INSTRUCTORS now shunning estate

And the unexpected snow created further problems as the troublemakers made snowballs with stones inside to cause maximum damage.

Les Stonnell of LADDSA

 

Les Stonnell, of Luton And District Driving Schools Association (LADDSA), said: “Last week one instructor had his window smashed. We’ve had eggs thrown at cars. Another driving instructor was doing a manoeuvre and some kids opened the door and shouted abuse and started banging on the windows.

Every school holiday sees youngsters aged eight to 15 out on the streets pummelling motorists with stones and missiles in that area. And the latest craze for the youths is to lay in the road, putting their own lives at risk.

The problems are making learners reluctant to drive in Farley Hill in case they are targeted. And instructors are beginning to avoid the area to prevent their vehicles being damaged.

A Beds Police spokeswoman said: “It’s obviously very dangerous for people learning to drive, other motorists on the roads and the young people themselves. We will be out in that area and will deal with any young people doing this robustly.”

Source: Bedford Today website by Laura Kempsell

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, a2om BTEC in Driving Science, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

CHAIRMAN, Paul Burchell and Committee Member, John Rhodes, attended today’s award ceremony at County Hall in Bedford to see Bedfordshire County Council presented with a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for their ‘Respect For Life’ course in conjunction with Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association.

Paul and John with Bill Brady, Head of the Road Risk Advisory Unit.

Bedfordshire County Council also won the award for their ‘Passport for Life’ scheme, teaching road safety to young school children, and their School Crossing Patrol Scheme.

YOUNG drivers are going to be given the green light for safer driving when they sign up to a new Staffordshire County Council initiative.

The Young Driver Programme, which was launched this week, involves having high-tech equipment fitted into a learner driver’s car to monitor how well they drive.

The black box records acceleration, cornering and other driver behaviours – giving instant feedback on a dashboard warning light system – and feeding into a computer record back home.

The Road Safety Unit at Staffordshire County Council has developed the programme which sees the unit, driving instructors, the novice driver and their parent or guardian working together.

By looking at their driving patterns with their families and road safety trainers, young drivers can learn about how to improve and develop their driving skills.

“Over 40 per cent of those killed and seriously injured on Staffordshire’s roads are aged 17 to 25 – but they are only 10 per cent of the population,” she said.

“That’s why this and wider young people’s safety campaigns are so important.”

Source: Tamworth Herald website

The black box electronic wizardry has won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.

UNDER-17s are being given a chance to get behind the wheel in a sponsored six day course at the Royal showground at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from 25th October.

The Pathfinder course aims to introduce youngsters to the essential driving skills and knowledge needed to enjoy a safe driving career. It is open to 15 and 16 year olds and 50 youngsters will be taking part, each with a parent.

Students will drive their own family’s car and need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. They will be given expert tuition from Pathfinder (an educational trust inspired and set up by custodians of the Under 17 Car Club), and AA Driving School instructors who will also be offering one-to-one tuition in Driving School cars.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Driving School, points to the success of the Under 17 Car Club in preparing young people for driving. “Nationally, one in five young people are involved in a crash during their first year of driving, compared with 1 in 12 of those who have gone through the Under 17 Car Club. In addition, the conviction rate for young men passing through the Club is 22.2 per 1,000, compared with 144 per 1,000 nationally.

“I have no doubt that the Pathfinder course will help youngsters start their driving career responsibly and equipped with advanced safe driving skills they will never forget.”

The venue

The private show grounds at Stoneleigh include extensive open areas criss-crossed by metalled roads. Traffic lights, roundabouts, one-way roads and manoeuvring areas are being set up to provide a simulated road network. Youngsters’ progress will be carefully monitored throughout the six days in a combination of theory and practical driving.

Pathfinder runs 25th-27th October and 30th October-1st November inclusive, 09.30-16.30 daily (except Thursday 27th when the day is extended to include driving after dark)

The course is the first event in a proposed programme that is expected to be rolled out throughout the UK.

The event is organised by U17 Drivers Pathfinder Limited, an educational trust set up by the custodians of the Under 17 Car Club, which has taught more than 3,000 11-16 year olds to drive
Sponsors are AA Driving School, Jaguar Land Rover and, leading the initiative, Warwickshire County Council

CLICK HERE for more details.

Source: Easier.Com motoring website

THERE is no road rage and no rush hour and just one mini roundabout, down on the pier.

The quiet roads in Gairloch are credited with helping its learner drivers to become the most proficient in the UK

Traffic lights appear only when the council is digging up the road. And the main hazards, if you can call them that, are single-track roads and the occasional sheep asleep in the fast lane.

Welcome to Gairloch, a learner-driver’s haven. This tiny West Coast village (population 1,056) is the top place in the UK for passing your driving test first time.

Figures released by the Driving Standards Agency show that Gairloch has an admirable 71 per cent pass rate at the first attempt. This compares with the lowest figure — 27 per cent — in Heaton, West Yorkshire.

Rural Scotland generally has some of the most proficient drivers, with eight test centres among the top ten in the UK with the highest pass rates. Lerwick, in the Shetland Isles, had a 68 per cent first-time pass rate; while Oban had a rate of 63 per cent; Lochgilphead, Campbeltown and Ballater 62 per cent; and Isle of Tiree and Cupar, Fife, 61 per cent.

English test centres fill all the bottom ten centres for pass rates.

Richard Greene, a local councillor, said: “Obviously we have a very competent local instructor, Jonathon Talloch. Maybe it is the mild temperament … you could say we have no road rage.” Mr Greene said he thought that there was a different mindset when driving in Gairloch, a 150-mile round trip from Inverness. The final four miles of the journey into the village were on single-track road, as were all the local side roads. This, he said, made drivers more aware, cautious and better at anticipating.

A spokesman for the Driving Standards Agency said that the regional variation was due to drivers in some areas being more prepared for their test than others. “The wealthier the area, the more money budding motorists have to spend on lessons,” he said.

Source: The Times Online website by Melanie Reid

The following taken from DSA website quote ‘ 

Statistics Information

The practical test centre pass rate statistics are influenced by a number of factors. It is not necessarily true to say that some test centres are easier than others, as the number and ability of candidates presented for test at any one centre can make a difference statistically.

Socio-economic factors also have a significant bearing on pass rates. The wealthier the town/area, the more likely people are to invest more money in lessons and to have more opportunities for private practice (access to family vehicle(s) etc.). The age and gender of the candidates will also affect the pass rate at the test centre. In general, younger candidates have a higher pass rate, and males have a higher pass rate than females.

DSA is well aware of the variances in pass rates between test centres. We monitor them very closely and, from the ongoing quality assurance work we carry out, we have established that there are acceptable reasons for the differences. Test centres located in conurbations tend to have high throughput and lower pass rates. Those in rural areas tend to have higher pass rates but lower throughput.

When comparing pass/fail statistics, it is important to take account of the differences in location, the deprivation of the local area and the age and gender of the candidates, alongside the number of tests conducted.

‘unquote.

Gairloch has only one test route shown on the DSA website, whereas Bradford (Heaton) has twenty two. Does anyone think that could make a difference?

LEARNER drivers could be spared the ordeal of having to convince a driving examiner of their ability to reverse round a corner or parallel park, under plans being considered by the Tories.

Performing a three-point turn could also disappear from the test under the proposals.

Generations of learner drivers have failed because exam nerves have made them incapable of carrying out these manoeuvres.

Instead, under proposals drawn up by Robert Goodwill, the party’s roads spokesman, these routine tasks would be “signed off” by a qualified driving instructor before the test takes place.

Under the current arrangements, learner drivers have to perform two out of three of these manoeuvres successfully to pass the test.

The Tory proposal would entail all three being completed successfully, but before the test itself.

It would free up 10 minutes from the test itself, which would be dedicated to more time on the road in traffic.

The Tories believe that the young drivers who pose the greatest risk are to be found in the ranks of the overconfident novice motorists who sail through their test, rather than their nervous counterparts.

However the party believes that extra safeguards would be necessary to ensure that instructors do not “sign off” these skills prematurely.

One option would be for “mystery shoppers” to carry out spot-checks on driving schools to make sure that these manoeuvres are being properly assessed.

The Tory initiative comes as the Government is considering the biggest overhaul in the driving test in more than five decades.

Both parties believe an overhaul is necessary to ensure that novice drivers are better qualified to take to the road on their own.

It is estimated that around 300 drivers and passengers are killed by motorists who have passed their test within the previous two years.

Ministers’ plans entail splitting the test into two with the manoeuvres being carried out separately from the rest of the exam and expecting candidates to produce a certificate, signed by their instructor, of their readiness to be examined.

The Tory proposals were given a cautious welcome by Rob Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.

“I think this is fine,” he said. “It would enable examiners to focus the test on other key skills such as hazard awareness, journey planning an so on.

“This would be a much better use of time. However the only query I do have is whether it would mean that everyone would have to have some professional tuition.”

Source: Telegraph website, By David Millward, Transport Editor

Check out what the general public think about the proposals in this article on the Telegraph website!

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, a2om BTEC in Driving Science, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

ALL of the major English speaking countries in the world, except for the UK, have some form of graduated driving licence.

The schemes are intended to allow new drivers time to build up their skills, confidence and road experience so that they become fully competent behind the wheel.

In New Zealand the scheme is described as “a powerful tool to limit the number of accidents on our roads”.

And in Canada graduated licences have been hailed as a “resounding success in reducing death and injury among novice drivers”.

Graduated licence systems create fixed lengths of time before drivers can advance to the next licensing stage.

Restrictions usually relate to things that have been proven to affect a novice driver’s ability, such as blood-alcohol levels, driving in the dark, or with passengers.

But now, as the Government’s Learn To Drive consultation nears an end, it is expected that recommendations for more pre-test learning will be made, rather than further testing once a licence is granted.

That goes against pleas from the Lancashire Telegraph, the road safety charity Brake and even the influential Commons Transport Select Committee.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said that a GDL would work in the UK.

He said: “I hope that the Government has listened during this consultation period and takes heed of what is said.

“The number of young people dying on our roads, especially here in East Lancashire, is far too high and the range of imaginative and workable ideas that form the Wasted Lives campaign deserve to be listened to.

“They have the support of the police and the support of the majority of the public.

“Similar schemes have worked elsewhere in the world and that cannot be ignored.”

The Telegraph’s Wasted Lives campaign has called for a two-part driving test to be introduced to include a series of modules that must be passed before sitting the Part One test.

Then, after a minimum of one year has passed, a Part Two test can be sat. Between passing the two tests a motorist must prove their ability to drive in a number of different circumstances, including night-time and motorway experience.

After passing Part Two a driver will still be limited to a car of no more than 100bhp for two years, will not be allowed to carry any passengers aged between 10 and 25 except family members and in an emergency.

Other recommendations include the immediate loss of a driving licence if a driver under 25 is caught doing more than 10mph over the speed limit.

This echoes what has been happening across the world for years.

In New Zealand a multi-stage graduated driving licence was introduced as long ago as August 1987. Learners cannot pass their test until they have six months of experience behind the wheel and then they can only possess a restricted licence which they must hold for 18 months.

In the USA to address the high fatality rate among teenage drivers, most states have adopted one or more elements of a GDL system. Many include restrictions on carrying passengers.

In Canada a two-step licensing process takes at least 20 months to complete.

Pendle MP Gordon Prentice said: “What I want and what the Telegraph wants and what the people of East Lancashire want are graduated licences, and restrictions on novice motorists.

“The statistics make it clear that many young male drivers are a danger to themselves and other road users.”

In New Zealand restricted licence holders must not drive between 10pm and 5am unless accompanied by a supervisor and cannot carry passengers (apart from spouses and dependents) unless they have a fully qualified adult with them. A second, more advanced test is in place, which focuses on higher order driving skills such as hazard perception, and restrictions are then lifted.

A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Transport said: “Overall there has been a reduction in the number of 15-24 year old drivers involved in crashes since 1985.

“The system is seen as a powerful tool to limit the number of accidents on our roads.”

A 2002 study, by the Injury Prevention Research Unit in New Zealand, found that young people were reasonably accepting of the restrictions, although they did not like having passenger limits placed upon them.

In the US, a graduated system was first introduced in Florida in 1996. To address high fatality rates among teenage drivers, most states have since adopted one or more elements.

In California after passing a practical test and receiving a provisional licence, the holder must not drive between midnight and 5am for the first year and must not carry passengers under the age of 20 for the first six months. A full licence can be applied for at 18.

The NHTSA study on California reported a 20 per cent reduction in at-fault fatal and injury crashes for 16-year-old drivers, and a 21 per cent reduction in deaths and injuries amongst teenage passengers of 16-year-old drivers.

A rigorous graduated licensing scheme was introduced in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 2000.

NSW drivers must pass three different stages over a period of four years before they get a full, unrestricted licence.

Throughout this process they must notch up a certain number of hours behind the wheel, are subject to varying speed restrictions and must not only pass a practical test but also two theory exams based on hazard perception and safety knowledge.

In 2004, the year after the drivers undergoing the new process became fully qualified, the fatality figure of 510 was the lowest recorded since 1947.

The figure dropped again in 2005 to 508 fatalities, and the number of people seriously injured also fell from 26,323 to 25,209.

British road safety charity Brake said that about one in eight UK licence holders was aged 25 or under, yet more than a quarter of motorists killed are from this age group.

The charity believes the introduction of a graduated licence system would change these statistics.

A spokesperson for Brake said: “Urgent measures are needed to improve the road safety of young drivers.

“Brake would like to see the introduction of graduated licensing to help prevent the tragic deaths of teenagers on our roads.”

Source: The Lancashire Telegraph website, by David Watkinson 

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

THE Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is updating part of its national award-winning campaign Arrive Alive.

Arrive Alive sends driving examiners into schools and colleges, young offenders units, prisons and other youth groups within the 16-19 target age range to deliver important safe driving messages to youngsters.

The aim is to improve attitudes towards learning to drive, the driving test and the longer term skill of safe driving for life.

The DSA has chosen to launch its Arrive Alive Module One at Brockenhurst College’s Drive Safe event which aims to raise awareness of the importance of road safety to it’s students, staff and the wider community.

The event on Thursday September 25 will take place between 9.55pm to 3pm.

The new module is based on Department for Transport research which has shown exactly which attitudes and behaviours to prioritise if we are to reduce casualties among the young. These include attitudes towards risk taking, drink & drugs, speed, rural roads, seatbelts, night driving, distractions and vehicle handling.

The DSA’s Chief Operating Officer Brian Gilhooley said:

“The Driving Standards Agency is delighted to be involved in an event like Drive Safe which has road safety for young people at its core.

Our new Arrive Alive Module One shares this aim and has been refreshed to reflect the attitudinal issues affecting young people learning to drive today.

The topics are presented in an interactive and engaging way to connect with young people”.

An independent evaluation of the programme carried out by BITER (The British Institute of Traffic Education Research) confirmed that the overall impact was very positive and the content was relevant to the age group targeted.

DSA has received a number of road safety awards for our Arrive Alive programme and we deliver over 6000 presentations a year.

Source: The DSA website

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

NEW Three Counties Radio interview today!.

View BBC Look East interview to see BADDIA Chairman, Paul Burchell and BADDIA Secretary, Pat Zanghi give their views on this important issue, Paul also appears on ITV Anglia News in an interview with Emma Baker.

Click here to view the ITVAnglia News item.

Click here to view the BBC Look East News item. 

Paul has also done interviews on BBC 3 Counties Radio and Chiltern Radio.  The interview on BBC 3 Counties can be heard on their website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/three.shtml

Let us hope that common sense will prevail.  Please keep those blog comments coming in!

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

AFTER FIVE years’ planning, the Driving Standards Agency today announces its ‘eco-safe’ driving campaign: instructors will begin teaching new techniques that will eventually allow examiners to judge the environmental impact of a student’s driving. At the end of the test, students will be told how they can better cut vehicle emissions, save fuel and save money.

Paul Helbing, a driving instructor of 26 years, said that he was going to teach me a new way of driving.

Mr Helbing told me to drive in my normal style. What he did not know was that I can barely drive, let alone with style.

I stall at roundabouts, I rev to high heaven on hill starts, and I have trouble steering in a straight line.

“Well,” Mr Helbing said after 20 minutes of my efforts, as he wiped the sweat from his brow, “we can all improve.” “You won’t take away my licence, will you?” I asked nervously.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think I can,” Mr Helbing replied. “But I’m going to teach you eco-safe driving. With the emphasis on safe. Safety should never be compromised.”

It is a canny campaign. “People tend to look on saving money as the be-all and end-all, especially in the current climate,” said Bob Millard, an assistant chief driving examiner involved in planning the campaign. “You use less fuel, you save the environment, but you also save cash, and that’s something that people really latch on to.”

Trials have shown that drivers use an average of 8 per cent less fuel with eco-safe methods. Newly qualified drivers can save up to 15 per cent.

Focusing on learner drivers provides instructors with a clean slate to work on, Mr Millard said.

Some of the principles of eco-safe driving go against everything an experienced driver may take for granted, said Mr Helbing said: “Brakes used to be so inefficient, you needed to use gears to slow down. The new saying is: ‘Gears are for going; brakes are for slowing’. You should only change your gears when absolutely necessary.”

Mr Helbing has been known to change from fifth gear to first in one swoop of the stick.

Eco-safe driving also advocates judging gaps when approaching roundabouts and junctions, taking your foot off the accelerator and rolling through them without stopping. “If you’re looking for ways to save fuel, you’ll see the hazards well in advance and it makes you a safer driver,” Mr Millard said.

As I attempted another 20-minute drive, this time using eco-safe techniques, Mr Helbing’s hands hovered over the steering wheel. I jumped a red light, went round a country corner in fifth gear, and stalled as I turned into a parking space. Nevertheless, it felt better — smoother, easier and safer.

An eco-calculator on the dashboard showed that I had used 1.49 litres of fuel, half a litre less than my first 20-minute drive. The DSA official in the back seat felt only slightly nauseous. And Mr Helbing did not even break into a sweat.

Source: The Times Online website Hannah Fletcher

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.