Driving Lessons Videos Test Tips and Advice

Here is a quick driving test tip to help prevent you from failing the dsa practical car test while performing your maneuvers.



Take the extra seconds required to apply the handbrake if you stop to take effective observations, need to check your position, allow a car to get past you or regain control of the vehicle. The DSA examiner will not penalise you if you don't apply the handbrake during a maneuver, but what I have observed with my test candidate while giving driving lessons in Mill Hill which as the name suggests has a lot of hilly roads, is that they fail to use the handbrake, lose control as the car starts to roll, panic especially with other cars waiting, and I have to intervene!

You need to treat every driving lesson as if it were the test, and do exactly what you intend doing when the DSA examiner is in the car, marking the DL25 form! Don't lie to yourself and say I won't do that on the day, because with the pressure of driving test nerves and all that goes with it (desire to pass, theory pass certificate running out, new job depending on success), it is the habits that you have formed during your training sessions with your instructor that will come out!

It might not be compulsary, but if it keeps you safe, and there is a higher possibility of you passing by doing it, then the extra few seconds it takes is surely worth it, afterall how badly do you want to get rid of those 'L' plates.

If you require high quality driving tuition from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032.

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

From the 6th of April 2010, there is a minor change in the DSA practical test where the examiner will ask all test candidates if they want their driving instructor or another person such as the person that taught them how to drive to sit in the back of the car and accompany them on the practical driving test.



Prior to this change, the test candidate who wanted to have someone in the car during the 40 minutes of the assessment would have to inform the examiner at the beginning. This new procedure is a compromise to the earlier DSA proposal that wanted driving instructors to compulsarily sit on tests.

There is still one more radical change to be introduced into the test in october 2010, a 10 minute independent driving section and reduction of manuevers to one.

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032, remember there is more to passing than going over driving test routes.

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

You can expect to have to drive on dual carriageways on most UK driving test routes, so here is a reminder of the rules and tips to bear in mind during the 40 minutes assessment with the dsa examiner.



1. Always drive in the left lane except when overtaking or turning right on the dual carriageway.

2. If you have to change lanes, use the MSM routine, making sure that you signal early enough to allow other road users enough time to know what you are doing (your car should not start drifting out of position) before you check your mirrors or signal with your indicators).

3. Be extra careful when moving into the middle lane of a 3 lane dual carriageway, as another vehicle might be moving into the same lane (for example if you are moving from the 1st lane, there might be a car moving from the third lane into the 2nd at the same time, so make sure you do a shoulder check).

4. Do make progress while on a dual carriageway, you don't want to fail the test for driving too slow.

5. If joining a dual carriageway from traffic lights or emerging via a junction, be on the look out for signs that tell you what the speed limit is, otherwise drive at the speed of the last road you came from until you see a new speed limit sign.

6. Get a lot of practice during your driving lessons on joining a dual carriageway via slip roads, so you know how to do this safely, as you should not cause other road users to slow down or change direction by your actions.

7. Be confident of handling high speed dual carriageways (70MPH like the A1 in Hendon/Mill Hill), as you have no excuse for not making progress if it is safe to do so.

As a driving instructor in Mill Hill, I can provide very high quality tuition covering the dual carriageways in the NW7 and NW4 areas so why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032 if you need practical help with these DSA required skills.

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

If you are serious about passing the driving test, then you need to read the DSA driving test appointment letter sent to you confirming your date and time as the following article has some lessons to learn from other's mistakes.

Apart from information about the details of where your test will take place, there is a lot there that could affect whether you will actually take the test or not.



I was at Mill Hill driving test centre one day when someone arrived more than 5 minutes late rang the bell, and appologised to the examiner for arriving late, his excuse was that the bus was delayed! He was attending a test expecting the DSA to provide a car! If he had read the appoitment letter back and front, he would have known that he has to provide a car, and what the requirements of the dsa are for it to be used!

Yesterday I picked up a test candidate for the test, and while checking the documents, I asked where is your provisional licence counterpart, he replied upstairs in my appartment! So I had him go back and get it as he obviously had not read the letter which says you need both parts in order to take the test irrespective of if you have a current valid passport to verify your idendity an important lesson for foreign licence holders who think they might know it all, after all they passed the theory with minimum of fuss.

The reason the counterpart is required is so that the examiner can verify you have not been banned from driving, in which case the driving test can not go ahead.

If using your own car on driving test, then you need to read the letter to know what requirements it needs to fulfil, as I have seen many people lose their fee after turning up with cars that have bald tyres, break lights missing or broken windscreens.

The letter also mentions the simple eye test that is conducted, and how far away the number plates that you need to read will be placed, inability to read a DVLA regulation registration number plate will mean the assessment doesn't go ahead, you lose the test fee, and the DSA examiner gets a free break to have a nice cup of tea on your account.

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

Read my other Driving Test Tips, and by the way did you know the DSA is introducing independent driving in the test on 4th october 2010?

As I mentioned in a previous post, many of my learner drivers have had success in passing at the Borehamwood driving test centre, but that is not because it is an easy place to pass at, I only recommend it to those who have reached test standard and want an earlier test date than is available at Mill Hill test centre or Hendon.



This has meant that some have had to put in extra work in dealing with things like mini roundabouts, country lane roads, high speed dual carriageways, etc.

Passing at Borehamwood involves more that taking a 2 hour session with me just to go over driving test routes, and if that is all you want, then you are more likely to be one of the people who will end up failing the test with me, cause I can only give you advice from my experience, what you do with it is up to you, and I will still allow you to you use my instructor car even if I don't think you are likely to pass!

There is no easy test centre, and you need to be adequately prepared, fully knowing what the dsa examiner expects, having the confidence to deal with anything that happens on the road during the 40 minute practical car assessment. So don't cut corners put in the extra work required and pass at the next attempt don't wait till october when the dsa test gets harder and you have to do the independent driving element!

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

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

Subscribe to my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

The DSA is making changes to the driving test in october 2010, and will be introducing a 10 minute independent driving element requiring the test candidate to navigate to a predetermined point by either following a series of directions, road signs or a combination of both.

This video shows what you might be asked to do by the dsa examiner, and how an almost test standard learner pupil of mine reacted to the independent driving element of a simulated mock test.



Please note that this not one of the actual driving test routes that might be used in october 2010 for the practical car test.
To accomodate this new independent driving element of the test, candidates will only be required to carry out one driving test maneuver from october 2010.



It is not at the moment expected that the time for tests will be increased, but there is a great chance this might happen due to the likelihood of candidates going the wrong way and examiners might have to get them back on course, you are not going to be penalised for getting 'lost', as long as you continue to remain safe.

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

Looking for cheap driving lessons in the UK.

More Reading
Video advice on Independent driving.

Subscribe to my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

Here in the UK, there are no restrictions that stops a provisional licence holder from carrying passengers in a car including Kids while learning to drive, or practising in preparation for the driving test.



Here are the restrictions that apply to a provisional driving licence holder in the UK.

1. You are not allowed to drive a car alone, you must be supervised by a full licence holder.

2. You must display L plates on your vehicle while driving.

3. You are not allowed to drive on the motorway with a provisional licence, this includes full automatic priviledges using a manual transmission car.

So feel free to carry passengers with your provisional licence, but do bear in mind that you have a responsibility towards the people in the car, and that vehicle will handle differently with a full load compared to just you and instructor. You should also not exceed the maximum allowed passengers for the car you are driving, and make sure all children under the age of 14 are wearing seat belts or in a proper child seat or restrainer. I would also advice to be careful about having young children in the car as a learner, they could be a distraction, and hinder the learning process, so you need to ask your driving instructor if it is okay to bring a baby, toddler on a lesson (even if you have an appropriate car seat).

For more information, see also my provisional licence law article.



More reading
Independent driving on the test october 2010.
Driving instructor issues,


If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

I previously answered the question how many driving lessons will you need to pass the test, but of recent I have now been getting emails enquiring on how many hours of tuition they should have before they start learning test maneuvers with their instructor.



There is one important thing I need you to know about the number of lessons any indivdual takes when learning to drive, and that is how often they are taken!
If the same person takes 4 lessons once a week, compared to 2 lessons a week, the amount of progress made will be different. The more frequent your training sessions are, the more you are likely to remember, your confidence will grow more steadly, and the easier it will be to develop the required DSA skills.
Some complete beginners take 5 lessons over a 7 week period and wonder why their instructor has not taught them the turn in the road exercise, especially when their mate at school boasts that he was learning the maneuver after 5 lessons (taken over a 2 week period), not even taking into account their individual abilities.

As a driving instructor, I always tailor tution to the ability of the individual, the local roads around where they live and how they are making progress.

The normal steps would be moving off and stopping, then junctions turning left and right, then the 3 point turn (as most people call it), but there have been times when I had to introduce mini roundabouts early because a learner lived near them and had to know how to deal with them in order to drive from home.

So in a nutshell there is no set number of driving lessons before you start manouvers, also you need to take into consideration your ability and circumstances including how regularly your sessions with the instructor are and all these factors contribute to the amount of progress you make, and don't forget to keep your driver's record up to date.

14 April 2010: I just had a 2hr first driving lesson with a learner with some previous experience in a car park learning with his dad, and after doing moving off, stopping, a few junctions left and right, I taught him the DSA way of doing the bay parking exercise since he had tried this before practising with his dad.

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

I have already mentioned in the past, that it is possible for you to take and pass the driving test even if you have accumulated 6 points on your licence.



I have been getting a lot of email queries about driving lessons and points on provisional licence, as well as if one can still sit the DSA theory test.

The simple answer is yes you are still allowed to take driving lessons with a qualified instructor or be supervised by a parent if you have penalty points on your provisional driving licence.

The new driver's act applies after you have passed the practical test, though you can still be banned from driving by a court of law or if you get 12 points, in which case no licence, no lessons or test. This is why an instructor always insists on seeing both parts of your provisional licence before they take you out on the first driving lesson.

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

We should be seeing a new marketing campaign all over the UK soon from red driving school, as a £5 million media account has just been awarded to a new advertising agency following red driving school's recent buyout by the private equity firm Kelso Place.



One of the major goals of the new agency (Arena BLM) will be to increase the market share of driving results ltd the new limited liability company red operates under of the learner driver sector which red has not been previously strong in despite being the UK's largest ADI training organisation.

Red's previously marketing and advertising was handled by MediaCom based in Edinburgh.

More
Red driving school on BBC one

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

Subscribe to my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

I have previously posted full driving lesson articles on how to deal with roundabouts including videos covering mini, major and multi-lane versions of this type of junction, however I find that some learner drivers still don't understand the basic roundabout rules, so I'm going to restate them here to avoid any doubt.



1. You only need to give way to traffic on the right (on a mini roundabout this might include oncoming traffic indicating to turn right getting to the junction before you).

2. If you are turning left or right at a roundabout, you should be indicating on approach (you DO NOT signal on approach if following the road ahead).

3. If you are turning left or right at roundabouts, use the left or right hand lanes if available respectively, or positon your car appropriately. As a driving instructor I have seen learners at test standard on lessons trying to use the left hand lane to go right!

4. You always indicate left to exit a major roundabout.

5. You do not need to indicate left when coming off a mini roundbout.

6. Once on a roundabout, you should not be stopping for or giving way to traffic approaching the junction.

See video below for additional information:



If you have any doubt about these basic roundabout rules, get a copy of the highway code and study it.

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

As a learner driver you might not have to fill up at the petrol station during driving lessons, but you will pass the driving test one day, buy your own car, and have to fill it up with fuel, so will you get a suprise on your first visit like the lady in the video below?



Part of learning to drive should include knowing how to keep your driving running costs down, so don't leave it till you've got that full british licence before understanding that car needs fuel to run, and unleaded is not the same as diesel.

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032.

Tip on how to fill up at petrol station.

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

I am not one of those driving instructors who take or make mobile phone calls during student's driving lessons (handsfree bluetooth or otherwisse), nor do I text other learner drivers while you practise your test maneuvers. This means that you get my undivided attention during your one or two hour driving lesson, and I make sure attention is paid to detail (mirror checks, blind spots, correct use of POM and LADA).



All this means that sometimes if you call me, you might not get a response till later in the evening if I'm having a very busy day at the office or the next day if I don't go home straight after driving lessons.

I can't risk losing my green badge as this will happen if I as an instructor gets more than 6 points on my licence. A recent new client of my told me of his ADI being stopped by the police while on the phone during a lesson!

If you require high quality driving lessons from a very helpful, patient and fully qualified instructor, then why not call or send me a text message on 07956233032

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 my Driving Test Tips so you don't miss any future articles and get DSA updates direct to your inbox by Email service is provided and powered by feedburner, so I don't personally keep your email addresses, and you can removed yourself anytime after passing the driving test with just one mouse click.

Read my article about a cheap no contract SIM for students and teenagers.
Driving instructor time wasting tactics.