What The DSA Say

RESEARCH UNDERTAKEN BY THE DRIVING STANDARDS AGENCY SUGGESTS THAT DRIVERS WHO PASS 1ST TIME ARE THE BEST PREPARED therefore driving schools with high 1st time pass rates are the ones you should consider, this should be the key factor when selecting a driving school.

How Many Hours Will it Take to Pass My Driving Test?

FACT NOT FICTION
The current figures released by the DSA state that the average 17-20yr old who has had no previous experience will need 45hrs of training and 22hrs of private practice to Pass the UK driving test
 note the word Pass.
From our experience it can be done with a total of 40-50hrs of on road experience minimum of  50% with a driving school and 50% of private practice assuming no previous driving experience, one of the main reasons the pass rates are so low is because people go to test to early and do not have enough on road experience to reach the current test standard.
The figures quoted here originate from the DSA the people who conduct the driving test and these are their findings from the people who did Pass their test it is total fiction to believe you can pass the current driving test with only 10hrs of on road experience the stats speak for themselves you can check these stats out at the following url http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/LearnerAndNewDrivers/LearningToDriveOrRide/DG_4022483

How to pick a good Driving School

The main things to consider when choosing a driving school, do they only use fully qualified Instructors or do they use trainees as well, what are their pass rates, do they supply training records to their pupils, what is their hourly rate these are the questions you should ask when contacting a potential driving school.
 Do not assume that if you pay more you will get a better instructor, that is not the case in the driver training industry, national driving schools will charge more because of their overhead costs not because they have better instructors, many national driving schools do use trainee instructors so you have been warned.
Check out their website see if they quote pass rates, ask if they use trainee instructors, ask if they supply training records they should, this should record what you have covered and at what level you have achieved.
A driving instructor needs your training record so they can update it on a regularly basis so they know where you are in your training and at what level it is important to have one.

So the things to ask are will I get a fully qualified Instructor, what are your pass rates,will I get a training record, what is your hourly rate, please remember do not assume that if you are paying more you will get a better instructor it relates to overhead costs the bigger the company the greater the overhead costs simple as that, even if some one recommends a driving school do find out the other information first, most driving schools do offer a free lesson or cash payments to a pupil if they get a referral from them, so do not just base your choice on that fact only. The best referral is from some who has previously passed so has nothing to gain from it.

http://www.adeptdrive.co.uk

Independent Driving Will be Introduced to The Driving Test from the 4th October 2010

From 4 October 2010 your practical driving test will include a section of ‘independent driving’.
During your test you’ll have to drive by either following a series of directions, following traffic signs, or a combination of both, for about ten minutes.
To help you understand where you’re going, the examiner may show you a diagram.
It doesn't matter if you don't remember every direction, or if you go the wrong way - that can happen to the most experienced drivers.
Independent driving is not a test of your orientation and navigation skills. Driving independently means making your own decisions - this includes deciding when it’s safe and appropriate to ask for confirmation about where you’re going.
If you ask for a reminder of the directions, the examiner will confirm them to you.
Some newspapers have claimed that independent driving would lead to a fall in the driving test pass rate. This claim is based on early research where conditions did not reflect the eventual design of the new element of the test. Newer research has shown some difference in the pass rates, so get your skates on if you want to avoid these changes.

www.adeptdrive.co.uk

Adept Drive now has a Face Book Page

www.adeptdrive.co.uk

We have just launched our Face Book page for Adept Drive you can add comments and photos if you wish and become a Fan, we will still update this blog with use full information on a regular basis.

Adept Drive the 1st Time Pass Experts for our current pass rates just check out our website,we only use fully qualified Instructors with above average Pass Rates do check for the Green BADGE above when your driving Instructor arrives for the 1st Time, you have been Warned No trainees for us.
Our Face Book Page URL is shown below
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Letchworth-Garden-City/Adept-Drive-The-1st-Time-Pass-Experts/116265201717904?ref=ts&v=wall

Proof that Longer Lessons Do Improve your Chances of Passing 1st Time

www.adeptdrive.co.uk

Our 1st time Pass Rate results for February shows how 1.5hr lessons do improve your chances

of passing 1st Time, we had 7 tests in February 5 Passed all of these passed 1st Time. This means our overall

pass rate for the month was 70%  national average is 43%, the 1st time pass rate was a staggering 100%

5 passed 5 passed 1st time the national average 1st time pass rate is 33% 1 in 3.So this is proof positive that longer lessons do increase your chances of passing 1st time the best length lesson we have found is 1.5hrs.

New Changes to The UK Driving Test, It justs gets harder.

www.adeptdrive.co.uk 

From the 6th of April 2010 pupils will be asked by DSA examiners if they would like their Instructor or Observer to sit in on their driving test, this is optional, but will encouraged by the DSA.

It will be up to the pupil to decide this, the reason the DSA say this would be better, is when pupils

fail or pass their test often they hear very little of the feedback on the debrief, however all pupils have to do is ask that their driving Instructor is present for the debrief this will achieve the same.

We do advise pupils if they wish we can sit in on the test, we leave it up to the pupil to decide it helps some pupils not others, we also do sit in on the debrief if the pupils request it.

One thing over looked by the DSA is the fact that pupils normally have only two people

in the car on a driving lesson, most pupils find it daunting enough to have an examiner in the car with them

let alone an observer, then add a senior examiner doing a check test on the examiner, now we have four

in the car, not a great idea for some one trying to pass their test for the first time.

The pupils will not be used to the extra weight in the car, which will mean they will not be aware that they will

have to break harder and earlier, and they will not be aware that it will take longer to pick up speed when emerging at junctions, therefore needing a bigger gap to allow for the reduced acceleration of the vehicle.

It would be far simpler and less daunting if Instructors were always asked to seat in on the debrief at the end of the test, the same end result would be achieved and not put the pupil under even more pressure.

The only saving grace is it is up to the pupil to decide, your Instructor will sit in on the test if you wish and I would suggest you do request your Instructor to sit in on the debrief at the end of the test.

Another change due to be introduced in October 2010 is Independent driving where the pupil will have to navigate their way to a set destination using road markings and road signs, with out directions from the examiner.There is an upside to this, to allow for the Independent driving scenario the DSA will cut the number of reversing manoeuvers to one, so if you sucked at reversing around corner you may still get a chance to pass your test.

To any one wanting to pass their driving test you will need driving lessons from a fully qualified Instructor,
do make sure they are fully qualified, do look for a green badge so you know they are fully qualified,
the driving test is not getting any easier.

I was recently asked to give some one a couple of lessons to take them round the test route before their test, hate to tell you there are at least twenty test routes at every test center which one do you want? gone are the days when Instructors just took their pupils around the five test routes so they new them like the back of their hand, gone are the 30 minute tests.

You must be able to drive the car using safe systems of driving in any road conditions and be able to deal with any road hazard for a period of 40 minutes, this is a lot harder to achieve than people think, so do your self
a favour do get some lessons with a fully qualified Instructor.

I did actually give the person concerned a couple of lessons, they did not check their mirrors once, they did not observe at all before moving off, and they did not know how to do any of the maneuvers. They actually had a test booked for the next week, you must be using safe systems of driving to pass your test and be able to carry out the maneuvers safely as well, this takes time to learn and be consistent around 50 hrs of on road experience to be exact according to the latest DSA figures so do get real.