Category - Driving Tests

An Easy Way To Pass Your Test? (Update)

19/08/2012
DOAADI
ADI, Driving Tests, News

I wrote a few days ago about a pile of uninformed and dangerously misleading nonsense published in the Daily Mail telling how it is easier to pass your driving test if you move north. As is usual with these stories which I get via the newsfeeds, other people latch on to them and embellish them.

This Scottish newspaper comments on the same story. It quotes a local instructor, who admits:

A lot of people think it is an easy place to learn as there is only one set of traffic lights and it’s less variable…

“There are not as many hazards – just the odd farm animal – but learning to drive in rural areas is much more dangerous as some of the roads are quite bad.”

So there you have it. One set of traffic lights! Just as I said in the previous article, these places ARE easier. But most of them still have significant failure rates. However, that’s not my point this time.

This next bit has to rate as one of the most ill-informed comments imaginable:

Neil Greig, from the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “In rural areas, the need to pass is paramount. Candidates make sure they are well-prepared.”

Even by this particular organisation’s standards that is an idiotic thing to say. Greig is clearly suggesting that the reason Scottish test centres have higher pass rates is that candidates are better prepared than elsewhere – in spite of obvious other factors, like only having one set of traffic lights. He really needs to take some lessons on how to avoid amateurish rhetoric if he’s going to keep pushing this organisation’s propaganda into the public’s faces!

The AA makes a far more sensible assessment of the results:

The AA’s Driving School warned against only learning in remote areas.

They added: “There is no long-term ­benefit in only being able to drive on a ­certain type of road. We would not ­recommend learners booking their tests in remote areas on the off-chance they may find it easier to pass there.”

As I said in the last article, if you can drive then you stand a good chance of passing your test (the pass rate in my area is about 45% but my own pass rate is much higher than that – because my pupils can drive).

If you’re a rubbish driver trying to avoid spending money on lessons, choosing cheapo instructors, and absolutely desperate for a licence for cultural (in the broadest sense) reasons, you will not miraculously pass by taking a test out in the sticks.

Graduated Driver’s Licence For Teenagers?

19/08/2012
DOAADI
ADI, Driving Tests, Training, World

This story from America makes interesting reading. It talks about how Massachusetts introduced a graduated licence system for young drivers back in 2007.

When the new law was introduced, it required that teenage drivers complete a mandatory 12 hours behind the wheel (increased from 6 – you have to remember that America has always had a different approach to learner drivers when compared with the UK, and allows learners to drive unsupervised), and 40 hours of logged accompanied driving with a parent or guardian. The accompanying driver had to complete a 2 hour course before they could supervise, and there were also restrictions placed on driving at night and driving with other teenagers in the car.

In fact, if you look up the full details, the overall requirements are more numerous (this is from Wikipedia):

Learner must complete driver’s education, hold their permit for six months incident free (no accidents, no citations, no warnings), and log 40 practice hours with a licensed driver over 21. Junior operators cannot drive between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by their parent or legal guardian and Massachusetts law provides no exceptions for employment, education, or medical reasons. Additionally, junior operators cannot drive with passengers under the age of 18 (except immediate family members) unless accompanied by a licensed driver over 21 within the first six months of obtaining a License. The Massachusetts JOL law also takes a zero-tolerance stance towards speeding, drivers under 18 caught speeding are subject to a mandatory 90 day suspension for the first offense accompanied by a mandatory road rage education class and a mandatory retake of the both permit and road tests. A one year revocation is mandatory for the second and each subsequent offense.

Reading the article I mentioned at the start would also seem to suggest that if a teenager violates certain of the conditions, then they basically go back to the start and have to begin the whole process again. So, in other words, it takes an effort to get a full licence (again, bear in mind that in America learners can drive unsupervised, so changes like this involve significant changes to people’s expectations and lifestyles).

However, the real eye opener is this graph, which shows the number of fatalities in the different learner age groups:

Massachusetts Accident FiguresThe article states that in considering figures covering the period 1986 to 2007, there were 1,348 fewer fatal crashes involving 16-year olds after the new law was introduced, but 1,086 more for 18-year olds.

That might lead you to conclude that the graduated licence hasn’t worked, but the article also points out that older teenagers aren’t completing driver education or gaining sufficient experience as solo drivers. It points out that the number of teens completing the driver education course has fallen by 20% since the law came into force. Some commentators also believe that the stringent requirements – such as the mandatory course that parents have to take – has also had an impact on take-up rates. One person says it is “a pain” to follow, even though it has had a very positive impact on teen deaths.

Mind you, America seems to have the same problem with driving instructors interfering with things that we do over here. You see, the article starts by quoting a learner driver (also a student) who is bemoaning the cost of learning to drive. She had to “get a job” to pay for it, and she wonders how those on low incomes manage.

Perhaps a driving licence is a right in America, not a privilege? I don’t know.

But the owner of the driving school she is learning with chimes in:

…the law’s impact on cost has been a hurdle for many teens and may be part of the reason they’re waiting until they’re 18 to get their license.

“The driving portion of driver education is about 95 percent of our cost,” he said. “The price has gone way up.”

Before the graduated license law, the 30 hours of classroom and six hours of behind-the-wheel training cost about $300 to $400, Mr. Gilmore said. Now, with double the behind-the-wheel time, it’s $600 to more than $900, depending on the auto school.

Mr. Gilmore said that 12 hours of behind-the-wheel time with an instructor may be unnecessarily high. “Most of the kids plateau in skill level at eight to 10 hours,” he said. “More kids would take driver’s ed if it was cheaper.”

I’ll mention again that the American way is different to ours, and their view is obviously going to be based on the premise of unsupervised driving being the norm. But why do instructors have to persistently try to put themselves across as philanthropists?

Just because someone can’t afford something doesn’t mean the price should be cut so they can. That’s only one step removed from allowing them to steal it!

But if the American driving instructors really do fancy their chances of a Carnegie Medal, perhaps they should look at dropping the price of their lessons. Because if increasing driving time from 6 to 12 hours has added over $500 to the overall cost, that must mean they’re charging close to $100 per hour (that’s nearly £65).

It doesn’t take a genius to realise that if something is working well – and the graduated licence system has slashed fatalities among teen drivers in this case – changing it to make it cheaper is going to screw it up.

More importantly, I wonder if such a system would work if it were introduced here? I don’t mean allowing unsupervised driving, but rigorous control of the learning process and restrictions on carrying passengers and night driving.

An Easy Way To Pass Your Test?

18/08/2012
DOAADI
ADI, Driving Tests, News

A Bright Idea?The Daily Mail has apparently discovered the secret to guaranteeing a pass on your driving test.

In an article which is even more nonsensical, alarmist, and offering more downright dangerous advice than usual – even by the Mail’s standards – one of their junior hacks is suggesting that since pass rates appear higher for many test centres in areas outside London, people should head north if they want to pass.

What this sorry excuse for a journalist fails to appreciate is that the driving forces behind the statistics are a little bit more complicated than that – indeed, more complicated than she is ever likely to be able to comprehend.

To start with, most of the test centres with low pass rates are in inner city areas with high immigrant populations and little free cash (at the very least, the candidates in question do not want to spend a single penny more than they can get away with, even if they can afford it for cultural reasons). This means that candidates are more than likely looking to pass their tests as quickly as possible by spending as little as possible and so will not be ready for their tests when they take them. Those candidates often also turn out to be too stupid to realise that keep taking – and failing – their tests is at least as expensive in the long run as taking a few quality lessons and fewer tests would be. And so they carry on pulling the area pass rates down.

An additional complication is that a high proportion of instructors in those areas come from similar cultural backgrounds, and share similar attitudes towards passing tests quickly without necessarily being fully road-ready. It comes down to “let’s give it a try to see what happens”.

Conversely, those centres with the highest pass rates are often in middle-class areas, where such factors are less prevalent.

Fair enough, some of the others are out in the sticks where the entire test route covers less than a dozen named roads, and where the traffic density is much lower. Many of these routes don’t even have to negotiate dual carriageways or large roundabouts. But even then, 40% of the locals are still failing.

The typical London learner responsible for those 75% failure rates common down that way is unlikely to miraculously pass merely by travelling 600 miles north! Not without spending more cash on lessons teaching them the local pitfalls – and certainly not without spending even more cash on the real issue: that they simply cannot drive properly.

You see, that’s why people fail tests. Because they aren’t very good drivers – not because of the latitude they live on.

If you are a good driver, you stand almost as much chance of passing first time no matter where you were taught and took your test. Those different pass rates are down to many other factors.

Do not listen to nonsense like that published in the Mail. It is ridiculously misleading.

Test Pass: 16/8/2012

16/08/2012
DOAADI
Driving Tests

TickWell done Julian, who passed today first time with just 4 driver faults (he was quick to point out it was less than his sister, who passed first time with me with 9 driver faults just over a year ago). Both him and his sister were a pleasure to teach.

And the best part is that now you can tell your dad to butt out when he tells you that you MUST change down through the gears, that you MUST NOT miss out gears, and all those other things he has contradicted me on and which I’ve been fighting over the last few months!

DPHNRS3UAZRD

HPT CGI – Further Updates

14/08/2012
DOAADI
ADI, Driving Tests, DSA, News

NOTE: I’ve updated the Jelly link – they removed the clip after I linked to it. The image below is a still from the video clip used on Jelly’s site.

Jelly - CGI ImageIn January I reported on the early cgi clips the DSA is planning to use in the future for the Hazard Perception Test in place of real clips. These were impressive enough – although in spite of them being clearly cited as “early demos”, it didn’t stop certain individuals picking them apart.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the contract for producing these clips had been awarded to Jelly, a London-based design agency. Jelly now has a demo of what the clips will look like (edit: the clip has been taken down for some reason). They’re light years ahead of the early demos.

I don’t suppose it’s worth stressing the “initial test” label – the usual crowd of agitators are dead set against HPT in any form – and we can expect a nit-picking frenzy once the clip becomes circulated more.

Why Are Driving Examiners A***holes?

10/08/2012
DOAADI
ADI, Bad Drivers, Driving Tests, General

Large MirrorYep. Someone found the blog on precisely that search term.

I think whoever asked it really needs to stand in front of a mirror and take a long, hard look. Then maybe they’ll start to realise just where the real problems actually are.

There’s nothing wrong with most driving examiners – but there’s a lot wrong with how some people react to the simple fact that they are examiners.

Too many precious little darlings these days have been brought up to expect everything to be easy. Their education has been dumbed down so that they can’t fail.

Mummy and daddy have probably bought them anything they have ever asked for – including all their driving lessons. In many cases, there’s even a brand, spanking new Corsa with blacked out windows and wide exhaust pipe waiting on the drive as a “birthday present”. So it’s hardly surprising that the blame for failing their driving test should fall on the examiner and not themselves.

You fail your test if you aren’t good enough on the day. Period.

Test Pass: 7/8/2012

07/08/2012
DOAADI
Driving Tests

TickWell done Nancy, who passed today with 7 driver faults.

Hopefully, that will make up for the bad couple of weeks you’ve had recently.

Better get used to all that parallel parking you’re going to have to do on your street when you get your own car!

And I look forward to doing Pass Plus with you if you are still as enthusiastic once the initial excitement of passing dies down.

Independent Driving Maps

03/08/2012
DOAADI
ADI, Driving Tests, Training

This is a very old article, and they no longer use maps – it was the precursor to using a satnav.

I get a large amount of traffic based around the above search term. It’s so long since the introduction of the Independent Driving (ID) section of the test – more than a year ago – that it confuses me a little that the ID maps are still such a popular search item.

I am in the East Midlands, and 99.9% of those doing the searching are not.

Most ADIs must know by now what the ID section consists of, and even if they’re newly-qualified then they’d have seen the maps (or samples of them)during their training.

The maps used by driving examiners look roughly like the one here – and this is one of those released by the DSA as a sample some time before ID was introduced in October 2010. They’re simple line drawings, not Ordnance Survey maps or anything like you’d find in an atlas. And they only include two or three hazards (the one here has a left turn, a right turn, and a roundabout). They’re not intended to be anything more than schematics of a simple and very short route.

The actual maps – like the actual test routes – are not published, and I’d argue that any ADI who attempted to catalogue them (or even teach them specifically) is a very poor instructor.

From what I’ve seen, some instructors go to incredible lengths to make the diagrams they use on lessons look exactly like the ones the examiners use. They even go so far as to put on hi-vis yellow jackets and make copies of driving test marking sheets fixed to clipboards so they can conduct mock tests as if they were real examiners! Honestly, they do! Is it any wonder pupils get worried about how difficult it is to “read maps” for the ID section when someone is making it seem so dramatic?

My approach is to treat the whole business of ID as a matter-of-fact affair.

To start with, although I know a few of the ID routes from having sat in on a few tests (plus what my other pupils have told me about the routes they went on), I don’t teach those routes specifically. Even if I do happen to cover one on a lesson, I just say that the test could pass through this area.

When I decide to do a session on ID using a map (and it doesn’t have to be a whole lesson, either – it only takes about 10 minutes), I get the pupil to pull over somewhere, and then I sketch a simple line map like the one on the left (I drew this one just now for the purposes of this article).

It absolutely does not need to be an identical copy to those the examiners use.

The directions would go something like “we’re parked here [the dot]. I want you to drive on and turn right, third exit, at the roundabout. Then, turn left on to the main road. Follow the road to the next roundabout, then turn left, first exit”. I will perhaps add “and then follow the signs to…” at the end, because that’s what the examiners can do.

Obviously, and especially if it’s the first time we’ve covered ID, I will explain that if they aren’t sure which way to go, then they should ask. Then I will confirm the route.

I explain that that’s exactly what they should do on their tests, because it isn’t a test of their navigational skills or ability to remember a route. All they have to do is ask “was it left or right here” and the examiner will tell them. Their task is to negotiate the junction or hazard correctly (mirrors, signal, etc.), because that’s what they’ll have to be doing the following day if they pass!

The candidate could be asked just to follow road signs.

It would appear that examiners are not routinely using the maps anymore – though pupils can ask to see them. ( EDIT: I’ve sat in on two tests in late-2012 and I can assure you examiners ARE using them).

ID has made the driving test much, much easier, and my only complaint is that candidates do just one manoeuvre now. The vast majority of candidates have absolutely no trouble with ID. Indeed, the latest statistics from the DSA (see the link above) would indicate that pass rates have gone up as a result of it.

Those going to test should recognise that being nervous is not a sign that you can’t drive or that ID is a bad thing. Nerves are completely natural.when no one is telling you what to do (i.e. on the ID part of the test), and it’s not a sign that ID is difficult or unfair. Far too many people (including ADIs) think it is, though.

Test Pass: 26/7/2012

31/07/2012
DOAADI
Driving Tests

TickI forgot to add this, but well done Jodie, who passed her test first time last Thursday with just 3 driver faults. That’s a really great result.

She’s been a pleasure to teach, and she says she’s coming back for Pass Plus in the Autumn. We’ll see.

Whatever she decides, she’s a good driver and won’t have any problems settling in to real world driving with no one supervising her.