in May 2020 as the building leaseholder will not renew the lease. The DVSA has been aware of this for some time, but only recently chose to let local driving

instructors and the public know. Reading is one of the busiest test centres in the UK

and will regularly do more than 10 tests an hour. Students generally have to wait at least 8-10 weeks just to get a test at Reading and the waiting list is currently longer as they are starting to panic book.

The DVSA’s official statements say that the location of an alternative test centre is being handled by their estates team, but there is no further information at this stage. Commercially this is a very short length of time to have no further information. Students are going to want to book at a new test site before the end of the year. Any new site will need to have test routes before it can go onto any booking system, and without a site, these routes cannot be created.

BDI instructors have put together a list of possible alternative sites with contact details and have sent it to the estates team. We have not yet heard back from them. We have only had very uninformative replies from the DVSA corporate reputation team.

It is rumoured that the DVSA is considering moving the test centre out of Reading to Tadley as the rents are cheaper. Reading is the largest town in the UK with a population of 250,000 and is larger than many cities. Tadley is a fraction of Reading’s size and a long drive out of Reading.

Reading alone has just over 300 registered driving instructors, and that figure does not include all of the instructors from the surrounding areas that come in to teach

and take their tests. Quite frankly the numbers would flood Tadley and leave Reading without a test centre. Tadley is so small that there are many concerns over it even having adequate areas to design test routes. It would also be highly unfair on Reading’s students not to have a local test centre.

One of our main concerns is that these statements are

coming from outside the area, from Newcastle or Bristol. The decisions seem to have been taken by DVSA staff who do not live in this area and, to our knowledge, there are no local instructors or examiners present.

What we would really like is for DVSA to invite a representative local Reading examiner, and local Reading instructor to the estates team’s decision meetings because the examiners have knowledge of the test criteria and can make sure that any area suggested has suitable places to reach high speed lane changes, spiral roundabouts, etc, and local instructors are aware of places where the local traffic will not work.

The Reading examiners have been told that it is against DVSA policy to allow them to sign any petition or engage with anyone outside of DVSA on this issue. This policy does not seem helpful in solving this problem with such a tight deadline, and we are aware many examiners would like to if they were permitted.

We have contacted local MPs and are trying to get as much publicity as possible.

Can we count on your support for our petition? We need 10,000 signatures to get a response. Visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/268839 to sign.

Any other help anyone can think of would be greatly appreciated

FINAL WORDDriving Instructor

“READING IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST TEST CENTRES

IN THE UK”

“THE DECISIONS SEEM TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY DVSA

STAFF WHO DO NOT LIVE IN THIS AREA”


COMING SOONwww.diaacademy.co.uk


National Conference

What you’ll get out of the day

• Get the lowdown on the latest developments inthe industry and wider road safety from seniorDVSA personnel

• Find out what’s new in terms of driver and riderregulation and legislation

• A chance to have a Q&A with DVSA and otherindustry experts

• Network with key industry contacts and fellowtrainers

• Visit trade stands and get great deals anddiscounts from industry leading brands

Exhibitors includeHe-Man,Confident Drivers,Finito and more

020 8686 8010driving.org/conference

Proudly sponsored by

T I C K E T SNON-MEMBERSMEMBERSPLUS MEMBERS

£119£109£99

£99£89£79

WAS NOW

11, 19 & 27N O V 2 0 1 9

SAFEGUARDING

PUPIL CONFIDENCE

STANDARDS CHECK

Tick off three core areas of professional development in just one day

We’re bringing our popular conferenceto three regions this November

BRISTOL 11 November 2019

NOTTINGHAM 19 November 2019

CARDINGTON 27 November 2019the home of DVSA test centre

#@!+?#@!+?

YOU CANDO IT!

p72_Instructor_2019_Issue09.indd 1 23/09/2019 1:41 pm

back to school · personal accident cover for anyone in your car zero excess policy transferable no...

Documents