Driving Lessons Videos Test Tips and Advice

In a previous post I mentioned a practical test being terminated due to a fault with my then Ford Fiesta school car. In that blog I said that I will be changing the vehicle once my instructor car lease expired.



Well I have now moved over to using a 3 door Toyota Yaris as my school car for offering driving lessons to my clients here in NW London, and it seems to be much more reliable than the Ford Fiesta I was using previously. The reverse gear does not stick, the bonnet has no problems closing, nor does the seat tilting mechanisim fail. I'm looking forward to a few years of good service from my small Toyota Yaris 1.0, and though it is slightly less power full than the ford, I can live with that especially since it is more fuel efficient, and I'll be spending less on petrol costs.

The change to my school car has had a 2 sided effect for me as an instructor, while I haven't lost any of my current learner drivers, I have seen a few enquiries lose interest in taking lessons in the Yaris insisting in being more comfortable driving a Ford Fiesta. Having said that, many new provisional licence holders have commented on how smooth and enjoyable they have found learning in the Toyota yaris, with some saying the higher driving position has boosted their confidence behind the wheel.

While not all learners will allow the type of car used to affect their choice of driving instructor, for some (especially if close to a test), then the vehicle could sway their decision.

If you are thinking of using cheap driving lessons to learn to drive, you might want to think again about your choice.


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Wishing all you regular readers of my driving school blog a Merry Christmas, have a nice holiday, stay safe whether you are driving or taking public transport, be cabwise if using mini-cabs and extra cautious if being supervised in your own car especially if it snows again.

Those of you preparing for the driving test don't forget a copy of your highway code for ocassional reading, and wish you the best especially if you have a practical car test next week and are hoping to celebrate a new year with a full British licence (hopefully the weather will hold up for you).



I'll see you the other side of Christmas.

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Following my last ADI check test incident, the DSA had booked me in to see the SE-ADI at my local Mill Hill driving test centre for the 23rd of Dec at 09.00am. I had made up my mind that this time I was going to go for a role play test this time, and had completed the reply slip saying so, my expectations was that I'll be offering a remedial driving lesson, especially since I have been pretty busy this winter with many learner drivers wanting these.

The recent snowy weather last week hadn't made me have high hopes of the check test going ahead since neither Hendon or Mill Hill centres had carried out any driving tests since Friday, but since I hadn't heard from the examiner, I attended anyway, and wasn't surprised when I was told the assessment of my teaching ability will not be going ahead.

So I now have to wait again for another appoitment to be arranged in order for me to get my ADI grade sorted out and remain on the DSA register.



Thinking about becoming an instructor? Don't just make a decision based on the red driving school TV advertisement, do the proper research and know all the ADI training options available to you.

More Reading
Taking up a Red driving school car franchise.
ADI Number and online test booking.
Fit and proper person to be instructor.
How to know illegal driving instructors.

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Should a driving instructor take learner drivers out on the road for lessons in snowy and icy conditions?
Many full licence holders will say no because they are going to slow us down, and just be a nuisance to us.



The snow that fell in parts of the UK on Friday was perfect for giving driving lessons to some learner drivers on how to handle a car in icy conditions and also deal with other unsafe road users who might be ignoring the conditions.

I could demonstrate ABS kicking in, how stopping distances are greatly multipled, skidding when going round junctions, we even witnessed a car braking too harshly and running into parked car, not to talk of going round a junction to face a taxi reversing into the road and failing to stop even after using our horn to warn it of our presence. I had just been telling the pupil the importance of being extra slow at junctions in icy conditions!

As a provisional licence holder, you should take advantage of any driving lessons in snowy or icy conditions that may come your way (I havs had to cancel tution of conditions were too dangerous), as you don't want to find yourself driving a car in snow for the first time after passing your test with no previous experience.

If you are thinking of using cheap driving lessons to learn to drive, you might want to think again about your choice.


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During your driving lessons, you should have been taught by your instructor that when performing test maneuvers other road users have priority, and you should in no way hinder their progress. To this effect, you should have had experience of going round other learner drivers performing the 'turn in the road', 'parallel parking exercise' or 'reversing round the corner'.



Your instructor would have taught you how to know when it is safe, to make progress round learner drivers, so the question is why when on a test with a DSA examiner in the car, you don't do what you have been taught, but stop in the middle of the road waiting for the learner driver to complete a manuover?

Today not for the first time, I was out practising with a provisional licence holder the 'turn in the road', we had just done the first stage moved to the other side of the road, noticed a learner car approaching, so my pupil stopped to allow it to go behind us, but instead the car stopped, my pupil made eye contact (I had meanwhile noticed the examiner in his high visibility jacket) still the test candidate didn't go, so we finished the exercise.

I would expect at the minimum a driving error for hesitation, but the point I'm trying to make is don't change your driving habits on the test because you think you are being safe. You must be confident that what you have been taught is right, and be able to demonstrate this during your practical car assessment.

Thinking about becoming an instructor? Don't just make a decision based on the red driving school TV advertisement, do the proper research and know all the ADI training options available to you.

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Before starting any of the 4 driving test maneuvers that you might be asked to do by the dsa examiner, it is okay to adjust your mirrors to help you see more easily the bay parking lines or the curb for the reverse round the corner exercise. Just remember to put them back to the position for normal driving immediately you complete the maneuver before moving off.



Now because you are allowed to adjust your mirrors while performing a practical car test maneuver, don't stare in the mirror and forget to take effective observations around you, or you will miss the pedestrian walking behind the vehicle or the silent hybrid toyota overtaking you which you are swing out towards.

If you move off without re-adjusting your mirrors, don't panic, find a safe place to pull up on the left as soon as possible. Remember the candidate that passed the test with one error, he changed the mirrors to reverse round the corner, completed the exercise, was told to turn left, he moved off and turned into the new road realised the mistake, stopped on the left (mentioning he had to re-adjust his mirrors, not that he needed to), corrected the mirrors and continued with the test. At the end, the examiner did not mark him down for it.



If you are thinking of using cheap driving lessons to learn to drive, you might want to think again about your choice.

More Reading
DSA test routes
Dealing with other road users on the test
Handbrake use on practical test
left bay parking refrence points

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I am a DSA approved instructor (not member of IAM advanced driving organisation) based in London, and can offer driving lessons to those of you resident in the NW postcodes who need pratical help, advice and practice to pass the car driving test who don't currently have an ADI, have learnt to drive with a friend/family member and need their skills assessed or are looking to change instructors for whatever reason.



I say this for a few reasons, I don't work for the DVLA, and therefore can not help you with queries regarding whether you will receive a driving licence ban for whatever offence you were caught committing, nor can I tell you how many points a magistrate will give you for things like driving without insurance on a provisional licence not displaying 'L' plates alone and unsupervised. These anwsers can be provided by DVLA staff, solicitors who specialise in traffic offences and generally not by driving instructors who mainly give lessons to prepare you for the test and obtain a full licence.

In recent weeks, I have been getting a lot of emails or comments on this blog regarding points on licenses, asking if they will get banned for specific offences or what the DVLA will do now that they have 9 points and recently passed the test. Unfortunately I'm unable to answer any of these emails or comments (there are a lot of them for that matter), so please don't get offended if your email or comment has been ignored, as it will be too time consuming to reply to everyone even if only to say sorry I can't help you.

If you are concerned about losing your licence, then you need to seek legal advice in respect of your individual case with lawyers that are able to stop you from getting banned, otherwise you just have to wait and see what will happen. For those of you who are committing driving offences and haven't yet been caught by the police, now is a good time to amend your ways, as sooner than later, the long arm of the law will get you.

If you are thinking of using cheap driving lessons to learn to drive, you might want to think again about your choice.


More Reading
The New Drivers Act and 2 years probation.
Provisional licence, points and driving test


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As the christmas season begins to pick up pace, Transport for London (TFL) would like to remind those of you young female non drivers or provisional licence holders yet to pass their practical car test to be CabWise this festive season (some people might find this video upsetting).



While this Cabwise Advert might be directed at young females, it is good advice for everyone especially if you've had a couple of drinks and are trying to avoid being caught drink driving, then make sure you only get into a taxi, mini-cab that you have booked yourself to avoid being a victim of any form of crime.

For those of you learning to drive who might not have passed their test this year, don't give up and stop taking driving lessons, while 2009 might nearly be over, 2010 is another year, and it is still possible to achieve your dream, and not have to rely on taxis or mini-cabs.


Thinking about becoming an instructor? Don't just make a decision based on the red driving school TV advertisement, do the proper research and know all the ADI training options available to you.

Subscribe to Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles or get updates direct to your inbox by Email.

You are probably aware from your driving lessons that the sun is very low in the sky in winter especially early morning/evening and that visibility can be reduced at crucial places like when emerging at junctions, where road signs are placed, or when meeting traffic on narrow streets. So for this very reason you need to be extra careful when taking your driving test in winter, and that you adjust your reaction to changes in conditions.



Here a couple of useful tips that might prove valuable for those of you taking the DSA practical car test during the winter months here in the UK.

1. Use sun glasses. There is nothing wrong with wearing a pair of sun shades when driving, as it reduces the number of times you have to take your hands of the steering wheel to adjust the car sun blinds as the car moves in different directions in relation to the position of the sun (leave them in the car on the dashboard when you get to the test centre to meet the examiner, and put them on at the beginning of the test after you have answered your show me tell me questions). You probably will notice that the examiner will also have a pair of sun glasses too!

2. Use the appropriate speed for the conditions. It might not be safe to drive at the speed limit if you are facing the sun especially if the road has a lot of junctions or cars parked on it. Don't get pressurised by cars driving too close behind you, do what the examiner will expect you to do (maintain SAFE progress).

3. Don't miss those road signs. During my giving driving lessons, I find a lot of test candidates don't pay attention to road markings and signs, SLOW is painted on the tarmac for specific reasons, and in winter with roads being slippery due to black ice and poor visibility from the low sun in the horizon, ignoring this helpful information will only increase the likelyhood of you commiting a driver error which could classified as serious or dangerous. You could also find yourself being failed for being too slow if you miss the national speed limit sign on the A1 in Mill Hill for example on the approach to sterling corner roundabout, so do your very best to remain focused and pay attention to everything around you. This is one of the reasons why the DSA advices to have lots of practice once you have learnt the skills required on the practical car assessment, as if you learnt to drive a car in summer, but your test is booked in January, you might not have enough experience in winter driving to successfully deal with everything that might happen during the 40 minutes drive with the examiner.
4. Observations during maneuvers. It is very important when performing your driving test maneuvers in winter, that you take effective observations because it is even easier at this time of the year to not see a silver or gray car coming towards you either due to it blending into the background, or light reflections. This is not the time to rush because you want to end the test ASAP, and if you take the time to concentrate on controlling the car, it will be easier to look around without having your vehicle running out of space to complete the test maneuver.

The current UK driving test is tough, and you need to give it the proper respect it deserves, you will not get that desired pass certificate, if you show up half prepared, and you can't blame weather conditions or other road users for your failure (well you can if you want, but it doesn't take away from the fact, that it is your responsibility to demonstrate to the examiner that you've got what it takes to keep your car safe no matter what is happening around you).

Here is to wishing you success on your next attempt, having used those driving lessons (private or with an instructor) to gain enough experience to give you the skills, confidence and ability to make it.

Thinking about becoming an instructor? Don't just make a decision based on the red driving school TV advertisement, do the proper research and know all the ADI training options available to you.

Subscribe to Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles or get updates direct to your inbox by Email.

More reading
Test failed for not seeing junction in winter glare
Driving in Artic conditions UK