Can you tell me about the Theory Test ?
Before you can book your Theory test you need to apply for a provisional driving licence. You can apply for your driving licence up to 3 months before your seventieth birthday, but it will not be valid until your seventieth birthday. To obtain a provisional licence you will need to send an application to the DVLA, you can pick up application form from most post offices alternately you could contact me for a application form.
The Theory test can be applied for by contacting the DSA (Driving Standards Agency). You can start your driving lessons before you have passed the theory test. The test is divided into two parts. Part One is multiple choice questions and part two is the hazard perception test. The Multiple Choice part of the test consists of 50 questions. Each question will appear onscreen with a number of possible answers. You need to select the correct answer by touching the screen. The Pass mark for this part of the test is 43 out of 50. The Hazard Perception part of the test consist of 14 video clips. In each of the video clips their will be at least one developing hazard, and in one of the video clips their will be two developing hazards. You will need to watch the video clips carefully and when you see a possible hazard developing you need to click the mouse. The earlier you spot the hazard the more points you we be awarded, up to a maximum of 5 for each hazard. The Pass Mark for this part of the test is 44 out of 75. Both parts of the Theory test have to be passed to pass the Theory Test.
Can you tell me about the Practical Driving Test ?
Before you can book your driving test you have to pass your Theory test. At the start of the driving test the examiner will check that your eyesight is acceptable. This is done by checking you can read a number plate that is a certain distance away. You will be ask you two vehicle safety questions. I can go over all the vehicle safety questions prior to booking your test. The next part of the test is to test your driving ability, this will last about 40 minutes. During your drive you will be asked to carry out two reversing manoeuvres. These will be chosen from the following “reversing around a corner”, “turning in the road or “a parking exercise”. You may also be asked to carry out an emergency stop exercise. During the test the examiner will give you directions which you should follow. They will be looking for an overall safe standard of driving. You are allowed up to 15 driving faults during your test, however you are not allowed any Serious of Dangerous Driving Faults. So you will fail the test if you make 16 driving faults or 1 serious driving fault. You should drive on your test in the same way you have been taught by your instructor. After you have passed your test you may be interested in further improving your driving skills by doing a Pass Plus course.
How many driving lessons will I need ?
No one can say how many driving lessons you will need, as everyone is different. We all learn at different rates and some people will take many more lessons than others. Other factors to take into account have you had any off road driving experience, or perhaps you have regularly ridden a motorcycle before. Will you be able to have any private practice as well as your lessons. All these factors can speed up the learning to drive process. Age can be another factor, often older learner drivers will need more lessons than their younger counterparts.
Do you recommend I have some private practice outside my driving lessons ?
I find lately less and less learner drivers have the opportunities for private practice, often the reason is high insurance cost. However if you do have the chance it definitely can be beneficial to learning to drive process and should decrease the number of professional driving lessons you will need. It can be counter productive to start private practice too early, its often best to master some basic car control first. If you do have private practice, its important you drive the same way as you do on your lessons, so try and follow all the same procedures you have been taught.
What Advice can you give to accompanying drivers ?
As you know from your years of driving, hazards can appear quickly and from anywhere, so be prepared, the learner driver may not be aware of the dangers. You probably don't have the luxury like I do of having dual controls in your car. Plan your routes before you go out, this will help you avoid getting into difficult situations the learner driver might not be ready for. Don’t have too high expectations, you have to work at the learner drivers pace. When giving instruction to the learner driver try and be clear and precise and in plenty of time. If the learner driver makes a serious error, pull them over and discuss it calmly they will need to know what the fault was and also why it was a fault, then of course they will need to know how to do it the right way. If you disagree with something the learner driver is doing, but they say my driving instructor tells me to do that. It could be that the learner driver is right if you have any concerns don't hesitate to have a word with the driving instructor, they should be willing to discuss it with you. Probably the most important advice is KEEP CALM, as a stressed environment will lead to mistakes, and mistakes whilst driving can of course be potentially very dangerous.
