Well done Nat, who passed first time with just 8 driver faults a couple of weeks ago. I really had to push her to do this test because she was afraid of failing. But I like it when I can say “I told you so” once it is all over. Come to think of it, I had to push her to do the theory test as well.
She’s another one who has her own car now, and since I often travel down her road I get a warm feeling inside when I see it parked outside. You see, I know where she works and the bus ride to and from there was a nightmare – especially in the rain. Being able to drive was really important to her.
I’ve been very busy recently and I’m a bit behind with my updates, but well done to Jess who passed with 13 driver faults a few weeks ago. A bit of a high score there, but mainly down to nerves on the day (I know how she can drive, and the number of faults isn’t representative of her at all).
It’s been a bit of a bad year for her for various reasons, and that’s on top of her finals, but now she’s set for the next part of her life. And she’s already booked her Pass Plus sessions before going home at Christmas.
This article was first published in September 2014 when the recall first appeared in the media, and before DVSA had responded. Note the two updates at the bottom of this article. The recall date has now been extended back to February 2014.
No word from the DVSA yet (see addendum below), but Vauxhall has said that any Corsa or Adam registered since May 2014should not be driven until it has been inspected and repaired if necessary.
Apparently, a component in the steering system “falls below Vauxhall’s quality standards”. You can interpret that any way you want, but what it really means is that a faulty part has been used. From tomorrow (Saturday, 27 September 2014) – and they probably mean sometime during the day, and not at 1 minute after midnight – you will be able to check to see if your vehicle is one of those affected by going to Vauxhall’s website and clicking the relevant link. In the meantime, their advice is not to drive it.
It is likely that DVSA will refuse to conduct driving tests in affected vehicles without proof of inspection and/or appropriate remedial work. Any ADI conducting lessons needs to be aware of the interim warning not to drive the car.
DVSA has issued the anticipated response to the recall notice as of Monday 29 September 2014, which can be read here. In a nutshell, they say:
If your vehicle is affected, you won’t be able to take it on test without written proof that the vehicle has been checked by the manufacturer and remedial work carried out if needed.
DVSA examiners will accept documents from the vehicle manufacturer or the manufacturer’s appointed representative or dealership.
They also point out that any tests taking place within the next 5 working days can be cancelled and rearranged free of charge. Outside of that, normal rules apply.
There is an update from the DVSA here (which was updated a few hours later to clarify the cut-off point for cancellations). The original notice mentioned above referred to cars registered from May 2014. This appears to have been extended backwards to February 2014. So Corsas and Adams registered from February this year – not just from May. The source information can be seen here.
DVSA is still offering a grace period if you need to cancel and rearrange.
Well done Tony, who passed first time today with just 5 driver faults. He holds the record for being my longest-serving pupil – more than four years since his first lesson.
Actually, I didn’t hear from him for three and a half years somewhere in the middle of that because of work and money issues, so it’s not as bad as it sounds.
Mind you, that car he bought when he first started lessons hasn’t been moved off his driveway in the intervening period, so I think his bank balance is in for a bit of a surprise when it meets the service bill!
He’s been fun to teach and is a very competent driver.
A new series of The Undriveables started on ITV this week. You can catch it for the usual limited period on the ITV Player (you’ll have to put up with the adverts).
This first episode featured an older guy who was actually pretty much typical of his age group, and who responded well to instruction once his faults were corrected. He passed his test after the week-long session. The episode also featured a middle-aged woman who was a different matter altogether.
Just the act of driving a car induced fits of severe trembling (and I mean she was in absolute panic). At one point, and for almost no apparent reason, she had to stop and be physically sick. In another segment she was driving perfectly well, then suddenly panicked and had to stop again. When she took her test it was abandoned. It appears that she hit a kerb hard, then went to pieces again.
As an aside, I once had a middle-aged pupil who simply couldn’t coordinate the clutch, brake, and gas pedals. She couldn’t steer a straight line and change gear at the same time. And whenever traffic lights changed suddenly in front of us she’d slam on the brake and stall the car. She had the attention span and spatial awareness of a gnat! I had tried to persuade her to switch to automatic lessons quite early on because of finances and these pedal issues – and it was clear that they weren’t going to easily go away – but she had bought a manual car already and was adamant that she wanted to pass a manual test. As a result, she was with me for over two years and took over 100 hours of lessons. However, near the end of that time I discovered that she’d sold the car and so I started on at her again about learning in an automatic, explaining that she was still a long way from test standard. I enlisted the help of her son, and we finally persuaded her. She took a further two years, another 100 hours, and 7 driving tests before she eventually passed (she’d still be taking lessons now if she’d stuck with manual). I calculate that she had spent over £5,000 by the time she passed.
I have to admit that I was worried about her. She’d always stayed in touch, and credited me with having taught her to drive. But the thought of her driving alone filled me with horror. I advised her to get a car as soon as possible because she really didn’t want to let her driving get stale (actually, we got on well enough for me to be much more frank about it than that, but this is the general gist).
More than a year later she called me out of the blue. She’d bought a car and wanted some refresher lessons in it. She wanted me to provide them.
I remember that I was just about as scared as I’d ever been each time I took her out. Even with just the brake and gas pedals to worry about she frequently got them mixed up, and on one occasion we arrived back at her house, drove slowly up her driveway, and almost went through the fence and into the the back yard. Within a fortnight of buying the car and driving to work in it, she’d hit her wrought iron gates while reversing out three times (the resulting garage repairs amounted to 70% of the car’s value). She had to get a neighbour to put it in her driveway each evening, and work colleagues to back it out of wherever she’d parked it when she finished work. I subsequently heard from someone who knew her that she’d got rid of the car because she couldn’t afford to run it.
My point here is that there are some people who simply should not – ever – drive, and they are a danger to themselves and everyone around them when they do. Passing a driving test is no guarantee that someone is a good or capable driver. In fact, there are many thousands of people out there who have passed tests, but who are not competent drivers. They’re the ones you see driving slowly, or at a constant 40mph through 30, 40, 50, and NSL zones. They’re the ones who habitually switch lanes at the last minute, or who drift between lanes on roundabouts. They have virtually no awareness or understanding of lane divisions or direction arrows. And they do not learn from their mistakes because they are in a complete and terrified daze most of the time. Unfortunately, there is no law preventing them from driving – and nothing that says an ADI should tell them the truth.
I think the lady in this first episode of The Undriveables is a prime example of this. She simply should not go anywhere near a car if she is going to react the way she does – not unless she gets some serious medical or psychiatric help. You see, if she had passed her test, she is almost certainly still going to react in the same extreme way to situations when she is out on her own (or with her two boys in the car). The possible outcomes don’t bear thinking about.
On the programme itself, you have to accept that it is heavily edited for TV purposes. However, there was a lot of evidence of parking on yellow lines and pavements from what I saw. Apart from that, the ADIs featured didn’t do themselves any great disservice. It will be interesting to see subsequent episodes, because the trailers I’ve seen suggest that some of the later featured drivers are typical examples of people who failed the Big Brother auditions.
Well done Maddie, who passed with 8 driver faults today. She’s been one of my “serial failers” of this year, but the beta-blockers really helped us on lessons, and we got there in the end.
The effects of beta-blockers really are amazing. What they do is break down the shields or barriers that cripple many nervous people on their lessons. Learning can then take place, along with a growth in confidence, because the nerves are not firing off uncontrolledly as they were before. This increased confidence naturally also has a positive effect. Subsequently – and certainly once the pressure of passing their test is gone – people don’t need to take the tablets anymore.
Well done to Brendan, who passed today first time with 10 driver faults. What made this one sweet was the fact that I found out only last week that he has anxiety issues requiring medication, which explained why he had good days and bad days on his lessons.
I like it when I can help people get over these sorts of problems. And he’s already signed up for a motorway session, which I’m sure he’ll enjoy.
This run of passes has certainly helped balance out my overall pass rate for the year, which stands at a paltry 45%. However, my first time pass rate is 70% – 13 out of 19 passes were all first-timers. But I still feel bad about those serial failers. This time last year my overall rate was almost double what it is now.
Well done to Paul, who passed first time last Friday with just 2 driver faults. This one meant a lot to me, as I’d taught him from scratch – and I’ve only just realised as I write this that he has broken the record for my quickest learner. He did it in only 14½ hours, beating the previous record of 17 hours!
The pass means a lot to him, too, because his job is in London and he will now be able to drive there in his own car which he bought a few weeks ago.
I wish all my learners were like this, as 2014 has been a nightmare for pupils who aren’t natural drivers and who have failed their tests several times. When you get a lot of them all at once it makes you wonder if you’re doing your job properly.
Well done to Martin, who passed first time with just 3 driver faults. This meant a lot to him for his job, and for his future family status, as he and his wife are thinking of children. After all, someone has got to be able to take them to dance class or football training!
Another one who has been a pleasure to teach, and another natural driver.
I forgot to post this one, but well done to Andrew who passed at the end of July first time with 8 driver faults. It was important to him as he will now be able to look for a better job (and get to the one he currently has)… if his mum will let him borrow her car!
He’s been another one who has been a pleasure to teach. I seem to have been lucky with that lately. It was also nice to get someone who is a natural driver – and I’ve been very unlucky with that this year.
Well done Nat, who passed first time with just 8 driver faults a couple of weeks ago. I really had to push her to do this test because she was afraid of failing. But I like it when I can say “I told you so” once it is all over. Come to think of it, I had to push her to do the theory test as well.
I’ve been very busy recently and I’m a bit behind with my updates, but well done to Jess who passed with 13 driver faults a few weeks ago. A bit of a high score there, but mainly down to nerves on the day (I know how she can drive, and the number of faults isn’t representative of her at all).
Well done Tony, who passed first time today with just 5 driver faults. He holds the record for being my longest-serving pupil – more than four years since his first lesson.
Well done Maddie, who passed with 8 driver faults today. She’s been one of my “serial failers” of this year, but the beta-blockers really helped us on lessons, and we got there in the end.
Well done to Brendan, who passed today first time with 10 driver faults. What made this one sweet was the fact that I found out only last week that he has anxiety issues requiring medication, which explained why he had good days and bad days on his lessons.
Well done to Paul, who passed first time last Friday with just 2 driver faults. This one meant a lot to me, as I’d taught him from scratch – and I’ve only just realised as I write this that he has broken the record for my quickest learner. He did it in only 14½ hours, beating the previous record of 17 hours!
Well done to Martin, who passed first time with just 3 driver faults. This meant a lot to him for his job, and for his future family status, as he and his wife are thinking of children. After all, someone has got to be able to take them to dance class or football training!
I forgot to post this one, but well done to Andrew who passed at the end of July first time with 8 driver faults. It was important to him as he will now be able to look for a better job (and get to the one he currently has)… if his mum will let him borrow her car!