Driving Lessons Videos Test Tips and Advice

If you are learning to drive a car, then you ultimately want to book a driving test, pass and get your full UK driving licence, probably do this as soon as possible in the shortest time availabe and spending the least amount of money in a matter or days or a week in some cases.

With the current credit crunch biting hard, I'm not surprised that many learner drivers are looking for ways of getting a guaranteed driving test pass from an instructor or school of motoring.



The only place you will be offered a guaranteed driving test pass is on some intensive driving courses, and usually what you do get offered is a free re-test and not your money back if you don't pass your DSA driving assessment.

The reason some of these crash driving courses offer these driving test guarantees is not because they are very good schools, but that the very nature of a 5 day or 1 week residential intensive driving course you will cover a lot of material in a very short period, and most people will be able to get to test standard given the number of driving lessons you will have over the days you will be there. These cram driving sessions will be exhausting, repetitive (which is good in the short term for the driving test) and have been designed for one purpose only, getting a pass and not necessarilly being a good driver! In fact if you don't drive for a long time after getting a driving licence through this means, it is possible for you to totally forget what you learnt during the week.

Don't expect to be offered a driving test guarantee by a normal local ADI for the usual weekly lessons as passing the test is up to the individual on the day, and no matter how well your instructor has prepared you, at the end of the day it is what you do during those 40 minutes while the DSA examiner is in the car that counts, and from experience there can be some very strange behaviours exibited, with some learner drivers acting totally out of character either due to driving test nerves, some wrong advice by friends or family or even a decision by the candidate themselves to do something they haven't be taught!

You as a learner driver can offer yourself a driving test pass guarantee by doing a few things:

1. Dont book a driving test until your instructor says so and you have covered the DSA syllabus and you know that you are truely independent at performing all tasks that will be required of you by the DSA examiner.

2. Get enough driving practise before presenting yourself at the DSA test centre.

3. Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the Driving Standards Agency. The DSA Website has all the information you need to know about the driving test to guarantee a pass. The DL 25 report form for example tells you how the DSA examiner assesses your driving. The DSA Book Driving - the Essential Skills: Safe Driving for Life is another valuabe resource that will make you a safe driver (un-safe driving is always a serious error) and thus give you a better chance of passing, and the book will clear up any grey areas you might have on what is safe or not safe to do on the test.

4. Build good driving habits. 40 minutes is a long time for a learner driver test candidate, and sooner than later all those bad habits will exhibit themselves, mirror checks, using the handbrake when necessary, moving off in the wrong gear, approaching junctions to fast, going over the speed limit! Don't do anything that will fail you on the test during a driving lesson, your excuse that 'I won't do it on the test' is you being a lazy learner driver!

Your Driving test pass guarantee is yourself, and the sooner you start putting in the necessary work, the more nearer you are to your goal of getting that coveted full UK license.

Dont forget you can't book another driving test with the DSA after failing for another 10 days, so no matter the course you are on, you might have to take another trip down for the second or third attempt. Tuition and test fees might be included in the guarantee, but lodging, travel, meals and time off work are certainly not. Read the small print and don't be sucked in by the sales pitch. These courses are not cheap after all.

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Recently I had a call from a potential learner driver client who told me that I had been recommended as an Instructor to him by someone who passed their practical car test when I was still giving AA Driving Lessons.

According to the caller, the person who recommended me could not speak highly enough of me, because they had been very impressed with the services I had offered them as an AA Driving instructor, the quality of learner driver tuition had been first class, I was never late for driving lessons, nor did I cancel training sessions booked which they said had been very structured, tailored to their individual ability and most importantly I had been able to record onto DVD their mock driving test and the last few AA driving lessons they had taken before the test which had been very helpful in making sure that they not only understood what they were doing wrong, but the remedy that we had used on the post mock lessons. All this according to the caller meant that the recommending person passed their driving test with flying colors (3 minors according to the caller, as I don't remember how many driving errors were committed).
All this the learner driver caller said had made them decide that they were going to use me as their instructor beginning January 2009 to achieve their new year's resolution of getting the full UK driving licence.

I checked with the caller what area of London they lived, whether they wanted manual or automatic driving lessons and informed them of the current hourly rate of tuition, checked that they were in possesion of a current and valid UK provisional licence, all of which they were happy with, and I was about to book a date in my diary for the first appointment, when they asked if AA driving Lessons were still conducted in the airconditioned Ford Focus car, to which I said yes, but that I was now an independent driving instructor, and while I no longer held a franchise with the AA organisation, I still offered all the services mentioned earlier and currently was using a Ford Fiesta as school car.

To my surprise, the caller said they would not be willing to take any tuition with me, because they specifically wanted AA Driving lessons. To cut a long story short, the person hung up the phone, and I did not secure the pupil because they were looking for lessons from a particular driving school.

Tuition with branded National Driving Schools

So the question is this, are you guranteed better quality tuition from the likes of AA Driving School, BSM, RED, LDC, Bill Plant just because they have a strong national presence and are established as a brand? The simple answer is no.
What many people don't know is that Driving Instructors are all self-employed and hold franchises from these national driving schools, are not employed, nor report to a boss at these organisations. In fact the driving instructors pay these organisations money to 'work' for them!

What this means is that the experience one gets when taking AA driving lessons for example depends solely on the instructor one gets, and has nothing to do with the brand name, which is why you see so many varied reviews of these motoring organisations. Some have good experiences, while others don't.
The only consolation you have when using a national driving school, is that you can complain, and get an instructor changed, and sometimes a token compensation for your troubles. Don't get me wrong, you will be paying a premium for taking Tuition with an organisation such as the AA driving school, BSM or RED, and usually the quality will follow, but it is never guaranteed, and you can get the same or better quality of driving tuition if you choose the right local independent ADI.

If you are one of those people who likes to stick with brand names, don't be surprised if you don't get the quality you are paying for, as you are dealing with human beings, and should request a change as soon as possible, on the other hand, you can find very good driving instructors working in your locality who will not cost you an arm and a leg, provide the service you desire, and will work their socks off to help you pass the driving test!
AA Driving Lessons are not just the only way of getting quality learner driving tuition nor does a brand guarantee you will pass or give the DSA examiner a better impression of you as a test candidate.

If you would like affordable quality manual driving lessons in North West London, then call me on 07956233032. I don't offer automatic lessons

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Here is an important tip about overtaking during the driving test. If the opportunity arises, and it is safe to do so, you will be expectd to overtake stationary or parked vehicles, so while on your driving lessons, you need to start practising this important skill that might be called upon and needs to be demonstrated to the DSA driving examiner.



The reason many learner drivers get stuck behind buses or vehicles that stop regularly is that they fail to plan and anticipate the action of the traffic ahead of them, and therefore at the last momement are flicking on their indicators to overtake or just wait behind the obstacle while other vehciles are going by.

The Overtaking Manoeuvre

The key to mastering any driving skill is understanding the basics, and then practising the skill until you are confident in doing it by yourself (the independent stage of the driver's record), and overtaking is no different.
First you need to identify a potential overtaking situation (am I following a public transport bus, a coucil dustbin cart, approaching a narrow portion of the road with cars parked on the left?), check your interior and right hand mirror, look down the road you are driving on, and if it is safe move your car position to the right a little to give you a clearer view of the road ahead (note that a signal is not required, your car position immediately informs those behind you that there is an obstacle that you are about to overtake it), and if safe you can continue with the manoeuvre passing the obstacle while keeping a lookout especially for junctions or any other road users that might not see you coming.

Things you shouldn't do when overtaking

Don't break the speed limit.
Don't overtake on the approach to pedestrian crossings.
Don't follow the leader! You must make sure that it is safe for you to carry out the manoeuvre, causing oncoming cars to slow down for you is a big NO NO.
Don't overtake when the road markings indicate it is not safe, or you can't see clearly ahead (there is a bend in the road for example).

Overtaking on a Dual Carriageway

You must indicate everytime you change lanes to overtake a vehilcle while driving on a dual carriageway, even if you only cross the lane lines for a small distance.
You still need to obey speed limits on dual carriageways.
Take extra care when moving into the middle lane of a 3 lane dual carriageway.

I have only mentioned the basics of overtaking, you need to make sure that you practise and practice with your driving instructor until you are totally confident with the various scenarios that could occur during the driving test. Don't get into the habit of always using your indicators when overtaking, yesterday I had a new learner driver (previous test experience, but hadn't driven for a year) who indicated to overtake a vehicle close to a junction, and the car following us was confused by the signal and wasn't sure if we were turning right or following the road ahead. This confusion could have been easily avoided if my learner had positioned the car early to overtake and not use the indicators. You don't want that happening on the practical driving test with a DSA examiner in the car.



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As a learner driver preparing for the the UK driving test, you've probably heard somewhere that the DSA driving examiners are not interested in passing you, that instead they would even go as far a tricking you into failing by getting you into various situations that would cause you to make a serious driving error.
First of all, let me say that as a driving instructor, most test candidates do not give the practical car assessment the due credit it deserves. The DSA test is a very high quality and demanding examination, and you should expect the examiners to follow the rules to the letter (while we know that the driving test is never 100% consistent), and the only way of having a guarantee of passing the driving test is if you aim to be an A plus student.

So do DSA driving examiners cause you to fail practical car test delibrately? The answer is no, and contrary to common belief, they do actually want you to pass, and will do their best to get you relaxed during the 40 minutes you are in the car with them. The problem is sometime the test candidates either don't know fully how the test works, or are too nervous to have noticed an instruction, or the lack of one.
Before you drive out of the test centre, the DSA driving examiner will give you a lot of information about the test, what is going to be covered in the assessment, and finally those famous words "I'd like you to follow the road ahead unless road signs indicate otherwise, if I want to turn, I'd let you know in goodtime". Those words are important, because they have just laid down a rule for you while driving, basically continue to follow the road ahead, but you must pay attention to road markings or signs, because there could be times when the examiner will not give you instructions (at a complusary right turn for example), yet you will still be expected to use MSM, with the signals being timed properly and the approach handled at the right speed! You can't complain that you didn't know which way to, and therefore didn't signal or had little time to slow the car down enough to deal with the junction safely.
Another example could be at a multi-lane roundabout which has 4 lanes on approach, you are told turn right it is the 3rd exit, if there are signs which tell you which lane to use, then the examiner is not going to advice you that both the 3rd and 4th lanes are for turning right, and that you need o be in the 3rd lane, they would expect you to follow the signs! On the other hand if there was traffic on approach to the roundabout, and all road markings where covered by cars, then the examiners will prompt you with some advice, as they don't expect you to be familiar with the area. Some large roundabouts especially on dual carriageways have traffic lights, and while the examiner will give normal instructions at the roundabout turn right 3rd exit, you need to notice the red light and not try to go because nothing is approaching from the right. If the lights are not working then you need to know that normal roundabout rules apply.

You are not a learner driver

Anyone presenting themselves to a practical car driving test at a DSA centre is not expected to be a learner driver! You might not be very experienced, but you are expected to be trained to the test standard, have had enough practical driving experience (private practice or with your driving instructor) to be able to independently deal with any situation that would arise during the test, and this is what the DSA examiner is looking for. They expect you to be able to plan your driving to deal with what is happening on the road ahead, be able to perform any of the set exercises competently and safely, and most importantly want you to have the right attitude towards driving and other road users. 40 minutes is a long enough time for you to show what your normal driving habits are, and those that have been relying on the little prompts from Instructors or supervising drivers, will now be struggling to be at ease and drive safely, and the DSA examiners are trained and experienced enough to know and pick up on this.

It is the job of the DSA examiner to make sure that the driving test is valid by covering a variety of road conditons, traffic and they are not supervising you during the 40 minutes of the assessment, and while they might throw you a life line by repeating an instruction, or advising that the current road is a National Speed Limit restriction, you should not be relying on that or indeed expect them to be linient towards you.
You don't have to make small talk with the driving examiner, if that puts you off your ability to concentrate, just let them know you prefer not to talk, and they will allow you to focus on the driving test.
Finally remember you are in charge and control of the car, if something starts to go wrong, immediately correct it, remember the faster the car approaches a junction, the faster you have to think, and the less likely you are to make a safe decision.
The driving test is your opportunity to prove to the DSA examiner that you can be trusted to be incharge of a vehicle unspervised, if you are totally prepared for it, and you go into the examination with the aim of making no mistakes because you haven't cut any corners and are dreading any situation, then you are move than likely to comeout as one of the 40% who pass!



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No matter how good or experienced your approved driving instructor is, he or she cannot make you pass the DSA pratical car driving test, that job falls squarely on your shoulders as the test candidate.

Your ADI will train you up to the standard required for the test (if you allow them to do their job, and they are not one of the few bad apples in the industry), will give you advice on what you need to work on, if you should change your test date or not, motivate and make sure you progress towards your goal of getting a full UK driving licence.

On the day of your driving test, all that training, advice, practice and motivation will be called to bear as you use the next 40 minutes or so during the assessment to convince the DSA examiner that you possess the required skills to safely be incharge of vehicle unsupervised. No matter what has happened in your driving lessons, the mistakes you might have made the previous day, or prior to arriving at the test centre, the examiner can only judge you on what you do during your time with him or her in the car. Even if you've taken a driving test with this examiner previously, they might not necessarilly remember you, and even if they have, they can't use that previous test result to judge you!

Your passing the test depends on you!

There is only one thing you need to do on the day to get that coveted test pass certificate, drive according to the required DSA standard, leaving the examiner no room to critise anything you do! Every single day roughly 40% of the candidates do that, so there is no reason why you can't do that as well, but you won't be one of them if you are relying on luck, or decide to ignore your instructor's advice, and do your own thing.
I've had many people go on the test, and for what ever reason have decided to take matters into their own hands ignoring what they've been taught, drive slowly thinking they are being safe and are surprised that they did not pass? If you are not sure why you need to drive a particular way, then why not ask you driving instructor. There is always a reason why the DSA requires things do in a certain way (pull push steering, using POM, using the handbrake at a pedestrian crossing, keeping both hands on the steering wheel), just because you don't think it is right or convinient, or because you don't do it in the country you got a foreign licence is irrelevant. If you want to pass the UK driving test and get a full British licence you have to do things the way the DSA wants them to do.

Don't be a border line driver!

For the best chance of passing the tough driving test that the DSA conducts, you need to be fully prepared, confident, and have enough experience to deal with anything you might come across while out on the test route. You need to be able to do all the maneuvers at the drop of a hat, remembering you need control of the car, while being safe and not a danger to other road users.
You need to be able to drive safely in various traffic and on different road conditions, including upto the National Speed limit of 70mph (even if you know that there are no roads that go that fast on the test route, diversions could occur due to an accident during your driving test).
Only the best preparation will do, if you know someone who touched the kerb while doing a turn in the road during their test and still passed, don't go for your test if you are still having the same problem, while driving tests should be consistent, don't expect to pass if you touch the kerb during a maneuver.

So just to summarise, listen to your driving instructors advice regarding the skills you need to pass the practical car test, and make sure you are totally prepared before expecting the DSA examiner to pass you. If you want to be among the 40% that pass, then be the best, you are no longer a learner driver, and the test is just the chance you need to ditch those 'L' plates.

Thought: Why are you still using an instructor if you don't trust their advice?

Recommended Driving test product

Focus Media's Driving Test simulator for the PC, which is a virtual test simulator based on the DSA driving test, with many videos and senarios to help build your experience required to pass.




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Learn to Drive Instructor Advice and Tips

Here is some information for those 17 year olds or anyone who wants to embark on the journey of learning to drive a car in the UK and might not be sure of where to start.

There are 2 types of people that would normally be learning to drive a car and preparing for the DSA practical driving test with the hope of getting a full UK driving licence either for a manual or automatic transmission car. One is a foreign or international licence holder from a country that the UK DVLA authorities does not exchange driving documents, and the other is an absolute beginner learning to drive in Britain for the very first time. These 2 driving test candidates will need to approach their learning in different ways due to their individual circumstances.

Foreign Licence Holder learning to drive in the UK

This class of learner drivers are the most difficult to teach to drive according to the UK system because they believe they know how to drive and most of these learners will only consult a professional driving instructor after failing to pass the DSA driving test after a couple of attempts.

The reason Foreign Licence Holders find the UK driving test difficult to pass is first of all they don't know what the DSA examiner is looking for, and secondly they have built up a lot of bad driving habits which are both unsafe and are hard to get rid of without help from an ADI.

Learning to drive as a complete beginner

There are 2 routes that a learner can take here, use a driving instructor or choose to go with family or friends using your own private car. Using a DSA approved driving instructor (ADI) means that from the beginning you will be learning to drive according to the required DSA standard (if you have chosen the right person, cheap driving lessons could end up biting you in the tail), following a structured drivers record and building up good habits.



If on the other hand you decide to learn to drive with your Dad, Mum, other family, friend, fiancee, then you've got to ask yourself is the person teaching me got the right skills and knowledge to give me a safe learning environment, and actually prepare me for the DSA driving test. The person teaching you would have passed their driving test a least 3 years ago, so do they know what the current driving test entails? Will they actually remember everything they were taught while they were learning to drive? What about the bad habits that they have picked up since passing and gaining their full UK driving licence? Are you going to wait until you've failed the DSA practical driving test a couple of times before you seek the advice of a driving instructor? Obviously the choice is yours, but it is important that you know the pros and cons of each method of learning to drive a car in the UK, especially if you want to pass the driving test at your first attempt.

Here is a short video showing a pupil learning to drive a car with me in London, UK. This indidivual had previous driving lessons, took a long break, and was now ready to restart aquiring the skills necessary to pass the driving test and be a safe driver for life.



It is important when learning to drive, that you choose the right person to give you driving lessons, dont just go for a driving instructor because he is offering the cheapest tuition near where you live, because you want to make sure that you are being taught the correct and safe way of doing things, and that your teacher is giving you the best quality tuition, and not just taking you out for a drive.

Learn to drive the correct way, develop the right habits, have the safe attitude towards other road users and most importantly choose a current DSA qualified driving instructor, come to UK driving school if you are in the North West of London, call 07956233032 for affordable quality manual driving tuition.



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Seasons greetings from the driving instructor in London, UK. Be cabwise this festive season.

For those of you who will continue learning to drive over this holiday period, take care during your driving lessons, because the roads might not be busy with a lot of traffic but there could be other dangers that you should be aware of, in particular make sure you look out for black ice.



If you are an ADI taking a break during this not so busy time of the year for driving schools, I wish you all the best, continue to work on your driving instructor marketing efforts, so you can pick up on all those New Year resolutions from learner pupils who will be looking to pass thier test and get a full UK licence.

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