Bedford Driving Lessons » Driving Licence

Review needed after driving licence flaws exposed…..

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:48:19 +0000

A BBC investigation has highlighted a major loophole that many have exploited to get their full UK driving licence. It comes from an agreement to exchange a Hong Kong licence for a UK one, when it seems the former may have well been acquired by dubious means. The UK licence is off course used not just for driving purposes, but also as a major form of identification, which can help to gain credit or open bank accounts.

Its strange in this country where governments seem to have so many crazy and picky heath and safety regulations, that they allow this to happen legally, potentially leading to additional crime and reduced safety on our roads.

Immigrants to be banned from taking driving tests in foreign languages…..

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:26:19 +0000

Immigrants are to be banned from taking driving tests in their native language amid concerns rogue translators are helping them cheat.

Ministers are understood to be considering ditching rules “within months” which allow learners to sit theory tests in any of 19 foreign languages – including Urdu and Albanian. A system which allows translators to currently sit in on the practical test to explain the examiner’s instructions will also be stopped.

Nearly 800 people have had their licences revoked in the past two years, after investigations by the Driving Standards Agency uncovered evidence of translators coaching learners during their test, it was reported.

Dozens of further cases are also in the pipeline and nine translators have been struck off the approved list.

A Department for Transport source said each investigation costs an average of £10,000 – and warned that the cases uncovered so far may be just the “tip of the iceberg”.

Ministers are also concerned about the safety implications of providing driving licences to thousands of people who do not speak English and cannot read road signs.

Figures show that in 2010, some 93,407 driving theory tests were conducted in a foreign language. More than 1,500 people also took the theory test for a bus driver’s licence in a foreign language.

Transport minister Mike Penning said the existing rules, which were introduced by the last Labour Government, acted as a disincentive for immigrants to learn English.

He told the Daily Mail: “This practice is wrong on many levels, and we are going to end it. It is very hard to fathom the logic of why it was ever allowed in the first place. Road safety should be our priority, not political correctness.

“It cannot be right to be handing British driving licences to people who are unable to read warning signs flashed up on motorway gantries. There is also evidence of fraud.

“But there is also a wider point about community cohesion – we should be encouraging people to learn English, instead of offering them ways to avoid it.”

Government sources said the change, which could be brought in as early as the autumn, did not require a change in the law. In future, drivers will be able to take their test in only English or Welsh.

However, it is understood the Equality and Human Rights Commission has privately warned ministers the ban may breach anti-discrimination laws unless firm evidence demonstrating that people taking tests in a foreign language is a threat to road safety can be provided.

Mr Penning said he was confident there was “just cause” for the ban, and added that most other EU countries did not allow learner drivers to take their driving test in a foreign language.

From: telegraph.co.uk

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New driving licence applicants asked to join organ donor register!

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 22:14:03 +0000

Department of Health says compulsory question about donation is aimed at giving people more opportunities to sign up. Anyone applying for a driving licence from Monday will be obliged to answer a question about joining the organ donor register, the health department has announced, in an attempt to boost the numbers of potential donors. Those applying for a licence online will be obliged to tick one of three boxes about the register as a condition of completing the form. They can say they would like to sign up there and then, that they are already on the register or that they would like to think about it on another occasion. A similar question existed previously but it was optional and many applicants missed or ignored it. The change is the latest salvo in a long-running campaign by the Department of Health to increase the number of organ donors, which currently stands at about 18 million – 29% of the population. While the numbers signing up has risen significantly in recent years, they are not keeping pace with an ever-increasing demand for transplants, caused in part by less healthy lifestyles – for example, adult-onset diabetes with associated kidney failure. More

Paper licences to be phased out!

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:51:58 +0000

The counterpart driving licence is set to be axed. The Department for Transport (DfT) has revealed that the document, issued with the photocard licence, will be scrapped in 2014. And old-style paper licences will be abolished shortly after. As part of an efficiency programme at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), driver records will be stored on an online database within three years. This will enable police to quickly check whether a motorist has any points on their licence via the Web, without needing to see the counterpart document. Organisations such as employers and insurers will be able to check an individual’s endorsements, too, although only with the consent of the driver. More

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DVLA in licence picture mix up!

admin — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:12:09 +0000

When Scott Allan received his provisional licence through the post, he realised something was not quite right. While the bearded white 27-year-old’s name, address and date of birth was all correct, the photograph showed a picture of an Asian woman in an hijab. The green card, which had been issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), also contained the signature of an unknown person – presumed to be the woman in the traditional Muslim head dress in the picture. Mr Allan, from Acton, West London, applied for his licence on the internet but was told he would need to send a photograph and proof of ID in the post. So he was startled to receive a licence a couple of weeks later – before he had even supplied his picture and passport. Mr Allan said: ‘I was surprised when I opened the envelope from the DVLA and found a driving licence because I had not completed the application process. ‘That surprise turned to disbelief when I looked closer and saw the face of an unknown woman staring back at me beside my name, address and date of birth. More

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Organ donor questions when applying for new licences!

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:20:56 +0000

Anyone applying for a driving licence from July will be required to answer a question regarding organ donation under a scheme being brought in by the Government. The prompted choice system will make would-be drivers state if they want to sign up to the NHS Organ Donor Register or defer a decision until a later date. It is hoped the DVLA pilot scheme will boost the numbers of those willing to give vital body parts to help others live in the case of their own death. Under the current system, applicants can skip over a question on donation when applying for a driving licence. But the new regime will require that they opt to either register for donation, state that they have already signed up or state: “I do not want to answer this question now.” At present, only 27% of people in the UK are registered donors. But studies have shown that a far larger proportion are in favour of donating body parts. Getting more people to sign-up could save the lives of some of the 8,000 people in the UK currently waiting for a transplant. More

Could ‘graduated driver licensing’ save lives?

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:27:40 +0000

Newly qualified young drivers should be banned from night-time motoring and carrying passengers of a similar age, Cardiff University researchers say. They said such “graduated driver licensing” for those aged 17-19 could save more than 200 lives and result in 1,700 fewer serious injuries each year. Similar schemes already exist in New Zealand, Australia and parts of the US. But motoring organisations say the limits – which could last up to two years – would be difficult to enforce. Meanwhile, the Tune into Traffic campaign group has highlighted the dangers of listening to music on MP3 players and iPods while driving and walking. The research will be presented at the World Safety Conference, which will hear from other experts on how road safety could be improved. While road deaths have now fallen to an all-time low, 2,222 people still died on the roads last year. Experts at the London conference will argue this figure can be reduced even lower with more restrictions and greater awareness of risks. The Cardiff University study was compiled after analysing road accident data from 2000 to 2007. Research suggests one in five new drivers crashes within the first six months. The Cardiff team says that by targeting them with graduated driver licensing, many accidents might be avoided. Cutting the UK’s accident rate would also save the economy £890m, the team estimates. More

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Independent driving: changes to practical driving test

admin — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:53:04 +0000

From 4 October 2010 your practical driving test will include a section of ‘independent driving’. In the independent driving section of your test, you will drive for about 10 minutes without step-by-step direction from your examiner. At present, examiners give candidates step-by-step instructions during the test. For other parts of the test, this will still be true. But during the independent driving section of the test, the examiner will ask you to drive by either following a series of directions, following traffic signs, or a combination of both. 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. The independent driving route If you ask for a reminder of the directions, the examiner will confirm them to you. If you go off the independent driving route it won’t affect the result of your test unless you commit a driving fault. If you go off the route or take a wrong turning, the examiner will help you to get back on the route and continue with the independent driving. If there are poor or obscured traffic signs, the examiner will give you directions until you can see the next traffic sign – you won’t need to have a detailed knowledge of the area. You can’t use a sat nav for independent driving as it gives you turn-by-turn prompts. Independent driving tests how you make your own decisions. More from DSA and video

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Leaner causes street evacuation after manoeuvre goes wrong!

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:54:48 +0000

A LEARNER driver forced a whole street to be evacuated when she drove into the side of a house during a botched three-point turn. The driver cracked a water pipe, flooding the street and causing a gas pipe to rupture. Firefighters were scrambled to the scene and were forced to extinguish a barbecue at a birthday party across the road for fear of it causing an explosion. They later apologised for spoiling the party, but residents insisted the student driver was to blame for “lurching forward”. Both the learner and the BSM driving instructor escaped unscathed. About 30 people from homes on Park Terrace in Edinburgh were sent to the nearby Newcraighall Primary School while gas engineers wrestled with the burst pipe. The driving school’s Fiat 500 car was emblazoned with the slogan: “More experience, more passes.” But one bystander said: “If she’s on her test, I doubt she’s passed.” More

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Lad has young womens picture on his provisional licence!

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 22:22:42 +0000

TEENAGER Mitchel Dallimore had an unwelcome surprise as he eagerly unwrapped his first provisional driving licence – only to find the face of a complete stranger staring back at him from the photocard. Although Mr Dallimore’s name and address are correct on the licence received from the DVLA, the pupil from Hanley Castle High School, near Malvern, was shocked to find a stranger’s signature and a picture of a young woman staring back at him from the photocard. Mr Dallimore, from Pendock, near Upton-on-Severn, sent off his application for a provisional licence in good time as he plans to take his first driving lessons when he turns 17 in August. More

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Man passes driving test with robotic arm!

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 20:08:19 +0000

A mind-controlled robotic arm is bringing new independence to an Austrian man who lost his arms, even allowing him to drive a car, the arm’s maker announced earlier this week. Created by the German firm Otto Bock HealthCare, the arm has allowed 23-year-old Christian Kandlbauer to pass a driving test with flying colors, giving him the freedom to drive the seven kilometers to and from work each day without assistance. The device is the first mind-controlled arm prosthesis in Europe. After a high-voltage electrical accident struck Kandlbauer back in 2005, both his arms had to be amputated. His right arm has since been replaced by a myoelectric DynamicArm, which now operates the steering wheel when he drives his specially equipped Subaru Impreza, modified for him by Paravan. Taking the place of his left arm, however, is the new, seven-jointed prosthetic arm, which he controls in real time using just his thoughts. He now operates that arm to control the direction indicator lights, horn and all other safety-related devices of his vehicle. More

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Women take longer to pass their driving test than men!

admin — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:24:32 +0000

Girls need an average of 21 lessons before they pass their test, compared to just 17 lessons which men take, according to research by Confused.com. Men are also more likely to pass first time with less than 54 per cent needing another attempt, while 57 per cent of women have to go through it again. Women are also more likely to suffer from nerves and cry if they failed. But guys are more likely to try to befriend or flirt with the examiner in order to get their pass certificate. A spokesman for comparison website confused.com which carried out the study said: ‘’For years, people have argued over whether men or women are the best drivers. ‘’And men can now claim victory with these results showing that they are certainly the quickest learners when they get behind the wheel of the car. ‘’With women getting more nervous about their test though, maybe this explains why men have more success. ‘’And despite their confidence, it’s interesting to see that men are the ones flirting with the examiner, especially as it is stereotypically women who do are meant to do this.” The poll of 3,000 drivers revealed that the average guy passes his test at the age of 19 and eight months, while the average woman has to wait until she is 20 years and six months. More than one in 20 ladies even passed their 31st birthday before they were able to get behind the wheel of a car on their own. But men may have had an advantage as 23 per cent admitted to trying to act like a friend to the examiner to persuade them to let them pass. And despite women having the reputation for flirting with the invigilator, men are actually the worst offenders with eight per cent admitting they’ve tried it. Researchers also found that women are most likely to suffer with their nerves with 92 per cent saying they were terrified before their test, compared to just 78 per cent of men. Twenty-seven per cent of girls were so nervous, they kept apologising to the examiner throughout the test. More

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Car buyers warned over loan deals from showrooms!

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:17:05 +0000

People looking to buy a new car have been urged to avoid showroom finance deals, as important interest rate details are often not clearly explained by dealers. Research by Which? Car magazine revealed that essential information about car finance agreements were not adequately flagged up to car buyers in showrooms. Dealers were found to “take customers for a ride” by not telling them in clear terms how much interest they would need to pay on their motor. An undercover operation involving visits to 15 showrooms highlighted that not even one of them clearly demonstrated the total cost of the interest on a finance deal. Two-thirds did not mention the APR (annual percentage rate) and a third even failed to add it to their written quote. More

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Motorist jailed after being banned 59 times!

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:30:39 +0000

The 50 year-old, who has more than 110 driving offences on his record, was jailed for five months by magistrates who said it was the worst driving record they had ever seen. Feely, from Leeds regularly flouted driving bans, despite living just yards from a police station. He was stopped by police for driving whilst disqualified and without a licence just three days before he was due to be sentenced for an earlier similar offence. He has told the courts in the past that he needed to drive because he was a mobile DJ. Magistrates heard this week that he had been banned from driving 59 times in the past 28 years. He broke the law again in November last year just three days before he was due to be sentenced for another crime, Leeds Magistrates Court heard. He was caught driving a van while disqualified and without insurance on Kirkstall Road, Leeds, on November 13. Dianne Rawnsley, prosecuting said that when Feely was stopped in Kirkstall Road, Leeds Last November, he was due in court three days later to face a similar charge for which he eventually received a 24-month suspended prison sentence. Jailing Feely magistrates chairman John Pickering said: “This is undoubtedly the worst driving record any of us on the bench have ever seen. From 1982 onwards you have been convicted of 89 offences. More

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Growing number of motorists swap penalty points to keep licence clean!

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:06:01 +0000

An increasing number of drivers are risking prosecution by illegally ‘swapping’ their penalty points for offences such as speeding, with their partner, a friend or family member in a bid to keep their driving licence clean. A new report by car insurer Direct Line reveals that 660,000 motorists (2 per cent) have persuaded their nearest and dearest to falsely take responsibility for their penalty points in order to avoid having the points added to their own licence. The number of people admitting to ‘point swapping’ has risen by a third over the past three years, from 495,000 motorists (1.5 per cent) in 2007. However, many of these motorists have chanced falling foul of the law by swapping points in order to maintain a completely clean and points-free licence, rather than resorting to points swapping when they already have a number of penalty points and are at risk of losing their licence. Over half (61 per cent) of the motorists who have engaged in points swapping – 388,080 – still have a points-free driving licence, which equates to 1.2 per cent of the motoring population. According to Direct Line’s internal data, 16 per cent of drivers have points on their licence. This research therefore suggests that one in eight of those drivers with points on their licence (2 per cent of all motorists) have actually taken the points on behalf of another driver. More

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Calls for L tests to include more ‘Green’ driving!

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:45:50 +0000

Learner drivers should be examined on ‘green’, smoother driving techniques as part of the standard driving test, according to a business group. The CBI says that each motorist could make fuel savings of 5-10% through efficient driving practices, reducing carbon emissions and saving up to £250 a year. And the group argues in its Tackling Climate Change Closer to Home report that the “smarter” skills needed to make such savings should be a mandatory part of the driving test. Although it does not provide a detailed outline, the CBI suggests that eco-driving “is about driving in a style suited to modern engine technology”. It claims that changing gears more smoothly and avoiding sharp braking and acceleration can cut fuel consumption by up to a third. Other proposals made in the report – which has the stated aim to “pave the way for low-carbon cars and homes” – include an agreement between the Government and manufacturers for long-term carbon dioxide (CO2) limits, and moves to encourage the sustainability and development of biofuels. And despite praising the Government’s forthcoming £5,000 purchase subsidy for ultra-low emissions vehicles, the CBI says that even more can be done to stimulate the take-up of low-carbon cars, including using tax from higher-polluting vehicles to incentivise consumers looking for more efficient options. Peter Rodger, chief examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, told Admiral News that the main aspects of eco-driving – looking ahead and planning early – are already part of general good driving practice. More

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Man loses licence for walking dog while driving!

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:21:18 +0000

County Durham man banned from driving after cyclist reported seeing pet being dragged along country lane. A dog owner too lazy to walk his pet has lost his driving licence after getting caught walking the animal while driving his car. Paul Railton, 23, of County Durham, had wound down the window of his Nissan Navara to exercise his lurcher when police caught him. Officers reported seeing him driving at 5mph along a country lane. Yesterday, at Consett magistrates court, Railton pleaded guilty to not being in proper control of a vehicle. Sharon Lowrie, prosecuting, said a cyclist alerted police that two men were dragging a dog along from a car. She said: “The driver was hanging on to the dog’s lead through the driver window, approaching a blind summit.” Railton was told to put the dog in the back of the car and was allowed to go, but five days later police turned up at his home to charge him. A police statement read out to the court said that “due to the narrow road there was no area for other cars to pass ng pet being dragged along country lane. More

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Survey shows 13% of British men ‘do not drive’!

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:52:13 +0000

According to insurance company ibuyeco, a third of non-drivers said they did not drive due to the high expense of driving lessons. A fifth also felt under pressure to learn how to drive due to the heavy stereotyping of men and driving, with around 44% of women polled saying they expected a man to have a licence. About one-third (33%) of men without a licence said they did not need to drive, while 10% said they failed their test the first time and decided against a retest. A fifth of them also admitted they did not enjoy driving. The survey of 2,126 adults revealed that 24% of women considered it odd if a man could not get behind the wheel and 7% thought less of a man if he did not drive. More

Is the driving test and driver education out of date?

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:42:41 +0000

Driver education is not something to which many pay much attention after we have passed our driving test. At least, we don’t until many years later when our teenagers approach adolescence and activities that cause parents to have nightmares – sex, drink, drugs and driving. Our concern is valid because young, inexperienced male drivers cause and suffer a disproportionate number of crashes and fatalities. Some 8,000 are killed each year in Europe alone. The European Commission and the Driving Standards Agency in the UK are both attempting to address this. The EC Road Safety section created a Training and Education Expert Group onto which I was co-opted, because of my dual expertise in driving (British and European saloon car champion in circuit racing) and performance coaching (author of the best-selling book in the field). The other eight members are all driving and education experts from various European countries, mainly Scandinavia. Our findings – to be reported soon – will recommend that the higher levels of what is known as the “GDE (goals for driver education) matrix” are properly addressed along with the more basic elements of car control and traffic skills. The higher levels involve the attitude of the learner and how it affects their driving, encompassing aggression, distraction, showing-off, competitiveness and other testosterone-fuelled behaviour. The only learning method that specifically addresses these issues in combination with driving skills is performance coaching, which aims to eliminate the mental and emotional obstacles to learning – and performance – in any activity. The UK Driving Standards Agency controls the examiners of both the instructors and the public, and so sets the standards. Recently the DSA circulated an elaborate public consultation paper, but it attracted little response. The DSA is influenced by the police driving schools and by the likes of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), RoSPA, BSM and the AA, most of which still slavishly follow the old police driving principles. They also used the police manual Roadcraft for many decades – and herein lies the problem. The primary function of the police is to maintain law and order. Driving is secondary, so within their ranks they have little or no learning methodology – nor do they have up-to-date motoring expertise. The police driving system and teaching methods remain extremely rigid and prescriptive. They are passed from one generation to the next with little change, with the result that their teaching methods are obsolete and inappropriate for the public. Some of what they preach is redundant because cars have changed enormously since Roadcraft was written in 1934. Because the police believed that they knew best, they never saw the need to seek knowledge from elsewhere. They didn’t know what they didn’t know. And since retired police drivers hold key roles in the IAM and RoSPA and other parts of the driving establishment, they all ended up scratching each others’ backs. More

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Motorists warned that Driving Licences do expire!

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:31:42 +0000

Motoring organisations have reported that most drivers believe that their new style licence is for life and that is has not been publicised that the licence actually expires after a set period and has to be renewed. The first batch of ten year photo licences was issued in July 1998 and the confusion has only just come to light as they start to expire. The DVLA figures reveal that 16,136 licences expired last year and only 11,566 drivers have renewed, 300 000 more photocard licences are due to expire by the end of this year. The new style photocard licences are not very clear showing the expiry date, the small print below the drivers name is a numbered series of dates and details. Number 4b features a date but the significance is explained only if the card is turned over where the key on the back states that 4b relates to ‘licence valid to’. More

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