Last year we suggested you watch this video from BBC on how to drive in ice and snow     http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12015993

With a new onslaught of freezing conditions predicted and roads becoming more treacherous, the usual advice is not to drive unless you really have to.

But if your journey really is essential make sure you know how to drive on ice and snow.

If you would like further advice on driving in adverse weather conditions or whether you should be learning to drive in such conditions, please call one of our driving instructors in Bedford who will be pleased to help.

If you thought failing your driving test the first time around was bad luck, spare a  thought for a poor man in the UK that has failed his theory test a whopping 92 times – he hasn’t even had the chance to sit his practical examination yet.

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

Book your theory and practical test online

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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