Are you prepared for the changes to the theory test?

As from today the driving theory test questions will no longer be available and Driving Instructors in Bedford are advising candidates to study and prepare well before sitting the theory test.

Published: Monday, 28 September 2009

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has introduced case studies into the driving theory test. One case study will now be included in the exam for car drivers, moped and motorcycle riders.

Case studies in driving theory test

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As part of the multiple choice section of the test, the case study assesses candidates’ understanding of driving theory, while the multiple choice questions continue to assess their knowledge of the subject.

The theory test case study takes the form of a scenario, or short story, on which five questions will be based. Candidates answer the questions in the same way as they complete the rest of the test, using either a touch screen or a mouse.

DSA’s Director of Driver Education and Learning, Jill Lewis, said: “Case studies are widely used in education to put learning into context and test comprehension of a subject, so many candidates will have encountered this type of question before.

“Initially we are introducing one case study based on existing questions in the theory test question bank, to get candidates used to the concept. It will also allow us to monitor any impact on the theory test. Over time, we plan to introduce more case studies into the theory test to assess candidates’ understanding of what they have learned

An example of a case study and the questions based on it can be viewed online at DSA’s YouTube channel.

• Visit the DSA’s YouTube channel to watch the video, ‘Are you ready?’

If you need help or advice from your local Bedford driving school visit www.baddia.co.uk and one of our instructors will be please to speak to you.

Good driving instruction isn’t CHEAP.  And, CHEAP driving instruction isn’t good!!

I am a Driving Standards Agency (DSA), Approved Driving Instructor (ADI).
Becoming a driving instructor is a lengthy and expensive task.  It’s not just about being able to drive in a straight line or how to do a three point turn.  It is a much more complex and academic subject than most people realise.  That’s why so many trainee driving instructors fail their test.
Not that that matters to a learner driver, all they want to do is to pass their test as FAST as possible and as CHEAPLY as possible.  But learner drivers really should consider the longer term implications of CHEAP driving instruction..
The DSA’s own figures suggest that on average a learner driver will require about 48 hours of professional driving instruction plus plenty of private practice, before they are able to pass their test.  So where private practice is not possible, more instruction will be required. But here’s the thing. It really isn’t just about passing a test. The DSA’s own motto is that Driving is a “SKILL FOR LIFE” .

So, what value would you put on a skill that will remain with you for your entire life. Indeed, in some instances on which your life might depend? Would you value your life being worth, say, £11 per hour or £25 per hour?
Think about it.  Are you worth £495 or £1,125?  Are you CHEAP or are you QUALITY?

Next Week.  I will be considering the differences between CHEAP driving instructors and GOOD driving instructors.  In the meantime, any comments or questions please don’t hesitate to e-mail me. paul.drivesmart@gmail.com

Bedford driving instructors are urging parents to set a good example to children by driving safely and in accordance with the law. 

Children start learning to carry out all sorts of skills from a very young age.  It may be surprising to know children copy and mimic their parents very early in life.  They start learning to drive as young as 2 years old.

We frequently see drivers, using mobile phones, smoking and eating whilst negotiating hazardous road conditions.  Young children, seeing this behaviour, will naturally believe it is quite acceptable and, when they themselves learn to drive, they will doubtless follow the example set by their parents.  After all, we teach our children everything they know, and driving is no exception.

So next time you take your children out in your car, bear in mind exactly how much notice they are taking of your skills behind the wheel.

 If you think you could benefit from some refresher lessons to improve your driving skills, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our instructors.  If you are finding any aspect of your driving difficult, BADDIA Driving instructors in Bedford will be pleased to help you.  Click here http://www.baddia.co.uk/index.php

If you live in Bedford you will know only too well the traffic situation drivers face on a daily basis.  Battling your way through the traffic is an arduous task and one which causes much frustration to drivers.  So spare a thought for driving instructors in Bedford who are teaching learners to drive in such conditions and how to cope with the heavy traffic.

Bedford driving instructors have a great link to a blog from a member of the public who has obviously gone to a lot of trouble to photograph the current situation with the St. Mary’s road works.  We hope you find it an interesting read!  Please excuse the title!

Please feel free to leave a comment about your own experience of this situation.

http://buggeredbedford.blogspot.com/2011/10/day-1-of-st-mary-street-roadworks.html

Please be patient, you were a learner driver once!

How many times have you seen this on the back of driving school cars in Bedford?

Cast your mind back to the days when you sat behind the wheel of a car for the first time.  You may have had high expectations of your potential driving skills and took to driving easily and quickly.  On the other hand, you may have been nervous and things didn’t quiet go as well as you hoped.

In either case, you will probably remember the hard work it took to achieve reaching a high enough level of skill-full driving and confidence before your driving instructor was happy for you to undertake your driving test.

As time goes by, we all forget what it was like to learn this new skill and how dangerous it can be if we get things wrong.  So, the next time you are following a driving school car in Bedford, please spare a thought for the learner driver behind the wheel who is trying to learn how to control their car, at the same time, concentrating on what you are doing behind them!

Bedford driving instructors and their learner driver both know you are in a hurry and don’t want to hold you up.  The more patient you are, the less likely they are to stall their engine, and the quicker they will move off!

Bedford Driving Schools are doing our best to create safe, confident drivers and we can only do this with your help! 

This message is brought to you by Driving instructors in Bedford.  Please feel free to leave a comment.

Driving Instructors in Bedfordshire hold and exciting event this weekend.

The Luton festival of transport is to be held at Stockwood Park on Sunday 12th June.  It is an event that LADDSA (Luton and District Driving School Association) has taken part in for the last 7 years. 

There will be around 2,000 vintage and classic cars plus military vehicles exhibited.

LADDSA role is setting out a grass driving course where people can demonstrate their driving skills Children can also have a drive around the course with the aid of a booster seat and supervised by an ADI (driving instructor) they are then given a certificate to take home. Advice can be given about learning to drive the driving test and general road safety.

The Luton road safety team also have a stand taking an active part in the day.

The local police and fire brigade plus the Red Cross work closely with LADDSA at the event. The police exhibit the various cars and vans that they use.  The children can sound off the sirens also have a photo taken dressed up in the stab vest and helmets holding the riot shields. They also bring along a mobile police station where members of the public can talk in confidence if needed.

The fire engines are on show also advice can be given about home safety smoke alarms ECT. Children can sit in the appliances squirt the hoses ECT.

The Red Cross give first aid demonstrations and advice as well as promoting first aid courses.

A representative from the drug and alcohol advisory service will be giving talks to people about drugs and alcohol with a display of various drugs (not real drugs).

The institute of advanced motorist (IAM) Will also be represented.

 About 2pm an accident reconstruction takes place in the main arena.

A car supplied by J & K Recovery is used where the scenario is that the driver has been drinking and the passenger was not wearing a seat belt has been involved in a collision. First on the scene are the paramedics who administer first aid they are followed by the police after being informed by the paramedics that the driver smells of alcohol. He is then taken out of the car then breathalysed and arrested. sometimes he does a runner just to give the police some exercise. Next arrive the fire brigade who then proceed to cut the roof of the car then using a spinal board remove the passenger to the ambulance.

Then J&K Rescue then clear up the scene and remove the crashed vehicle.

As all this is happening a blow by blow commentary is being given. (Normally by me) Particular attention being paid to the dangers of drink/drugs driving and the wearing of seat belts.

This is all organised by LADDSA who also supply food and refreshments to all participants of the event (hopefully donated by Sainsbury’s) instructors give up their time freely for the day then all profits made on the day by LADDSA are donated to Keech Care a local hospice for children.

The main event of the car exhibits is organised by the Chiltern vehicle preservation society.

Hopefully you’ll be able to join us for the day it’s a great day out bring the family along.

With regards

Les Stonnell

LADDSA PR & General liaison officer

01582,597775

07768316343

ladc.som@ntlworld.com

THREE SHIRES® Driving Centre is based in Raunds and covers Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire for learner driver training. We offer both manual and automatic tuition and in Bedford we can offer auto/disabled training too. We can also provide training for the Taxi test and Advanced Driving tests and delight in providing refresher and repatriation assessments and coaching.

Instructor Training is based in both Bedford and Northampton for those who want to train to be a Driving Instructor. If you are a qualified Instructor and want to progress to gain your Approved Fleet Driver Trainer Diploma we hold courses for this across the UK.

We also provide minibus training to gain the D1 licence category including driver CPC and D1 + E training to enable you to tow with the minibus. MiDAS training can also be undertaken in Beds, Bucks and Northants which is a course for those who drive or wish to drive minibuses on a voluntary basis for schools, clubs, churches, care homes etc.

Car and Trailer training (B + E) is also available for those who passed their test after 1996, on passing the test this allows you to tow the maximum permitted weight behind a vehicle weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. We use the Northampton and Peterborough LGV test centres for these tests. We cover from Oxford to Northampton and across to Peterborough down as far as Cambridge and of course Bedford.

Company car driver road risk assessments can be carried out throughout the UK with our team of Approved Fleet Driver Trainers which is twenty strong. These courses are required by companies to risk assess their drivers in accordance with the Health and Safety Act Work Related Road Safety guidelines.

Other training and assessing we can accommodate is Coach Driver assessments and LGV Class C (rigid lorry) assessments.

Please contact us on  0845 388 4078 or e-mail us on threeshires@threeshires.co.uk and our Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire Driving Instructors will be pleased to help.

Three Shires Towing – BADDIA Bedford Driving School

Three Shires provide towing training for those who wish to tow trailers and find that their driving licence does not have that category (B+E).  For towing lessons in Bedfordshire and towing lessons in Northamptonshire, Three Shires provide proffessional instruction with highly qualified and experienced DSA approved driving instructors. 

Since 1997 the DVLA no longer issue licences with that category and ‘new’ drivers are restricted to a vehicle and trailer of a maximum of 3.5 tonnes.  This restricts driver as the weights are a combination of the maximum weight of the vehicle and the maximum weight of the trailer.  Towing an empty car trailer for example behind a Ford Mondeo would take them over the limit even though the actual weights would be less than three tonnes the car maximum weight would be 2.1 tonnes and the trailer probably has a maximum weight of 3.0 tonnes : total would be 5.1 tonnes maximum. 

We supply each candidate with a workbook containing all they need to know about the towing test.  The tests are carried out at vocational test centres such as Weedon and Peterborough.   The test lasts for about an hour and a half and comprises of five elements.

1,  Show me tell me questions aimed at loading and loading safety also some of the usual car care

2,  Manoeuvre, this is an ‘s’ shaped manoeuvre carried out off road, control and accuracy are paramount as you may not touch any of the cones or yellow border lines and must park with the back end of the trailer exactly within a one metre box

3,  Braking exercise, this is carried out on the off road site.  The candidate has to drive at 20 miles per hour and perform a controlled stop when they reach a certain pre determined point.

4,  Driving: around fifty to fifty five minutes on the road displaying good trailer craft such as more mirror work, watching the trailer as it cuts in on corners plus the independent drive too.

5,  Uncouple and couple exercise, at the end of the test the candidate is asked to uncouple the trailer and drive forwards then alongside the trailer.  They must then drive forwards and couple up the trailer as if the trailer had been left for them by another driver.  Routine is so important here as one slip up in the order they do things can result in a negative outcome!

On average candidates take about nine hours to master all of the above, remembering of course that they are qualified drivers.

Find us on http://www.threeshires.co.uk/and on the BADDIA site.

BADDIA Bedford Driving Instructors are warning drivers about the danger of driving on Bedford’s roads.  Potholes are causing problems again this year for drivers and teaching learners to drive safely on the roads is difficult enough, without having to try to avoid crevices and uneven road surfaces.

Whilst it is important to avoid driving your vehicle over a pothole, swerving round them can be just as dangerous.  Drivers are reminded about the risks of swerving into the path of oncoming vehicles whilst trying to avoid them. 

If you want to have your say about potholes on your local roads in Bedford, please leave a comment.  Bedford Driving Instructors are interested in your views and problems you may have had and share information about pothole locations.

Why are the signs and road markings so poor in Bedford? It is difficult for drivers who have been driving for years to deal with,so the learner driver has no chance.Bedford driving instructors are looking at dealing with the local council to improve this matter.