Newslink February 2021

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Newslink
The Voice of MSA GB
Issue 337 • February 2021
MSA Conference 2021
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Refusal to extend theory test
certificate is hard to accept
Colin Lilly
Editor, Newslink
“Ah, the good old days, I remember the
good old days.” These are phrases more
likely to be spoken by members of the
older generations, but now they can
justifiably be spoken by a person in their
late teens.
They will remember their siblings or
cousins taking their final school exams,
learning to drive while waiting for their
exam results and heading off to
university and all it has to offer.
Sadly, the current round of late
teenagers does not have these options
available to them – and the powers that
be aren’t helping, either. The refusal to
extend the validity of theory test
certificates while not providing an
opportunity to retake means that many
young people hoping, justifiably, for a
practical test as soon as available now
have two successive waiting lists to join.
To refuse a change on the grounds of
safety I find difficult to swallow. A learner
who took a theory test two years ago is
thought to be less safe than a banned
driver with more than two years off the
road being allowed to simply reapply for
their licence. Can anyone justify that
situation?
Is the refusal based on earlier mistakes
that were made in the early days of the
theory test? Does the stressing of a
safety element seek to validate the
previous mistakes?
At this point let us spare a thought for
the motorcycle training business. As with
the Theory Test, the Compulsory Basic
Training CBT certificate is valid for two
years, after which, if not upgraded to a
full licence, it must be retaken. These too
are not being extended. This means that
those small motorcycle and moped riders
who never take a full test but go from
CBT to CBT will have to stop riding.
I know of many people in this category
who use this form of transport to travel
to work due to unsocial hours. Several of
these are care staff and shop workers;
recently categorised as front-line workers.
The lack of provision of training and
recertification for these, frequently low
paid staff, must make them feel like
‘Tommy Atkins – Front-line Worker.’
(Apologies to Rudyard Kipling)
In mid-January, the financial website
‘thisismoney.co.uk’ published an
excellent analysis of the financial loss to
learner drivers from this policy. It
estimated that, so far during this
pandemic, learner drivers had lost over
£1.1 million. During the lockdowns
during 2020, 49,543 theory test
certificates expired. This resulted in a
loss of £1,139,489. This is money that
has been wasted as the process must be
repeated. These figures are calculated on
the assumption of first time passes and
we all know that is far from reality.
Any money lost will have to be
re-spent to obtain a new certificate when
the tests become available. This takes
the total to over £2.25 million from a
combination of expired theory test
certificates over the two national
lockdowns last year and the cost to
retake the £23 exam.
It is also estimated that during the
current lockdown at least 13,944 theory
passes will expire, with a further loss of
£320,712 for learner drivers.
Meanwhile, for those managing to take
and pass a theory test when they were
available between lockdowns, the clock
is already ticking.
When the test centres reopen there
will be a massive backlog to clear of not
just expired certificate holders but those
wishing to start the process.
In addition to these costs there will be
many learners who will feel that they
have ‘lost’ some money on lessons taken
and not capitalised on.
This situation will continue until we get
back to work.
The Government has announced that
when the first four priority groups have
been vaccinated other front-line workers
such as teachers, police officers and
shop workers should form a priority
group.
In order to get the training and testing
process up and running again, with its
positive effect on the economy, perhaps
driver trainers and examiners should be
included.
One day, we will reach the end of the
tunnel.
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COVER STORY
Do we need to start
re-imagining the way
driver training and testing
is run in Great Britain,
asks Rod Came
See pg 26
www.msagb.com
03

Inside this issue
20
30
24
40
News
Reed steps in to the
learner testing mix
DVSA is employing a new partner from
September for testing – pg 6
Lockdown latest
Is there a glimmer of hope for a quicker
return to work for ADIs? –– pg 8
Extend theory test passes
MPs debate issue as MSA GB and
NASP keep up the pressure – pg 10
Newslink
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DVLA in the spotlight after
surge in Covid cases
MPs less than impressed as senior staff
refuse blame for infections –– pg 12
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Features
M-way lesson plan
Two years on, how are your motorway
lessons shaping up? – pg 20
Looking but not seeing
Mike Yeomans explains your saccadics
from your fixations – pg 24
Time for a Plan B, DVSA
Once the pandemic is over, is it back to
business as usual? It shouldn’t be, says
Rod Came –– pg 26
Regional news –– from 28
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For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
CONFERENCE 2021
We’re going Zoom to bring you all the
latest information and guidance you need
MSA GB National Conference
& Annual General Meeting
Saturday, March 21
Time: 2pm - 4.30pm
Cost: Free of charge
Industry updates | DVSA Speakers |
MSA GB Awards | AGM |
Workshops and Spotlight presentations
Due to current lockdown restrictions MSA GB
has decided to move its 2021 Conference &
AGM on to the Zoom platform.
While it is disappointing we will not be able
to meet up face-to-face for our annual get
together, we have organised what we hope
will be an inspiring and informative afternoon
for you, with guest speakers from the DVSA,
workshops, short presentations from industry
experts, our ever-popular Member of the Year
Awards and the MSA GB AGM.
Speakers confirmed so far include, from DVSA:
Mike Warner, Senior External Affairs Manager
Jacqui Turland, Registrar
John Sheridan, Driver Training & Policy Manager
All three will follow their presentations with
time for some questions from delegates.
To book, go to https://msagb.com/product/
annual-conference-2021/ .
Keep in
touch 1
If you have updated your
address, telephone
numbers or changed your email
address recently, please let us
know at head office by emailing
us with your new details and
membership number to
info@msagb.com.
If you can’t find your
membership number, give us a
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Keep in touch:
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relevant site
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If you don’t
have an internet
connection, you can join
by phone and still take part,
just call head office on 01625 664501 and
we will arrange that for you.
So make a note in your diary and plan to
join us on the day. We will make sure it is an
afternoon well spent, and that you’ll pick up
some great advice and information that will
serve you well in your role as an ADI.
Follow MSA GB on social media
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and John
Sheridan will
be joining us at
the online
Conference
Keep in
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MSA GB area contacts are
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queries and offer any
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Get in touch if you have
any opinions on how MSA
GB is run, or wish to
comment on any issue
affecting the driver
training and testing
regime.
n National Chairman:
Peter Harvey MBE
natchair@msagb.com
n Deputy National
Chairman: Geoff Little
deptnatchair@msagb.com
n Scotland:
Alex Buist
chair.os@msagb.com
n North East:
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chair.ne@msagb.com
n North West:
Graham Clayton
chair.nw@msagb.com
n East Midlands:
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n West Midlands:
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n Western:
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News
L-test tuition
exemption
granted for
emergency
workers
The DVSA has confirmed that ADIs
working with learners who require a
driving licence to carry our frontline
emergency services roles can carry
on teaching for the time being – but
only if an L-test has been booked
and confirmed it is still going ahead
by the DVSA.
In a statement the DVSA said:
“We are working with theory test
contract provider, Pearson VUE, to
respond to requests for theory tests
from organisations such as
ambulance authorities on behalf of
frontline mobile emergency workers
who require a driving licence to
carry out duties in their employment
role.
“The DVSA is also looking to
respond to requests for practical
driving tests from organisations on
behalf of frontline mobile emergency
workers, who require a driving
licence to carry out duties in their
employment role.
“There is a limited service subject
to examiner resource, and we are
restricting any testing to candidates
working in health and social care,
and other public bodies involved in
work responding to ‘threats to life’,
such as the Environment Agency’s
flood rescue staff or local authority
gritter truck drivers.”
The DVSA is contacting NHS
Trusts explaining how to nominate
candidates; candidates cannot apply
for tests themselves. Applications
from other organisations will be
considered if the mobile emergency
worker criteria is met.
Where an ADI is teaching a
mobile emergency worker, if their
employer has booked a test they can
continue tuition.
Reed steps in to
theory test mix
The DVSA has announced a major change
to the way the theory test in Great Britain
is organised.
While Pearson Vue, the company with
the contract currently to conduct theory
testing, will retain a leading role, Reed in
Partnership Ltd will now join it in
organising tests across large swathes of
the country.
Reed in Partnership is a giant public
service skills provider that started out as
the employment agency Reed, but has
since branched out into other sectors,
including education and training.
Currently Pearson Vue handles the
day-to-day management of each of the
test centres, such as the computers and
the staff, the online booking system and
customer service.
However, as part of the new
arrangements Pearson VUE and Reed in
Partnership Ltd will share the day-to-day
delivery of theory tests, which will be
separated into three geographical regions:
• Region A - Reed In Partnership Ltd
Covering: Scotland, Northern Ireland,
North West, North East and Yorkshire and
Humber
• Region B - Pearson Vue
Covering: Wales, West Midlands, South
West and South East
• Region C - Reed In Partnership Ltd
Covering: East Midlands, East of England
and London
The DVSA has stressed that the changes
will not affect the typical candidate
experience or the content of the test, but it
may look and feel slightly different.
Crucially, because the contract to operate
the theory test centres has been awarded
to more than one company, the location of
many theory test centres will change,
particularly in those areas covered by
Reed in Partnership.
As more details emerge, MSA GB will
keep you updated.
AA maps out a route to vaccinations
The AA is offering councils free road signs
to help people find temporary Covid-19
vaccination centres. There are currently
around 280 community vaccination
centres (excluding hospitals, GP surgeries
and pharmacies), but this is set to grow to
500 once locations in Wales, Scotland
and Northern Ireland are announced.
While many people know how to get to
their local hospital, pharmacy or GP
surgery, the temporary vaccination centres
may be harder to find, says the AA.
The organisation says it will provide,
distribute, install and maintain the
recycled plastic signs as well as removal
and recycling at the end of the vaccination
programme.
AA chief executive Simon Breakwell
said: “We are offering free signage to
around 500 temporary Covid-19
community vaccination centres such as
sports halls, religious venues, nightclubs
and community buildings.
“The AA Signs team have come up with
a bespoke solution to design, print, install,
remove and recycle approximately 5,000
road signs and I am proud of our expert
teams who have bought this idea to life.
The AA is delighted to help sign the way
to vaccinate Britain.”
Latest on lockdown restrictions: See pg 8-9
06
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

News
Lockdown to stay for now – but
glimmer of hope of earlier restart
As members will be only too aware,
national restrictions have forced the
suspension of driving lessons and theory
and practical testing in all but a handful
of cases.
While this restriction is open to
change, and all Governments involved
have vowed to review their restrictions
on a regular basis, it is unlikely to do so
in February, MSA GB believes.
However, a shaft of light was offered
by DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder,
who told MSA GB national chairman
Peter Harvey, in his capacity as
Chairman of NASP, that ADIs’ request for
driving lessons to recommence two
weeks before the restart of practical
driving tests “was being actively
considered.”
In a letter to Peter Ms Ryder said: “I
am also aware of the request from NASP
for ADIs to return to work approximately
two weeks prior to practical tests
resuming. This will also be considered
as part of the recovery plan.”
Peter said the comments offer a
tentative glimmer of hope that ADIs
could return to work slighter sooner than
examiners. “One of our major criticisms
at the relaxing of rules around the first
lockdown was that driving lessons and
L-tests restarted on the same day,” he
said.
“How were candidates for those first
few tests meant to get themselves in the
right frame of mind to take their test,
when they had not seen their instructor
in weeks?
“At least this time the DVSA appears
to have taken on board the need for
ADIs to start well before testing, to give
their pupils a fair chance of passing the
test when they come round.”
CURRENT RESTRICTIONS
A review will take place in all nations
at various points this month but it is
unlikely to see major changes, with the
best hope a ‘roadmap’ plotting a gradual
opening up of the economy from early
March. Whether this will include the
driving training and testing sector is
unknown.
While there are subtle nuances
between each of the nations, the basic
rule is the same:
• You must not provide driving lessons
or motorcycle training, and this includes
ADI Part 2 and 3 tests and standards
checks.
• You can supervise someone from
your household or support bubble during
an essential journey during the national
lockdown.
• Minor exemptions exist for frontline
emergency workers (see page 6).
In England a review of restrictions will
be undertaken on 22nd February.
In Scotland a review will be held on
February 2. However, one difference is
that driving lessons and motorcycle
training can take place in areas in
Protection level 3. This area is confined
to some of the islands of Scotland.
In Wales: on January 29 the First
Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said
lockdown restrictions will continue for at
least another three weeks. The next
review will be on February 19.
Practical tests
All candidates affected by these latest
restrictions will be contacted by the
DVSA with a rescheduled test date. If
you booked the test for your pupil, the
DVSA will let you know. Remember to
inform your pupil of the cancelled test.
The DVSA has urged ADIs and
learners to be patient over rescheduled
tests. There will be considerable delays,
but the DVSA will organise a new date
as soon as possible
Theory tests
All theory tests will be suspended until
the restrictions are lifted.
The DVSA will email anyone who has
booked a test and is affected by this to
let them know their theory test is on
hold and that they will need to
reschedule it by visiting https://www.gov.
uk/change-theory-test.
If you booked your pupil’s theory test
you will need to log into the booking
system and rearrange their test for a new
date and time.
The latest details can be found at
To get the
full story,
click here
Key information
Follow the links for the latest up-to-date news on
NASP updated
guidance here
(click button right)
On theory tests
(click button right)
L- tests
(click button right)
Instructor guidance
(click button right)
The latest Standard Operating Procedures
can be found on the NASP website for:
Driving Test
Vocational Test
Motorcycle Test
ADI Part 2 Test
ADI Part 3 Test and Standards Checks
They are changing all the
time. Make sure you
know the latest rules
Check the
rules
08
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Update on ADI registration
and qualifications
Because of coronavirus lockdowns and
restrictions, the DVSA has published
advice about what to do if:
• your ADI registration expires soon
• you were issued a trainee driving
instructor licence in January 2021
• your trainee driving instructor licence
expires soon
• you’re thinking about applying for a
trainee driving instructor licence
If you’re qualifying to become an ADI
If your trainee licence was issued in
January 2021, you can ask for your
trainee licence to be reissued when
coronavirus restrictions have been lifted.
Contact the DVSA for advice about the
options available in your personal
circumstances, at padi@dvsa.gov.uk
You need to include your: personal
reference number or driving licence
number, date of birth and postcode.
If your trainee licence expires soon
Contact DVSA for advice about the
options available if your trainee licence
expires soon, via padi@dvsa.gov.uk
You need to include your: personal
reference number or driving licence
number, date of birth and postcode.
If you’re thinking about applying for a
trainee licence
Again, contact DVSA at padi@dvsa.
gov.uk for advice, including your
personal reference number or driving
licence number, date of birth and
postcode.
Taking the ADI Part 3 test
The law says you must book the ADI
Part 3 (instructional ability) test within
two years of passing the ADI Part 1
(theory) test. You can take the ADI Part 3
test more than 2 years after you passed
your ADI Part 1 test, as long as you book
it within the 2-year limit.
If no appointments are available when
you book, you can book an ‘on hold’ test.
This means you have to pay for the test
but the DVSA arranges the test date
when appointments become available
again. This meets the legal requirement
for you to book your test within 2 years.
DVSA cannot extend your ADI Part 1
theory test pass certificate.
If you’re already an ADI
If your ADI registration expires soon
you can choose to not renew your ADI
registration. You then have up to 12
months from the date it expires to
re-register as an ADI without having to
take the qualifying tests again. It costs
the same to re-register (£300) as it does
to renew your ADI registration.
Remember, you cannot charge money
(or monies worth) for instruction while
your registration is lapsed.
DVSA does not have any legal powers
to extend your ADI registration or waive
or reduce the ADI registration fee.
Full guidance on
these issues
available here:
To get the
full story,
click here
www.msagb.com
09

News
Theory test extension plea goes to the
House but DVSA rejects NASP ideas
MSA has vowed to continue to pressure
the Government over theory test pass
certificates, in a bid to convince the
DVSA to grant an extension of 12 months
for all certificates due to expire in 2021.
After an Adjournment Debate in the
House of Commons led by SNP MP
David Linden failed to win the backing of
the Transport Minister for an extension
(see below), MSA GB national chairman
Peter Harvey said it was important the
ADI community kept up the pressure.
“There are two sides to this story. The
first is fairness: pupils who passed their
theory test have been denied the chance
to take the practical test by Covid.
“They have missed out through no
fault of their own.”
But he admitted fears over what
impact learners losing their theory test
passes would have on the profession in
the coming months was also a concern.
“By refusing to extend the shelf-life of
theory test passes the DVSA is going to
create a huge logjam in the system that
will take many months to clear. We are
already seeing big waiting lists for theory
tests, with so many tests cancelled in
2020 and this year. How is adding
several hundred thousand more people
looking for tests going to help that
situation? The system is close to collapse.”
Without a theory test certificate – or
hope of obtaining one soon – “pupils who
began learning to drive in 2020 will
decide that their tuition needs to be
paused. If you know you need a theory
Road safety minister
Baroness Vere
test pass to book an L-test, but cannot
get a test slot, there does seem little
point in carrying on with practical
lessons. This will inevitably create a log
jam in the system, with learners half-way
through practical lessons putting them on
Correspondence from Baroness Vere to
Peter Harvey
hold while their secure the theory test
certificate they need.”
There is considerable frustration
growing within ADI ranks over what is
seen as DVSA/Government intransigence
on the issue. “In Northern Ireland they
have extended the life of theory test
passes,” Peter pointed out. “Why is the
logic so different across the Irish Sea?”
He rejected comments by the Road
Safety Minister, Baroness Vere, that “the
maximum duration of two years between
passing the theory test and a subsequent
practical test is in place to ensure that a
candidate’s knowledge is current.”
“If we are to keep driver’s knowledge
‘current’ for safety reasons, why are we
not asking drivers to take refresher
Let’s keep the pressure up on this vital issue
Peter Harvey mbe
National Chairman
MSA GB
I hope most of you were able to watch
MP David Linden support our quest to
extend the life of the theory certificate on
a temporary basis in the Adjournment
Debate on January 28; if you missed it,
it’s at https://parliamentlive.tv/event/
index/63587f53-a412-4d17-ac94-
3d95908cd9f4 .
I would like to convey our sincere
thanks to David. He did an excellent job,
but the minister was not for moving.
Sadly, the focus seemed to be on
telling us what we already know. I don’t
need to be told that different laws cover
different items, such as extending MOTs
etc; I know that. But the Government
has had to find ways around laws over
the past 12 months, sometimes in great
haste, to solve problems arising from the
pandemic, and all we are asking is that
they take a common sense approach to
this problem, too. Extending theory test
certificates will relieve a huge amount of
pressure on the system – and relieve a
lot of stress for learner drivers who at the
moment feel that they are trying to learn
to drive against a ticking clock.
At the very least, if this isn’t about
money, as the DVSA repeatedly claims,
why can’t theory test pass holders at
least have another go for free?
If you agree but haven’t signed the
official petition on the Petitions UK
website yet, do so now. It is at https://
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/558160
At the time of writing it had secured
nearly 60,000 signatures – and needs to
reach 100,000 to be considered for a
debate in Parliament. Get your pupils to
sign it – and get them to get their
families to sign it, too.
10
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Correspondence from Peter Harvey to Baroness Vere (left) and below, left, the
Baroness’s reply, and Peter’s response (below right)
lessons and tests? Why do we not do the
same for those people who pass their
driving test but then don’t drive for,
sometimes, many years afterwards?”
He also asked the Baroness in
correspondence to consider allowing
ADIs to help: “Would it not be possible
for Government to enlist the help of ADIs
to ensure pupils have a good theoretical
knowledge and sign off before allowing a
candidate to take the practical test?”
This idea was harshly rejected,
however, with Baroness Vere saying
“although ADIs are well-qualified and
proficient in driving and instruction, they
are not experienced assessors. This is
evidenced by the current practical test
pass rate of 47%.”
This remark was seen as particularly
insensitive as it seemed to imply that
ADIs were solely responsible for the
prevailing low pass rate. As Peter Harvey
pointed out in his reply, “it appears by
your statement that examiners or,
indeed, candidates, play no part in the
eventual result at the end of a practical
test.”
DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder
also rejected calls to allow an extension,
hiding behind the current legislative
framework – something that the
Government has played fast and loose
with in a host of areas since March
2020, as the pandemic took hold – and
rejecting comparisons with the extension
to MOTs on cars.
Peter Harvey thanked the many MSA
GB members who had taken up this
issue with their own political
representatives. “It was good to see the
debate in the House, led by David
Linden MP, and to know that our case
has been backed by many MPs up and
down the country.
“We’ve had strong support from a
number of MPs in addition to David
Linden, including David Duigan, Gavin
Newlands and Mhairi Black, with the
latter, an SNP member, suggesting in her
reply to me that “if the UK Government
are not prepared to extend the validity of
theory test certificates, then they should
devolve the necessary powers to the
Scottish Parliament so that we can take
this decision for ourselves.”
Dear Baroness Vere
Further to your replies regarding the extension of theory
certificates, many of our joint membership have been very
upset with the tone you seem to adopt regarding DVSA
qualified ADIs. In your quote “Although ADIs are well
qualified and proficient in driving and instruction, they are not
experienced assessors, this is evidenced by the current
practical pass rate of 47%.” Although we agree there are
different skill sets used between an instructor/teacher and an
assessor/examiner, you appear to be suggesting the low pass
rate around the country is purely down to ADIs, which is deeply
offensive to the profession, most of whom spend their life
trying to help novice drivers to learn a like skill. It appears by
your statement, examiners and, indeed, candidates play no
part in the eventual result at the end of a practical test...
www.msagb.com
11

News
DVLA attacked for ‘woeful’ response
as Covid rips through Swansea HQ
The chief executive of the DVLA has
admitted she had barely been in the
office since April, amid anger over a huge
number of confirmed coronavirus cases
among staff based in its Swansea HQ.
Julie Lennard told MPs on the House
of Commons Transport Select Committee
that the building was ‘Covid secure’,
despite claims by staff and the PCS
trades union that employees had been
forced to come into the office rather than
allowed to work from home, and that at
any time as many as 2,000 people were
in the building where social distancing
rules were impossible and ‘hot desking’
was encouraged.
All run contrary to official Government
guidelines, which encourage home
working wherever possible.
The MPs heard that there had been
535 Covid cases since September; from
March to September there were just 11.
The Transport Select Committee Chair,
Huw Merriman, took Ms Lennard to task
over the way she had produced data for
the committee totalling staff Covid cases,
labelling her evidence “rather
misleading.”
When asked about how many times
she had visited staff at the DVLA
workplace since September to check up
on the situation, Ms Lennard replied:
“Six or seven,” while HR and estates
director Louise White admitted she had
last been in the office in October.
The senior pair admitted that at times
there had been over 2,000 staff in the
workplace, a number they thought was
“acceptable.”
Reports in The Observer newspaper
had described how Covid had “ripped
through the DVLA in September”. “It
actually started in my zone,” one staff
member told the newspaper. “It just
spread like wildfire. Loads have tested
positive. More than I can count.”
The whistleblower said he has had to
self-isolate six times, and that contact
centre staff were not able to wear masks
and were sitting close together. “We sit
back-to-back, just one metre apart,” he
said. “They say ‘the two-metre rule only
applies if you’re face to face’.”
One member of staff had died of the
virus.
The PCS union, which represents
many of the staff, said Julie Lennard’s
performance was “woeful”, adding that it
had called for the DVLA to let staff work
from home and only allow a skeleton
workforce to remain, to deal with critical
emergencies, like they did during the first
lockdown in March.
Its chief executive Mark Serwotka
added: “There must be a full
investigation into the circumstances.
“There is no doubt that insisting over
2,000 DVLA staff go into work every day
is a recipe for further Covid cases and
that increases the possibility of further
deaths.”
A DVLA spokesman said: “We are
greatly saddened by the death of a
valued member of the DVLA family. Our
thoughts go out to his family and all
those who were close to him.
“Our focus throughout the pandemic is
on staff safety and we continue to work
closely with Public Health Wales and
follow Welsh Government guidance to
ensure that our sites are COVID secure.”
Big drop in car casualties linked to lockdown
Figures released by the Department for
Transport have revealed that UK traffic
collisions in the 12 months up to June
2020 were down 16 per cent and road
deaths fell by 14 per cent compared to
the equivalent period in 2019.
The research indicated that there were
131,220 casualties of all severities
(compared to 156,034 previously) and
1,580 road deaths (down from 1,827
the previous year), representing
significant reductions.
The decline in UK road deaths and
casualties is directly linked to the
reduction in traffic as a result of national
lockdown restrictions from the Covid-19
pandemic. In April 2020, for example,
during the first lockdown which
commenced on 23rd March, casualties
fell by 67 per cent as road traffic reduced
by 49 per cent.
Neil Greig, Director of Policy &
Research at IAM RoadSmart, said:
“Despite fears that speeding has
increased substantially during the first
lockdown it does now look as if the
number of casualties has gone down in
line with falling traffic numbers. This is
certainly good news as it shows that the
vast majority of car, van and lorry stuck
drivers to the rules.
“However, the only way to confirm
these trends and measure the true
impact of local traffic closures and
temporary cycle lanes is for the
government to publish more details on
what has happened throughout the rest
of 2020.
“IAM RoadSmart thinks that it is
unacceptable that we may have to wait
until June 2021 to get the full picture for
UK road safety during the pandemic.”
The reduction in casualties for cyclists
were less impressive, however, with the
number of cyclists killed or seriously
injured down just four per cent in the
period covered by the DfT’s report,
compared with 26 per cent of car users
and 25 per cent for all other road users
in the same period. This could be linked
to an increase in cycling in this period.
12
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

News
DVSA rejects plan to let ADIs grant licences
A campaign for ADIs to be allowed to
grant driving licences to their pupils when
they felt they are safe to drive has failed.
The idea, which was backed by an
online petition which raised more than
55,000 signatures, was rejected by the
DVSA as “not lawful or appropriate.”
The idea came about as part of a
push-back against the cancellation of
L-tests, with organisers saying a “failure
of Government” had stopped students
from being able to book a test.
However, it’s predictable downfall came
when it crashed against the rock of DVSA
intransigence. A spokesman for the
agency quoted the rulebook when he
said: “The Road Traffic Act 1988 only
allows a full driving licence to be issued if
the person has passed the test of
competence to drive.
“Furthermore, regulations also require
driving test examiners to meet certain
criteria and pass an initial qualification
and examination before being authorised
to conduct practical driving tests.
“Whilst driving instructors are very well
trained to teach learners to drive, it would
not be lawful or appropriate for them to
conduct tests on their pupils.”
Other commentators took to Twitter to
dismiss the idea equally ruthlessly, with
many calling it “stupid” and “terrible”.
IAM Smart’s Neil Grieg, while admitting
sympathy for learners denied the chance
of taking their test, said: “We strongly
believe that the independent test at the
end of the process of learning to drive is
the best way to deliver safe and capable
new drivers onto our roads.
“It is vital that road safety is not
compromised as we emerge from this
health crisis”
“There is currently no quality controlled
way of taking feedback from an ADI and
assessing it to see if a learner is fit to pass
the practical test. We have a great deal of
sympathy for those learners currently in
limbo but until the pandemic is over it
looks like they will just have to wait.
“Once testing does return it is important
that the DVSA works through the backlog
of practical tests as quickly as possible.
MSA GB’s Peter Harvey said the
campaign’s failure was to be expected but
wondered if the instigators had been
reading Newslink recently. “In December
we carried a very well nuanced article
asking whether having ADIs grant
licences, in the wake of the decision to
allow teachers to sign off GCSE and A
Level grades, was plausible; somewhat
ironically, in this issue we have regular
contributor Rod Came saying something
similar.
“While this idea had little chance of
success in the midst of the crisis, as
Government departments don’t want to
appear hasty or rash in making major
decisions, once Covid has passed perhaps
the time has come to have a radical
re-think of how we handle driving licence
acquisition in the UK.”
See the
petition
here
Victoria goes all
out to clear its
L-test backlog
Colin Lilly
Editor, MSA Newslink
Have you wondered how other nations’
driver training and testing was handling
the disruption of the Covid pandemic?
A bit of research uncovered an
Australian approach from the state of
Victoria. Its VicRoads LinkedIn page
offered an update on progress on clearing
the backlog of learner drivers waiting to
get on to the road. This has included the
opening of new test centres to handle
extra appointments for the drivers who
have been delayed by the Covid
shutdown. One of these new centres in
Ringwood, Melbourne, is pictured.
The new licence testing centres offer
dedicated spaces to house multiple
socially distanced computer tests. The
centres offer computer-based and onroad
testing.
A priority is given to those whose tests
were postponed by the lockdown, but
they also offer hardship and special
circumstances appointments to
customers who would suffer undue
hardship as a
result of not
sitting a licence
test.
To get the
full story,
click here
14
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

AA defends response to lockdown
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
AA Driving School has defended its
response to the latest lockdowns after
MSA GB received complaints from
members who are on their books.
MSA GB national chairman Peter
Harvey said there had been “a number
of complaints over AA still asking
francishees to pay fees during the current
lockdown, so I challenged them on the
matter.”
However, in response, AA said it was
doing all it could. A spokesperson said
the organisation was “totally
sympathetic” to the challenges the latest
lockdowns had created for its members,
saying it would continue to support its
instructors through this difficult time.
“In light of the new lockdown, we are
reducing our fees throughout January
and February. This reduction is the
equivalent of waiving the non-vehicle
fees associated with the franchise. We
are also continuing to offer franchisees
the option to take a payment holiday
from their franchise fees which they are
able to pay back, interest free, over the
next two years. Our business continues
to have significant costs during the
pandemic, not least the lease and
associated vehicle costs for our
instructors’ cars.
“We have worked hard to try and find
the most sustainable solution for the next
two months, which supports both
instructors and our business. We will
continue to communicate with our
instructors and talk to them individually,
if they wish, to support them through
this period. We will review this in
February when we expect further
Government guidance on the next steps
for the current lockdown.
www.msagb.com
‘‘
“Completely waiving fees,
as we did during the first
lockdown, is not a sustainable
way of getting our business
through this new lockdown.
‘‘
“During the first lockdown in spring
last year, we waived fees entirely for 14
weeks and then offered instructors the
option to defer payments during
subsequent local lockdowns. Without
any income this cost the business
millions of pounds.
“Like all businesses, we have had to
Lessons needed on ADAS systems
Vehicle manufacturers, dealerships and
ADIs should include a comprehensive
lesson for motorists on how to use
advanced driver assistance systems
(ADAS) so they are a road safety benefit
and not a potential hazard, says IAM
RoadSmart.
Some of the most widely known ADAS
include adaptive cruise control,
autonomous emergency braking systems,
lane keeping assist and driver monitoring
for drowsiness and distraction
recognition. However, awareness and
understanding of these systems is
generally low among drivers, with most
using a ‘trial-and-error’ method to get to
know the tech.
IAM’s Neil Greig said: “Advanced driver
assistance systems have the potential to
improve road safety, but only if used
correctly. If used incorrectly, they can
have the opposite effect, with potentially
worrying consequences for all road users.
“The time has now come to include a
comprehensive lesson from every car
dealer supplying vehicles and further, for
more about ADAS to be included in the
UK driving test.”
make decisions in an unstable financial
environment, with no knowledge of how
the virus will impact our lives in the
coming months.
“Completely waiving fees, as we did
during the first lockdown, is not a
sustainable way of getting our business
through this new lockdown. We will
continue to do all we can to support
instructors, many of whom are eligible
for the government’s Self-Employment
Income Support Scheme payments.
Clearly there is some hope with the
vaccine on the horizon that our industry
can go back to normal in the coming
months, but the key thing for us right
now is finding a way to support our
instructors, in a way that is sustainable
for both instructors and for our driving
schools.”
15

News
ADI numbers are down,
down, deeper and down
The status quo over recent years has been a shrinkage in
the ADI register, with the number of instructors falling every
year. But is that cycle starting to end and an increase in ADIs
numbers on the cards? MSA Newslink looks at the latest figures
New statistics released by the DVSA
have revealed the scale of the fall in ADI
numbers over the past decade – but
there is just a chance that what was an
accepted trend of fewer instructors may
be bottoming out, and that the size of
the ADI pool could be about to start
growing again in 2021-22.
In April 2011 there were over 47,000
ADIs on the register, pretty much a high
watermark and a figure that would be
more or less maintained until deep into
the following year.
But since the second half of 2012
there has been a steady fall in the
number of instructors, with hundreds
leaving the ADI Register every quarter.
Comparing ins and outs, in March
2013, 246 entered the ranks, but 357
left; in March 2014, it was 234 against
279; in March 2015 it was 242 against
350.
The result is that by September of last
year the Register had just 38,642 ADIs:
a fall since 2011 of just short of a fifth.
The situation is unlikely to change
overnight, either. Looking at the pipeline
of new ADIs coming in and comparing it
to those leaving shows that while there
has been a slight increase in newcomers,
so have ADIs leaving the profession
grown. A small rise in ADI numbers looks
likely but it will be a slow and steady
climb rather than a surge.
It is hard to quantify how large this
increase will be, or how quickly it will
arrive. As all members will be aware, the
number of initial applications to become
ADIs, and trainee licences issued, falls
well short of the number of people who
qualify as instructors. Indeed, the scale
of the drop-out appears on first
inspection to be alarming. But it is
challenging to follow new applications
through the process. The length of time
spent training to pass the Part 3 differs
So what’s love got to do with it?
widely between instructors, making it
hard to look at raw monthly stats of new
trainees and then predict accurately
when they will become new ADIs.
What is clear is that the trainee
licences issued is still far greater than the
number of green badges, suggesting a
large drop-out rate. Again, while
accepting that no monthly figure of initial
applications can be directly linked to any
month’s trainee licences, and then on to
new ADIs, it is interesting to show the
statistics annually, and try to work out
the drop-out rate.
For the years 2011-12 onwards
through to 2019-20, initial applications
to become an ADI grew. 4,985 made an
initial inquiry in 2011-12, and this
number increased every year up until
2018-19, when it rose to 7,634
applications. Even when it did fall in
This equation isn’t one of Einstein’s, but basically:
More love = more babies = more pupils for ADIs in
about 18 years time (climate change activism not
withstanding)
Have a quick look at the chart right. It shows birth rate
in the UK, and you can quickly see how much it rose
for a decade.
The birth rate in 2000-2003 was relatively low,
which translated as poor years for ADIs in 2017-19 as
far as the crop of new drivers was concerned. Fewer
babies in 2000 means fewer 17-year-olds for us to
teach in 2017.
However, after 2003 something interesting happens.
The birth rate shot up, and continued climbing until
plateauing and then starting to dip from 2012.
That means that in 2021 we are about to enter a
period of lots of 17-year-olds... and that bumper crop
will continue until around 2029, at which point the
falling birth rate from 2012 onwards will start to
impact. It should mean that, for ADIs and in the
immortal words of Tina Turner, these coming years
could be _ _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ / _ _ _ _
Number of live births in the UK, 2000-2018
16
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
2019-20 it fell by only 22.
But what happened to trainee licences
over the same period? You would have
assumed they too would rise year on
year, keeping pace with the initial
applications but obviously lagging a few
months behind, but that was not the
case. In 2011-12 3,350 people
obtained a trainee licence but this fell
sharply to 1,674 the next year.
Subsequent years fell again, so that
while at the start of this period the
number of trainee licences was around
75 per cent of the initial applications, by
2015-16 it was just 20 per cent (6,790
initial applications against 1,313 trainee
licences).
2019-20 saw 7,634 people make an
initial inquiry to the DVSA; 3,386
received a trainee licence in the same
year – less than half.
What put people off?
But how do those trainee licences
compare with new ADI statistics?
Interestingly, quite well for a time. New
ADI numbers – which don’t include
people re-registering – kept pace. If we
assume it takes at least nine months to
go from trainee to qualified, it helps to
compare the figures on new ADIs to
those of the previous year’s trainee
licences. In 2012-13, 1,674 pinks were
followed by 1,549 greens in 2013-14;
in 2013-14, 1,449 pinks were followed
in 2014-15 by 1,268 green licences.
However, this trend collapses in recent
years. In 2017-18 3,440 trainee
licences were followed in 2018-19 by
just 2,554 new ADIs; the next year it
was 3,870 as opposed to 2,386.
The overall impression is a job with a
huge initial appeal, before people learn
more about the actual practicalities,
costs, hurdles and ultimate rewards, at
which point there is a massive fall in
interest. Even when a trainee licence is
granted there is a steady decline in
numbers completing their training. This
picture is then further complicated by
more people retiring, resigning or failing
to make the standard, thus reducing the
numbers on the register, year on year.
Will this change? Possibly. In the year
2020 up to September, 1,501 ADIs had
officially left the register, with 1,166
joining it – a shortfall of 335. But a
whopping 3,217 people made an initial
application to train, and 1,938 trainee
licences had been handed out.
In September 2020 an astonishing
1,022 people made their first
applications to the DVSA – far higher
than the figure for any single month
since 2011. This suggests a surge in
pent-up demand as people who would
normally have begun training over the
summer finally got their chance as
lockdown restrictions eased. At the same
time 306 trainee licences were issued,
and 327 people either became ADIs or
rejoined.
This compares well with numbers
exiting. 239 ADIs left the profession in
the same month, meaning a net gain for
the Registrar.
You would expect to see some of those
1,022 receive trainee licences in due
course, and then add their names to the
register at a later date in numbers far
higher than those leaving.
As to the future, job losses in other
sectors of the economy could well drive
up recruitment of new instructors, all
swayed by the dream of ‘35k a year and
a car’.
Whether they will make this dream a
reality, only time will tell.
www.msagb.com
17

Towards your CPD
Can I just go back and do
that bit again...?
In the second part of his look at the current L-test, Simon Elstow asks
how well it supports client-centred learning
Summary so far, from Part 1 (Newslink Janaury):
• If you have a pedantic test you get a pedantic result.
• Real world driving is complex. A thirty eight minute test cannot address this complexity.
• The L Test can’t mandate for experience. So some candidates get lucky and some are very unlucky.
• The real problem with the DL25 is that it only records failure – not what skills the candidate actually has.
• The L Test doesn’t really assess awareness, it really assesses process.
• You can almost always find something which is “potentially dangerous” – the criteria for failure.
• It’s trying to be a test of perfection when it supposed to be a test of competency.
• Stress is the main barrier to the L Test’s veracity – how truthful it is.
First of all, what’s so good about
client-centred learning? Lots!
My top three: Carl Rodgers
gave us the ‘centre’ of ‘client
centred’, when he wrote that
we should have “unconditional positive
regard” for our client. The Greek
philosopher, Socrates gave us coaching
when he said; “I don’t teach, I just ask
questions”. Eric Berne, the psychologist,
explained that ‘taking responsibility’
means conversations that are ‘adult to
adult’.
History doesn’t repeat itself, but human
behaviour does.
What I want to show is that the
relationship we have with our clients is
more important than their L-test result.
But I also want to show how the L-test
actually gets in the way of that
relationship and distorts what good
driving should be about.
It’s often said (at least in our
profession) that ADIs are responsible for
their clients ‘learning to take
18
About the author
responsibility’. In other words the L-test
is just a test, but the real work is in the
teaching – a sort of disingenuous flattery.
I think it’s disingenuous because when
one of my pupils fails their test, the
inference is that I haven’t taught them
well enough. Examiners are not allowed
to say: “It’s not your fault, the test isn’t
good enough”. I often see an exasperated
look on the examiner’s face when they
must say what the single fault is, which
fails the person – especially when they
know the fault could have been as a
result of the conditions of the L-test.
The key thing we need to remember is
the aim of all of this – that our client
learns how to take responsibility.
A way to envisage this is to think of
‘responsibility’ as the ‘ability to respond’.
And that implies both the will and
emotional intelligence to do so.
What does the L Test route protocol
really achieve?
When in the real world do you drive a
person you don’t know around a route
Simon started teaching learners in 1988. He was an instructor trainer for BSM, a
fleet trainer at Drive & Survive plc and training manager for the Institute of
Advanced Motorists. He sat on the DVSA steering group for CPD and was
recently a consultant for ROSPA. He has returned to teaching learners and is a
Porsche Driving Consultant at the company’s experience centre at Silverstone.
Simon holds an MSc in Coaching, a 7307 Teacher’s Certificate and has been a
Grade A (previously Grade 6) instructor for the whole of his professional career.
His passion is Continuing Professional Development – making things better.
you haven’t prepared for? Even taxi
drivers don’t do that!
The L-test seems to assume that just
because Sat Nav is in use (or the
examiner is directing), that the learner
knows where they are going. I think
anyone can see that’s not the same thing
as setting the route yourself. ‘Good
practice’ means being prepared –
knowing where you are going. And being
prepared is a central tenant of taking
responsibility.
Sat Nav is supposed to be included as
a real world distraction. And that it truly
is. But what relevance to new drivers is
Sat nav compared to distractions like
phones, passengers and time commitments?
The problem is that the L-test creates a
‘parent-child’ relationship that’s at odds
with personal responsibility. Our clients
are focusing on and distracted by an
artificial standard, created by a test that
can’t properly assess responsibility.
Does the L-test reflect how learning
works?
We all ‘learn’ after the event. In a nut
shell, learning is a ‘cycle’ of phases that
involve: theory (thinking), activity
(feeling), pragmatism (doing) and
reflection (watching). We learn when
we’ve thought about and applied the
learning to other situations – experience
– and then adapted our approach.
All this means that experienced drivers
develop an ‘auto pilot’, where much of
driving is automated.
But learners can’t drive on auto pilot;
they must rely on memory. The
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
candidate is trying to remember a great
deal of information in a dynamic
situation. But the L-test isn’t like other
tests, where you can apply memory
without other distractions.
What other tests are there where you
cannot stop and restart or pause? What
other tests are there where you cannot
‘go back’ and correct something, or later
show you really do have a particular
skill? The L-test is more like It’s a
Knockout! Back to taking that penalty…
What influences young people
to drive safely?
I want to step back at this point and
shine the spotlight on friends, family and
teachers.
Our young learner client’s primary
influences are from these peers and
mentors and other teachers Of course, I
know you know that, but you wouldn’t
think so when listening to an L-test
de-brief. It assumes it’s all about the
mistakes.
One key problem here is that the L-test
assumes that young people believe in the
criteria.I well remember, many years ago,
one of my pupils saying, “I will go in that
‘‘
The L-test does not recognise
the ‘journey’ or programme of
learning the ADI is engaged in,
with their client... essentially
we are sponsoring our cliet,
saying ‘I know you can drive’
‘‘
gap because I want to pass my test; but I
won’t be doing that in my car”.
The main issue here is that the L-test
does not recognise the ‘journey’, or
programme of learning the ADI is
engaged in with their client. Essentially,
as an ADI, we are ‘sponsoring’ our client,
saying, “I know you can drive”.
I ask my clients why, if they fail their
L-test, they think it happened. The
answers are complex and personal, but
aren’t normally about the mistakes
themselves. That’s because stress means
they could have made any mistake.
But the L-test doesn’t support or
recognise any of this.
Is there light at the end of this tunnel?
Yes, and in part, it’s the Standards
Check Guidance Notes. I think there is a
lot of good stuff there. But there is also
some muddled thinking. Importantly,
they recognise the key relationship ADIs
have with their client.
There has been a lot of interesting
discussion about continuous assessment
through these pandemic times. There is
an opportunity here.
The way forward, like the concept of a
Graduated Driver Licence, is a framework
of solutions. A diversity of approach is
needed here.
So where does this leave us?
The L-test is a bar; under the bar you
lose. Over the bar and you can drive any
car, anywhere, anytime. How realistic is
that?
The L-test is still held up as a rite of
passage, but the world has moved on.
Where good teaching and coaching has
happened the L-test simply isn’t good
enough to assess that.
We owe this young generation an
honest appraisal of both the L-test and
other options.
n elstowsimon@gmail.com
www.msagb.com
19

Towards your CPD
First steps on the M-ways
can be daunting – but fun!
As we approach the second
anniversary of learner drivers
being allowed on motorways
with ADIs, Steve Garrod
draws up a lesson plan
As ADIs up and down the
country think of the days
when we could get out and
teach, it may be time to
reflect and plan some
lessons after lockdown.
It will be two years in June since
learner drivers in England, Scotland and
Wales have been be able to take driving
lessons on motorways. The aim was to
help to make sure more drivers know
how to use motorways safely but,
following some recent phone calls and
emails, it appears many ADIs are still not
confident with conducting motorway
lessons.
It maybe worth re-capping a couple of
key facts:
• Only ADIs in Category B vehicles
fitted with dual controls are allowed to
teach learners on motorways
• It is a voluntary scheme and there
are currently no plans to conduct
[learner] driving tests on motorways
I am regularly asked questions about
the content and how to cover the subject
and about suitable magnetic roof boards
for motorway use, so this month I
thought I’d share some of the things we
have been discussing including lesson
planning, risk management, content and
selecting routes.
Many of us have conducted Pass Plus
lessons on motorways with newly
qualified drivers, but it is clear that the
vast majority have not. This is
understandable, because very few will
have been trained to teach on motorways
or even dual carriageways due to the old
pre-set test format of the now defunct
Part 3 Test of Instructional Ability.
Having said that, many ADI Part 2
routes cover national speed limits on
dual carriageways, and some on
motorways, so if you have a think back
to your training, think about the changes
you may have had to make to your own
driving and how this was covered by your
trainer.
Your own risk management
Before teaching learners on motorways
it is essential that you make sure that
your instructor’s insurance includes
comprehensive cover on motorways and
that your magnetic roof sign has a strong
enough magnet to cope with high speed.
Most good roof boards are tested in
wind tunnels to above 70mph but you
should also consider the effects of strong
winds and perhaps postpone the
motorway lesson if you feel there may be
a danger of the board being blown off.
If in doubt it may be better to change
your top box because magnets do lose
their power over time, or use adhesive
L-plates front and rear.
As a general rule, it is best to change
your roof box when you change your car.
Lesson planning
When planning, you will need to give
consideration to the content, route and
the structure of your lesson. Although the
lesson content and structure needs to be
agreed with your pupil, you do have to
have a plan and know what needs to be
covered if the lesson is to be effective.
You will also be able to identify what can
be covered practically and what will need
to be covered by questions and answers,
eg, motorway features that may not be
readily accessible in your training area,
such as crawler lanes, smart motorways
and contraflows.
The duration of the lesson will depend
on where your pupils are located,
therefore it may be more suitable to
consider a two-hour lesson. Longer
lessons will also help pupils appreciate
the effects of fatigue when driving for
longer periods, therefore journey
management is an important element of
this training.
Under normal circumstance you could
decide to take two pupils in the same
session to enable them to travel further
and share the driving. Driving with a
passenger prepares them for the real
world (additional risks) and is useful if
you intend to accompany them on their
driving test.
Until the end of this pandemic, and
when we are allowed to get back out on
the road again, it is probably not a
sensible option, but it is a thought for the
future. Element 3.1.4 from the National
Standards for Driving and Riding and The
Highway Code (rules 253-273) will also
help you plan for this lesson. This
national standard has conveniently
planned this subject for us and is an
excellent lesson for a Standards Check, if
you have access to these types of roads.
The lesson content can be broken
down into Show me and Tell me
headings, such as:
Show me (skills that must be shown)
• join and leave a motorway/dual
carriageway safely from the left or the
right
• drive in the most suitable lane
• allow for others to join or leave the
20
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

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“In reality this could be the first time pupils
get the chance to overtake something moving
quicker than 15mph, save for the occasional
MAMIL out for his weekly cycle...”
carriageway
• change lanes safely
• good anticipation
• overtake other vehicles safely
• maintain a safe following distance
Tell me (know and understand)
• safe use of hard shoulders
• how to react to emergency vehicles
and Highway Agency Officers
• how to plan a journey and how to
reduce the effects of fatigue
• the rules relating to dual
carriageways and motorways
• Active Management Systems (eg,
variable speed limits)
• the need to scan well ahead on
approach to junctions
• the correct use of the hazard lights
• dealing safely with a breakdown
• the risks posed by drivers of lefthand
drive vehicles, particularly large
goods vehicles.
Risk management
Part of the planning for this lesson
naturally includes risk management. This
could mean identifying potential
problems and finding suitable solutions
to reduce the risk and making sure the
lesson is built up step by step, for
example, allowing pupils to build up their
speed gradually on route to the
motorway.
If you live near to an area that has
Active Management Systems, such as
‘hard shoulder running’ (where traffic is
allowed to travel on the hard shoulder to
reduce congestions a certain times of the
day) or variable speed limits where
mandatory speed limits are shown on
overhead gantries at busy times, then it
is worth the effort to build extra time into
the lesson so that your pupil can
experience it (though obviously be careful
not to run over time in a Standards
Check!)
Recap
The recap should link to any home
study which may have been set, and
previous lessons dealing with dual
carriageways or national speed limit
roads. Pupils must be able to recognise
the national speed sign, know the
maximum speeds for their own vehicle
and also of others vehicle types, eg,
LGVs, cars towing trailers. Once they
pass their test they will be entitled to tow
a trailer or may be asked to drive a
mini-bus, so knowing these limits is
important.
Main points
The main points should include the
bullet points under the ‘knowledge and
understanding’ section. For example:
• dealing with an emergency or
breakdown
• how to recognise Active
Management Scheme (AMS)* (if
applicable)
• speed limits
• lane discipline
• motorway road signs
• how to join and exit motorways
The above are also good examples of
risk management. The responsibility
should be shared in all driving lessons
and pupils need to know what is
expected of them before they enter the
main carriageway of a motorway.
Continued on page 22
www.msagb.com
21

Towards your CPD
First steps on the m-ways
can be daunting – but fun!
Continued from page 21
A key risk when dealing with
motorways is the hard shoulder. This
lane is statistically the most dangerous
place to be on a motorway, and the
dirtiest lane. Pupils should know the
risks involved and how to exit their
vehicles safely should they breakdown,
via the nearside (passenger) doors NOT
the driver’s side), and to stand well away
from the vehicle, preferably behind a
barrier if there is one.
They should understand the
advantages of using the emergency
phones and facing the traffic while
talking to the operator, or if they have to
use a mobile phone, be able to give their
location using the codes on the
telephone marker posts.
Once you leave the hard shoulder to
re-join the man carriageway you need to
be aware that the hard shoulder is the
place where all the debris ends up,
therefore it is important to check the
tyres at the earliest opportunity to make
sure nothing is likely to cause any
damage.
There is a good section in Driving – the
Essential Skills on motorway driving; it
is worth spending some time refreshing
your knowledge before teaching this
lesson. All of the main points can be
made up as a work book for pupils to
work through prior to the lesson.
car up with fuel so they can select the
correct pump.
If a service station is not on your route
try to leave at a suitable exit and find
somewhere suitable to stop if you feel it
is necessary. If your pupil is happy to
carry on then do so. The purpose of the
practical session is for pupils put into
practice what has been discussed during
the recap and briefing.
The old Chinese proverb which says: ‘I
hear – I forget, I see – I remember, I do
– I understand’ relies on learners being
able to see things relating to what they
have heard and then doing something
that links what they have seen and
heard. For example, stopping distances
are generally learnt by rote, with no real
understanding. The distance between
two telephone marker posts is 100
metres (yes metric!) and the stopping
distance at 70mph is 96 metres (in good
conditions). Linking what has been heard
to what can be seen helps pupils
remember things in the future.
Lane discipline is an essential part of
risk management, to the extent that the
police can now stop and issue fines to
drivers who ‘hog’ lanes when the one to
their left is clear. Pupils should identify
when it is safe and appropriate to return
to the next lane and understand how to
overtake moving vehicles. As a general
rule, drivers should clearly see the
vehicle they have overtaken in their
interior mirror before checking the
nearside door mirror before changing
lanes unless there is slower moving
traffic in those lanes.
Working out when to return (to a left
hand lane) can be debatable; something
that I have used for many years is
looking for the third telephone marker
post ahead of me (each one is 100
metres apart, remember). If I can see the
third one I know that I should be moving
over, if I can’t see it then the chances are
it is hidden by slower moving traffic. This
is just a guide line and it needs to remain
flexible.
Practice and route planning
The practical section should be broken
down into small chunks. If you can plan
to stop at a service station on route then
that would be perfect. While in the
service area you could use the bay
parking exercise as an additional activity
before giving and receiving feedback from
the initial drive. Motorway service
stations can be busy places so it is a
good idea to give pupils some practice
while under supervision of how to
navigate such areas. I am normally pretty
good with finding my way around the
country but I still manage to lose my
bearings in large car parks!
It is also worth pointing out the cost of
fuel at service stations while you are
there to encourage pupils to fill up before
they leave home.
A point worth mentioning here is that
it is essential to teach pupils how to fill a
In case you ever wondered!
Telephone marker posts and signs pinpoint your exact position and correct
carriageway. The larger signs are for mobile phone users to save you having to walk
to an emergency phone.
M6 – identifies the motorway, the letter A or B marks the direction of travel, eg Away
from Junction 1 and Back to Junction 1 (There are other letters used to identify slip
roads and link roads) and the figure (306.0) identifies distance (in kilometres) from
junction 1.
22

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
“If you can plan to stop at a service station
on route then that would be perfect...”
Two-lane motorways can be tricky and
you may need to move over sooner to
allow following traffic to overtake.
The thing to remember is that the pupil
has to make those decisions, albeit
during a conversation with you. They
need to realise that driving is not black
and white and there is a lot of grey that
can only be dealt with at the time.
Overtaking is also another area of risk
that needs to be managed well. The
phrase is it safe, legal and necessary
really needs to be reversed, because if it
is not necessary why even think about it?
In reality this could be the first time
pupils get the chance to overtake
something moving quicker than 15mph,
save for the occasional MAMIL (middle
aged man in lycra) out for his weekly
cycle.
If you look at Driving – the Essential
Skills you will see that the procedure for
overtaking is slightly different - PSL
MSPSL.
Position – are you near enough to the
vehicle in front without being too close to
enable you to pass it quickly?
Speed – what speed are you doing
now and will you be able to pass the
vehicle without breaking the speed limit?
Look – ahead to see if it safe to
overtake and necessary e.g. which exit
will you be taking and is the car in front
likely to change lanes (either right or left)
while you are overtaking it?
If the above is all looking good, then
use the MSPSL routine and overtake. At
any stage of the overtake pupils should
understand that they can always change
their mind and not overtake. The safe,
legal necessary runs right through the
whole manoeuvre.
The overtaking procedure can be
applied to all lane changes too, even if
there is nothing directly in front of you.
For example, when approaching a
junction where traffic may leave or join
the carriageway. Anticipating other traffic
changing lanes is also risk management.
Other things to look for when on the
motorway are other vehicles driving in
blind spots of others, particularly large
left-hand drive vehicles, watching how
other drivers overtake and road signs
giving information about lane formations.
For example, when joining a motorway
there will be signs telling you that you
may have to emerge into a lane on your
left or right, or that the lane you are in
may become its own lane on the
motorway.
As you can see there is a lot of
information to include, and this is why it
is important to build in short breaks to
discuss key points. Driving lessons are
not meant to be endurance tests, they
are supposed to supportive and
informative where pupils feel confident to
learn and develop new skills. Regular
breaks means regular reflection which
helps pupils remember what they have
learnt. If pupils drive for too long they
(and you) are more likely to forget what
has been achieved.
At this level the lesson should really be
about a two-way conversation with the
pupil encouraged to do the planning.
Directions should be based on following
road signs, and by using Sat-nav.
Always make time for an end-of-thedrive
summary. Questions such as “What
have you learnt?” allows your pupil to
think about what they have learnt and
what they still need to improve or learn,
which will be starting point for their next
session.
If you can, plan a motorway or
dual-carriageway lesson with someone
once we are allowed: it really does
makes a pleasant change!
IN BRIEF
Survey seeks
ADI views on
auto driving
The European Driving Schools
Association, EFA, was involved with a
Drive2theFuture Project on the
acceptability of autonomous driving
and the role of driving training.
A new survey has been launched to
collect data on ADIs’ views on
autonomous driving. The collected data
will be shared with EFA and member
associations.
Please share the survey with your
colleagues nationwide. It is important
to make our voices heard.
The survey takes about seven
minutes and can be found at
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/
BCKBZZK
More on Drive2theFuture at
http://www.drive2thefuture.eu/
DTC update for
Brislington
As reported in December’s Newslink,
Bristol (Brislington) driving test centre
update will close this month.
A short presentation on how DVSA is
planning to minimise disruption to
customers and provide similar levels of
test availability was given by staff to
local ADIs on January 7.
Potential locations, routes and
examiner staff levels were discussed.
This was followed by a short question
and answer session between staff and
instructors. You can watch the meeting
using the link and password below.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MEETING:
Passcode to view: RD22#78D
For L-tests already booked at Bristol
(Brislington) from February 1, the
DVSA will contact all candidates and
ask them to contact them to book a
priority test date at a new test centre.
The three test centres they will be
offered priority dates at are:
• Chippenham
• Kingswood
• Jubilee House (Bristol)
You will need to contact the service
centre before 1 March 2021 to have
access to the priority dates.
www.msagb.com
23

Towards your CPD
Looking and not seeing:
what do you teach?
Mike Yeomans
MSA GB North East
I am sure all of you who are preparing
students to drive on the roads and
interact with other road users, try to
show the perspective of how other road
users see you and how you should see
other road users.
Whether it for licence acquisition or in
the commercial fleet market, how we
perceive our fellow travellers while we are
on the roads is very important to our
survival.
But do we always see those around us?
How much does our environment
register? What draws our eyes to dangers
or distractions?
Bearing in mind that actually seeing
what you are doing is essential, what
techniques do you use to make your
clients aware of saccadic masking? If you
remember the advert ‘Think once, think
twice, think bike’, it is the phenomenon
of looking but not seeing.
The roads in Britain are a busy place.
Road users are increasing, and people
are taking different forms of transport
such as bikes, motorbikes, mopeds and
so on.
What is saccadic masking?
Saccadic masking affects us all. It is to
do with the way that our eyes and brain
see things as we turn our heads. When
you move your head from side to side, as
when you look left and right at a junction,
our eyes send images to our brain in
snapshots. You can think of it like a
camera recording video footage in
frames. Our brains then link all of these
frames (called fixations) together to
create one continuous image. However,
this is an illusion because between the
images there are blind spots (called
saccades).
How does saccadic masking affect my
driving?
When you are approaching a junction,
or looking to turn left or right, your eyes
24
(The image above was first created in 2009 for inclusion in National Driver
Improvement Scheme NDIS. Author was Lee
do not capture one continuous image.
The saccades created between fixations
are a danger, and another road user
could fall within these blind spots and
not be seen. The faster you move your
head, the shorter the fixations and the
longer the saccades, therefore increasing
the risk of not seeing another road user.
How can I prevent saccadic masking?
Saccadic masking can be decreased
by, instead of doing one continuous head
movement from left to right, pausing for
a fraction of a second at three points.
These points should be once to the left,
once directly ahead, and once to the
right to check your long, middle and
short distance. If you get into the habit of
doing this your eyes will adjust faster,
and you can complete the procedure
quicker. This then stops the eyes from
sending incomplete images to the brain.
It is recommended that this is
completed at least twice each time you
are looking to turn. If every driver carried
this out, it is believe we could reduce the
risk of road crashes by one quarter.
An example of saccadic masking is
shown on the link below from the
Alliance of British Drivers.
https://www.facebook.com/
allianceofbritishdrivers/
videos/10154181088029150/
The images above are taken from a
driving simulator showing the areas we
scan and areas we most commonly don’t
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

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pay enough attention to.
Developing the psychological
knowledge of how we scan and how that
can be improved, I have noticed that
when training van/minibus drivers or
coach/large goods drivers, they are often
unaware of how others see them and in
turn they lack understanding of how they
should see those around them who are
more vulnerable than themselves.
For example: Take a medium-sized van
and ask the driver to leave the cab area
and walk with you behind the vehicle
about 5 or 6 metres – in other words,
place the driver in a position on the road
as if he were in a vehicle following the
van.
Ask the question: what can you NOT
see? The answer will usually be one of
two: “Anything in front of the van” or “I
can’t see the door mirrors”.
Let’s focus on the door mirrors. Ask
the driver to now walk 25 to 30 metres
behind the van and as before (from a
driver-in-car position on the road) ask
what CAN you now see? At this point,
and rarely before, the driver can now see
at least the driver side mirror clearly.
Asking the next question: You can see
the mirror; would you be able to see the
driver’s head in that mirror? “Yes, I could
clearly”.
Then the driver – ‘YOU’ when in that
van – can see ‘YOU’ now as the car
driver, demonstrating the blind spot for
‘‘
“I ask the simulated cyclist, our driver,
to draw in the air an image of a cyclist.
It’s always the same; they draw a side-on
image of a cyclist. But when do we really
see this image in the mirror? You don’t
see the cyclist side on; you see them endon,
from the front not the side – very slim
silhouette...”
www.msagb.com
‘‘
most medium to large vehicles is at least
25 to 30 metres.
Usually this larger-than-expected blind
spot is quite disconcerting for our van
driver and adds another perspective to
using mirrors and improving observation.
I use this process with car drivers as
well, pulling up behind a parked van or
lorry/minibus in quiet streets and walking
as described earlier to view the
limitations the van driver has dealing
with you, the car driver.
On walking back to the van, I would
ask the driver to walk on the verge as if
riding a bike approaching the nearside of
the vehicle. My question would be: Tell
me when you lose sight of the driver’s
head in the passenger side mirror if you
were riding your bike to pass to wait
alongside the van?
In over 98 per cent of the times, I ask
this question (dependent on the
understanding of what I’ve asked), the
simulated cyclist loses sight of the
imagined driver’s head at or just before
the rear wheel of the vehicle.
At this point I would ask the simulated
cyclist, our driver, to draw in the air as if
drawing on a wall an image of a cyclist.
It’s always the same; they draw a
side-on image of a cyclist. But when do
we really see this image in the mirror?
You don’t see the cyclist side on; you see
them end-on, from the front not the side
– in other words, a very slim silhouette.
This may account for the many times
we ‘look but don’t see’ a cyclist, as the
brain is not seeing what it expects to see.
Even our road markings encourage us
to not see what we see in our mirrors.
Every reference to cyclists on road signs
or in literature is the side view.
I appreciate not every cycle lane is
easy to follow but the signage I feel is
more for the cyclist and not considering
the motorised vehicle driver.
I wonder if we should redesign the
cycle signage so it is similar to that used
in Europe, which shows both what they
should see as well as the obvious side
view cycle image.
(See the photographs above for
alternate images in the cycle lane; side
of bike and front of bike.)
Certainly, as we approach a junction,
the side view on an elevated sign to
show what might be passing across in
front of us, but on the approach, an
elevated front view sign/s reminding us of
what we might see in our mirrors or be
passing, may work better.
Of course, the best method to get all
road users to be familiar with each
other’s modes of transport would be to
encourage all drivers to at least sit in
different vehicles – cars, bikes, vans and
LGVs. There are many companies
offering those experiences and if you are
not offering Pass Plus or lessons after
your pupils pass, I would suggest
connecting with one or more of these
companies. Alternatively, take your
students on a Bikeability course to give
them an understanding of the needs of
cyclists, or enhance their perceptions by
putting them behind the wheel, even if
stationary, of bigger or different vehicles.
25

Comment
PLAN B
PLAN A
Time to show us your
Plan B, DVSA
Rod Came
MSA South East
“I
am pleased to tell you that
you have...” Those words
are said by DVSA examiners
to the 46 per cent of car
driving test candidates who
actually pass their test, and must be
music to their ears. They mean so many
things to different people: freedom,
employment, status even.
Unfortunately, those words have been
in very short supply in the last 10
months. The pandemic has reduced the
provision of driving tests to a microscopic
minimum. Many people have suffered,
their dreams of freedom, aspirations of
employment have all but disappeared.
It is understandable that DVSA had to
suspend driving tests while the country is
in lockdown. Their examiners are as
susceptible to catching Covid-19 as the
rest of the population, especially within
the confines of a car.
However, at some time in the future
driving tests will have to resume, the
current situation in relation to tests and
Covid-19 cannot go on for ever. It’s
needless to say that, if there has been
any thought put to this by the DVSA, it is
a closely guarded secret. It need not be.
If there is a Plan B we as driver trainers
need to know what it is. Unfortunately,
because of the lack of information, the
only conclusion that can be drawn is that
there is no Plan B.
The system for the provision of driving
tests cannot continue in the same
manner as it has done in the past. It was
quite simply not suitable for purpose. It
did not work.
I have been in the industry for 40
years. For almost all of that time there
have been totally unacceptable waiting
times for being able to take a car driving
test. At the worst of times candidates
were having to wait for nearly a year, and
similar for a re-test. Occasionally the
availability became more accessible in
some parts of the country, but still
remained stubbornly high for most
people.
You do not have to be Einstein to
foresee that there will be a colossal
demand for both driving lessons and
tests as soon as it is decreed that the
populace can move about freely: the dam
will burst.
When tests became more available last
year it was understandable that
examiners were reluctant to deliver them,
as the risk of contracting the virus had
not gone away. The effect on the waiting
list was minimal, at best. If DVSA thinks
that resuming test appointment dates in
the same manner as before is
acceptable, then it has to be said here
and now that it is not. Change has to
happen. The old system is irreparably
broken.
There have been various suggestions
made to avoid the impending implosion
of the test waiting system – bringing
26
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
back retired examiners, using driving
examiners associated with various
advanced driving groups, etc – but these
do not overcome the obvious problem,
that being the risk of infection from 35
people a week who are unknown to the
examiner.
Whether retired examiners would want
to go back to work in the prevailing
circumstances is a moot point. Whether
road safety group examiners are suitable
is another. Whether driving tests per se
are absolutely necessary is yet another.
Galloping over the horizon is another
approach. The Government has decided
to scrap GCSE, A, As Level and SATS
exams this year, as was announced by
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.
Williamson said: “Although exams are
the fairest way we have of assessing
what a student knows, the impact of this
pandemic now means that it is not
possible to have these exams this year.”
Mr Williamson also said that a form of
teacher-assessed grades and tests will be
used, with training to ensure grades are
awarded “fairly and consistently”.
After the debacle last year when
Artificial Intelligence led to a disaster in
exam results it has been decided that
teachers are the best people to judge the
abilities of their pupils, hence the
decision that this year they would be the
sole arbiters. Common sense has come
to the fore.
Carrying that approach forward it does
not require a great stretch of the
imagination to see how that same
approach could be applied to the
acquisition of a driving licence.
It is a given from their previous history
that DVSA will not be able to cope with
the number of applications for driving
tests that will be made, as normality in
whatever form returns. The waiting lists
for test dates will stretch to infinity.
It is likely that more than two million
tests will have not taken place over the
lockdown period. When the previous
lockdown was eased DVSA started
providing test dates for the following two
weeks; very quickly those slots were
filled and there were an unknown
number of people who could not get one,
possibly ten times the number of those
who did. If that were the case it would
mean that the waiting list would have
been 20 weeks. That’s a totally
unacceptable time to have to wait in any
circumstances.
As it has now been accepted by
Government that teachers in schools can
assess the capabilities of their pupils in
what would have been their important
exams, there is no good reason why
teachers of driving cannot be considered
to be capable of performing the same
task.
There are several benefits to be gained
from this approach to the acquisition of a
driving licence.
1. When the waiting time for a test is
long there is pressure to take a test on a
given date in the hope of passing. This
pressure would be removed as the ADI
would be the judge of whether the pupil
was capable of driving safely on their
own, or not.
‘‘
After the debacle of last year
when AI led to a disaster with
exam results, it has been
decided that teachers are
the best people to judge the
abilities of their pupils...
‘‘
2. The ADI would also have a moral
responsibility toward the continued safety
of a pupil after he/she had given them
their full licence.
3. Any risk of infection would be no
greater than for a normal driving lesson.
4. There would be a far greater number
of people able to assess the capabilities
of prospective new drivers which would
take the pressure off DVSA and reduce
test waiting times. Maybe 30,000 ADIs
against about 2,000 examiners.
5. As not all ADIs would/could be
certificated to pass their pupils, some
learner driver tests would still be
Newslink
December:
Another ADI’s
view on the
future
of the L-test
conducted by DVSA examiners
Problems? Of course there would be
problems.
1. People who decide to learn without
an ADI would have to be tested by DVSA
examiners as now.
2. DVSA will almost certainly be
against any suggestion that ADIs can test
as well as teach.
3. The standard for passing would
vary, but DVSA supervision should
ensure a fairly level playing field.
Currently there is a big difference
between the level of expertise needing to
be displayed between a test taken in
London and, say, Brecon in Wales.
4. DVSA would doubt the ability of
ADIs to maintain standards even though
all ADIs have been judged to be ‘fit and
proper persons’.
In order to progress this suggestion a
lot will depend on whether DVSA have a
secret Plan B, or whether the waiting
period for a car driving test exceeds a
reasonable time frame. Using Covid as
an excuse will not be acceptable for a
serious problem that can be foreseen and
should be prepared for.
When it is agreed that DVSA cannot
cope, the above proposal would need to
be introduced quickly. Preparations need
to be made beforehand, not waiting until
the disaster has occurred and then trying
to stage a rescue, people’s necessity to
have a driving licence is too important for
that.
Pressure needs to be put on DVSA to
avoid massive disappointment for many
people. NASP has already started to do
this in relation to extending Theory Test
pass certificates; the next step is to start
working on DVSA for the speedy
provision of practical test dates.
www.msagb.com
27

Regional News
Starting the year with a bang whimper
Guy Annan
MSA Western
As I sit and ponder what to write I thank
my lucky stars that I am still able to.
That may sound like a strange
statement but perhaps its something that
we all take for granted. I was made more
aware of the fragility of life recently when
a friend told me he woke up and couldn’t
see out of his left eye. He went to the
optician and then on to hospital where
they found he’s had a bleed near the
optic nerve. Luckily things should get
back to normal soon but if not he can
wear corrective lenses to help.
I wish him well; it could happen to any
of us at any time, and it’s obviously the
most important of all our senses,
especially to us as professional drivers.
On a lighter note (if you get your batter
mix right), as it’s February we have
Shrove Tuesday on the 16th – that’s my
problem, I’m always thinking about food!
Perhaps that’s why I put so much weight
on over Christmas, a problem not helped
by getting food in for people who then
couldn’t turn up because of Covid.
I suppose my New Year resolution
should be to eat smaller portions but
that’s easier said than done to stop
habits developed over 60 years.
While the lockdown bites I’m expecting
some young bird pigeons soon for racing
but they have their own Covid, Bird
Flu,and they are only allowed out once a
day for an hour at a time. Sound
familiar? Aaarghh, is there no escape!
I received a phone call from an
instructor who’s been in the business for
over 20 years and he was complaining
about an examiner who had a go at him
at the end of his test because his car was
a mess. Apparently he didn’t know that
the car had to be super clean to protect
the examiner, his pupil and himself from
the coronavirus!
His retort was that if it was that bad
why did the examiner take it out in the
first place.
He is no longer interested in rejoining
our association as he is winding down to
retire. You see, this is what happens
when you don’t belong to a group.
How did he not know about the new
rules? The local Taunton group TADI
(Taunton Association of Driving
Instructors) has been proactive
throughout the pandemic in keeping our
members informed as much as possible,
backed up by information fed in by Peter
Harvey and the DVSA.
‘Buy local, support your local shops’
the saying goes, and the same goes for
your local driving instructors
associations. They are a source of good
advice.
So how’s your 2021 been so far? With
no work to do I compiled a little diary of
what I’ve been doing... or not, in this
case.
January 4th
No sooner have I stopped wishing
people a happy new year and saying it
can’t be as bad as last year then BANG,
we get hit with it again, another
lockdown! Well, it didn’t work the first
two times so perhaps third time lucky.
Just a thought, why are all the people
‘‘
Young bird pigeons have their
own Covid, Bird Flu.... they are
allowed out for only one hour
day... sound familiar?
Is there no escape!
‘‘
who protest, those who flock to the
beach and those who don’t wear masks
not dead? Just a thought.
January 5th
On the news now apparently there’s
yet another new strain. This one could be
immune to the vaccines. Is this
Armageddon?
Perhaps it’s time for all you atheists to
become religious, although if you’re an
ADI I’m pretty sure you will already have
a deity that you pray to daily after some
of the close shaves we encounter, even if
it’s just OMG.
Well, let’s just hope we make it to
February 16th; wouldn’t want to miss
those pancakes!
January 6th
Well, now I’m ill, and I’ve been stuck
in bed. Usual feeling of being run down,
headaches, etc, the old type of illness
you don’t hear much about these days
which in a way is good as I don’t want
none of that Covid stuff.
January 7th
We’ve now got a third strain – it’s from
Africa apparently. Are they just trying to
scare us or what? I am still feeling
unwell.
January 8th
Slept most of the day, well they say it’s
supposed to be a good healer. Thought
I’d test the science...
January 9th
Load of rubbish; didn’t work, still feel
awful. Today is my wedding anniversary,
39 years, that’s pretty good going, isn’t
it, just a shame that we can’t get out
and celebrate it even if I did feel up to it.
Oh well, next year is our 40th so we’ll
make up for it then.
January 10th
Get there in the end. Illness done and
dusted, feel much better and ready to
return to work.... oooops, I forgot, we
can’t do that.
January 11th
Being a purveyor of good driving it’s
very frustrating to see others driving
badly. Some are very selfish when they
stop in a queue of traffic and won’t let
others out.
The police have been parked up across
the road on a neighbour’s driveway
leading to much speculation about
what’s going on, especially when they
were doing house to house enquiries
January 12th
Extend the social distancing to three
metres now? That’s the latest news.
On the back of my driving school car
there are words that read “may contain
nuts” (And it quite often does). It’s good
to see in the rear view mirror people
having a giggle at that; well, it helps the
world go around if you can make
someone smile.
Well, that’s it people, let’s be careful
out there.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates, contact Guy at g.annan@
alphadrivingtaunton.com
28
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Let’s get together: MSA GB regions
to host online member meetings
It’s not been a great start to the year for
any of us, and many ADIs are worried
about the current situation and what the
future holds. To help make sure you are
kept as informed as possible, MSA GB
has organised a number of regional Zoom
meetings at which members can meet up
online and hear a comprehensive industry
update and the latest news from the
DVSA.
Find out how the pandemic is
impacting on driver training and testing
nationally and regionally, and ask any
questions you may have of MSA GB
officials. It will also be a great chance for
you to talk about the current situation as
far as it is affecting you, and pick up
advice and tips from your peers.
National Chairman Peter Harvey is
going to attend the meetings, and some
have also invited a guest speaker.
Please make time to join us. This is a
tough period for ADIs, particularly those
who work alone, and these Zoom
meetings will helpfully provide you some
much needed contact – and context – of
the pandemic.
Please note that while all these
meetings are free, you will need to book
via the email link below. Once our official
has received your request you will be sent
a link to the meeting.
If your region is not holding a meeting,
you can attend one of these below. Just
contact the appropriate regional contact,
as given below.
EAST MIDLANDS
Date: Tuesday, February 2
Time: from 7.30pm.
Guest speaker - Graham Hooper from
Tri-coaching, to discuss ‘Why Coach’
followed by Q&A.
To book: Contact Kate Fennelly, Chairman
MSA GB East Midland, on
chair.em@msagb.com or 07751156408
NORTH EAST
Date: Thursday, February 18
Time: 6:45 pm – 9:00 pm
Guest speakers to include Rob Cooling,
talking about electric vehicles for ADIs,
MSA GB National Chairman Peter Harvey
and Graham Feest, Institute of Master
Tutors of Driving, to discuss the topic
Safer Roads, safer vehicles.
To book: contact Mike Yeomans, Chair,
MSA GB North East, at
chair.ne@msagb.com.
EAST MIDLANDS
Date: Tuesday, February 23
Time: from 7.30pm.
Guest speaker - Darren Perrin, presenter
of 5th Wheel, on ‘Job and a Hobby’,
followed by Q&A.
To book: Contact Kate Fennelly, Chairman
MSA GB East Midland, on
chair.em@msagb.com or 07751156408
“This is chance to get those frustrations off your
chest, network with colleagues and make sure
you are clued-up as to the current situation...”
WEST MIDLANDS
Date: Thursday, February 25
Time: from 7pm
To book: Contact Geoff Little, MSA GB
Deputy National Chairman and Chairman
MSA GB West Midland Region, via
deptnatchair@msagb.com or
07770725436.
NORTH WEST
We are hoping to host a meeting at the
end of February, with a representative
from the DVSA and Peter Harvey. If you
wish to be included, contact MSA GB
North West Chairman Graham Clayton at
chair.nw@msagb.com or 07710541462
WESTERN
Date: Sunday, February 28
Time: 2pm.
Guest speakers: Darren Russell, DVSA
TCM, Devon and Cornwall; Martin
Leather, to talk about ‘In-Car Selling and
Recession Proofing your business’; and
Graham Feest, IMTD.
To book: Contact Arthur Mynott, Regional
Chairman, MSA GB Western, via chair.
ow@msagb.com or 07989852274.
www.msagb.com
29

Regional News
ADI hints:
Visual
techniques
made easy
Alex Brownlee
MSA Greater London
Hi! I hope everyone is well. In this
month’s Newslink I am setting you a quiz
– well, an ADI teaching challenge quiz
– but there are no prizes!
I know that everyone teaches differently
and each of you has his or her own
technique. However, I use a technique
which might be a lot easier and could be
helpful to other ADIs. It’s a technique that
has seen me through my teaching
experience, and I hope it may assist you.
This technique is visual; the picture
above shows the front windscreen of a
vehicle.
The points that are indicated by red
arrows are what I use – these are A, B, C,
D, E; so there are five points, but two of
the points have two extra uses as well.
That makes nine points altogether. All I
want to know is: what are all these points
used for in teaching? The person that gets
every point right will be mentioned in the
next issue of Newslink – so there is a
prize! – when I will be explaining the
points as well.
Have a look at the photograph and see
if you can work out what I mean. Best of
luck to all of you. Please send your
answers by email to me.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates, contact Alex at
msaeditorgreaterlondon@gmail.com
Stay safe and let’s
get this virus sorted
Any ideas for my
odd junction? It’s
part of the Glasgow
mway network
Karen MacLeod
MSA GB Scotland
I hope this issue of Newslink finds
everyone well. I’m sure not everyone is
happy, as these are very trying times.
Remember, if you ever just need an ear,
please don’t hesitate to call myself or
any of the Scotland committee for a
chat.
MSA GB is doing everything and more
to keep all members up to date with all
the changes in our working environment
and also about available grants and
funds that could be made available to
self-employed ADIs.
Any member can also call MSA GB
head office with any questions and if
they can’t be answered straight away,
be assured someone will get back to
you.
As time is available to us all at the
moment, I have been very fortunate
that several of the committee have been
doing some writing for Newslink, which
is fantastic, and I am so grateful. I
would also like any members to write a
piece and forward it to me, or if you
have a subject that you would like to be
discussed, drop me an email and I will
see what I can do.
You may recall the photograph we
published in the January issue, of the
strange motorway ‘junction to nowhere.’
I was hoping to have an answer for you
this month but sadly, nothing yet. If you
know what it is, again, please let me
know.
A date for your diary: the committee
in MSA GB Scotland is hoping to see
some sort of normality returning later in
the year, so we have decided our annual
Scottish Training Seminar will be on
Sunday, 21st November. If we are not
allowed a face-to-face event, we will
resort to good old Zoom. Further details
will be announced as time goes by.
Stay safe everyone, abide by the rules
and let’s gets this virus out our lives.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates from your area, contact Karen
at karenreiver63@btinternet.com
30
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Doing a Dominic... NOT!
John Lomas
Editor, MSA North West
On December 28 I awoke to find that I
had no vision in my left eye. Fortunately,
my optician was open although it was a
public holiday, and my next-door
neighbour was able to take me into town.
An examination resulted in a referral to
the hospital eye clinic, who contacted
me within 24 hours to attend on New
Year’s Day. Again, my neighbour came to
the rescue as this clinic was at the
Burnley hospital complex.
Apparently, I had had a haemorrhage
at the back of the eye.
A further check on January 7 resulted
in my being told I will be booked in for a
course of three injections which will have
to be done before my consultant can give
me a prognosis; I have not received a
date for that treatment to start as yet.
I am aware that monocular vision is
not, in and of itself, a barrier to driving
but until I get used to a new way of
judging distance/depth of field I will be
leaving the car at home; though I will of
necessity have to go out and run it for a
time every so often just to keep the
battery charged.
I will be relying on taxis where possible
for the hospital visits, fortunately a local
ADI was able to recommend one who is
reliable and happy to do my hospital
jobs.
If I get a call in for my Covid jab I will
have to ask my GP or my consultant
whether there are any contra-indications
meaning only one or the other should be
done.
If there are then I think the eye
treatment takes priority.
I jokingly told some people that I
considered “driving to Barnard Castle” in
order to check my eyesight, hence the
title of this piece.
COPY PLEASE!
In view (no pun intended) of the above
item, I would ask you: -
If there is anything you consider would
be of interest to your fellow ADIs, then
please send it to me for inclusion in the
North West section of Newslink as I will
obviously not be out and about very
much for a while.
Keep safe
I hope you are all keeping safe and are
able to take your exercise regularly.
Where I live our front doors open
straight on to pavements which are less
than two metres wide, so when I open
my door if someone is walking past, they
will be about a metre away if in the
centre of the footpath.
When I do go out, 9 times out of 10
someone approaching from the other
direction keeps on walking so I have to
go into the middle of the road to stay a
reasonable distance from them. If there
is a car coming the most I can do is step
out as far as the offside of the parked
cars.
Of course, I am unable at the moment
to use the car to get to a safe more open
space to exercise.
Derbyshire police have been in the
news for fining two women who drove
five miles to such an area, and yet there
has been a Facebook posting by a
Lancashire ADI with photos of a trip out
to a beauty spot 20 miles from their
home just two days after the Derbyshire
incident.
Hopefully you will have seen the
article on page 25 inviting you to an
MSA GB North West Zoom meeting.
These are challenging times for all of
us, and particularly for those ADIs
working alone it is hard to both keep up
with events and keep your spirits up, too.
That’s why it will be great to see
(hopefully, in my case!) as many of you
as possible on the meeting.
If you/they would like to attend send
your contact details (Email address,
phone number) to our regional Chairman
Graham Clayton via chair.nw@msagb.
com or phone him on 07710541462.
He will send you a joining link with the
confirmed date and time.
The meeting is also open to all
non-members who may wish to take
part, but they will have to contact
Graham separately.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates, contact John at
johnstardriving@hotmail.com
Glasgow ADI
group offers
local support
for members
Newslink is always happy to
publish news from the many
local ADI groups that include
MSA GB members. Here Bryan
Phillips offers an update on the
Glasgow and District Driving
Instructors Association (GDDIA).
First and foremost, Happy New Year
to you all, I hope 2021 is better than
2020 ...that said, I do not think it
could get any worse!
It has now been 12 months since I
have taken over as the chairman for
the GDDIA and I have to say it has
been a massive learning experience
and enjoyable at the same time.
Currently we have around 25+
active members within our group, and
we usually, we meet up once every
quarter on a Sunday evening in
Bishopbriggs. Obviously, due to the
current restrictions, we have changed
this to a monthly Sunday meeting on
Zoom.
Everyone who joins us comments
on how nice it is to see one another,
share experiences and receive
first-hand updates on anything up
coming.
We are always delighted to
welcome new members to our group.
Membership fee is really good value
at only £15 per year. While it is
mostly ADIs in our group, PDIs are
also most welcome.
Please feel free to contact me at
bryan.phillips@hotmail.co.uk for any
more information on how to join or,
restrictions permitting, you will also
find me in the Glasgow Baillieston Test
Centre and the surrounding area.
Please note our next meeting is on
Sunday February 28, starting at 6pm.
For more information, contact
Bryan on
bryan.phillips@hotmail.co.uk
www.msagb.com
31

Regional News
Horses and the scourge of Facebook
Russell Jones
MSA East Midlands
In early January, a young teenager who is
learning to drive received a text from her
boyfriend saying that he had read on
Facebook that she must not drive her car
during this latest pandemic lockdown.
She was very confused and distressed
by this news as she has a horse that
needs feeding every day. The horse is
stabled some miles away from her home,
and normally she would drive to and
from the stables with her mum acting in
a supervisory capacity.
I put her mind at ease by referring her
to the Exceptions listed in the Covid-19
Statutory Instrument, which state that
she was permitted to leave her home if
she had a ‘reasonable excuse’, and one
such exception covers animal welfare.
Furthermore, while the Government
advice was for her not to drive, it was
still legal for her to do so, as a Law has
precedence over Advice and Guidance if
they differ. The family was advised to
consult a solicitor, or a Citizens Advice
Bureau to give them peace of mind.
They now carry a copy of the Covid-19
Statutory Instrument (SI) in the car with
the relevant Exceptions highlighted in
dayglo yellow for easy reference should
they be asked to explain their presence of
being away from home.
I know that another learner is similarly
equipped when she travels to her stables
for the same reasons.
The story made me wonder, what
percentage of ADIs have studied the
Statutory Instrument 1200 – all of it –
and understands the contents? I did so in
the first week of April last year. It is a
fascinating document to read, and is
freely available online, as are the
occasional updates and amendments. It
allows me not to have to rely on
Facebook for the facts concerning what
we can or cannot do in relation to going
about everyday life in the world of
Covid-19.
Prepared for a ‘life of driving?’ Or not?
How much do learner drivers study in
preparation for a ‘life of driving legally?’ A
council in South Wales has sent letters to
householders advising them that it
appears they are driving illegally over
footpaths to access their driveways to
CSI and military
protection,
and back to work?
The armed forces are much in the
news, and we all know why! I wonder
whether it is time for people to start
wearing protective clothing for
lessons... it could be used by both ADIs
and learner drivers during driving
lessons, and DVSA driving examiners
during tests.
The first option could those white
overalls so beloved of CSI-style crime
scene officers in TV dramas. A friend
of mine has used one in real life during
his long service as a crime scene
manager and confirms they would be
perfect for the job.
The second is a protective uniform
used in the military, and I, plus our
regional chair, have personal experience
of working efficiently when wearing and
driving dressed in such CBRN combat
gear during simulated, ‘deadly nerve
gas’ scenarios, sometimes for a few
days without a break.
I cannot think of any possible reason
why we could not do such a thing so
park their cars. They were advised to
apply for permission to have ‘dropped
kerbs’ installed. Residents are warned
that enforcement action will follow if the
dropped kerbs are not installed.
Various estimates put the cost in the
region of £2,000 for each resident, but
what really upset some was that the
council would then charge each of them
at least £200 to process the applications
for the work to be carried out.
The fact that many of them had been
acting illegally in this matter for several
years did not appear to concern them. In
my view they simply want a free ride
through their motoring lives, with no
concern for the obstruction of the
highway or the damage to footpaths. If
their own grandmothers tripped and fell
because of the damage, sustaining
serious injuries, would the selfish
miscreants be first in the queue to seek
compensation from the council?
Last summer I began teaching ‘Ellie’ to
drive, and a few weeks later she acquired
her own car. With three cars in the family
we can all return to work immediately.
It just takes a little initiative, and I’m
sure ADIs would leap at the challenge.
Sadly, I doubt the DVSA has any
appetite for anything which would get
the show back on the road anytime
soon and any suggestion put forward
would inevitably be placed in the tray
labelled, LTBW or ‘TOO DIFFICULT!’
and no off-road parking facility available,
congestion was a problem. I suggested to
her parents that they convert their front
garden into a ‘car park’, with the
necessity to apply for a dropped kerb.
After due process, work on the project is
scheduled to commence in the next few
weeks. I’m considering submitting an
invoice for my advice.
Should the DVSA feel guilty about this
problem by not having a comprehensive
‘driver education’ programme, covering
all aspects in the use of motor cars? The
current Theory Test syllabus is very
severely limited and hardly touches the
surface regarding the subject of
‘responsible motoring for life’. It also
brings into question whether the training
of ADIs is adequate; it currently seems
limited to delivering ‘test tips’ at a
minimum cost.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates from your area, contact
Russell at rjadi@hotmail.com
32
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
‘I’ll fill that last car park before I retire...’
Terry Pearce
MSA West Midlands
I have always kept a record of how many
of my pupils pass their driving test and
whether it was their first, second or third
attempt, etc, purely for my own curiosity.
Over the years there’s been the odd
error in my records which showed up
when I double checked my totals a
different way, so, as I have a lot of spare
time at present, I went through my records
to ensure I had an accurate figure.
I am sure some of you have had a
greater number pass than I have but how
can you quantify the number? You hear
people make comparisons such as ‘how
many football pitches it covers’ or ‘how
many Olympic-sized swimming pools you
would fill’, so my daughter suggested
‘how many car parks’ would my ex-pupils
fill if they all parked together?
It was strange, therefore, to realise that
if all my ex-pupils visited any of my city’s
car parks at the same time they would fill
it – except for one, the largest, and perhaps
I might get that one filled before I retire!
One point my records highlighted that
pleased me was the low number of
pupils who, when they failed, then left
me for another instructor.
After failing learners will often delay
booking their next test and then may be
too embarrassed to come back to their
original instructor and go elsewhere. I
always offered to book their next test for
them and told them they can pay me
when I next see them, thus keeping them
with me.
I am not even using my own money as
there is always a surplus from those who
pay up front and if they did not come
back, I could simply cancel their test and
the money goes back into my bank
account. I can only think of one pupil
who disappeared, just before I needed to
cancel it. I changed the test with another
pupil who wanted the early date and
then cancelled the disappearing pupil’s
test.
Petition.
I was told about the petition to ‘Allow
driving instructors to pass learners
unable to book a test’. It states: ‘Allow
learner drivers to be passed if their
driving instructor feels they are safe to
drive due to the failure of the
Government to enable learners to book a
test’. This issue reports on it on pg 14.
I consider that all my pupils are 100
per cent safe to drive and one of my
considerations before letting a pupil take
a test has always been, ‘would I allow
them to drive my children around’?
One problem could come if I was only
95 per cent sure they were safe, and you
had pushy parents demanding you pass
them.
The biggest problem, of course, is
would all driving instructors have the
same moral standards? We all know of
allegations of Pass Plus certificates being
sold and sad as I am to say it, there are
some instructors who I would not trust.
I think this comment from the
Government response sums it up:
“Although ADIs are well qualified and
proficient in driving and instruction, they
are not experienced assessors, and this is
evidenced by the current practical test
pass rate of 47 per cent.”
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates from your area, contact
Terry at terry@terrypearce.co.uk
So what’s the latest in mask trends? Dinosaurs...
Kate Fennelly
MSA East Midlands
My mission this month was to find a more
supportive face covering to help my
students who have various medical
conditions, including deafness. I
conducted a short poll among pupils to
see what their thoughts where on a clear
panel mask. I was surprised to find they
all wanted to see me wear this type of
face mask on a lesson (style pictured).
Why? They felt they would take in more
information if they could see my lips and
it would eliminate the muddled sound
coming through a normal mask.
This took me by total surprise as I had
not realised all my students
needed this mask support.
So, after some research I
came across an excellent
product from a charity
called Fledglings. I
purchased some and asked
several family friends with children over
the age of 15yrs if they would try them,
including an autistic deaf teenager. The
experiment was to wear the masks while
home schooling purely because most
parents sit by their side and this would be
as close to a driving lessons as I could
get.
The feedback was amazing: they found
them more responsive and engaged in
conversations better. I am not saying they
will work for everyone, but the evidence is
clearly pointing that way.
These findings have made me realise that
all my students need me to wear the clear
panel masks regardless of any medical
conditions. They are comfortable to wear,
breathable and have an integrated metal
nose grip. They are easy to clean and can
be used by both children and adults. I
personally recommend the dinosaur
printed ones; they look fantastic on and
everyone comments on them. I not sure if
I have got the roar off to perfection yet,
though!
So, before you go back to work, have a
serious think about what you could do
to help communicate with your
students better, because I know
investing in these will be worth
every penny.
Finally, remember business
purchases can be claimed back
as a business running cost.
• See the product line at
https://www.fledglings.org.uk/
www.msagb.com
33

Motoring matters
Attack of the CL10 NED no. plates
Rod Came
MSA South East
Have you been hit by a problem with a
CLONED number plate?
If you are lucky the first you will know
about this will be when the Fixed Penalty
Notice comes in the post; if you are
unlucky it will be when you are stopped
by the police on the motorway and arrested.
Apparently there are literally thousands
of vehicles on UK roads with false
registration plates and unsurprisingly,
they are being driven by people who
have little regard for the law.
Consequently, when the vehicles come to
the notice of law enforcement in its
various guises, from parking wardens to
traffic police, it will spell trouble for the
legitimate owner of the plates.
It is easy enough to acquire number
plates without having to go through the
legal route to obtain them. The legal
requirements mean that you pop along to
your local provider with your V5 and
identification, then they make the plates
for you on the spot for about £25.
However, should you desire plates that
are not of the standard format or not
even for your vehicle, they can be bought
via various companies on the internet
without having to produce any
paperwork at all, again for about £25.
I well remember a man who came to
the attention of the local police for a
minor offence for which he would have
received words of advice, but I was more
interested in his car. All vehicle parts
have markers on them which indicate
the month and year of manufacture,
some are obscure, others not so much.
In this particular case all the windows
were showing such marks, as was the
ashtray. Of course, the ashtray could
have been from a different car, but it is
extremely unlikely that all the windows
would have been changed – and their
date of manufacturer did not chime with
the age of the car.
The explanation in this case was that
the driver had crashed his own car and
seriously damaged it. He then went to a
Heathrow car park, selected an identical
model, stole it and put his own plates on
as though nothing had happened.
Unfortunately for him he put newer
plates on an older car, an easy mistake to
make if you do not know what you are
doing.
He was trying to pass off a stolen car
as his own, which is unusual. The usual
tactic for cloners is to pass off a stolen
car as another that is legally on the road.
The internet helps handsomely in that
endeavour.
Let’s say that you live in London and
would like something fairly ordinary, like
a Ford Focus, but can’t be bothered
buying one. Instead you steal one. Using
any used car website you then select a
Focus of a similar vintage which is being
sold by the owner who lives in the north
of England. Because there are so many
to choose from it is easy to select one
which matches the model and colour of
the stolen one. Obtain your plates using
the internet, put them on the car and
away you go. Savvy criminals even check
that the legitimate car is taxed and
insured and has a current MoT via the
DVLA’s website, so all appears in order.
It is only when the legitimate owner of
the vehicle starts to receive FPNs that it
dawns on them that their car has been
cloned, by which time it could be that
the cloned plates have been changed for
a different set, causing a similar problem
for another owner.
This, of course, can cause problems for
other drivers who literally come into
contact with the cloned car. A collision
occurs, names and addresses are
exchanged along with vehicle details, but
no insurance details are exchanged.
However, a quick check on the internet
by the other, innocent, party shows all is
well and he/she is convinced in the
legitimacy of their ‘co-collisionist’. It is
only later that they find that it is not so
– but by then it is far too late.
In the worst case scenario the activities
of the stolen car are brought to the notice
of police, for instance in relation to
county lines drug distribution. As a result
they keep a keen eye out for the drug
mule’s car. Pity, then, the legit owner
who, while driving to the West Country,
is picked up by an ANPR camera on the
M5 and prompts police action. A stop
operation is activated and the driver
arrested. A very harrowing experience for
an innocent person.
How can you prevent this happening to
you? You can’t, other than to take
immediate steps to notify the police and
DVLA if you believe your vehicle has
been cloned and to re-register it. How
will you know this? Only by chance, I
would suspect.
Whatever happens, I hope it doesn’t
happen to you.
Right, with APNR cameras more
prevalent, so the chances of a cloned
plate rise... though it could be the
innocent party pulled in by the police,
rather than the criminal with the false
plate
34
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Electric vehicles: so green, so good for the
planet... what could possibly go wrong...
Guy Annan
MSA Western
The media is full of stories about electric
vehicles at the moment – with the latest
being that we will all have to be buying
one soon. The Government has got
behind them because they are
environmentally friendly. Or are they.
Let’s explore the eco friendliness of the
electric vehicle....
As many ADIs will know, electric cars
do have their drawbacks. There’s a
shortage of charging stations, the high
cost of electricity and disappointing
battery capacity that limits the distance
the cars can be driven between charges.
But the good news is they are meant
to deliver benefits to the environment.
But how true is this?
In some areas, not very. Take their
power plant, for instance. The bad news
is that the lithium used in the cars’
batteries is not great. For a start, toxic
chemicals are needed to process lithium,
and the release of such chemicals
through leaching, spills or air emissions
can harm communities, ecosystems and
food production.
Moreover, lithium extraction inevitably
harms the soil and also causes air
contamination.
To manufacture an EV battery you
need as many as 20 minerals, including
cobalt, lithium and nickel as well as
other rare earth metals. According to the
British Geological Survey, there’s enough
‘metal in the crust’ to support the battery
industry globally. But from a UK
standpoint much of the resources are
inconveniently located, and there are
other political and non-geographical
factors that can hamper production and
squeeze supply chains. It doesn’t help
that these supply chains are tightly
controlled by China, which is a metals
superpower. It produces a lot and imports
a lot and is a very powerful force.
The UK has been an automotive
powerhouse for decades, but with the
advent of EVs the sector is now facing a
lot more competition for resources.
Jaguar Land Rover has plans to build EV
batteries in Wolverhampton, but other
companies such as Honda have mothballed
UK plants and decided to build
their EVs on the continent or in Asia.
Part of the problem is the UK has no
foothold on the minerals needed to
produce a battery and there is currently
no indigenous supply of battery raw
materials. There are some, such as
lithium in Cornwall and cobalt in Alderley
Edge, but these are mineral ‘occurrences’
rather than deposits, and it’s not enough
to sustain a whole EV sector and we’ll
have to rely on imports or recycling.
Shady practices
In many ways the situation is even
worse when we look at cobalt. A key
component in an EV battery, it is largely
mined in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC), but news reports have
regularly exposed shady practices
including child labour and criminality.
Carmakers have been accused of ‘turning
a blind eye’ to informal mining in favour
of protecting their profit margins.
Last year, BMW announced it would
only source lithium and cobalt directly
from ethical mines in Morocco and
Australia, and there are encouraging
signs that blockchain technology, which
allows the ability to trace every stage of
the mining process, could expose the
bad practices and lead to them being
stamped out for good.
So what are the alternatives?
There are other options to e-vehicles.
Alternative fuels such as hydrogen,
acetylene, natural gas, ethanol and
biofuels also use internal combustion
engines. Hydrogen in the gas phase is
about 14 times lighter than the air.
Moreover, it is the cleanest fuel in the
world – but it remains difficult to store,
transport and handle.
Unfortunately, to produce the west’s
shiny eco-friendly cars (left), Africa
needs to do this (right) to its landscape
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35

Life as an ADI
Why did you become an ADI? In our popular Q&A feature (see pg 40), the first question we ask
participants is why they joined the ADI ranks. The reasons given so far have been fascinating
and varied. Here, to go into this question in more depth, Montrose-based ADI and Scotland
committee member Brian Thomson explains what brought him to this profession.
How did I get here?
(and what am I getting myself into)
That’s not a biological question but how
did I get to where I am now as a driving
instructor?
It’s a good question: I worked for 23
years prior to 2003 in a pharmaceutical
factory in Montrose, starting as a process
operator and finishing as a team support
manager with involvement in factory
projects. In 2003, however, things
changed. A buy-out by a Dutch company
fell through at the ‘eleventh hour’ and
due to a loss of work the opportunity of
early severance was offered to employees
of a certain age. I was one and took the
package available.
Once settled that I was going to leave
soon I wondered how I was going to stay
employed for the next 15 years or so.
While an experienced manager I had no
‘trade’ to fall back on, and the thought of
going back to working on a building site
or farm work (which never leaves you)
wasn’t really a lucrative option. My role
in factory projects was to check that any
improvements made would actually work
when the process guys started using it,
and it also involved having to write up
procedures and training packages which
had to be delivered to the operators, so I
had a feel for training and guidance.
When I saw an advertisement for driving
instructors I thought ‘I could give that a
go’.
I knew nothing about how the industry
worked but attended an interview that
basically asked if I had a full licence and
was of sound body and mind (tricky
questions there); those hurdles cleared
they signed me up, took my money and
linked me to a trainer in Aberdeen who
would have charged me 2/3 of the cost
coming to him direct (didn’t know that
bit).
I contacted Business Gateway to make
a business plan, assessed competitors in
the area and future possible business,
and thought I would get a car, stick some
Ls on and off I would go.
But first came the theory practice. This
was the start of ADIs and people training
to become instructors having to do the
theory and hazard perception, (if you
recall it caused quite a stir in the
industry at the time). I was still working
at the factory at this point and would be
reading my theory book at every break
time possible. One of my colleagues told
me that a good way to take information
in is to highlight anything you find new
or interesting because you read it (once),
think that was interesting, highlight it
(twice) and, of course, once you finish
highlighting, you read it again to ensure
you got it all (third). By the time I had
finished with that book it was about 97
per cent coloured in but it worked; I
booked a theory test in Aberdeen and
passed first time.
Now I had to contact the instructor for
‘‘
I didn’t know people got their
lefts and rights mixed up... and
I wasn’t prepared for the young
lady, while driving, covering
her face with both hands at the
sight of a dead rabbit in the
...
‘‘road
‘Part 2’. He was a good lad, half my age
but had knowledge and interest to get
things across and after a few drives
around the city we agreed that the Part 2
test should be booked. Again passed first
time with one fault, speed!, what can I
say?
So then along comes the Part 3. By
this time there are now three learners
and one instructor in the car so the
training days are getting longer (up to
about four hours) and we were supposed
to practice using the trained techniques
and move on to another subject the week
after. The other two guys in the car lived
reasonably close to each other so they
could buddy up and get the practice in
but I was 50 miles away so struggled to
find a pupil. In the end we decided to
offer four students free lessons every
week on the subjects I got from the
trainer. Two of the students were from
my village, one was the granddaughter of
an ex-workmate and the other was an
employee at a company my wife visited
in her work circle.
Now this was different. I thought most
people would always know the basics
(farming background coming out again). I
didn’t realise some people get left and
36
NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

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“We can’t drive like that on these narrow roads,
can we...’ I told the examiner... what are the
dangers here?’ He took it well,
all things considered...”
right mixed up, and I really wasn’t
prepared for the moment the
granddaughter, while driving, covered her
face with both hands at the sight of a
dead rabbit in the road.
Nor did I think that if someone was
getting something for free, they wouldn’t
turn up.
What was I getting myself into (1)?
I took on board the advice of Business
Gateway and went out and talked with
existing driving instructors in the town
regarding the cost of lessons, where they
went, how busy they were ... well, I
talked and they said as little as possible,
but I came away from that conversation
with as much knowledge as I started
with.
I plodded on with the Part 3 and
eventually felt I could do this, so it was
up to Aberdeen for the test. I had the
same examiner as for my Part 2. I had
all the PSTs down to a ‘T’ but what I
wasn’t prepared for was, during the first
part where I was asked to teach
junctions, the examiner flying over
crossroads like he was on Red Bull,
approaching junctions like a daffty and
slamming on the brakes to stop either a
half car over the line or so far back we
couldn’t see on to the main road.
I just didn’t feel that I should be telling
this experienced driver how to do things
properly, and as you can guess, that test
www.msagb.com
didn’t go well. A few weeks later I’m
back at the same place, same examiner.
Off we set and we’re driving in narrow
streets, within the limit but too fast. I
realised it was ‘no more mister nice guy’
time. “Pull over on the left at a safe
place, please” was my request, before
the admonishment: “We can’t drive like
that in these narrow roads with all these
cars can we. What’s the danger here?”
He took it well, all things considered.
Off we set and the same happened, so
again we had a pit stop, a wee chat and
some guidance on road position. This
time it worked as once back at base out
came a green report officially stating that
in May 2004 I became an ADI.
Now that I was a new guy on the block
I thought I had better use any free time
during the day to good use, such as
introducing myself to the driving
examiner that came to our part-time test
centre. I was eager to meet this
‘workmate’, so I approached him with a
cheery smile, right hand outstretched
and clutching my new business card. It
didn’t go well... his response was as
though I was a leper handing him a
blood-stained sandwich. That came as a
shock ... he didn’t shake my hand or
take my shiny new card, either!.
What was I getting myself into (2)?
The second part of Brian’s story will be
published in the March issue.
PACTS reports
drink-driving
rules ‘no longer
adequate’ in UK
The UK’s system to prevent drink
driving is no longer adequate,
according to a report from the
Parliamentary Advisory Council for
Transport Safety (PACTS).
It found that drink-driving remains
one of the biggest causes of road
deaths (13%), and in the last decade
240 people have been killed each
year where a driver was over the
limit. Nearly one in five (17%)
drink-drive offences is committed by
a reoffender
In addition, the report found that a
significant number of reoffenders
have been caught, while levels of
police enforcement have decreased
by 63% since 2009 amid indications
that drivers believe they are less
likely to be caught.
The PACTS report shows there are
clear weaknesses in the current
system. Current arrangements are not
enough to deter some repeat
offenders from drink-driving again.
It recomments mandatory breath
testing powers for the police,
increased penalties, specialist
rehabilitation courses for those with
mental health and alcohol problems
and a lower breath test limit for
England and Wales.
David Davies, Executive Director of
PACTS, said: “It is time for a new,
more comprehensive approach to
reducing the toll of drink drive deaths
and injuries.
“Drink driving is often cited as a
road safety success story, yet it
remains a major killer and progress
has ground to a halt since 2010.
“The problem requires a more
comprehensive approach. The legal
limit should be reduced in England
and Wales, police should be given
additional powers to test drivers, the
High Risk Offender Scheme should
be reformed, rehabilitation courses
should be designed for those with
mental health and alcohol problems,
and the growing danger of combining
drink and drugs
driving needs to
be addressed.”
See the
report
here
37

Life as an ADI
Going miles beyond
the three-point turn
ADIs often build up strong bonds with their pupils, and these bonds can see them become far
more than simply a teacher of driving, but a valued family friend. This story perfectly reflects
the type of relationship where the ADI becomes much more than just a trusted teacher
In 2018, when Julie Thomson of Duals
Driving School rolled up to a house in
Arbroath for a young woman’s first
lesson, little did she know the impact
this pupil would have on her life over the
next few years.
The learner was Nickie, a mum with
two kids in her early 30s. She was keen
to learn to drive so that her family could
hopefully one day have the independence
to go places without having to fall back
on public transport.
Neither Nickie nor her husband, Tony,
could drive and it would make family life
that little bit easier.
It would also enable the
family to go to Blair
Drummond Safari Park – a
place the children had long
been eager to visit.
After introductions Nickie
said that there was one thing
she needed to tell Julie
about: she was fitted with a
stoma bag. Its presence
caused a little concern about
the seat belt positioning but
Nickie seemed okay with it.
As time and lessons went
on Nickie improved as a
driver but ultimately said that
she would have to think
about stopping her lessons as the
financial pressures of bringing up her
seven-year-old son and four-year-old
daughter were proving intense. Julie
really wanted to help this young mother
continue her lessons, so offered to give
her every second one for free.
In March 2020 Julie received a text
from Nickie to tell her the cancer she
had previously suffered from had
returned, and she would now have to
stop her tuition as she was receiving
treatment. However, Julie felt this young
mum, who lost her own mother to illness
in her 40s, still needed some help, so
she offered to run her to and from the
hospital.
Julie would drive the 40-mile round
trip to the hospital, even accompanying
her once when she saw a specialist.
Sadly, after a short six months, Nickie
was given the devastating news that the
cancer was now terminal. However, she
was offered a new trial drug that although
it would not beat the disease, it may give
her a few precious extra weeks with her
husband and children.
She was in hospital for a spell during
the first Covid lockdown and was given
permission by the consultant to go home
for the weekend visit. However, with no
public transport operating, it looked like
the chance would be lost. In stepped her
guardian angel ADI who made sure
Nickie was home to spend the weekend
with her family and ran her back to
hospital to continue treatment at the
beginning of the next week.
Nickie and her
family stroll
around the
park.... and
below, her
children happily
show off
momentos of
the day
Julie contacted her colleagues in the
Montrose Driving Instructor Association
and told them about Nickie, and asked
for their help in giving this very deserving
family a day out at Blair Drummond
Safari Park. All members were fully
behind the idea and donated enough to
pay for the family’s visit on Sunday, 18th
October. They were chauffeur driven to
the park by Julie, with a colleague
making pack lunches while another
made small fabric pouches for the
children with some money in to buy an
ice cream and momentum from the park.
This story isn’t just about a person
with an incurable illness, or a young
family whose world will one day change
forever; it’s also about colleagues rallying
round to help, and it’s about how, as
driving instructors working with a person
in a small space and building up trust
and rapport, we will sometimes go well
above and beyond teaching the driving
skills for life, to simply helping in life
itself.
Sadly, Nickie died before this article
was completed but she had already given
Julie her permission for it to go ahead as
a testament to how her ADI has helped
her over the years – and in particular
how she mobilised the ADI community
so she could see her two children have
their special ‘Blair Drummond’ day with
their mum.
38
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Plans to roll-out more ‘School Streets’
as public backing for initiative grows
School Streets could be rapidly rolled out
across the UK as “the barriers to do so
are low”, a new study has claimed.
Research for campaign group Mums
for Lungs estimates that the roll-out
of School Streets in London,
Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol would
cut exposure to air pollution and road
danger for 1.25 million primary and
secondary students. The study found that
School Streets – where through traffic
outside schools is banned during drop-off
and pick-up times – would reduce car
mileage by over 71 million km per year
in the four cities.
This, however, is less than one per
cent of the total number of peak hour car
trips per year in the four cities, so wider
measures such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods
and Clean Air Zones are also
needed, revealed research of schemes in
the four cities, carried out by the
University of Westminster’s Active Travel
Academy and Transport for Quality of
Life.
Around half of schools in the four cities
already have School Streets or are likely
to be feasible for schemes, according to
the report. “School Streets are a small
but achievable measure that parents can
lobby for that can help reduce air
pollution and traffic danger on the school
run,” its authors said.
“There is evidence that this brings
benefits to schools and the wider area in
terms of traffic and air quality. The
benefits are further amplified by shifting
school travel to active modes providing
significant health benefits for children.”
School Streets not only displace traffic
but also reduce it overall, Mums for
Lungs says.
The number of Schools Streets in the
UK has rocketed in the last two years
with many cities introducing trials, but
there is great potential for growth. In
London, where there are nearly 400
schemes, many councils have few or no
schemes, the report notes.
In the four cities a School Street is
likely to be feasible for around half of
schools (44-50%) and may be feasible
for up to two-thirds of schools (64-68%),
the report estimates.
The nearest road is a ‘main road’ (A or
B road) at almost 10% of the schools in
the four cities, says the report. “It is not
generally feasible to turn a main
road into a School Street, although we
did judge that one could introduce a
School Street for 17-24 per cent of main
road schools by closing an adjacent side
street.”
“These findings from four cities are
likely to be representative of the potential
in other towns and cities. This shows the
massive potential for improvement in the
journey to school, which needs to be
supported by adequate government
funding.”
However, the impact of School Streets
alone would be limited, the report states.
“We need other measures to reduce air
pollution and traffic across the whole
urban area and not just on individual
streets. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and
Clean Air Zones can improve air quality
across a wider area. LTNs can also
amplify the benefits of School Streets by
a factor of three.”
Mums for Lungs also calls for a
per-mile “Eco Levy” on driving in towns
and cities to cut traffic and all forms of
traffic pollution, including dangerous
particles from tyres and brakes. The levy
would raise “significant sums to provide
excellent, affordable (or free) public
transport”. This would particularly benefit
people who live, work, study and shop
on main roads, says the report.
TfL brings in new rules for HGV on blind spot mirrors
Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) owners will
not be able to operate in Greater
London from March 1 unless they
comply with the Direct Vision Standard
designed to reduce lethal blind spots.
Transport for London (TfL) said the
permit system will assign vehicles a star
rating based on how much the driver
can see directly through their cab
window.
All HGVs over 12 tonnes must meet a
minimum one-star rating or will need to
fit Safe System measures to improve the
vehicle’s safety. From March 1 HGV
drivers who enter the capital without a
safety permit may receive a penalty
charge notice (PCN) of up to £550.
So far, more than 50,000 safety
permits have been issued. “However,
there remain many thousands of HGVs
on London’s roads whose operators
have not yet applied for a required free
School
Streets:
Reducing
children’s
exposure
to toxic air
and road
danger,
like this
one
Hackney,
is a
priority for
many
councils
safety permit,” said TfL. “HGV owners
are advised to check TfL’s online vehicle
registration checker to see the star
rating of their HGV and apply for a
safety permit urgently if they have not
already done so.”
Between 2018 and 2020, HGVs
were involved in 41% of collisions
where people cycling were killed and
19% of collisions where a pedestrian
was killed, TfL said.
www.msagb.com
39

Meet the ADI
Please save us all from
the impatient driver!
Continuing our series of
Q&As with MSA GB members,
this month, Tracey Hart
from Coventry in the West
Midlands suggests other
road users need to have their
attitudes assessed ...
Tracey with her tuition
car, Learn by Hart
When did you become an ADI, and
what made you enter the profession?
After spending several years living and
working abroad I returned home but
didn’t want an office job. I wanted to be
my own boss and be able to meet new
people so becoming an ADI seemed a
good way to get those requirements ticked
off. I passed my ADI Part 3 in 2005.
What’s the best bit about the job?
Seeing people progress and
successfully develop a life skill, through
to the elation of passing their test.
And the worst...?
Sitting down all day is not easy for an
active person with a bad back. Impatient
drivers also tend to irritate me!
What’s the best piece of training advice
you were ever given?
When other drivers are waiting for your
learner to complete a manoeuvre, never
look them in the eye, it will only stress
you out!
What one piece of kit, other than your
car and phone, could you not do
without?
Living in an area that is still relatively
new to me, my SatNav stops me from
going into too many dead ends.
What needs fixing most urgently in
driving generally?
Drivers should be assessed more
frequently and it should include an
attitude test.
What should the DVSA focus on?
Consideration of qualified drivers.
‘‘
I work to pay for holidays in
the sun – and snow – with
family and friends... and I’m
at my happiest watching
Coventry City FC
‘‘
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NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2021

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What’s the next big thing that’s going to
transform driver training/testing?
Driver-less cars could put me out of
business. Let’s hope I’ve retired by then!
Electric cars – yes or no? And why?
Yes. Greener and quieter but need to
be cheaper.
How can we improve driver testing/
training in one move?
Add an attitude assessment as part of
the driving test process.
Who/what inspires you, drives you on?
I work to pay for holidays in the sun –
and snow – with family and friends.
What keeps you awake at night?
Everything. I am a very light sleeper!
Help on hand as ADIs
feel financial pressure
Many ADIs are feeling the financial
squeeze caused by the Covid-19
pandemic – but two ADIs have set up
a new hardship fund in a bid to help
them out.
Bobbie Hicks and Susan McDonald
are two well established ADIs who
want to help ADIs and PDIs who are
struggling financially.
While many ADIs have been able to
claim income support from the
Government’s Self-employed Income
Support Scheme or, if they are
employed, through furlough, some have
not. This group includes, but is not
limited to, those who have not been
self-employed long enough or have
earned enough prior to the start of the
2020-21 tax year. This has left a lot of
people wondering how they will survive
this current pandemic and its related
challenges.
Drawing by Amy Beswick
No one is the finished article. What do
you do to keep on top of the game?
My son keeps me young and I enjoy
exercising. On the work front I network
with colleagues regularly, read, undertake
CPD and look for new roles and
development opportunities such as
mentoring, fleet work, taxi assessments
and assessing.
What’s the daftest /most dangerous
thing that’s ever happened to you while
teaching?
I was involved in a RTC on a
roundabout when my pupil and I were
side-swiped by someone who pulled out.
My daftest incident recently (I have had
several) is suggesting to a pupil that they
could smile at other drivers, at a busy
junction with slow moving traffic, as this
may make them more inclined to let us
out into the traffic – the only problem
was he was wearing a face mask at the
time!
When or where are you happiest?
Watching Coventry City football club.
If you had to pick one book/film/album
that inspires, entertains or moves you,
what would it be?
Anything by Erasure gets me on the
dance floor every time (I even managed it
with a broken foot).
The ADI Fund: How it will work
Bobbie and Susan say: “As ADIs, we
want to help others who are struggling
financially, even if it is only with small
amounts. At the moment everybody
needs a little help and if the Government
can’t help us all, then the least we, as
driving instructors, can do is help each
other and share what little we do have.
“By doing so we also show those less
fortunate than ourselves that we care
about the predicament they are in.
“We are asking driving instructors
and driving schools if they could make
a small donation – as little as £1 if you
want, but more if possible – to a fund
that will help instructors who will not
receive Government assistance through
the usual channels set up to respond to
the Covid-19 pandemic.
We know it is hard for everybody at
the moment, but with around 39,000
ADIs on the register, if everyone was
able to donate £1 to this fund it would
show that while we may work alone
and vie for the same customers, we
don’t have to be alone when we need
help.”
Who will decide if a grant
is to be made to an ADI?
Grants will be considered by a panel
drawn from members of the leading
national associations. The panel will be
“At the moment
everybody needs a
little help...”
unaware of the identity of the
applicant, who will have had to provide
supporting evidence of their need when
making an application. Small grants
will be made and will be on a one-off
basis only.
We will have an independent person,
not an ADI, audit our income,
expenditure and bank account.
No expenses will be taken by us or
by the panel; all monies received will
be for the fund to help ADIs and PDIs,
other than any bank charges that may
be incurred. Payments will be made via
bank transfer into the recipients’ bank
accounts, and it is hoped the first
trance of support funding will be paiud
soon.
For more details or to support the
fund, see:
https://campaign.wellinformed.
co.uk/t/r-l-juhhtrkk-l-u/
The link to the rules is at:
https://campaign.wellinformed.
co.uk/t/r-l-judittyd-oitiyhtlki-u/
By going to the link you can see the
amount that has been raised so far,
including an update from Bobbi on
when monies will be distributed.
www.msagb.com
41

Membership
Members’ discounts and benefits
MSA GB has organised a number of exclusive discounts and offers for members. More details can be found on our website at
www.msagb.com. To access these benefits, simply log in and click on the Member discount logo, then click the link at the
bottom of the page to allow you to obtain your special discounts. Please note, non-members will be required to join the
association first. Terms and conditions apply
Ford launches special offer
for MSA GB members
Some exciting news for members: Ford has partnered with
MSA GB to offer exclusive discounts on all car and
commercial Ford vehicles.
Take a look at the Ford website www.ford.co.uk for vehicle
and specification information.
For further information, to view frequently asked questions,
to request a quote and to access the member discount
codes, please go to the Members’ Benefits page on the MSA
GB website and follow the Ford link.
Please note these discounts are only available to MSA GB
members and their immediate family if they are members
who pay annually.
ACCOUNTANCY
MSA’s Recommended
Accountancy Service, FBTC
offers a specialist service for
driving instructors. It has been
established over 20 years ago and
covers the whole of the UK. The team takes
pride in providing unlimited advice and
support to ensure the completion of your tax
return is hassle free, giving you peace of mind.
MSA OFFER:: FBTC will prepare you for
Making Tax Digital and will be providing
HMRC compliant software to all clients very
soon. Join now to receive three months free.
ADVANCE DRIVING
AND RIDING
IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s
largest road safety charity, is
proud to partner with the
Motor Schools Association GB in
order to work together to make our roads
safer through driver skills and knowledge
development.
MSA OFFER:: Enjoy a 20% saving on our
Advanced Driver Course for MSA members.
BOOKKEEPING
Easy-to-use bookkeeping & tax spreadsheets
designed specifically for driving instructors. It
will reduce the time you need to spend on
record-keeping. Simply enter details of your fee
income and expenses throughout the year and
your trading profit, tax & national insurance
liability are automatically calculated.
MSA OFFER:: We’re proud to offer all MSA GB
members 25% discount.
CAR AIR FRESHENERS / CANDLES
Mandles’ handmade scented collections use
quality ingredients to ensure
superior scent throw from all
its candles and diffusers.
Check our our website for
further details.
MSA OFFER:: Special discount
of 20% on all car air fresheners and refills.
CARD PAYMENTS
MSA and SumUp believe in
supporting motor vehicle
trainers of all shapes and sizes.
Together we are on a mission to
ease the operational workload of our members
by providing them with the ability to take card
payments on-the-go or in their respective
training centREs. SumUp readers are durable
and user-friendly. Their paperless onboarding is
quick and efficient. Moreover, their offer comes
with no monthly subscription, no contractual
agreement, no support fees, no hidden fees
– just the one-off cost for the reader coupled
with lowest on the market transaction fee.
MSA OFFER:: We are offering MSA GB
members discounted 3G reader.
CPD & TRAINING
COURSES
As part of its new relationship
with MSA GB, Tri-Coaching is
delighted to offer a massive
20% discount across the board on all our
training products and courses, exclusively to
MSA Members.
MSA OFFER: 20% off all Tri-Coaching
courses.
DISABILITY AIDS
Driving shouldn’t just be a
privilege for people without
disabilities; it should be
accessible for all and there’s
never been an easier time to make
this the case! MSA GB members can take
advantage of BAS’s Driving Instructor
Packages which include a range of adaptations
at a discounted price, suitable for teaching
disabled learner drivers.
MSA OFFER: Special Driving Instructor
Packages for MSA members.
HEALTH / FINANCE COVER
The Motor Schools Association of Great Britain
has agreed with HMCA to offer discounted
rates for medical plans, dental plan, hospital
cash plans, personal accident
plan, travel plan, income
protection and vehicle
breakdown products.
MSA OFFER: HMCA only offer
medical plans to membership
groups and can offer up to a 40% discount off
the underwriter’s standard rates.
This is a comprehensive plan which provides
generous cash benefits for surgery and other
charges.
To get the full story of
the discounts available,
see www.msagb.com
42 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
PUPIL INSURANCE
Help your pupils private practice
by signing them up to
Collingwood’s instructor
affiliate programme.
MSA OFFER:: £50 for your
first referral and a chance to
win £100 of High Street vouchers!
PPE
Effective PPE (Personal
Protective Equipment) is
vital to provide the protection
your workforce requires in
order to work safely and
ensure that all employment
laws are complied with.
MSA OFFER:: 15% offer for MSA members.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Driving Instructor Services offers call
handing, web design, reports and pupil
text reminders, to name a few of our
services.
MSA OFFER:: Free trial
of all our services and 10%
discount for the life of your
MSA membership.
PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING
Confident Drivers has the only
website created especially for
drivers offering eight
different psychological
techniques commonly used
to reduce stress and nerves.
MSA OFFER: One month free on
a monthly subscription plan using coupon
code.
PUPIL SOURCING
Go Roadie provides
students when they need
them, with all the details
you need before you accept.
Control your own pricing,
discounts and set your availability to suit
you. Full diary? No cost!
MSA OFFER: Introductory offer of 50% off
the first three students they accept.
TYRES
VRedestein’s impressive range
of tyres includes the awardwinning
Quatrac 5 and the
new Quatrac Pro – offering
year-round safety and
performance.
MSA OFFER: 10% discount on purchases
across our tyre ranges.
To get the full story of
the discounts available,
see www.msagb.com
Membership offer
Welcome new ADIs
We’ve a special introductory offer for you!
Congratulations on passing
your Part 3 and becoming
an ADI.
There’s an exciting career
open to you from today.
It’s one that is alive with
possibilities as you build
your skills, your client
base and your income.
But for all the excitement, it
can also be a challenging
profession. Who can you turn to if
you’re struggling to get over key driver
training issues to a pupil? Where can you
go to soak up advice from more
experienced ADIs? Who will help you if
you are caught up in a dispute with the
DVSA? If the worst happens, who can you
turn to for help, advice and to fight your
corner?
The answer is the Motor Schools
Association of Great Britain – MSA GB
for short.
We are the most senior association
representing driving instructors in Great
Britain. Establised in 1935 when the first
driving test was introduced, MSA GB has
been working tirelessly ever since on
behalf of ordinary rank and file ADIs.
We represent your interests and your
views in the corridors of power, holding
regular meetings with senior officials from
the DVSA and the Department for
Transport to make sure the ADIs’ voice is
heard.
SPECIAL OFFER
We’d like you to join us
We’re there to support you every
step of the way. Our officebased
staff are there, five
days a week, from 9am-
5.30pm, ready to answer
your call and help you in any
way.
In addition our network of
experienced office holders and
regional officers can offer advice
over the phone or by email.
But membership of the MSA doesn’t just
mean we’re there for you if you’re in
trouble. We also offer a nationwide
network of regular meetings, seminars
and training events, an Annual
Conference, and a chance to participate in
MSA GB affairs through our democratic
structure
In addition, you’ll get a free link to our
membership magazine Newslink every
month, with all the latest news, views,
comment and advice you’ll need to
become a successful driving instructor.
You’ll also automatically receive
professional indemnity insurance worth
up to £5m and £10m public liability
insurance free of charge.
This is essential legal protection covering
you against legal claims ariving from your
tuition.
So join us today and save £25
including the first year’s joining fee:
just £60 for 12 months.
Join MSA GB today!
and save yourself £25
Call 0800 0265986 quoting
discount code Newslink, or join
online at www.msagb.com
Just
£60
for 12 months
membership
www.msagb.com 43