The number of rouge driving instructors teaching illegally is steadily rising.
A recent stop and search by police in Bradford around a driving test centre netted many illegal instructors. Some had expired licences, and been removed from the DSA instructor register or had failed their professional exams and were teaching illegally.
'These measures are a good thing' said a local qualified instructor 'these guys teach from as little as £5 and put it into the minds of other students that this is a reasonable price for lessons' he went on 'ive had people phone me up for lessons trying to haggle on price before they have even seen the standard of my teaching'.
At National we support such measures that stop the devaluation of a serious qualified skill.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Driving Test Prices Going Up
Recently the DSA announced that it will again putting prices up for driving test fees. This increase applies to all tests both theory and practical for all types of vehicles and qualifications.
And in past many, many years everytime they increase the charges they have made sure not to increase the compensation for test cancellations.
This it seems is an unfair situation especially in the current economic climate when students take days of work only to be told that their examiner was delayed on the test before and cannot conduct their exam.
They have also stopped handing out compensation claim forms to students in an attempt to decrease the number of claims, and advise students to download it from the website.
Even if all this is done, the compensation paid is always halved to the amount claimed and the hire of the driving school car is limited for some unquantifiable reason to just one and a half driving lesson prices. Now this is very unfair as car hire for the day of the test is never that cheap, even in the most remote parts of the UK.
It is high time complaints were made to the transport minister to have changes made.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
And in past many, many years everytime they increase the charges they have made sure not to increase the compensation for test cancellations.
This it seems is an unfair situation especially in the current economic climate when students take days of work only to be told that their examiner was delayed on the test before and cannot conduct their exam.
They have also stopped handing out compensation claim forms to students in an attempt to decrease the number of claims, and advise students to download it from the website.
Even if all this is done, the compensation paid is always halved to the amount claimed and the hire of the driving school car is limited for some unquantifiable reason to just one and a half driving lesson prices. Now this is very unfair as car hire for the day of the test is never that cheap, even in the most remote parts of the UK.
It is high time complaints were made to the transport minister to have changes made.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
Driving Lessons Quality vs Price
As more and more driving instructors qualify ther is a steady increase in those deciding to set up their own driving schools. Unfortunately, for the industry to much competition can be a bad thing. As quality of service differs greatly accross the various companies.
A recent survey conducted by National driving school found that in SW London, there are many driving schools that prefer to use partly qualified instructors to teach their pupils. Who then in turn find themselves in the unfortunate position of failing their driving tests several times. And these schools are the ones that undercut quality schools on price.
Research showed that of all the driving schools surveyed in the boroughs of Wandsworth, Kingston, and Merton. 70% of schools were more interested in making money from the weekly franchise payments by instructors than in students welfare or progress. With 90% of schools not ensuring that students were progressing well or happy with their instructor.
Research also found that prospective learner drivers do not really know what is a good deal with regards to their driving tuition. With over 80% of students not even knowing if their instructor was indeed fully qualified or indeed if any of his or her students had even passed in the last few weeks. And 99% of students did not know that their are gradings and standards of instructors distinguishing between quality of tuition given.
A grade 6 is the highest grade while a grade 4 is the minimun required to be fully qualified. Part qualified instructors can be as low as grade 1 with a high student test failure rate as they have yet to pass their final instructor exams.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
A recent survey conducted by National driving school found that in SW London, there are many driving schools that prefer to use partly qualified instructors to teach their pupils. Who then in turn find themselves in the unfortunate position of failing their driving tests several times. And these schools are the ones that undercut quality schools on price.
Research showed that of all the driving schools surveyed in the boroughs of Wandsworth, Kingston, and Merton. 70% of schools were more interested in making money from the weekly franchise payments by instructors than in students welfare or progress. With 90% of schools not ensuring that students were progressing well or happy with their instructor.
Research also found that prospective learner drivers do not really know what is a good deal with regards to their driving tuition. With over 80% of students not even knowing if their instructor was indeed fully qualified or indeed if any of his or her students had even passed in the last few weeks. And 99% of students did not know that their are gradings and standards of instructors distinguishing between quality of tuition given.
A grade 6 is the highest grade while a grade 4 is the minimun required to be fully qualified. Part qualified instructors can be as low as grade 1 with a high student test failure rate as they have yet to pass their final instructor exams.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
Monday, 16 March 2009
Learner driver crashes into driving test center
On friday the 13th evening outside the Tolworth, Surrey DSA driving test center. A student on a driving lesson suprised his driving instructor by crashing straight into the building whilst attempting to park in the bays in front.
Shocked the instructor, from one of the UK's largest driving schools, jumped out to assess the damage. While the student hung his head in shame.
Fortunately little was damaged appart from ego. But it just goes to show why so many people avoid booking driving tests on a friday the 13th.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
Shocked the instructor, from one of the UK's largest driving schools, jumped out to assess the damage. While the student hung his head in shame.
Fortunately little was damaged appart from ego. But it just goes to show why so many people avoid booking driving tests on a friday the 13th.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Driving and its Implications in the courts
With recent news regarding driving and its legal implications in the courts.
We find expereinced drivers who have killed a pedestrain to be considered to have broken the law whilst using a hand free device and examiners successfully winning cases of negligent driving by a learner on a test and then asking the courts to consider a £15,000 compensation claim.
Such legal cases whilst should be considered on their own circumstances, have serious repurcussions throughout further possible cases being brought to court. In short it seems the rules don't apply when high court judge's feels like it.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
We find expereinced drivers who have killed a pedestrain to be considered to have broken the law whilst using a hand free device and examiners successfully winning cases of negligent driving by a learner on a test and then asking the courts to consider a £15,000 compensation claim.
Such legal cases whilst should be considered on their own circumstances, have serious repurcussions throughout further possible cases being brought to court. In short it seems the rules don't apply when high court judge's feels like it.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
Texting and driving more dangerous than driving under influence of drink or drugs
According to research by the RAC fifty percent of young drivers up to the age of 24 years admit to texting while driving.
In the first of its kind in the UK. Research by the Transport Research Laboratory commissioned by the RAC, found that drivers who text drift out of lanes and do not leave a safe following distance more often than drivers under the influence of drink or drugs.
Even in the light of this report the RAC has not recommended a change in the law. The current law stipulates that texting while with a phone in a cradle is permitted as long as the driver has proper control of the car.
The crown prosecution service will however fine a driver £60 and add three penalty points to their licence if they are deemed to be out of 'proper control'. And will also pursue a case of dangerous driving if an accident occurs as a direct result.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
In the first of its kind in the UK. Research by the Transport Research Laboratory commissioned by the RAC, found that drivers who text drift out of lanes and do not leave a safe following distance more often than drivers under the influence of drink or drugs.
Even in the light of this report the RAC has not recommended a change in the law. The current law stipulates that texting while with a phone in a cradle is permitted as long as the driver has proper control of the car.
The crown prosecution service will however fine a driver £60 and add three penalty points to their licence if they are deemed to be out of 'proper control'. And will also pursue a case of dangerous driving if an accident occurs as a direct result.
National Driving School
Telephone: 020 8241 5522
Free Phone: 0800 043 4051
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