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

Driving Instructors in Bedford urge learners not to skimp on taking professional, good quality driving lessons. 

Figures show that nearly 300 people took their driving test for the tenth time in 2011 and only 88 of them passed.

Driving Instructors in Bedford urge drivers to keep up to date with the Highway Code and brush up on their driving skills.

New research has revealed that British people have so little knowledge of the Highway Code that two thirds of us are totally confused by basic road signs on a daily basis.  The study found one in three drivers admit they get so bemused they simply follow the car in front when they are not sure what to do.  Despite such understanding being an essential part of the modern driving test, more than half of us simply ignore signs. 

Confusion: Many British drivers do not pay attention to road signs and others have admitted that they don’t understand them.  The research by motor oil company Castrol discovered that one in 20 motorists even confess they ‘never’ take notice of highway signposts.  And three per cent of drivers said their confusion over road signs had led them to have an accident – that’s the equivalent of just over 1.3 million incidents.

Expert: Quentin Wilson said he was shocked that 28.6 million motorists appear to be baffled by road signs.  When shown ‘give way’ road markings, half did not know what it meant and one in 20 even believed it meant they should wind their window down and listen for approaching vehicles.  A third believed the ‘no motor vehicles allowed’ sign meant the complete opposite – that only cars and motorbikes were allowed.  More than half thought the ‘no waiting’ sign meant ‘no entry’ or ‘no parking’ and one in three believed diversion signs were not applicable to cars, and were instead for truck drivers only.

Disturbingly, one in four British people believe the ‘end of 30mph speed limit’ means they are not allowed to dip below 30mph.  Just over half of drivers have not looked at the Highway Code since taking their theory test.

Motoring expert Quentin Willson said he was shocked that 28.6 million motorists appear to be baffled by road signs.  He said: ‘It’s worrying to think the vast majority of British motorists have not got a clue about the road signs they see every day.  Signs are in place not only to help motorists navigate the road, but also for safety, and not taking the time to learn the most basic of instructions is lazy and irresponsible.  ‘There’s only a few pages of road signs in the Highway Code. It’s not War And Peace and reading five pages could one day save your life.’

Danny Edwards, 29, an office worker from London, said: ‘I do get caught out by the odd road sign and it can throw you off for a second.  ‘I have to admit I thought a sign that said no motor vehicles actually meant the opposite and have believed that for years.  ‘Some of them can be confusing and everyone ignores road signs from time to time. I see people pulling left turns all the time when they’re not meant to.  ‘I threw my Highway Code away when I passed my theory test and should probably brush up on it.’ 

By Daily Mail Reporter  2nd January 2012 

If you would like some expert advice and guidance from your local driving instructor in Bedford please call one of our BADDIA driving schools listed on the homepage.

Driving instructors in Bedford welcome the new theory test changes.

The days of cramming for the driving theory test may be over after it was announced that the exam’s questions and answers will no longer be planted in revision books, in a bid to stop learner drivers “simply memorising” the correct responses.

The changes come in reaction to Driving Standards Agency (DSA) fears that drivers were “learning by rote” and mean that the old system, under which many of the questions featuring on the test were reproduced word-for-word along with the answers in revision materials, will be swept away early next year.

“It is about getting people to actually understand the knowledge behind the driving theory, as opposed to just learning an answer and regurgitating it when the candidate recognises the corresponding question,” said a DSA spokeswoman.

She added: “We want to avoid the situation where people are able to sit down and recognise a question then write down the answer.”

The spokeswoman said that the changes, which will come into effect on 23 January 2012, were in response to a consultation with driving instructors who said that the current testing system encourages learner drivers to just use their memories, rather than actually reflect on the reasons behind pieces of driving theory.

The consultation, carried out in 2008 but only acted upon now, also revealed instructors’ fears that learner drivers viewed the theory test as “just something to get through before the real driving started”.

What is your view of these planned changes?  Please feel free to comment.   Bedford driving instructors are interested in your opinion.

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

Bedford Driving Instructors remind drivers to get their eyes tested

27.10.2011

By Alexa Kaczka

It is a well-known fact the people who require a prescription for their eyesight need to wear any required glasses or contact lenses when they are behind the wheel, but many motorists are failing to do so.

According to a new report by The Co-operative Motor Group, the number of drivers in the UK that have had their licenses revoked due to failing eyesight has more than doubled in the last four years.

New figures obtained following a Freedom of Information request by the Co-operative show that the number of drivers unfit to be on the road has risen from 1,597 in 2006 to 4,009 in 2010 – an increase of 151 per cent.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said he is not sure whether the rise in the number of people having their licence revoked is because more of them are failing to tell if their eyesight has deteriorated, or if motorists have simply been caught driving without their contact lenses or glasses.

“People don’t have to fear losing their licence, they just have to go to the opticians. We can’t stress enough the importance of having an eye check every two years, or more often if your optician says so,” he explained.

He noted that this is also another reason why the government should not weaken the eyesight part of the driving test, which it has proposed to do.

Mr Clinton said there is also still a patent need for education about the importance of regular eyesight checks.

It comes after a campaign was launched by Royal Sun Alliance that aims to increase the frequency of motorists’ eye tests in a bid to reduce the number of accidents occurring on UK roads.

According to the organisation, if drivers were to regularly visit their optician or optometrists to ascertain whether they need glasses or contacts lenses to drive, their boosted vision could significantly reduce road accidents and deaths.

Driving Instructors in Bedford would  like your views on this.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has announced his intention to consult on raising the national speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 miles per hour. The government plans to launch a full public consultation on the issue later this year with a view to implementing any change in early 2013.

• Government proposes 80MPH motorway speed limit

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

New theory test books published

Bedford driving instructors urge pupils to use official DSA study aids

New official driving and riding theory books were published on Monday 19th September to help candidates revise in preparation for changes to the test in January 2012.

Since theory tests began in 1996, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has published the questions and answers from the question banks for all categories of tests for cars, motorcycles, lorries and buses.

However, DSA announced last November that it was to stop publishing the multiple choice questions and answers, with unpublished questions being used from January 2012.

DSA’s Chief Executive Rosemary Thew said: “The reason behind the move is to stop candidates from simply memorising theory test questions and answers and learning by rote. The new books contain questions and answers for revision and also explain the theory behind each question.

“This approach to learning will help candidates to gain a better knowledge and understanding of driving theory which will help them respond correctly to the new, re-worded live questions used in the actual test.”

Other theory test products including CD Roms, downloadable PDFs and ebooks have been revised too and will be published shortly after the theory test books are published on 19 September.

The agency has also launched its first ever mobile phone apps for theory test revision, which have been developed to help candidates learn in this way.

To view the full range of official DSA products visit  tsoshop.co.uk/dsa.

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.