Driving Lessons Videos Test Tips and Advice

As a learner driver you would have had to deal with many aggressive and impatient drivers who can't stand the sight of an 'L' plate being displayed on the car in front of them irrespective of how good or bad it is being driven, and you would be saying when I pass my driving test I won't be like them!

While not all full British licence holders are inconsiderate of learner drivers, there are far too many of them out there making their life on the road very difficult, and the thing is every single one of these aggressive drivers were once learners themselves and they all had to endure the same abuse while preparing for their driving test.

So the question is when you get that coveted pass certificate, and your full pink license has arrived in the post from the DVLA 3 weeks after the DSA examiner posted your provisional and you are riding along in your lovely automobile, are you within a few months going to join the ranks of the many drivers out there who can't bear to see a driving school car or a private vehicle displaying 'L' plates and treat them like second citizens just because you are in a hurry to get to somewhere that might not be that important, and start to intimidate them by tailgating, overtaking dangerously, beeping your horn, etc.

What type of driver are you going to be when you pass your driving test?

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With the credit crunch hitting the economy hard only someone living in a dream land would believe that driving instructors are not affected as the red driving school instructor training programme sales people seems to be telling potential ADIs.

So how does one cope as a driving instructor during times of economic downturns?
Well you've got to put your business cap on, because being an ADI is not a job, but a business venture.
Personally for me, it has been a two fold effect, I've been getting a lot of calls from people looking for £15 driving lessons, which has meant fewer conversions from initial learner driver enquiries, while on the other hand I've had more people coming to me for tuition after deciding that it was too expensive learning to drive with national organisations like AA driving school, BSM, RED, etc and look for cheaper lessons from local independent instructors.

Keeping driving school afloat

Just like any other business, the first thing you do as an owner is see if you can reduce any costs, which with a driving school is not easy since most costs are either essential, or contracted, so immediate action is not possible.
You could however think about downsizing your driving school car, a little inconvinience from driving a less powerful car would see a smaller leasing fee, as well as less money being spent on petrol, especialy with the cost of fuel rising.

Other costs that could be reduced are mobile phone bills. Do you really need a contract phone with a monthly fixed cost, would a pay as you go option work, especially if you use alternative means to make calls and text messaging in the evening (landline calls could be free from home, and you could send text messages from the computer). These are business decisions that need to be made when you are suffering an economic downturn such as the current credit crunch.

Driving School Marketing

Every driving instructor must have a way of marketing their services to potential clients, and now more than ever, you need to work even harder to make sure that as many potential learner drivers as possible are aware of your driving school, the prices you charge, and why they should come to you as opposed to the instructor down the road!
Advertising is something that you should consider doing, Coca Cola the most successful drinks manufacturer continues to advertise despite it's huge success and established brand name, so you need to use this means of marketing.
You should however closely monitor all your advertising efforts and find out which one works for you. I always make sure I ask each enquirer where they got my number from. Don't just continue to advertise in the local paper, Yellow pages unless they are bearing dividends and a return on your investments.
You should also get a driving school website, and include well written marketing pages that will persuade potential clients to use your services.

Driving lesson prices

I don't think it is a good idea to offer cheap driving lessons just to get more clients. You are running a business and trying to make a living, and you need to make a profit, so your prices must be set with that in mind.

As a business owner/driving instructor there are a few things you can do to survive the credit crunch, so don't just only hope that things will change soon, be a part, by making changes.

More Reading
Red Driving School debate.
Driving School Marketing ideas for instructors
Pay as you Go Cheap ADI Training.
Cheap driving lessons london

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One of the most important things you need to remember while on the UK driving test, is that your driving must not affect other road users in a negative way (causing them to slow down, change direction or put them at the risk of danger). Road users range from people (pedestrians), bicycles, motor cyclists and other motor vehices, and of these, the most vulnerable are pedestrians so you will fail the driving test it at any time your endanger them during your practical car road test (splashing them by driving through a puddle is something I continue to warn learner drivers against whenever it rains).



Maneuvers are particularly important times where you need to be very observant when it comes to other road users, and you need to have enough driving experience to have dealt with the various scenarios that you might encounter on the test. knowing when to stop or continue while on the left reverse round the corner for example is something you won't know if you've only done it 5 times before on a particular corner someone has told you is on your local driving test centres route. How many times have you had people walk behind your car while you are reversing? Would you be able to have seen them while trying not to touch the kerb, look out for other cars, keep the car slow, deal with test nerves all at the same time? You can't blame someone else (the pedestrian in this case for not waiting for you to complete the maneuver) if that action caused you to fail the driving test.

Aggressive drivers

It is a shame that there are so many inconsiderate road users out there that would show aggresive behaviour to learner drivers who are trying to gain experience and pass their driving test, however it is part of the learning process knowing how to deal with these type of people. Anyone putting in for a practical car assessment would have passed their driving theory test and should know the appropriate action to take when being followed closely by another vehicle, which is what you should be making an effort to practice during your lessons with your instructor or supervising driver.
No matter what the car behind you is doing, you should not emerge into a junction to turn right if it is not safe (even if you missed one safe gap which you might have been given a hesitation driving error for) on both sides. Don't bow to the pressure of the fact that you have been waiting for a minute, if it is not safe, it is not safe, and the examiner will not expect you to do something dangerous to please the car behind you.

If you are not sure of what to do, ask your driving instructor, if you don't have one, you could even have a quick word with a DSA examiner after a test at your centre (they wouldn't be able to teach you what to do, but can answer what they would do on a test if a candidate was waiting at a busy junction for over a minute).

Get enough driving experience under your belt with driving instructors, and don't allow not knowing how to deal with other road users fail you on the test and deny you your pass certificate and full British licence.

More reading
Driving Test Nerves
Bad lessons before practical test.


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I didn't post this information yesterday, just incase people thought it was an April Fool's day joke, but DSA driving test fees have gone up again.

It now costs £31.00 to take the driving theory test for cars and motorcycles and the practical car driving assessment is now £62 weekdays and £75 for weekday evenings and weekend tests.



If you are fortunate enough to have been a disqualified driver, then it will cost you £124.00 weekday or £150.00 for the priviledge of an extended saturday driving test.

Potential/Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) theory test fees will increase to £90 from 24 April 2009, while part 2 and part 3 fees will be £111.

More DSA News
New driving Test oct 2010

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