Newslink April

msagb.com
Newslink
The Voice of MSA GB
Issue 339 • April 2021
Now, about that
waiting list...
MSA GB Conference 2021
DVSA vows to pull out all the stops
We work for all Driver Trainers. Want to join? See pg 47 for a special introductory offer

msagb.com
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
We’re still in this for the
long haul, so let’s show
the public that we care
Colin Lilly
Editor, Newslink
As we look forward to returning to
training on your Government’s chosen
date, I suspect everyone will be hoping
that this will be the last lockdown.
Whether it will be, or not, will depend on
the behaviour of individuals or groups in
public areas.
There is no doubt that the Covid virus
will be around for a long time and
despite all the efforts of the vaccine to
reduce its impact, there will be future
infections. News that the Government is
lining up booster vaccines for the autumn
tends to reflect this.
Within driver training it seems very
likely that the protocol of wearing masks
and sanitation procedures will be with us
for the next few years. A lot of unknowns
remain, as much of the science around
this is comparatively new. For example,
little is known about the ability of those
who have been vaccinated to spread the
virus. It is essential that everyone who is
medically able to be vaccinated gets the
jab for their own protection – and for
everyone to act as though everyone else
has the virus.
We cannot afford another break in
training or testing. An estimated backlog
of 420,000 tests, not including those
who are yet to book their first test, will
take time to clear. Average waiting lists
of 17 weeks are only the starting point.
That’s why we must continue to be
responsible in our actions.
Would the issue of Covid passports
help our business? Would the minds of
those taking part in in-car training or
classroom sessions be eased by a
requirement for a Covid certificate to be
held by all parties? Would this be of
particular benefit in instructor training
and testing? Should DVSA consider this?
How ever you look at it, the future will
be different. We will still feel under the
threat of coronavirus until the all clear is
given. This will not be on June 21 –
indeed, that all-clear date may still be
some years away.
The driver training industry is a close
customer contact situation and therefore
needs to minimise the risk of infection.
Show the customers you care by taking
all the steps you can.
CONTACT
To comment on this article or any other
issue surrounding driver training and
testing, contact Colin via
editor@msagb.com
Welcome to your
digital, interactive
Newslink
See a pale blue box in any article
or on an advert? It it contains a
web address or email, it’s
interactive. Just click and it will
take you to the appropriate web
page or email so you can find
more details easier.
You’ll also find these panels across
the magazine: just click for more
information on any given subject.
To get the
full story,
click here
How to access this
magazine
You can read Newslink in three
ways:
Go online and read the interactive
magazine on the Yumpu website;
or, if you would like to read it
when you don’t have a mobile
signal or WiFi, you can download
the magazine to your tablet, PC or
phone to read at your leisure.
Alternatively, a pdf can be found
on the MSA GB website,
at www.msagb.com
Thanks, all for making our
Conference 2021 such a success
Many thanks to all members who joined us for the online
MSA Conference on March 21. We were delighted to
welcome DVSA Chief Executive Loveday Ryder in her first
official appearance at an ADI event, and it was interesting
to hear her outline some of the initiatives the agency
plans post-pandemic, particularly around reducing test
waiting times. We also heard a number of excellent
presentations, and took the time to say ‘thank you’ to
those MSA GB members who had gone the extra mile for
the association over the past 12 months at our annual
awards ceremony. Thanks, too, to our sponsors – Ford,
Marmalade and Collingwood – for their support.
Find out more about the event from pg 28.
DVSA speakers
at conference
Here’s hoping
we’ll be back
as normal by
Conference 2022!
Follow the
link MSA
GB sends
you to
access
Newslink,
and then
just click
Download
to save a
copy on
your device
COVER STORY
ADIs raise concerns over
L-test waiting times,
while the DVSA offers
some solutions.
Inside >
Newslink
The Voice of MSA GB
Issue 339 • April 2021
Now, about that
waiting list...
MSA GB Conference 2021
DVSA vows to pu l out a l the stops
We work for a l Driver Trainers. Want to join? See pg 47 for a special introductory o fer
www.msagb.com
03

14
11
News
Latest on restrictions: waiting
game on training, testing...
But April looks set fair for driving lessons
across Great Britain – pg 08
Help here if you need it
Fourth and fifth tranches of help for the
self-employed: how to claim – pg 10
Highways England moves to
ease public’s concerns
Two flies and the Pet Shop Boys lead
M-way safety campaign – pg 12
Drug-driving still overlooked
New report highlights silent growth in
drugs’ role in fatal crashes – pg 14
12
Watch out, ADIs, Rishi has his
eye on you
Rumours abound that the Chancellor is
going to tighten up the rules around
self-employment in a bid to shore up
the nation’s finances, and close taxation
and NI loopholes– pg 16
Worrying new trend as drink
driving cases rise again
The UK needs to look overseas for new
ideas to combat drink driving as cases
hit a 10-year high – pg 18
36
Newslink
The Voice of MSA GB
The Motor Schools Association
of Great Britain Ltd
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E: info@msagb.com
Newslink is published monthly on behalf of the MSA
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recently qualified ADIs throughout Great Britain by:
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t: 01942 537959 / 07871 444922
Views expressed in Newslink are not necessarily
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Although every effort is
made to ensure the
accuracy of material
contained within this
publication, neither MSA
GB nor the publishers can
accept any responsibility
for the veracity of claims
made by contributors in
either advertising or
editorial content.
©2021 The Motor Schools
Association of Great
Britain Ltd. Reprinting in
whole or part is forbidden
without express
permission of the editor.
04 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
26
Features
Keep in
touch 1
Keep in touch:
Just click on the icon
to go through to the
relevant site
15
Step by step
Trying to cram too much content into every
lesson can stop your learner absorbing the
crucial safe driving messages you are trying
to impart, says Steve Garrod – pg 20
Dear Loveday...
Kind words won’t stop me pointing out the
problem with waiting lists, says Newslink’s
latest contributor, one Roderick Arthur
Came... – pg 22
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
ring on 01625 664501.
2
Conference 2021
Loveday Ryder leads a strong DVSA line-up
at the MSA Conference 2021
Mock tests | Latest on waiting lists | DVSA plans
for post-pandemic | Older drivers | MSA GB AGM |
Association awards and thanks
from pg 28
REGIONAL NEWS AND VIEWS...
from pg 36
Life as an ADI
Two members with very different stories to tell about their
life as an ADI, in the past and during lockdown
page 40
No, not that one
North West member Geoff Capes is this month’s
ADI under the spotlight – page 44
Follow MSA GB on social media
26
Mirror, mirror on the car
The humble mirror may be facing a fast
decline into obsolesence as in-car cameras
become a common feature on new cars.
Mike Yeomans looks at its history - and
future – pg 26
Keep in
contact with
the MSA
MSA GB area contacts are
here to answer your
queries and offer any
assistance you need.
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:
Mike Yeomans
chair.ne@msagb.com
n North West:
Graham Clayton
chair.nw@msagb.com
n East Midlands:
Kate Fennelly
chair.em@msagb.com
n West Midlands:
Geoff Little
chair.wm@msagb.com
n Western:
Arthur Mynott
chair.ow@msagb.com
n Eastern:
Paul Harmes
chair.oe@msagb.com
n Greater London:
Tom Kwok
chair.gl@msagb.com
n South East:
Fenella Wheeler
chair.se@msagb.com
n South Wales:
All enquiries to
info@msagb.com
n Newslink:
All enquiries to
editor@msagb.com or
rob@chambermedia
services.co.uk
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
05

News
06
IN BRIEF
High Wycombe DTC
The DVSA has offered High Wycombe
ADIs an update on progress as it tries
to secure a new site for the town’s
driving test centre on the Cressex
Business Park.
A planning application has now
been submitted and is undergoing
consultation, with a decision expected
by the middle of May.
If you have any further questions
about the closure of High Wycombe
DTC, please contact the LDTM, Julian
Lovegrove, at Julian.Lovegrove@dvsa.
gov.uk.
Update from the
Registrar of ADIs
From April 1, the contractor providing
DBS checks for the DVSA will change
to First Advantage.
The service will remain exactly as
now and ADIs will still need to apply
for their DBS via https://www.gov.uk/
adi-criminal-record-disclosure.
The only noticeable difference will
be that the page the application
directs to will be re-badged as First
Advantage.
Tech steps in to keep
drivers’ speed down
SEAT has decided that drivers need a
little help keeping to the speed limit
– so has added some tech to make
sure they do.
The all-new SEAT Leon features
Dynamic Road Sign Display, which
uses a front-mounted camera to detect
speed limit signs and then automatically
adjusts the speed according to the limit.
Statistics compiled by the DfT show
over 50% of cars exceeded the speed
limit on 30mph roads; while 47% of
cars broke the limit on motorways in
2020. A study of 2,000 UK motorists
found that nearly 10% had been
caught speed within the past 12
month. It also found that three-quarters
(76%) of drivers don’t always know
what speed they are travelling at.
Richard Harrison, Managing Director
of SEAT UK, commented: “It’s
certainly eye-opening to learn that
significant numbers of motorists aren’t
necessarily always aware of their own
speeds, but thankfully Dynamic Road
Sign Display can make drivers safer on
the road.”
Let’s take it easy when
we get back to the car
Peter Harvey mbe
National Chairman
MSA GB
Hello everyone. I hope you are all faring
well in these still extraordinary times.
I thought I would give you a little update
on association issues, as well as talk about
the changes we hope to see rolled-out
across the country this month.
As some of you will know we held our
second online annual Conference last
week. You can read much more about how
that went further on in the magazine, but
for my part I was really pleased with how
the day went. It was really good to see so
many of you logging in and being involved.
It was also good to have Loveday Ryder,
the DVSA’s new Chief Executive, to open
the conference, and she offered some
useful updates on how the DVSA expects
to get things back to normal – including
working its way out of the backlog in our
testing system.
It does feel as though we are starting to
see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Hopefully you are all looking forward to
some decent weather over the Easter
weekend and we will be allowed to move
around a little more freely than we have in
recent months.
You all know we have indicative dates for
us getting back to work – but they are just
that, indicative dates. All are subject to
change and require government clearance,
but, with luck, England & Wales will be
allowed to restart driver training on April
12, with Scotland moving into a new level
scheme a little later, on April 26.
We are hoping all of Scotland will move
to Level 3 in the new system, and lessons
will be able to continue. If your area is in
Level 4, you will not be able to restart
lessons and will have to wait a little longer.
Testing in England and Wales will restart
10 days after training restarts. In Scotland,
we also have confirmation that practical
testing will start on May 6, with theory
tests starting on April 26.
So there is light at the end of the tunnel,
and a little bit of hope. We need it, don’t
we. I realise how difficult it has been for
you all over this past year. Hopefully, this
will be the last time we have to face a
lockdown. But as you start getting ready to
return to work, with all the rules to follow
on face coverings and car cleaning duties,
it is important to consider your own health,
too. With us being away from the job for so
long, it is tempting to make up for lost time
and work very long hours to catch up on
what you have missed. Try to resist the
temptation and pace your days when you
do return. There is no use in overdoing it
and you could end up feeling unwell
yourself. Please take care and enjoy
working yourself back into the swing of
things.
If we all do our bit and observe the
guidelines, we should be able to have a
much better summer than last year.
Stay safe, and remember, any problems,
MSA GB is here to help. Contact details for
head office support and regional/national
chairs can be found on pg 4-5.
Highway Code changes rules on tyres
The rules around tyres have been updated
in the Highway Code.
The change made affects Annex 6.
Vehicle maintenance, safety and security.
Updated the vehicle maintenance section
to add information about the ages of tyres
allowed to be used on goods vehicles with
a maximum gross weight of more than 3.5
tonnes and passenger vehicles with more
than eight passenger seats.
It now reads:
Tyre age. Tyres over 10 years old MUST
NOT be used on the front axles of:
n goods vehicles with a maximum gross
weight of more than 3.5 tonnes
n passenger vehicles with more than
eight passenger seats
Additionally, they MUST NOT be used on
the rear axles of passenger vehicles with
nine to 16 passenger seats, unless
equipped with twin wheels.
To prove the age of a tyre it is further
required that the date of tyre manufacture
marking MUST always be legible.
Vehicles currently excluded from tyre
roadworthiness regulations and vehicles of
historical interest which are not used for
commercial purpose, are exempt from
these requirements.
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

News
Ready, steady, teach!
As members will know only too well, the governments of
the four nations of the UK have indicated that there will be
a gradual restart to driver training and testing over the
coming weeks. The key dates remain indicative dates only
at this stage, and are open to change. However, if all goes
to plan, most ADIs should be back at work in April.
Certainly, with figures of deaths, new cases and vaccines
all going in the right directions, government sources are
confident that these dates will be kept to and we will not
go into future lockdowns. If any changes take place, MSA
GB will let you know first. The quickest way we can reach
you is via our email service; if you’re not sure we have your
current email address, please call head office on
01625 664501 to update your details.
ENGLAND
Private practice:
Now
ADI-supervised lessons
April
12
L-Tests re-start
April
22
Theory tests
April
12
SCOTLAND
ADI-supervised lessons
April *
26
L-Tests re-start
May *
6
Theory tests:
April *
26
WALES
Private practice:
Now
ADI-supervised lessons
April
12
L-Tests re-start
April
22
Theory tests:
April
12
For the latest news, click
in the panel below
* The First Minister has confirmed that Scotland will, on
coming out of lockdown on April 26, revert to a new system of
Levels. Each Level will be more severe than those previously
used. Whether lessons and testing starts in your area will
depend on which level you are placed in.
Level 3 may be allowed to restart teaching and testing;
however, Level 4 areas will not. Driving lessons will only restart
once that area has been downgraded to Level 3.
Testing in such areas will restart 10 days after lessons.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Restrictions on training and
testing will be reviewed by the
NI Executive on April 15.
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 by clicking
the panel right
Check the
rules
08
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
WAITING ROOMS
When driving test centres re-open for testing, then all
222 waiting rooms that were open before the latest
lockdown will reopen, plus another 27 around the
country. See link below for open waiting rooms.
Click here for
the full story
WHAT TO EXPECT ON TEST
n All examiners will be masked throughout the test.
n Waiting rooms are for ADIs only. Please do not arrive
more than five minutes before the test time.
n You must clean the inside of your car before your test. This
means tidying any unnecessary items away from the
dashboard, footwells, door pockets, cup holders and seats
wiping down the dashboard and car controls. The examiner
will do an additional clean of some surfaces.
n The car you use for your test must have at least one window
open on each side throughout the test. Candidates must wear
appropriate clothing for the test, including a face covering.
n ADIs will not be able to accompany the L-test. However, they
are encouraged to attend the post-test debrief, which will take
place outside the car. Please remember to social distance if
attending this.
Motorcycles
Motorcycle training restarted on March 29,
with the first bike tests to be held on April 12.
Motorcycle tests in Scotland will restart on
May 6 at the earliest.
Driving instructor qualifications
These will be in line with the dates for L-tests
and training, with testing starting on April 22
at the earliest in England and Wales; in
Scotland they will restart on May 6 at the
earliest.
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
09

News: Covid support
More support for self-employed – but
be careful over eligibility
The UK Government’s package of
support for the self-employed (the
Self-Employment Income Support
Scheme, SEISS) has been extended until
September for a fourth and fifth grant
– and there is good news for some more
recent ADIs.
HMRC will contact customers who
may be eligible for the fourth SEISS grant
from mid-April to tell them how they can
claim. In addition, because it will be
taking into account the most recent tax
return (2019-2020), more self-employed
people will be able to claim assistance.
However, ADIs are encouraged to
exercise caution when claiming, as
HMRC is likely to want to see evidence
your business has been hit by the
pandemic. Because so many instructors
have lost lessons during this period, it
seems likely such proof will be easy to
obtain, but be aware the taxman may
ask for evidence.
Fourth SEISS grant
The UK Government will pay a taxable
grant which is calculated based on 80
per cent of three months’ average trading
profits, paid out in a single payment and
capped at £7,500 in total.
The value of the grant is based on an
average of your trading profits for up to
four tax years between 2016 to 2020,
where available.
The grant will be available to claim by
late April. As with previous grants,
trading profits must be no more than
£50,000 and at least equal to nontrading
income in order to claim the
fourth SEISS grant.
Eligibility for the fourth SEISS grant
will depend on whether you experienced
a significant financial impact from
coronavirus between February 2021 and
April 2021.
HMRC will take into account your
2019-20 return when assessing your
eligibility for the scheme. This may also
affect the amount of the fourth grant,
which could be higher or lower than
previous grants you have received.
For this period, you will need to make
an honest assessment that there has
been a significant reduction in trading
profits due to reduced demand or your
inability to trade. If you make a claim,
you will need to keep appropriate records
as evidence.
For further details of the changes to
eligibility and calculation of the grant,
please visit GOV‌.UK and search ‘Self-
Employment Income Support Scheme’.
What happens next
HMRC will contact you from mid-April
if it believes you may be eligible for the
fourth SEISS grant to tell you how you
can claim. You will be provided with your
personal claim date, which will be the
earliest date you can submit a claim for
the fourth SEISS grant.
Claims for the fourth SEISS grant must
be made by May 31, 2021, at the latest.
Fifth grant
A fifth grant will cover the period May-
September, which you will be able to
claim from late July if you are eligible.
The amount of the fifth grant will be
determined by how much your turnover
has been reduced. The grant will be
worth 80% of three months’ average
trading profits, capped at £7,500, for
those with a higher reduction in turnover
(30 per cent or more). For those with a
lower reduction in turnover, of less than
30 per cent, the grant will be worth 30
per cent of three months’ average trading
profits.
Further details will be provided on the
fifth grant in due course.
HMRC issues scam warning
In his recent Budget, the Chancellor announced a Taxpayer Protection Taskforce
to tackle the minority who deliberately claim money they’re not entitled to.
If you suspect fraud, please report it to GOV‌.UK and search ‘Report fraud to
HMRC’ for more information.
HMRC has also issued a warning over online scams which mimic Government
messages as a way of appearing authentic. Search ‘scams’ on gov.uk for
information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can forward
suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts
to 60599. For more information, search Cyber Aware on gov.uk.
ADI Help fund still open for donations and requests
Bobbie Hicks and Susan McDonald, the
organisers of the Helping ADIs and PDIs
fundraiser inspired by the pandemic
restrictions, have posted a new message
on the Go Fund Me page.
It reads: “Just a short message to
remind everybody that we are still open
for both applications and donations to the
fund and will be for well into the
foreseeable future!
“We would like to remind people that
the fund is not just for the Covid
pandemic but also for other necessary
funding as and when it arises to help
people with their everyday or unexpected
living costs when times are hard.
“We have so far received many
applications, (but not quite as many as
we were anticipating) and many
applicants have received funds. Could we
please just remind people to read the
rules when applying as we have received
many applications from people who have
not exhausted Government help or are
applying for business costs which,
regrettably, we cannot fund.
“Please make sure you read all
documentation before you start and that
you have all the correct paperwork to
make the process as smooth as possible.”
Click here to find
out more
10
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
You Tuber backs ‘Dead Slow’
campaign around horses
The British Horse Society has teamed up
with a motoring YouTuber to promote its
Dead Slow campaign messages to a
wider audience.
The video – which explains the safest
way to pass a horse on the roads – has
been produced by the BHS, Dorset Police
and Devon and Cornwall Police in collaboration
with GCM (George’s Car Media).
GCM describes himself as a ‘petrol
head’ and has more than 26k followers
on YouTube.
Dead Slow was launched to help better
educate drivers on how to safely pass
horses on the road and Alan Hiscox,
director of safety for the BHS, has
spoken at MSA GB Conferences in the
past over the importance of this road
safety message.
The campaign consists of four key
behavioural changes when driving in and
around horses:
• Slow down to a maximum of 15mph
• Be patient – I won’t sound my horn
or rev my engine
• Pass the horse wide and slow, (if
safe to do so) at least 2 metres or a car’s
width if possible
• Drive slowly away.
Alan Hiscox said: “GCM Cars have a
large YouTube following and our Dead
Slow messages will reach another
audience that we would normally find it
difficult to communicate with. This video
covers all the salient points to ensure
equestrians are safer on the roads.”
Click here to see
the video
E-scooters in
the spotlight
Travel Safe Bucks (TSB) has launched a
social media campaign to raise awareness
of the law on privately owned electric
scooters – which are illegal to use on
public roads, cycle lanes and pavements.
E-scooters are deemed ‘powered
transporters’ – which covers a variety of
personal transport devices powered by a
motor. While rental e-scooter schemes
were made legal by the Government in
July 2020, the laws on private e-scooters
have remained unchanged. This means
anyone who uses a privately owned
e-scooter on a public road or other
prohibited space is committing a
criminal offence, with penalties ranging
from a fine and penalty points to
disqualification from driving. People
using e-scooters dangerously or while
under the influence of drink or drugs can
also be convicted. It is only legal to use
a privately owned e-scooter on private
land. The new campaign is running on
Twitter and Facebook.
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
11

Road safety news
‘Go left’ sings Highways England as it tries
to make public feel safer on motorways
Highways England has launched a new
road campaign aimed at helping
motorists understand what to do if they
breakdown on the motorway – and it’s
using a classic ’90s pop song by The Pet
Shop Boys and a couple of dancing
windscreen-splatted flies to do it.
‘Go West’ – one of the pop duo’s most
famous hits, and a song that has proved
the basis for dozens of advertising
campaigns and football chants since it
was released in 1993 – is the tune
behind the new slogan ‘Go Left!’ which
tells drivers want to do if they encounter
mechanical trouble on the motorway.
The new campaign forms part of the
DfT’s 18-point action plan to improve
safety on, and public confidence of,
smart motorways.
Motorways and major A-roads are
Britain’s safest roads by miles travelled,
but there were over 200,000 reported
breakdowns on motorways every year.
The campaign advises drivers who are
unable to exit the motorway at the next
junction or service area to:
• Put your left indicators on
• Move into the left lane
• Enter the next emergency area, or
hard shoulder
• Put your hazard lights on
• Get behind a safety barrier where
there is one
• Call Highways England on 0300
123 5000, then a breakdown provider
for help
Set to the tune of ‘Go West’, the
campaign advert delivers a ‘clear,
single-minded message’ – go left.
Highways England says testing with
focus groups found the ‘distinctive
characters, music and humour made the
important message very memorable’ and
hopes it will help people remember what
to do in the event of an emergency.
Nick Harris, acting chief executive of
Highways England, said: “No one plans
to break down on a motorway, but if the
unexpected happens I want all motorists
to know what to do so that they can
keep themselves and others safe.
“Everyone wants a safe journey and
raising awareness is a vital part of
helping to make sure that happens.
“This new campaign and its ‘Go left’
message is designed to deliver crucial
information in an accessible way and to
help make motorways safer for the
people who use them.
“This campaign is just one of the many
steps we are taking to invest in our
network with safety as our number one
priority, doing everything we can to help
drivers feel confident on our motorways.”
You can watch the video by clicking
the panel here.
Click here to see
the video
Two singing
flies splattered
on the
windscreen are
the stars of the
new campaign,
urging a
motorway
driver in a
failing car to
‘Go Left’
Smart motorways – DfT vows to tackle the negatives
The Department for Transport has vowed
to restore public confidence in the smart
motorway system – with the ‘Go Left’
campaign (above) the first shot.
Until 2020, the UK had two types of
‘smart motorways’: dynamic, where the
hard shoulder is opened to traffic during
busy periods, with access marked on
overhead gantries; and ones with
permanent running on the hard shoulder.
However, after concerns were voiced
over the safety of the schemes, Transport
Secretary Grant Shapps acknowledged
that ministers had ‘concerns’ and opened
a five-month evidence stocktake, resulting
in an 18-point action plan – including this
new awareness campaign. However, the
most significant change was the scrapping
of ‘confusing’ dynamic smart motorways.
The action plan addressed other
controversial issues, such as the time
taken to reach broken down vehicles in
live lanes and the distance between
emergency refuge areas.
Mr Shapps said the action plan will
allow drivers to retain the benefits of
smart motorways – while addressing the
concerns that have been identified.
Highways England says Mr Shapps has
requested a report updating progress on
the works carried out to date.
In February, the Transport Committee
launched an inquiry into the benefits and
safety of smart motorways, as well as
their impact on reducing congestion.
Speaking to the committee, Mr Shapps
said he did not want to carry on with the
system of smart motorways which he had
inherited on coming into office.
12
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

News
Fears drug-driving being missed
as police enforcement varies
A major report by the Parliamentary
Advisory Council for Transport Safety
(PACTS) has revealed that the science
and resources focused on combating
drug driving are a long way behind those
devoted to drink driving – amid fears the
problem of drugs could be far worse than
previously thought.
PACTS called for greater resources to
be committed to raise public awareness
of the problems caused by drug taking
and driving, particularly among the key
at-risk group of the 18-24s – the young
driver group ADIs are most familiar with.
The research showed that while drug
drivers are a varied group, drawn from
across age and race demographic and
using different drugs, it is a problem
particularly linked to younger men using
cocaine or cannabis. In older drivers the
issue tends to be around prescription
drugs. Interestingly, nearly half (44%) of
all drug-drive offences are committed by
a reoffender.
In 2019, drug driving was a factor in
crashes that left 92 people dead and
672 seriously injured. However, as
recording drug driving varies widely
across police forces, this number could
be far lower than the actual figure.
12,391 people were convicted of a drug
driving offence in 2019 – up significantly
since 2015.
PACTS has called for more consistent
levels of police enforcement of the
existing drug driving laws, backed by
better communications to raise the public
perception of enforcement, penalties and
risks associated with drug driving.
Currently, the level of enforcement
varies dramatically from police force to
force, with some having better procedures,
contracts and training. Those with better
systems should be used as benchmark
for others to follow, PACTS said.
The report found strong evidence that
drivers are less aware of the dangers
created by drug driving or the likelihood
of being caught for it, than they are for
drink driving. Road safety campaigns
have largely focused on drink-driving –
possibly rightly so, the report says – and
the chance to get similar messages across
over drug driving offences has been missed.
To highlight the growth of the problem,
it pointed out that in 1997, a study by
the Transport Research Laboratory of
drivers involved in fatal road collision
Number of people convicted of drug-driving offences
casualties from 1985-1987 found drugs
present in just three per cent of cases,
compared to alcohol which was present
in 35 per cent of cases. However, similar
studies in 2001 and 2012 showed that
drugs were present in more than 20 per
cent of similar traffic incidents. Education
and awareness campaigns are required
urgently to address this.
It was also important that a remedial
measure be brought in for offenders. A
drug-drive rehabilitation course and high
risk offender scheme should be
introduced, modelled broadly on the
existing drink-drive programmes, but
with better screening for drug and mental
health problems and with clear pathways
to treatment.
Medical professionals can also play a
role in identifying drug and mental health
issues; the DVLA and relevant
professional bodies should continue to
raise awareness of these and the
guidelines for medical professionals.
Above all, the report demonstrates the
need for a broad strategy to tackle drug
driving, which uses the knowledge of
experts on drugs and drug testing. This
Number of people per thousand convicted by age group
strategy must include research to fill vital
knowledge gaps and include
conventional road safety interventions as
well as those from the public health field.
A strategy to tackle drug driving should
seek to address the underlying causes of
decisions by some to drug drive, increase
drivers’ perception of their chance of
being caught if they do so, and ensure
that those who are caught receive the
support they need to stop drug driving.
Professor Kim Wolff mbe, Professor of
Analytical, Forensic & Addiction Science
and Director of Forensics at King’s
College London, and the Chair of the
Expert Panel on Drug Driving in 2013,
welcomed the latest research. She hoped
it would fuel a debate around drugdriving
and reinforce the message that a
multi-disciplinary approach was needed
to tackle the issue – which would include
ADIs as ‘first educators’ of safe driving
and road safety messages.
Society faced “a significant challenge”
from drug driving, Professor Wolff said.
While acknowledging that the science
behind drug driving was improving,
“there is a need to continue our journey
of legal and technical progression. The
evolution of the drugs themselves and
our means of detecting them must be
prefaced against changes in the patterns
of consumption, particularly by between
18-25 and who are recognised as
susceptible to other risky behaviours for
safe driving, such as speeding, seatbelt
and mobile phone misuse.
“Our knowledge has grown
exponentially since the introduction of
the strict liability offence, but it is not
complete. Robust, standardised data
collection and reporting would
significantly help, as would support for
evidence collection and sentencing.
“Drug driving is a multi-faceted
phenomenon and requires a multidisciplinary
response.”
14
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For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
IAM RoadSmart survey finds public is still
nervous about autonomous vehicles
A study by IAM RoadSmart has revealed
that 60 per cent of motorists believe the
growing ability of vehicles to drive
themselves is a serious threat to road
safety.
Female drivers (66 per cent) and
drivers over the age of 70 (64 per cent)
showed the greatest concern. This is
despite evidence that road incidents are
usually caused by human error, suggesting
that giving greater control to the vehicles
themselves in the future might actually
reduce the number of collisions.
However, while automated vehicle
technology could improve road safety, this
will only happen if the new systems are
used correctly, including through driver
training to understand their capabilities
and limitations, the road safety charity
said.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of
Policy & Research, said: “Autonomous
and automated vehicle technology is
becoming an integral part of everyday
motoring and while it does have the
capacity to improve road safety, its
capabilities must be fully understood to
ensure we don’t over rely on them.
“Over-reliance on these systems, and a
lack of training on how to use them,
could have a negative effect, with
potentially worrying results.
“As vehicle systems take on the tasks
that drivers used to perform, IAM Road
Smart wants to see an understanding of
automated features included in the UK
driving test.”
Projections suggest that 40 per cent of
UK new car sales could have self-driving
capabilities in fewer than 15 years.
Meanwhile, advocates for a push
towards autonomous vehicle technology
also highlight the financial benefits to the
UK economy, possibly almost worth £42
billion by 2035 together with the creation
of nearly 40,000 British jobs.
Concerns still remain, however, around
the high cost of research and development,
making autonomous vehicles too
expensive for some, together with
possible malfunctions, data security
issues and moral dilemmas as to what
the vehicle should be programmed to
protect.
Neil added: “Our research shows that
many motorists remain to be convinced
about the safety of self-driving vehicles.
While we wait for completely autonomous
cars to take over from human drivers,
training will be paramount in ensuring
that increasingly automated vehicles are
an asset rather than a drawback.”
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
15

Comment: Self employment rule change
Watch out, ADIs, rumour has
it Rishi’s got his eye on you...
The benefits of the self-employed career are few and far between at times... and now it looks
like the Chancellor may be closing a few of the good parts down, as he seeks a way to restore
the nation’s finances. Rod Came looks at the issues
The pleasures and benefits of selfemployment
are manifest and
appreciated by those who enjoy success
from their chosen field. But there are
disadvantages and while many can be
overcome by the individual, some are
beyond their scope.
People who work for an employer have
a wage structure, holidays, sickness pay,
set hours of work and overtime rates,
among other benefits. Their income tax,
pension and National Insurance are
taken from their salary before they
receive their take home pay. Everything
is organised by the employer.
Conversely, self-employed people do
not benefit from those advantages. They
do not have a wage structure, their
take-home pay is entirely dependent on
the amount they have collected from
their labours after numerous deductions.
There is no holiday entitlement, in fact
most self-employed people often do not
take holidays because time off work
means a loss of income. it’s the same
A mocked-up
photographic
interpretation
of a future
plea from the
Chancellor...
with sickness; self-employment is the
best cure for the common cold.
Unsocial hours and overtime do not
exist in the self-employed world; often
they are the norm; 9 to 5, Monday to
Friday is a fantasy. Most people who
work for themselves take on far more
work than they should, because of the
irrational fear that when they wake up
tomorrow all their clients will have gone.
An ADI’s take-home pay is what is left
from the fees collected after all expenses
have been deducted. These soon mount
up, too: car purchase/lease, fuel, phone,
insurance, maintenance, broadband,
accountancy, advertising, MSA GB fee
and other one-off expenses.
So why am I telling you what you
already know?
Because change is coming. The
Chancellor, one Rishi Sunak, the chap
who has been so generous to workers by
way of furlough payments throughout the
Covid pandemic, including to the
self-employed, has now signalled that he
wants the money back because the UK
bank account is in a parlous state. He
doesn’t have too many options to claw
money in from, but one that has been
causing concern for sometime is the
status of being ‘self-employed’.
Unfortunately, a system that has
trundled along to most people’s benefit
for many years has been misappropriated
by a few who saw a loophole to use to
their advantage. They include people
who decide to ‘retire’ and then next day
return to the same employer, doing the
same job, but now as a self-employed
‘consultant’, thereby gaining the few
benefits that self-employment bestows.
They’ve been drawing attention to
themselves. From Rishi’s point of view
he feels that he is losing out on the
reduced National Insurance paid by
those under retirement age. He’s also
upset that they put legitimate business
expenses against income, reducing their
tax liability.
Hence, the rules are changing. Firms
are no longer hiring consultants who they
can hire and fire at will. This used to
benefit both the consultant and the
employer in that it is very flexible.
Employers who need occasional labour
do not want to go though the rigmarole
of hiring permanent staff who they know
they will only want for a specific purpose,
or a relatively short time. As a
consequence many people who were
quite happy to work on that basis are
now losing out.
‘‘
Change is coming....
Chancellor Sunak has
signalled he wants the
money back because the UK
bank is in a parlous state
‘‘
16
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Other changes are heading our way.
You will have read that Über has now
been judged to be an employer of the
drivers who operate under its flag and
must pay them the minimum wage and
other employee benefits.
That is only one company, the tip of
the iceberg, as there are many other
employers in different fields that could be
affected by this judgement.
So it’s time to look at what it really
means to be ‘self-employed.’ The
Government says you’re probably
self-employed if you:
• run your business for yourself and take
responsibility for its success or failure
• have several customers at the same
time
• can decide how, where and when you
do your work
• can hire other people at your own
expense to help you or work for you
• provide the main items of equipment to
do your work
• are responsible for finishing any
unsatisfactory work in your own time
• charge an agreed price for your work
• sell goods or services to make a profit.
Continued on page 18
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
17

News/Comment
Time to get tough on drink-driving as
number of deaths hits a 10-year high
Road safety and breakdown organisation
GEM Motoring Assist has joined other
groups in calling for a review of drinkdrive
laws, as motoring deaths involving
drink reach a 10-year high.
Provisional government statistics for
2019 show that there were 280 deaths
from drink-driving in 2019, up 40 on the
previous year and the highest annual total
since 2009.
GEM chief executive Neil Worth said:
“Theere has been virtually no progress in
reducing drink-driving deaths in the UK
over the past decade.
“Levels of police enforcement have
decreased by 63 per cent since 2009,
while the much-heralded road side
evidential breath-testing equipment shows
no signs of making it into the police
toolkit any time soon.
“As things stand, England and Wales
have Europe’s highest drink drive limits,
with absurdly complex procedures
required to secure a prosecution.
“We invite the UK government to look
at good practice from other countries and
to take urgent steps to reform our whole
approach to tackling drink driving.”
In particular, GEM points to a number
of initiatives in Europe:
In Estonia, drink driving deaths fell
from 61 in 2006 to 7 in 2017 as a result
of a reduction in the drink drive limit to
0.2g/l BAC (compared with the England
and Wales limit of 0.8g/l BAC) and a
concerted and sustained improvement in
enforcement techniques.
In Denmark, any driver found with a
BAC above 0.5g/l must pay for and follow
a 12-hour mandatory course on alcohol
and road safety in order to regain their
driving licence. Drivers found with a BAC
over 1.2g/l receive an unconditional threeyear
ban, with prison sentences for repeat
offenders. These tough new rules pushed
drink-drive deaths down from 112 in
2007 to 30 in 2016.
In Australia, the state of Queensland
has stipulated that learners and recentlyqualified
drivers must have a zero BAC,
while for all others – including
motorcyclists – the limit is 0.05g/l BAC. A
zero limit applies for all professional
drivers.
In Israel, almost one million random
alcohol breath tests take place every year,
in a nation of eight million inhabitants.
This was supported by an increase in
night-time bus transport to deter car use
among younger drivers.
In Belgium, police use screening
devices on random testing. These give a
‘safe’ reading of below 0.22g/l, an ‘alarm’
reading of between 0.22 and 0.35, or a
‘positive’ reading of above 0.35.
Rishi’s got his
eye on you
Continued from page 17
All clear? Be careful because it ain’t
necessarily so! You can also be employed
and self-employed at the same time...
see gov.uk for further confusion/
information.
It does appear that the points above
mean that ADIs who work for themselves
do fall within the scope of the
requirements for self-employment at the
moment, but I have also read that the
Chancellor would like to have selfemployed
people paying the same
National Insurance rates as those who
are employed, but not necessarily
obtaining the same benefits.
For instance, to be eligible for ‘new
style’ Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) you’ll
need to have both:
• worked as an employee
• paid Class 1 NI contributions,
usually in the last 2 to 3 years (NI
credits can also count)
• You will not be eligible if you were
self-employed and only paid Class 2 NI
contributions, unless you were working
as a share fisherman or a volunteer
development worker. (gov.uk)
So if an ADI is short of clients through
no fault of their own, let’s say because
the waiting list for an L-test in their area
has gone stratospheric, it is no good
thinking that the Government is going to
financially assist you; it won’t happen.
Another obvious target is undeclared
income. This scourge affects everyone; it
means anyone who pays tax has to pay
more to cover that lost to evasion. It is
surprising how many trade vehicles
appear in residential areas at weekends
accompanied by small plant and the
banging of hammers.
The temptation for ADIs who often are
paid in cash for each lesson, to ‘forget’
some is quite tempting, especially when
times are hard. Don’t! The tax man has a
good idea of what sort of money an ADI
should be earning in normal times; if
your tax return falls outside of those
parameters, it can be flagged up. I knew
an ADI who did “one lesson for the tax
man, two for me”. When they caught up
with him he had to sell his house to pay
the back tax and the penalties.
It’s simply not worth it. I have always
worked on the basis that the tax man is
better at catching defaulters than they
are at getting away with it.
Catching out an ADI is so easy. The
taxman knows how many miles an ADI
does on an average lesson, and so can
work out how many you should be
covering over the year. If you are on the
fiddle your accounts may show that your
car is only doing 20mpg when it ought to
be 40mpg (by comparing receipts for
petrol with claimed time spent on the
road), or when you trade the car in it
shows 150,000 miles on the invoice
when the number of lessons could
account for no more than 75,000.
It is all well and good being your own
boss, the freedom of being able to do
your own thing has its benefits, but with
that also comes responsibilities, to your
clients, your family and society in
general. I have enjoyed it, but feel that
times are changing and not necessarily
for the better.
Maybe in ten years time the cottage
industry that now is driver training will
become dominated by large driving
schools where ADIs are employed on a
salary. Who knows?
18
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

Towards your CPD
Content isn’t
always king
Pupils need to develop the
basic skills which will allow
them to handle more
complex processes later, such
as Yellow Boxes
Too many ADIs try to stuff
their lessons with big
topics and themes, but this
can result in the precious
knowledge the learners need
throughout their driving
career being poorly absorbed
says Steve Garrod
It is easy to fall into the trap of
trying to pack too much content
into a driving lesson. For example, I
often hear instructors say they are
going to ‘do roundabouts’ in their
next lesson, which suggests that they
have an almost exclusively contentfocused
approach to teaching. In other
words, they determine what content
needs to be taught and cram their time
with teaching content.
I think of this as the Content Trap.
I have noticed that it is less confident
instructors who spend the majority of
their time teaching content; meaning
thinking skills are relatively ignored. This
could be down to inexperience or
something that has become a habit.
I know many instructors feel
pressurised by their learners comparing
their lessons to those of their friends.
We’ve all had the comment: “My mate’s
been doing roundabouts and she’s only
had six lessons.”
When faced with such comments,
inexperienced ADIs teach the easy stuff,
such as subjects, and ignore the harder
stuff, such as skills to back up those
subjects like car control and decision
making. Not surprisingly, teaching
content and skills gets much better
results!
By the term ‘skills’ I include analysing,
evaluating and problem solving. Covering
complex subjects like roundabouts
requires quite a few lessons of
preparation before learners can deal with
them competently, therefore it is
unrealistic, and I would suggest
impossible, to expect to cover everything
relating to roundabouts effectively in one
go.
In reality, we make very small steps in
each lesson and rarely cover an entire
subject in the allotted time; so why then
do so many instructors try to do this in
their Standards Check? Teaching
someone to drive is about teaching
practical and thinking skills, which
enable learners to build their confidence
and knowledge of complex tasks in small
steps to develop their confidence of
making decisions in stressful situations.
I have heard many a tale following a
failed driving test where the instructor
says, “He does it perfectly when we are
on a lesson but messes it up on test”.
The chances are that the learner doesn’t
really understand what to do if ‘it’ doesn’t
go to plan or if it is presented with a
different set of circumstances, for
example dealing with a broken set of
traffic lights. If we focus on teaching
subjects we are in danger of overlooking
the required skills that enable learners to
deal with these subjects effectively.
For example, dealing with roundabouts
means being able to control a vehicle
often under considerable pressure due to
the nature and layout of such junctions,
therefore learners also need to be able to
read the road and traffic conditions, look
for the body language of other vehicles
navigating the same roundabout and be
comfortable with basic car control, such
as gear selection, moving off uphill in
heavier traffic and recognising safe gaps
20
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
‘‘
I have been driving since the
days of having to pull out
the choke on a cold day and
I still see things that present
me with a challenge.
‘‘
before proceeding. Learners also need to
be stretched to cover a variety of
roundabouts which present a variety of
problems before the content can be fully
learnt.
I have been driving since the days of
having to pull out the choke on a cold
day and I still see things that present me
with a challenge.
When planning lessons it is worthwhile
taking yourself back to when you learnt a
new skill. If it was learning a language,
think about how much you learnt during
each lesson. If it was the first lesson,
you probably learnt how to introduce
yourself and say where you lived. If you
grasped that, then perhaps you learnt
how to ask someone what their name
was and where they lived. The chances
are that if you remembered the words
you had difficulty pronouncing them;
therefore time would have been spent
working on pronunciation as part of the
overall lesson of ‘introducing yourself’.
All very small steps, but at the time
they probably felt like big steps. Think of
the subject of introducing yourself as the
content, and the speaking and
pronunciation as the skills.
The key to being a successful instructor
is to create an atmosphere where
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
learners are encouraged to think for
themselves, ask questions, and to work
out how to apply existing skills to new
scenarios.
Do you may remember the Part One
ADI question about teaching from the
known to the unknown? (of course you
do!). If lessons are planned with skills in
mind, the content will take care of itself.
For example, once you have moved off
and stopped in a side road you can link it
to emerging (stopping before moving off).
This means that learners need to
understand how to stop at a given point.
This could be practised beforehand by
stating that you would like the car to be
stopped by the second lamppost. This
would introduce an element of pressure
to the activity with any faults being used
for problem solving; eg.
• “How do you think that went?
• “How could you stop a little bit
nearer to the lamppost (if the learner has
applied too much braking and stopped
short of the intended target)?”
Pupils are more likely to take
ownership of their learning if they are
allowed to take ownership.If they are part
of the problem solving their input
becomes valued.
Imagine how a pupil might feel in the
following example if they stopped too
short of a Give Way sign:
Instructor: “You stopped too early, you
need to brake later and more gently next
time if not you will never get out of the
junctions.”
The chances are they are likely to
become despondent and become reliant
on their instructor as the lessons
progress. It is true that they may have
covered the subject and its content but
not with any real success.
If you spend some time looking at the
‘‘
The key to being a successful instructor is to create an
atmosphere where learners are encouraged to think for
themselves, ask questions, and to work out how to apply
existing skills to new scenarios
‘‘
Match suitable content to
enable your learners to
develop their skills. For
example, anticipating when to
select a lower gear. I often use
a route with plenty of bends or
hills to provide a variety of
opportunities for gear
changing.
skills required for driving, you will be
able to match suitable content to enable
your learners to develop their skills. For
example, anticipating when to select a
lower gear. I often use a route with plenty
of bends or hills to provide a variety of
opportunities for gear changing. If you
think about the skills required for urban
driving, such as meeting traffic and
turning at slow speed, why not practice
the turn in the road? When you ask a
pupil ‘Why do we do the turn in the
road?’ The answer will normally be ‘in
case we get lost’ or ‘It’s on the test’
(which of course, it isn’t!) To quote the
words of a former host of the quiz show
‘Catchphrase’, “they are good answers
but they’re not right.”
The real answer should be because of
the skills you will learn, such as clutch
control, brisk steering and judging the
length of the vehicle.
Focusing on skills makes it easier to
set targets with your pupils; they will
know if they need more practice on
changing gear or deciding on when to put
the handbrake on at a junction.
Understanding these skills may be a
small step for an ADI, but it is a big step
for a learner.
21

Comment
Dear Roderic Arthur Came,
I’m Loveday Ryder, and I became the
Chief Executive of the Driver and
Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in
January 2021.....
Dear Loveday...
MSA Member Roderic Arthur
Came received a nice letter
from the new boss at the
DVSA a few weeks ago, and
he was so touched by its
contents he thought he’d
write back.
Thanks for your kind introduction and
telling me about yourself, and welcome
to running what can be a bit of a
poisoned chalice, that is the Driving
Standards part of the DVSA.
I have been an ADI for 40 years (ADI
no. 68677) after spending 12 years of
my police service as a member of the
Traffic Division.
I appreciate only too well the problems
facing DVSA with the restart of driving
tests, both theory and practical, but as
you will be aware, the lack of action by
DVSA to prepare for this eventuality is
far from satisfactory.
You say in your introductory letter to
me that ‘we’ve already run a successful
recruitment campaign for driving
examiners. We received over 5,000
applications and are now in the process
of reviewing these applications and
setting up interviews.’
This action should have been taken
months ago, as soon as it was clear that
the pandemic restrictions were going to
create a huge backlog of L-tests. It
should not have been left until the
imminent recommencement of practical
22
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www.msagb.com
DVSA would have provided
circa 1.6 million tests during the
time the lockdown has been in
force. If this figure is taken as a
baseline, the figure of 420,000
you quote is hardly indicative
of the expected demand. It is
barely a quarter of the usual
throughout. Indeed, the quoted
average waiting time of 17 weeks
only means that at some DTCs,
the waiting time will be double
or triple the usual...”
driving tests before new blood was
sought. The new examiners should be in
a position to provide testing from day one
of the restart – hopefully April 22. This,
obviously, will not be the case.
I have to ask how many of the 5,000
who applied will eventually make the
grade and when will they start testing?
How many staff who would otherwise be
testing, are to be involved in the training
and supervision of the new recruits?
I believe that the DVSA is to take other
steps to try to reduce the waiting time for
tests by extending the working day, having
examiners work weekends and bank
holidays, re-employing recently retired
examiners and asking outside DVSA
qualified examiners to help out. This is
akin to the little Dutch boy putting his
finger in the dyke, too little, too
late. Although you have quoted a figure of
420,000 tests and a 17-week waiting
list, this is not representative of the
pent-up demand that is about to burst the
dam. This also assumes that ADIs are
prepared to work extended hours.
I query the maths, too. Under normal
circumstances DVSA would have provided
circa 1.6 million tests during the time the
lockdowns have been in force. If this
figure is taken as a baseline, the figure of
420,000 you quote is hardly indicative of
the expected demand. It is barely a
quarter of the usual tests undertaken.
Indeed, the quoted average waiting time
of 17 weeks only means that at some
DTCs the waiting time will be double or
triple the usual.
You mention in your letter that you are
a Civil Engineer by background and have
spent time designing and building roads
in the past. I am sure that during that
time you had statistics and projections to
rely on to be certain that the expected
traffic flow could be coped with.
Unfortunately, good as ADIs are at their
job, they cannot predict how a client will
be driving in four, five, sixth months’
time. We all want them to pass first time,
but there is no way in the world that an
ADI can ensure that their client will be at
their optimum on a test date so far
ahead. If they get close to the test date
and they are not up to scratch, to ask
them to cancel the test in the full
knowledge they will not receive another
date for four, five, six months is not
reasonable.
I anticipate that ADIs will be run ragged
by people wanting driving lessons as soon
as they are able. Although I retired from
learner car driver tuition some years ago, I
now specialise in minibus driver
assessments and training for independent
schools, it may be that I will return to
learners to do my bit to release the
pressure, but that will be of little use if
they cannot obtain a driving test in the
foreseeable future.
Also, it is not possible for ADIs to fit in
extra lessons for a pupil with an imminent
test date if the ADI is working a full week.
School teachers work to a time frame and
their pupils get graded because they learn
at different rates; ADIs have an elastic
time frame for the same reason. Their
pupils learn at different rates and need to
be able to book a test date when they are
ready for it, not when DVSA can fit them
in. It is a pass/fail test and the penalty for
failing is that they cannot then book
another test for several months.
This lack of test provision is also
holding back the driving careers of many
other people. It is not just 17/18-yearolds
who are suffering but those people
who need a licence to drive a van, truck,
bus or coach following their acquisition of
a category B licence as a stepping stone
to further their career. The heavy haulage
industry is short of 59,000 drivers, with a
third of the current workforce coming up
to retirement. This in itself is holding back
the progression of the UK – not being able
to acquire a vocational licence is
exacerbating the problem, to the
detriment of all.
I am an Honorary Member of MSA GB,
and I was delighted to see you at the
Zoom Conference. As an industry we
need to have co-operative contact with
DVSA to iron out any problems which
either side may have. From your
correspondence with ADIs it is apparent
that you, like many of your predecessors,
have that same aspiration.
Unfortunately, until such time as
practical driving tests can be had within a
few weeks, ideally no more than six, ADIs
are working with one hand tied behind
their back and will never be able to prove
their worth to their clients and the public
at large. As a consequence, the pass rate
is poor, and we get the blame, not DVSA
where the fault lies.
I really do realise the difficulties you are
facing, but until there is a root and branch
overhaul of the current system for the
provision of driving test dates, it will
reflect the same situation as has existed
for the 40 years I have been an ADI.
Improved customer service is long
overdue.
Yours sincerely
Roderic Arthur Came
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
23

Comment
The electric wave cannot be
stopped – even by me
Rod Came
MSA South East
In October last year I commanded that
time should stand still, and it did – for
one hour.
Buoyed with that success I went to the
beach and commanded that the waters
should recede and they did – for several
hours, before edging their way back in
again. Good, aren’t I; my powers are
improving immeasurably.
I stretched my new powers. I decided,
for the benefit of all drivers that the idea
that cars, vans, trucks would one day be
powered by electricity was a stupid
notion – and it was here that my new
abilities failed me.
I’ve had to perform a volte-face after
coming to the inescapable conclusion
that electrically propelled vehicles are
here to stay, even to the point where,
when our family car comes up for
changing in November, a hybrid electric
car is under consideration. I cannot
commit myself to full electric – yet.
Confusingly, electrification is
progressing so rapidly that the models I
am looking at today might be old hat
when an order is placed in August.
Today’s front runner may well be usurped
in those few months, progress is that
rapid.
The original Nissan Leaf from 10 years
ago was an eye-opener at the time but
its range of 100+ miles is deemed
prehistoric now compared with newer
models where 300 miles is considered
the norm.
Currently (whoops! see what I did
there) electric vehicles (EVs) are
expensive, about £10,000 more than
their petrol/diesel (ICE) equivalents, but
received wisdom is that that is not true
over the lifetime of the vehicle.
Nevertheless, stumping up an extra 10
grand would be painful for a regular ADI
I’m sure, but projections show that that
there will be a parity of purchase price at
some point in the future as EVs become
more popular and cheaper, and internal
combustion engined vehicles become
more expensive and a niche purchase.
Where does that leave the ADI? Will
there still be a demand for manual
driving lessons, or will that become a
niche market too? How will independent
ADIs acquire their cars? Will cars keep
running for 10 hours a day without
recharging?
Almost all EVs are automatic; the days
of pushing a clutch pedal and stirring a
gear stick are fast drawing to a close. For
some years now heavy goods and buses/
coaches have been moving toward auto
boxes, which means that drivers with a
manual licence will soon become a rarity.
Given time this will also be the case for
car drivers.
Today’s supposedly environmentally
concerned teenagers may gravitate to
EVs faster than we may think, likely
increased costs of fossil fuels will move
all drivers in that direction, and new
drivers will be affected as much as any
The latest Nissan Leaf has a range
that dwarfs that of its predecessors
24
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‘‘
Today a 10-year-old
Nissan Leaf can be had for
£5,000, which is about the
same as a decent ICE car,
so the options are there
‘‘
others. New drivers usually buy older
cars; today a 10-year-old Nissan Leaf
is yours for £5,000 which is about
the same as a decent ICE car, so the
option is there already. There will still
be a call for manual driving lessons
but increasingly less so as the years
pass, possibly 50/50 by 2030. ADIs
will have to adapt fairly quickly to
keep pace.
How will independent ADIs acquire
their electric cars? I have always cash
purchased mine because I considered
that to be the most economical way
to do it, but now that a new Leaf is
around the £25-40,000 mark that
becomes increasingly difficult. I
imagine that many ADIs lease theirs,
which is more affordable, provided
the work keeps coming in. Low
mileage/nearly new cars are also a
possibility, which if kept for two or
three years can keep the tuition car
fresh in the eyes of the public.
Will the tuition car’s battery provide
enough charge to keep the vehicle
moving all day, or will it die before
evening? While with an ICE car it is
part of the learning process for the
client to fill the car with petrol, I don’t
think they would take kindly to
parking up at a charge point for 30
minutes, even if it is disguised as a
theory tuition opportunity.
However, with the progress of
battery development it is probable
that 200+ miles a day, with the
heater and headlights on, will be
achievable before the end of the
decade. Progress is so rapid in the EV
world that even that statement may
look archaic in a few short years
time.
Change happens, time will not
stand still, the tides will still come in
and go out, so let’s hope change is for
the benefit of all concerned, be they
ADIs, their clients and all other road
users.
Price of pot hole damage rising
New research reveals that the impact of
the pandemic has resulted in the average
driver reducing their mileage by 42 per
cent over the last year.
But despite that fall, the cost of
damage to cars caused by pot holes has
gone up, such is the poor state of
Britain’s roads.
The PIT Report (Pothole Impact
Tracker) for Kwik Fit reveals that the total
cost to British drivers from pothole
damage over the past 12 months rose
slightly compared to the year before,
reaching £1,267 billion compared to
£1,249bn for the year to March 2020.
Kwik Fit’s PIT Report tracks the impact
of potholes on an annual basis and its
research shows that this year, despite
reduced mileage, drivers have hit an
average of 11 potholes per month, and
some 10.2 million have suffered damage
to their car as a result.
As tyres are a car’s first line of defence
against potholes, they are the most
commonly damaged component, suffered
by 4.2 million drivers. This is followed by
suspension damage (3.0 million), wheels
(2.8mn) and steering (2.0mn).
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
25

Towards Your CPD
In-car camera
tech, courtesy
of BMW. To see
the video the
shot comes
from, click here
Is it time to make
the humble car
mirror a camera?
Mike Yeomans
MSA GB North East
Do we take elements of our modern
vehicles for granted? Components that
seem essential today – seat belts, air con
and automatic transmissions – were not
included in vehicles until very recently.
One such addition is the passenger side
mirror, which you might be surprised to
learn only became an accepted piece of
equipment a couple decades ago. Before
the 1990s passenger side-view mirrors
were an optional feature that buyers could
equip on their new car, but they weren’t
standard. As a result, many cars did not
have them.
Vehicle build requirements varied wildly,
so the design and safety requirements of a
particular model depended heavily on the
regs where it was manufactured and what
lawmakers there deemed necessary. For a
long time, passenger side mirrors – or even
any mirrors, for that matter – were simply
not regarded as essential. Strange to think!
But the reason regulators didn’t prioritise
passenger side-view mirrors has to do with
their function and the country’s
transportation infrastructure. For the first
half of the 20th century nearly all roads
consisted of two lanes, each lane headed in
the opposite direction. The four-lane roads
prevalent today (in which two lanes are
headed in the same direction) didn’t exist
for the first half of the 20th century. So why
would you need to see over your left
shoulder if there wasn’t a lane of traffic on
that side of your car?
To this day the law requires only a rearview
mirror and driver’s-side one (though
some rules specify that a car must possess
all the safety equipment that was originally
installed at the factory to pass inspection).
But while it’s only been a couple of
decades since passenger-side mirrors
became standard equipment, the irony is
new tech on vehicles – cameras, sensors,
and other kit that allows automated driving
– might soon make them obsolete as the
driver relies on technology to see the world
around his car.
It is not illegal to drive without the
nearside rear-view mirror, provided the
other two mirrors are intact. It is important
to be aware that, although not illegal, you
can still be stopped by the police if they
notice that either one of your side mirrors is
damaged or missing.
Not all mirrors on all vehicles are subject
to test, depending on the age of the vehicle.
Mirrors must be secure, visible from the
driver’s seat and not damaged so as to
seriously impair the driver’s view to the rear.
In a lot of cases, the MOT requirement for
items like this comes down to whether they
were originally fitted when the vehicle was
made, as with seatbelts and the style of
number plate.
In some cases, though, it just depends on
whether they are fitted or not, so if an item
is not fitted it is not tested, but if it is fitted
it must be in good working condition.
I believe this is also the case for spare
tyres, headlights and indicators; none are a
requirement for roadworthiness, but if fitted,
must comply with the standards.
Are mirrors still needed?
We use mirrors to see behind us while
driving. Almost all vehicles have one on
either side, and those that have a rear
window also have one in the centre of the
windscreen.
But it wasn’t always like this. While they
were first introduced in 1914, prior to the
1960s many vehicles didn’t have them,
despite them being essential for
manoeuvring and lane changing.
It’s not just as simple as not installing
mirrors on a car, though, despite a
multitude of concept cars being shown in
the last few decades with video cameras
replacing mirrors.
For example, in the USA, legislation
mandating mirrors is being fought by Tesla.
In the UK two mirrors must be fitted.
26
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Advantages of removing mirrors?
If we get rid of mirrors and replace them
with in-car cameras to relay pictures to the
driver, there are numerous advantages.
First, cameras can remove blind spots
completely. In addition, many mirrors are
poorly positioned. People either don’t know
how to set them or, when they get in a car
that’s been driven by someone else, they
don’t want to spend time adjusting them.
With a camera system, the image will
always offer the perfect view.
Many years ago, mirrors were situated on
the bonnet, far in front of the driver. At least
with them in that position the driver could
see behind while looking forward!
Their removal from the bonnet was a
result of increased accidents with
pedestrians and the damage the mirrors
caused. Many drivers were grateful: if the
fitter adding the mirrors in the factory did
his job poorly they often came loose and
the holes drilled in the bonnet were
notorious as rust spots.
Another advantage of removing door
mirrors is it will improve aerodynamics – by
as much as 2-7%, and that translates into
a big fuel saving. Without mirrors it’s also
easier for pedestrians to walk between
parked cars, and it’s one less thing to be
damaged by clumsy passers-by, other road
users or while manoeuvring.
Today, mirrors are quite heavy as they
have electric motors. Replacing them with
cameras and a screen would help lighten
the car, again improving economy.
Camera-based systems used with other
safety technology such as blind spot
monitoring should almost eliminate
accidents where a vehicle changes lane and
hits another vehicle. It will be especially
useful for large vehicles where there are
more and larger blind spots.
To look at the side mirror a driver has to
take their eyes off the road. To change to a
more centrally located screen means drivers
are looking in a direction that is angled
more forwards, meaning they can see more
of the road ahead in their peripheral vision.
What are the disadvantages of removing
mirrors?
Adding more electrical technology to a
vehicle means there’s more to go wrong.
Standard mirrors are reliable in all types of
weather and only become useless if they
are smashed, but if a screen fails then the
driver would not be able to see at all.
Camera technology can’t provide the
resolution that mirrors can provide in the
widely variable light levels that we drive in
(blinding sunlight down to almost pitch
black). The cameras also have a very small
amount of lag (delay) from recording the
image through to rendering it on the screen.
The screens will have to be placed inside
the vehicle, but where? Vehicle dashboards
are already cluttered with media options,
air conditioning and other functions.
Perhaps a really wide screen where the
rear-view mirror currently sits would be the
best option, and this view is (kind of)
already available by using extremely convex
rear-view mirrors.
We are used to seeing and using mirrors.
It’s possible that people won’t initially like
the look of a vehicle without mirrors or a
screen-based system.
When will the change occur?
Some vehicles already come with a video
camera for the rear-view mirror – the odd
supercar that has seriously compromised
rear vision, for example. The technology
already exists.
Vehicles that are built for specific markets
that don’t have this legislation (eg, Germany
and Austria) can already have their mirrors
deleted, but most manufacturers make
global vehicles so that the cost of
development is spread over a number of
markets. There’s no reason, though, why a
camera-based system can’t be used in
conjunction with a conventional mirror,
except that it’s an extra cost which would
have to be borne by the consumer. As
there’s no pressing safety need to remove
mirrors, the public is apathetic and it’s just
companies like Tesla, on the look-out for
ways to improve aerodynamics, which are
pushing the cause.
The change may be more difficult to
implement on motorbikes because of the
exposed electronics involved in having a
screen, plus the potentials for glare on the
screen. However, there are HUD (heads-up
display) systems available that project
information on to the inside of the bike
helmet visor and, with a rearward-facing
camera, this could provide more
information about what’s over the shoulder
of a biker, adding extra safety for when the
rider makes those lifesaver glances before
changing lanes or turning.
For lorries, a system which backs up the
mirrors is already extremely useful, at least
for covering blind spots and looking behind
long trailers.
Finally, a footnote which shows how
different nations view this issue. Until
March 1983, the Japanese Ministry of
Transport did not allow you to register cars
without mirrors on front bumpers, so the
mirrors were mounted far forward atop the
front bumpers. More recent Japanesespecification
vehicles have side mirrors
similar to those in other countries.
Editor’s Note: To add to this article can I
suggest that you look at this video from
Audi:
Click
here
and another from Honda
Click
here
A 1970s Satsun S30, with bonnetmounted
rear view mirrors
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
27

MSA GB Conference 2021
Online, March 21
MSA GB hosted its first online National Conference on March 21, with
members and guests from across the country in attendance to hear a
series of interesting and informative presentations from our guest speakers,
as well participate in the association’s AGM and its annual awards.
Over the next eight pages, we bring the event to you.
We’re pulling out all the
stops on waiting lists
promises DVSA chief
DVSA presentation
with Loveday Ryder
DVSA Chief Executive Loveday Ryder
had plenty of praise for the nation’s
driving instructors at the MSA National
Online Conference on March 21 as she
made what was her first presentation to
ADIs since taking up her new post.
Ms Ryder, who replaced Gareth
Llewellyn at the start of the year, said
she had an ambitious five-year plan to
reform DVSA services and operational
practices – and with her background as a
former digital project manager, one can
assume IT will play a huge part in her
change timeline.
She opened with a quick run-through
of her career. While her prior
understanding of the driver training
sector was limited to her own learning to
drive experience – she passed first time,
she was quick to point out – her background
was steeped in roads, though
road construction, as a civil engineer.
She lamented that she had taken over
the DVSA at a time when she could not
get round the country and meet more of
her team and the people they served,
promising that as soon as the pandemic
allowed, she was eager to meet as many
ADIs as possible and hear their stories.
She acknowledged how tough the
past 12 months had been for the
profession; ADIs had been hit as hard
as anyone by the pandemic, she said,
but the determination of the driver
training and testing sector to keep the
public safe was clear and deserved
praise. “We now how frustrated you all
are,” she said. “I speak regularly to our
contact centre staff and they tell me that
that frustration comes through clearly.
We know it’s been very tough for you.”
With dates now set out for a restart of
lessons and testing, her focus was on
getting the L-test waiting list down. “We
are working with the Health and Safety
Executive and Public Health England to
see how many tests we can conduct in a
day, and that will tell us how fast we can
get through the waiting list.”
At present, the backlog was an eyewatering
420,000 L-tests – around a
17-week waiting time. She was “determined
to reduce this as quickly as possible.”
She was happy to take questions from
From top, Loveday Ryder,
DVSA Chief Executive; John
Sheridan, DVSA Driver
Training & Policy Manager;
Jacqui Turland, ADI Registrar;
and John Caradine, DVSA Driver
Training & Policy Advisor
MSA GB members, facilitated through
the online forum by national chairman
Peter Harvey.
Questions
Could candidates who have had L-tests
cancelled go to the front of the queue
for L-test when they restart?
LR: “The simple answer is no. It’s just
too hard to do, and unfair. Putting
someone in for an earlier test would
force someone who holds that slot back
down the queue, causing a ripple affect
hitting everyone. The best way forward is
to work hard to produce more test slots.
“We’re working with staff to do this,
Ford shows its support
Conference was joined by Nicola Pearson from event
co-sponsor Ford, and she was delighted to announce new
exclusive discounts for MSA GB members on the Ford
range. She highlighted the company’s commitment to
electrify its fleet, and paid special attention via a short
film to highlight the quality of its exciting small SUV, the
all-new Ford Puma. Powered by a frugal but punchy
1.0-litre petrol engine and 48v battery, this hybrid was
capable of over 54mpg.
For more details on the Ford range of exclusive offers for
MSA GB members, see our Discounts page on pg 46.
More on Ford - see page 34-35.
28 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
with plans for overtime, weekend testing
and buying back leave from examiners.
“We’re also dragging in as many staff
who are qualified as examiners to
perform tests – area managers, test
centre managers, etc.
“In addition, we ran a really successful
recruitment programme to bring in new
examiners, and we’re working with the
successful candidates now to get them
trained up as quickly as possible.”
She was impressed by the response to
this recruitment campaign: “We had over
5,000 applications for the roles.” She
said that DVSA’s operational managers
were keeping a close eye on the process
to see if more trainees were needed:
“We’re keeping an open mind on this.”
Would ADIs be allowed in the back of
the car again on L-tests?
LR: “It goes without saying first of all
that the safety of everyone concerned is
paramount and will drive decisions such
as this. The question we’re asking
everyone is ‘how safe do you feel?’
“It’s important that, when we restart
testing, we do so from a position where
everyone is confident in the way it is
structured. We will take our time on this,
before we allow ADIs to accompany
pupils on test.”
Will we still need face coverings?
LR: “Certainly for the time being. It is
an important component of the drive to
keep people safe, to increase confidence
in the testing environment. We’re
following the scientific advice on this.”
Can communication with ADIs be sped
up? Too often it seems messages come
out slowly, with leaks and rumours first.
LR: This again is a hard area. Any
changes the DVSA wants to make go
through several layers of Government and
multiple channels before they are
released to the public. I appreciate that it
is difficult but believe me, we are doing
all we can to get messages out to ADIs
as fast as we can.” She also praised the
role of the ADI membership associations
on NASP for their help in this.
Ms Ryder closed by again saying how
much she was looking forward to getting
around the country and meeting ADIs,
and thanking instructors for their
patience while they waited for training
and testing to restart.
Mock tests with John Sheridan and
John Caradine: See overleaf
Dan Campbell,
Chairman, Agilysis
The question of older drivers and their
continued safe use of the roads was
considered by Don Campbell, Chairman
of Agilysis.
Dan has a long involvement in road
safety, built up over a number of years
through working on projects with,
among others, Highways England, the
World Health Organisation and PACTS.
Recent work has seen Agilysis
contribute to PACTS’ Fit to Drive
research, which looked at Supporting
Safe Driving into Old Age.
Agilysis had found a gap around older
people and primary healthcare; while
GPs were deeply involved in their
patients’ overall health, there was no
clear pathway through which they could
assess driving needs and standards.
It was recognised that personal
mobility played a key role in keeping
older people connected to their families,
friends and wider communities, but this
desire to keep driving had to be
balanced by an understanding of the
risks involved, and this latter point was
difficult for health staff to gauge.
As a result Agilysis had been working
on a project with the Department for
Transport that used a mobile simulator
to assess older drivers’ skills. It did not
result in any formal advice to stop
driving once taken, but it did look to
open a conversation with older drivers
over when they might think of retiring
from the road.
Agilysis wanted to help older drivers
stay mobile but not at any price; it was
concerned that no one was gathering
evidence on how safe they were behind
the wheel.
Older drivers were particularly
disadvantaged by improvements in car
technology. It was ironic that this kit was
brought in to improve safety but was
sometimes so complex as to cause
confusion in some older drivers.
Agilysis’ mobile simulator project had
been timed to roll-out from Summer
2020 – obviously a terrible time to do
this, Dan acknowledged, but despite the
barriers caused by the lockdowns and
restrictions they were pleased with how
many 65+ drivers had taken part.
The simulator had looked at older
drivers’ responses to hazards, braking
times and strength, and built a picture of
whether they were a higher risk on the
road than the average driver.
The project had convinced Agilysis
that simulators provided good evidence
from which decisions over fitness to
drive could be made.
The importance was to work with GPs
to help older drivers stay safer and
understand that they might need to
retire but at the right time for both them
and the wider community
Dan also highlighted the Ridefree
project, which was aiming at enhancing
young rider training. It looked at the
risks young riders faced and encouraged
good decision-making around issues
such as wearing appropriate clothing
and undergoing formal training.
Its aim was to build on CBT courses;
an e-learning component had been
particularly popular and participants had
come away with a better understanding
of the importance of bike maintenance.
Questions asked included whether
testing for all +65 drivers should be
brought in. As Dan pointed out, there is
no age cut-off that is 100 per cent
accurate. For instance, age-related
mental deterioration can affect people at
all ages, therefore having an arbitrary
rule at one age or other was pointless.
A 20-minute assessment in a
controlled simulator environment was
more useful.
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021 29

MSA GB Conference 2021
Online, March 21
ADI mock tests help prepare
your pupils for the real deal
Conference presentation by
John Sheridan, DVSA Driver
Training & Policy Manager
John Caradine, DVSA Driver
Training Policy Advisor
MSA Conference was delighted to be
joined by two of the DVSA most highprofile
officials for a run-through on how
ADIs should conduct mock L-tests with
their pupils.
John Caradine and John Sheridan
echoed Loveday Ryder in saying how
disappointed they were in not being able
to deliver their presentation in person,
saying they were looking forward to
getting round the country once more and
meeting ADIs.
Their presentation centred on the value
gained from running mock testing with
pupils as they get closer to the actual
L-test. 81 per cent of ADIs already
conduct mock tests in some form, they
said.
With the pressure on L-test waiting
times so intense, introducing mock tests
as part of your regular lesson planning
was an ideal way to ensure pupils were
ready for their test.
They stressed that mock testing wasn’t
an attempt to get ADIs to become examiners;
they understood fully that good ADIs
teach “way beyond the driving test.”
But mock tests were useful in helping
educate both you and your pupil to their
standard, particularly how they handle
distractions that may occur on the test
itself. It was also an important indicator
as to their reliance on their ADI. As John
Sheridan pointed out, even when on a
lesson, your pupil is driving independently,
“they look to the ADI to provide verbal
support they need at times; that will be
lacking in the L-test. Mock tests prepare
‘‘
Mock tests show how
pupils respond to
distractions without the ADI
being able to guide them...
they show how reliant the
learner is on their instructor
‘‘
them for that.”
Putting pupils through a rigorous and
authentic mock test will show how they
respond when they are on their own with
an examiner, “and will be a huge boost
to their confidence that is vital on the
L-test,” said John Caradine.
Mock testing helps pupils reflect on
Post-test debrief
If accompanying your pupils on test is impossible for the time being, make sure
you listen in to the post-test debrief, the DVSA officials said. The debrief gives a
clearer understanding of what the examiners are looking for. “We can do this
safely and in such a way that you know where the pupil needs to improve.”
their performance and understand better
where they need to improve; “I see them
as like an audit on where the pupil is at
that time,” said John C.
There were some subtle lessons the
pupils could learn from a properly
conducted mock test, the pair said. “You
would be surprised by how many tests
get off to a bad start because the
candidate is unprepared for the questions
they are asked,” John Caradine said.
“They haven’t got their licence to hand,
they aren’t ready for questions on
residency rules or insurance; it gets them
flustered and panicky before they’ve even
got in the car.”
Candidates needed to be ready for the
examiner to be masked up, and for the
car to be well ventilated throughout
– even in inclement weather.
ADIs should start any mock tests “as
close as possible to how the examiner
will, with the same questions, asking for
the same paperwork, etc.”
Make sure your test includes the ‘show
me, tell me’ questions – one ‘tell me’
question at the start, and then a ‘show
me’ while on the move.
While emergency stops are conducted
on one in three tests only, it was a good
idea to use them on all your mock tests.
Sat nav guidance was used in 4/5ths
30 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
‘‘
Don’t be test centre loyal on
mock tests... using a different
test centre challenges your
pupil in a way that will really
build confidence...
‘‘
of tests but it was important your pupils
were ready for a test involving following
directional signs, too.
John Sheridan said there was virtue in
not being “test centre loyal. Using a
different area for your mock test
challenges your pupil in a way that will
provide even more confidence”
Another good tip was to try to copy
DVSA terminology: “We are very clear as
to how we want our examiners to talk to
candidates,” John Caradine said. “We
don’t want to speak like robots but we
have a very clear way of giving
instruction. Try to copy that.”
However, the two Johns asked ADIs
not to take this copying strategy too far:
“Please don’t think, ‘I’ll start my mock
test from the DTC’; it causes problems
with traffic around test centres.”
The biggest challenge on a mock test
for the ADI was not intervening when
they see a fault developing. “You can’t
step in; you have to let the fault develop
and mark it accordingly,” as that was
what the examiner would do. “The only
exception is where the fault becomes
dangerous.”
Test failures
John Sheridan said the top five reasons
for failing remained unchanged.
Observation at junctions was still the
main reason for failure, followed by use
of mirrors when changing direction, poor
control - steering; moving off safely and
turning right at junctions. Basically,
“ineffective observation remained the
biggest reason to fail,” he said.
It was important to be honest with
feedback. “Use a mock test for the pupil
to do some self-evaluation and assessment.”
Marking a mock test
Examiners have five levels of assessment.
1. No fault – therefore, no risk, driving
is as it should be.
2. There is an error but the level of risk
is not worth recording. Do not note it on
your marking sheet but perhaps bring it
in to feedback at the end.
3. A driving fault occurs and there is
risk attached which perhaps creates
potential for a higher level of risk. This
can become the reason for test failure if
it becomes a habitual error
4. Serious fault – with significant risk
attached. This would lead to a failure
5. Dangerous fault – test failure.
The key was to understand the
difference between points 2 and 3. As
John Sheridan pointed out, a repetitive
driving fault – for instance, applying
signals without use of mirrors – could be
marked as a serious fault by repetition.
The point was that something was
allowed to go wrong on a test but as long
as there was no or little risk attached, it
could be overlooked.
Think rather of the defined outcome,
which is the standard you are looking for
in the pupil’s driving. Examiners are
trained to look at the circumstances
behind any fault, and John Sheridan
used as an example a roll-back when
conduct-ing a start on an incline.
If, when moving off from stationary at
traffic lights, the car rolls back a margin,
is this a driving fault or a serious fault? It
would depend on whether there were
other cars around at the time.
Marking a mock test
Remember:
n 0-15 driving faults = Pass
n 16+ driving faults = Fail
n Serious fault = Fail
n Dangerous fault = Fail
19,000 tests had been conducted in
the past year without any faults.
One final point: ADIs were reminded
that the law around supervising learners
and using handheld electronic devices
meant that ADIs could not use tablets
etc to mark mock tests, as DVSA
examiners do. Use pen and paper sheets.
The ADI Registrar
The ADI Registrar Jacqui Turland
joined the discussion and stressed that
mock testing was a way of ensuring
candidates only took their L-test when
fully prepared. She appreciated that it
was difficult to know when this was if
waiting times were as high as 20 weeks.
Continued overleaf, plus DVSA Q&A.
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
31

MSA GB Conference 2021
Online, March 21
‘Candidates must be able to get
over any mistakes they make’
Continued from page 31
Fails happen – the DVSA understood
that, as the test was only ever going to
be a snapshot of a candidate’s
performance under pressure – but if they
are fully prepared examiners tend to see
them make a mistake but be able to get
over it.
Jacqui added: “We want people to be
successful but to pass, they need to
attend their test fully prepared to pass,
not just hoping they have a good drive on
the day and get lucky.”
Questions from delegates
Can the ADI certificate be extended as I
haven’t been able to get any use out of
mine for the past year?
JT: No. The length of an ADI certificate
is governed by primary legislation laid
down by Parliament and ad hoc
extensions for any reason are not
allowed. The same was true for refunds
and PDI licences; they could not be
extended either.
However, trainees who had passed
their Part 2 could book a Part 3 test to
take place at a date after their two years
may expire, however the booking must
be made before the expiry date.
Should CPD for ADIs be compulsory?
JS: Parliament decided that making
CPD compulsory was burdensome. The
system preferred to work on ‘more carrot
than stick’. CPD should be about your
personal aspirations.
What will the rules be around test
centres after this latest lockdown ends?
The rules would be the same as
before. All DTCs that had re-opened
before the January lockdown would
re-open and hopefully, more will be
added to the list.
Could ADIs be provided with a copy of
the examiner’s digital marking sheet? Not
every pupil shared this with their ADI.
JC: The issue here was the candidate’s
data security. We would encourage all
ADIs to have a relationship whereby the
pupil automatically shared the marking
sheet. Providing ADIs with a copy was in
the pipeline and a project team was
looking at it, but it was a little way off
yet.
We have been promised more access to
weekend tests. Would they be delivered
at the same price as weekday tests?
JS: Unlikely, as the DVSA has to pay
overtime rates to examiners.
Could more capacity be added into the
testing system by increasing the number
of days some of the smaller outlying
centres operate on?
JS: This is being looked at, taking into
account examiner availability. Anything
to get extra capacity into the system was
being considered.
Could the DVSA do more to educate the
public to trust the ADI when they say a
candidate is not ready for their L-test?
JC: This was one of the reasons why
mock testing was seen by the DVSA as
so important; it allows the ADI to review
the pupil’s progress in an ordered
manner.
What Car? picks out Puma as its Small SUV of the Year
Ford’s superb small SUV, the Puma, has
again proved a top pick for What Car?
after claiming two major awards for
2021, following on from last year’s
overall Car of the Year award.
Puma was named Small SUV of the
Year, while the hotly-anticipated Puma ST
takes Sports SUV of the Year. A third
award, Pick Up of the Year, also went to
Ford, with the Ranger.
Since Puma was launched at the end
of 2019, around 27,000 have been
sold – making the Ford Puma the UK’s
ninth best-selling car last year. The
Puma ST-Line X Vignale joined the
range in 2020, adding premium
styling and enhanced specification,
including exclusive 18” alloys and
Windsor leather seats.
The Puma range was broadened
further last year with the introduction of a
new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
transmission, contributing to finishing
2020 by being crowned the Scottish Car
of the Year, also.
Learner drivers are also being instructed
in the multi-award-winning Ford Puma,
since it became the first mild hybrid car
offered by long-term Ford partner, the AA
Driving School.
“Nothing ticks all the boxes quite like
the Puma” said Steve Huntingford, Editor,
What Car? “Compact yet practical, sporty
yet efficient, stylish yet affordable… it’s
rare that a car can genuinely combine all
these virtues, but the Ford Puma does.”
New for 2021, the Puma ST introduces
Ford Performance driving dynamics to the
compact SUV segment for the first time in
Europe. Its 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine,
shared with the Fiesta ST, pulls it to
62mph from a standstill in 6.7
seconds and features a unique-insegment
limited slip differential.
To learn more about the Puma, see
this video:
Click here for
the Puma story
32 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

MSA GB Conference 2021
Online, March 21
With our grateful
thanks...
MSA GB salutes its members’ hard work through 2020
Hosted by MSA GB Deputy National
Chairman Geoff Little, our annual awards
are a chance to publicly thank those
members who have gone the extra mile
for the association through the past 12
months.
The recruitment trophies opened the
awards, with The Ron Feltham Memorial
Cup for membership retention going to
MSA GB South East. Terry Cummins and
his recent replacement as Chair, Fenella
Wheeler, were thanked for their efforts,
along with their committee, in ensuring
that so many of their members continued
to rejoin the association.
The John W Parker Memorial Cup for
the runner-up region in this category went
to the North West, with thanks for
Graham Clayton and his committee.
The Ian Scoular Memorial Shield for
recruiting the most new members also
went to the South East.
The Jon Gross Memorial Trophy for
Editor of the Year was won by Guy Annan
from MSA Western. Guy, on
receiving his award, said he was
“unusually speechless” to
receive the award, particularly
as he was sure there were
others who contributed
regularly to Newslink “who
deserved it more.”
Geoff Little said the award
was an acknowledgement that
Guy’s columns in Newslink and the News
Bulletin were “thought-provoking and
often provocative, but always interesting.”
The John William Peek Memorial
Trophy for Member of the Year was won
by MSA GB Scotland’s Bryan Phillips.
Bryan had, Geoff said, been at the
forefront of the committee’s attempts to
keep members informed during the past
12 months, and he had excelled at
keeping everyone up to date through
Zoom meetings.
It was richly deserved award, said Peter
Harvey.
MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Bryan Phillips, MSA Scotland
MOST MEMBERS RETAINED
& RECRUITED
Fenella Wheeler, MSA South East
EDITOR OF THE YEAR
Guy Annan, MSA Western
MEMBERS RETAINED, RUNNER-UP
Graham Clayton, MSA North West
34 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
MSA GB Annual General
Meeting 2021
MSA GB National Chairman Peter
Harvey mbe officiated over the
association’s 86th AGM at conference.
He was delighted to report that,
despite the year under review being
mostly covered by the pandemic,
finances were in better shape than in
previous years. Cost-cutting measures
and reductions in administrative
expenditure had helped stabilise the
balance sheet, and the association’s
future looked brighter.
Some of these savings had been
created by the huge reduction in
activity since March 2020, with board
meetings, etc now taking place online,
reducing costs. However, the good
news was that those savings put MSA
GB in a position where it could look
forward with confidence for when
society was fully re-opened.
Peter was particularly delighted with
the high levels of membership
retention. The association knew how
much financial pressure members had
come under during the past year, and
he was grateful so many had
prioritised MSA GB membership fees
during this time. A number of
measures had been brought in to help
those ADIs who were struggling with
fees, and all had been grateful for the
support they had received.
Looking forward, Peter said the
association hoped it would be able to
get out and about more over the
summer as
lockdown
restrictions
eased/ended. A
new member
recruitment drive
was planned for
May.
Peter was
delighted to
welcome the new board for 2021.
Peter and Geoff Little had been asked
to continue in their roles as Chairman
and Deputy Chairman, and the board’s
make-up was as follows.
National Chairman: Peter Harvey MBE
Deputy National Chairman / Chairman,
West Midlands: Geoff Little
Scotland: Alex Buist
North East: Mike Yeomans
North West: Graham Clayton
East Midlands: Kate Fennelly
West Midlands: Geoff Little
Eastern: Paul Harmes
Western: Arthur Mynott
Greater London: Tom Kwok
South East: Fenella Wheeler.
Thanks were expressed on behalf of
MSA GB to the administrative staff
who work so hard for the association
over the past 12 months, led by
Charlotte Cartledge and her team.
• Full minutes from the AGM can be
found at www.msagb.com
Click here for
the full story
The MSA GB Board.
It also includes
Graham Clayton and
Fenella Wheeler
(pictured on facing
page with awards)
With grateful thanks to our sponsors and supporters:
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021 35

Regional News
There’s a touch of the Dorian Gray
about my official photographs
John Lomas
Editor, MSA North West
As I mentioned last month, I have
recently renewed my driving licence, but
I didn’t have to renew my photo because
it is only nine years since I got my first
photocard licence. The new licence
shows it is okay until 2024, the normal
three-year lifespan for a post-70 licence.
That, to me, raises an interesting point
about the validity of a photocard as a
form of ID.
I bought my first and only passport
around Easter in 2002; when I hit 70 in
February 2012, I used my still valid
passport number to verify my ID and
DVLA used that photo on my licence.
This is the photo which is still on my
licence so when I next renew in Feb
2024 that photo will be 22 years old.
Even for someone younger, doing a
photo renewal after 10 years, it is
possible to get a licence with a passport
photo that is at that point nearly 10
years old - meaning it will be nearly 20
years old when they next renew their
photo. Ironically, if they then use their
passport number/photo again, their
photo still won’t be up to date.
Don’t the Passport Office/DVLA realise
people change a lot in appearance over
that timeframe?
Incidentally, while doing the online
renewal I had cause to ring the call
centre, got through to a person quite
easily and sorted the problem out. While
on the phone I asked if they could send a
D1 c/o me for a friend who needs to do a
form application because they don’t do
on-line transactions and was worried
because a renewal letter had not yet
arrived.
If we weren’t isolating, I could have
done that on-line for them, but I am
restricting all my face-to-face interactions
at the moment because of my eye
problems, and they are also waiting for a
hospital procedure.
Post March 23 eye checks
Well: having seen the glaucoma clinic
consultant (postponed last year because
of Covid-19), it transpires that my
pressures have started to rise so I am
now starting on the daily eye drops
regime. I will need to see him again in
four months.
During his examination he took a
number of images of each eye. I took the
opportunity to ask about the progress of
my retinal vein occlusion, which left me
struggling to see at all out of one eye
earlier this year. Thankfully it transpires
that it appears to be improving.
Following that consultation, I had my
third Intravitreal injection; this will now
be followed in four weeks with an
appointment with my specialist.
So, I now have two specialists looking
after my eyes and the hospital trust has
been very helpful in managing to
co-ordinate appointments.
What’s the traffic like for you?
Other than running the engine every
day to keep the battery charged, my car
has sat idle. I haven’t been out and
about much to see what is happening,
but my driver on Tuesday commented
that the morning ‘rush hour’ (I wanted to
be at the hospital for 8:15) had started
to get a lot heavier in the last few weeks.
Have you spotted signs of local life
being restored?
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates, contact John at
johnstardriving@hotmail.com
South East planning a Zoom meeting
Fenella Wheeler
MSA South East
Date for your diary
April 7
Time: from 7.15pm
We have gone past the anniversary of
the first lockdown and our year with
Covid-19; and what a dreadful,
peculiar and surreal year we have all
had.
I would like to wish you all well and
hope that you are coping with the
extraordinary circumstances and
challenges we face. My condolences
and sympathy to everyone who has
been affected and lost friends and
family to this virus.
Now we are finally looking like
getting back to work, it is really
important we keep up to date with all
the changes going on around us. With
that in mind, I would like to invite you
to join me for a zoom CPD and
information evening on the 7th of April
at 7.15pm.
Confirmed speakers are Peter
Harvey MBE, National Chairman MSA
GB who will be giving us all the
industry updates, George Kountouros
from the DVSA, who is going to chair
a Q& A session; and Ray Seagrave
who is going to talk to us about lesson
planning and structure.
If you want to attend you need to
email me at chair.se@msagb.com. I
will then email you a joining link a day
or two before the event.
I look forward to seeing you there
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates from your area, you can
contact Fenella on 07464 595913 or
lookingafterthelearners@gmail.com
36
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
I’m happy to share - but shouldn’t cyclists
play by the same rules we do?
Terry Pearce
MSA West Midlands
I was following a slow-moving lorry
recently, which I had caught up with on
a hill after it had pulled out a little way in
front of me from some HS2 workings.
I had no idea why it was going so slow
but having solid white lines down the
middle of the road I had no choice but to
follow behind it.
Eventually the reason for the slow
journey became clear when a cyclist
belatedly decided to go into the cycle
lane on our left. The cycle lane had not
suddenly appeared, it was clearly
marked, as you can see in the picture
above.
I am not anti-cyclist and have no
problems with cyclists if they obey the
same rules of the road that we must, but
this was frustrating.
Cycle-friendly Coventry
Coventry is becoming a very cycle
friendly city with well-made cycle lanes
exclusively for their use. Would it not be
reasonable that if a cyclist decided to use
the road where there is a cycle lane that
they should be fined?
If it were possible, I am sure my
council would be incredibly happy to do
that – if only for the revenue!
It is reported in Coventry that we could
see an increase of £60 in our council
tax. One reason given is a £1.7m
reduction in expected car parking fees
and bus lane enforcement, which I
assume has partly been caused by the
pandemic. Isn’t it sad that the council
was so confident in being able to fine
motorists for infringing bus lanes that the
revenue became an accepted part of the
council’s income?
The council’s bus lane experiment did
not last long. Most that did not have
money-making cameras on them have
been removed, with signs stating that
they are not now in use. Unfortunately,
while the green-painted lanes had the
white writing burnt out, it still shows up
nicely now as black against the green
lane, which has been left in place to
slowly fade away over the years. The
result is that they are still avoided by
many motorists who, knowing the
council’s love for punishing motorists
who make a mistake, do not trust them
and still avoid them.
The cyclist
appeared
oblivious to
the clear
cycle lane
available
for them to
use
Back to work
When you read this, we will all be
eager to get back to working for a living
and make some sense out of the waiting
times. I actually have some sympathy for
the DVSA in working out how to get all
the cancelled tests rebooked. No matter
how they try to do it, not everyone will
be happy. They perhaps don’t help
matters with their wording, however.
One of my pupils queried why, in his
cancellation letter, it said: ‘We can’t
conduct your Car test on (date) at
Coventry due to your driving examiner no
longer being available. I am sorry for any
inconvenience this might cause you.’
Wasn’t the reason the driving examiner
was no longer available because of
‘Lockdown’?
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates from your area, contact
Terry at terry@terrypearce.co.uk
Oi, mate, watch it, you’ll have
someone’s eye out with that!
While visiting a garden centre I saw a very tall tree being
loaded into the boot of a car, writes Terry Pearce.
Now, watching people in the car parks of such places,
you’ll often see cars with lengths of wood, etc, sticking a
few inches out of the passenger door window, but on this
ocassion the driver went a bit further, happily exiting the
car park with about three-foot of tree sticking out.
Amazingly they managed to drive without having to get
close to any obstruction that would damage the tree! I
wouldn’t fancy their chances of using the passenger side
door mirror, mind!
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
37

Regional News
DVSA has given us a headstart - but
there’s a lot to catch up with
Guy Annan
MSA Western
Well, we’ll be back two weeks before the
examiners, the DVSA having listened to
the campaign for ADIs by MSA GB.
At least learners will have a chance to
prepare for the test as not all of them get
an opportunity to drive unless it is with
an ADI. It’s a bit of a kick for those whose
test was due to take place between April
12 and 22; it would have been better for
ADIs to have started back on the 5th,
but whichever way you look at it you’ll
never satisfy everyone, so we should be
thankful to the DVSA on this occasion.
No need for speed
The theme for Brake’s Road Safety
Week in 2020 was ‘No need for speed’.
The emphasis was clearly on how we
use the roads and what we can do to
reduce risk.
In a collision, just one mile an hour
over the limit can mean the difference
between life and death, and with
someone injured on a UK road every four
minutes and vehicle speeds playing a
part in every
collision, the
message was it’s
time to come
together with a clear
message that “there
is no need to speed”.
We know that our
choice of speed is so
important on a
journey because of the consequences of
driving too fast for the prevailing
conditions or over the posted speed
limits. We are all aware that the faster
we go, the longer the stopping distance.
It follows, therefore, that the higher the
speed and longer the stopping distance,
the harder the impact will be in a
collision and the greater the risk of injury
or death as a result.
It’s important we get this message out
to the general public. We are road safety
professionals and driving educators.
During these challenging times, with
other things on our minds, it’s easy for
motorists to be distracted by their
thoughts and to lose concentration. An
added factor is that some may have been
The Dyson N526....
£150,000 for a car named
after a vacuum cleaner
shielding or in isolation and may not
have driven for some time. It’s very easy
to forget the basics in such situations.
We need to convince the public to think
about the simple things that will help
keep them safe.
Another point to remind drivers is that,
if their vehicles haven’t been used for
some time, a ‘walk-around check’ of the
car is a good way to ensure all is well, as
is checking tyre pressures and fluid levels.
The wonders of dash cam
Last month’s Newslink carried a piece
on how dash cam footage was being
used to prosecute bad driving. We’ve all
seen footage online and on TV. But does
this use of our cameras makes us all
potential police officers, and is this an
excuse for not having more police patrols
on the roads?
There is no doubt that dash cam
footage is invaluable in exposing scam
claims and can be of benefit when it all
goes wrong.
Most importantly, the camera is not a
substitute for good driver behaviour. It
will tell the story of an incident from its
own perspective, whoever is to blame.
But if we are behaving properly and
maintaining our good driving standards
on the road, the extra information
afforded by the camera, should an
incident happen, will be beneficial. But
good training and better driver behaviour
should be the order of the day.
Carrying on from last month....
I heard a rumour that Cadillac is
reimagining the future of transport and
has come up with a VTOL (Vertical Take
Off and Landing) drone capable of carrying
one person at a top speed of 56mph.
On a more down to earth note, it
already has a new sedan, a fully electric
all-wheel drive flagship called the
Celestiq (pronounced Celestic), with
autonomous capabilities, a spacious
interior with loads of tech and a wall-towall
screen. It even has an all-glass roof.
Designing such new cars is an expensive
business, mind, as James Dyson, the
British inventor and entrepreneur, found
out when he created the all-electric Dyson
N 526, a seven-seater SUV. It had two x
200kw batteries, 0-62 mph in 4.8
seconds and a top speed of 125 mph.
Sadly, he decided not to put it into
production after realising each one would
cost £150,000. Let’s face it, who wants
to pay Lamborghini money for something
named after a vacuum cleaner?
It cost him £150m of his own cash to
find this out, which makes him a very
brave man for going it alone in this
sector. Even the big boys like VW and
Ford have joined forces to share the costs
of trying to produce electric vehicles,
while Tesla teamed up with Panasonic.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates, contact Guy at g.annan@
alphadrivingtaunton.com
38
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Russell Jones
MSA East Midlands
Oh dear, such a tantrum by the young
driver as the parking infringement ticket
was written out, with lots of very un-lady
like language being directed towards the
parking enforcement official.
From a short distance away I could
clearly hear her displeasure at being
penalised for what she described as “such
a trivial offence... surely a few minutes
overdue returning doesn’t deserve a ticket?’’
When it was pointed out that she had
failed to display a ticket in the windscreen
or registered her parked car with the
telephone booking service, she claimed,
(and I found this really amusing!) “I was
not taught that when I passed my test last
year.’’
Oh my God, where do these people
come from? Alice in Wonderland country?
I have always had an arrangement with
selected car parks that I can take my
learner drivers into them to practise
manoeuvres. While there the pupils learn
how to study the signs – some carry
lengthy instructions – and ensure they
understand the likely penalties should
they not comply with the rules.
When entry is controlled with barriers
and ticket machines, I ensure they know
the safety aspects when reaching out
through the window to extract a ticket
from the machine. They practise applying
the parking brake and putting the gear
stick into neutral prior to taking the ticket.
That way, should they drop the ticket, as
can happen, and they try to snatch it as it
falls, they’ll be safe if their feet slip off the
pedals.
They learn to register the car into the
‘Ringo’ booking system using their
mobile, and where the first hour is free
providing that a ticket is displayed, they
know to get one and display it on the
dashboard where it is clearly visible to a
parking enforcement official.
They also set the alarm in their phone
to ring 15 mins before their time to park
expires so they can return in good time.
I anticipate they will never have
problems with their parking procedures
after passing their driving test.
All change
5,000 people applied for the DVSA’s
driving examiner jobs in February. So
many in such a short period of time is
surprising. Where have they come from? I
cannot believe happy, contented, busy
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
ADIs would be applying. A hundred or
two successful applicants at most will
leave several thousand disappointed
people (ADIs/PDIs?) feeling rejected.
What will their morale be like afterwards
in the world of driver training? Will it be to
the detriment of learner drivers? Interesting
times ahead could be on the horizon.
Market research
My lease car passed the 85,000 miles
mark this month, and I decided to return
it to the leasing company and replace it
with an identical model. I wanted the
replacement to be white; I have always
had white cars, but why?
Before becoming an ADI I established
that market research had shown that
more potential learner drivers would
prefer to be taught in a white car as
opposed to any other colour. Why? They
claimed it would make them more visible
to other motorists, who would afford them
more space, and thus it would keep them
calm during driving lessons.
Selling ‘safety’ as part of my training
syllabus has proven to be a winner for me
and I cannot see any good reason to
change a winning formula.
How many ORDIT trainers delve into
this aspect after taking the money from
the hopefuls crowding into their
classrooms? Very few, I think, given the
large number of dark coloured cars being
used by countless ADIs and PDIs.
Where do they come from?
With the pandemic lockdown about to
end (hopefully!) where will ADIs recruit
new customers from, even though diaries
are full to bursting at the seams?
During early March I analysed the
backgrounds of my learners, many past,
present and those in the pipeline who are
ready to start during the upcoming
months. Learners always give little clues
about their upbringing, without the ADI
asking intrusive questions.
One example is a pupil who lives in a
council house with two children, one soon
to be 17. They are considered a valuable
employee by their employer, and the
managing director is paying for their
driving lessons, influenced no doubt by
the fact that I taught two of his daughters,
with a third coming my way soon.
When my pupil passes their test a
Teach them the ropes -
or they’ll pay the price
promotion awaits them, as does a company
car to take them around the country.
But, importantly for me, the majority of
my clients live in very expensive homes,
where at least one member, often two, of
the family earn a six-figure salary, and has
a prestigious company car.
Currently, 40 per cent of my teenage
learners attend fee-paying schools,
another is already booked to have their
first lesson on their 17th birthday, three
go to boarding schools, and many take
five-star holidays every year during normal
life. A good few have cars and are doing
private practice; it has been this way for
me for many, many years.
I target the kind of customer who I wish
to teach driving skills to, knowing there
will be no quibbling about the cost.
I have always found it quite easy to do
so, using skills and techniques
experienced in my previous career, where
problems were dispensed with by finding
solutions as quickly as possible.
It allows me not to engage in a driving
lessons price war. I leave that little
enterprise to others, and it suits me fine.
Gosh I’m really looking forward to April
12th. Are you?
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates from your area, contact
Russell at rjadi@hotmail.com
39

Life as an ADI: How did I get here?
It’s a solo role that needs a
little help from your friends
In the February issue, MSA
GB Scotland committee
member Brian Thomson
took us through his route to
becoming an ADI, ending
with him proudly clutching
his green badge and ready to
set off on his new career. So
how did he get on? Read on...
So now I’m an ADI. Cast your
mind back to my training to be
an instructor in the February
issue – well,if you can’t, I’ll
remind you. To help my training
along I offered to give four students free
lessons. Now, the arrangement with the
students was that the lessons would be
free until I qualified, at which point I
would start charging.
By the time I qualified they had
accumulated 78 hours of free driving
lessons between them (roughly £1,800
worth) but it was really good practice for
me. Sadly, when I mentioned charges
two dropped off straight away, but the
other two went on to pass the test, one
on the first attempt and the other on the
second. I already had over 15 names on
my waiting list for starting so losing the
two wasn’t the worst disaster in the
world, but disappointing all the same.
My first experience with an examiner
as a trainee had not gone well – indeed,
when I’d offered him my hand on
greeting him he’d looked at me like I was
a leper (or perhaps he had a very early
premonition of Covid...). But as time
rolled on I came to realise that not all
examiners were like that one; in fact, one
of the others would often give me
pointers after the debrief just to keep an
eye on. A really nice guy.
I started to learn a few new
things about my pupils. I was
out on test with a student I
knew as ‘mirror, mirror,
mirror, blind spot’ because
she always spoke it out as
she was preparing to move
away. But as we moved off
from the test centre with me
Brian’s story, from the February issue of Newslink
sat in the back I heard nothing: silence.
We pulled up to move away again, and
again nothing. This was the case for
every move away and needless to say, it
wasn’t a pass.
It was my first experience of how some
pupils simply forget what they have done
before so well in the pressurised situation
of a driving test.
Another rookie surprise: I sat in the
back on every test until one of the
examiners said that I should just leave
the students to get on with it themselves.
I thought we needed to be there to see
how things fared!
One of the things about working in a
small test centre where only one test is
conducted at a time is that you rarely
meet other ADIs. Yes, we would wave to
each other as we met but with only one
ADI at the DTC at a time there was never
a chance to get to know other ADIs.
We decided to have a Christmas lunch
to break the ice and invited the local
instructors. At the time there were
around 10 of them, and six showed up
(still that core of ‘I don’t get involved’
guys). The big surprise/shock was that
some of these guys had been working in
the same area for years but didn’t know
each other’s names; they were just
waving to a roof sign.
That to me sounded like a call to start
an association. I had attended about four
MSA GB training days by this point, and
a Dundee garage meeting, and it was
interesting to see how some ADIs
interact, albeit those based in larger
areas and using full-time test centres,
which make it easier in some cases, but
‘‘‘‘
We let each other know about local road closures
or hidden pot-holes, the test centre managers are
contactable and set up regular meetings and there
is not so much of the ‘them and us’ mentality...
40
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the seeds were sown.
A few years went past before an
association got going. I contacted the
local instructors and in July 2014 the
Montrose Driving Instructors Association
(MDIA) was started with five members
(still some ‘I don’t get involved’ guys
around here). The size of the group
didn’t stop us from arranging cuppa
breaks, training as a group, sharing ideas
and systems, showing each other our
cars when we made a change and
sometimes just having a chat about how
things are going and how we can help
each other. The association has been
going for over five years now and our
membership has increased to 10 (that
means fewer ‘I don’t get involved’ guys
knocking around). We are part of MSA
GB so we benefit from up-to-date
information regarding industry changes
and policies. We’ve even ventured into
the media world and started a WhatsApp
group where we can share really, really
important stuff like ‘I have a lesson
missing at 10.30 tomorrow if anyone
wants a coffee’ or where we can forward
information that may be helpful to our
working day.
So we’ll leave the instructor side and
venture into the world of the examiners.
Cast your mind back to my first
encounter with the ‘I don’t shake the
hands of lepers’ examiner, then move on
to the one who assisted me with my own
development as an instructor. We now
talk with local examiners like colleagues,
allowing us to assist each other in our
daily work. We let each other know about
local road closures or hidden pot holes,
the test centre managers are contactable
and set up regular meetings and there is
not so much of the ‘them and us’
mentality that there was when I started a
short 16 years ago.
I was going to add a piece on
Standards Checks but thought I’ll finish
the examiners bit on a high!
Now, it may be different coming into
the industry these days (nice to hear
from some newbies on their experiences)
but probably, you only get to know the
easier or better routes once you’re in the
system. All our MDIA members contact
new ADIs in the area and get them on
board so they don’t go home after a day
working on their own thinking “what
have I got myself into...”
Fancy telling us your story? Newslink is
always interested in hearing about the
experiences of ADIs; feel free to drop us
a line if you want to tell your story, to
rob@chambermediaservices.co.uk
As we get back to teaching, let’s
not forget the true cost of Covid
Alex Brownlee
MSA Greater London
Hello everyone. I hope you are well
and eager to go back to lessons on
12th April.
It was good to sit in on the Zoom
MSA GB Conference and AGM on
Sunday 21st March, which proved
very informative. What was sad was to
be reminded, at the start of the
meeting, of the human cost of the
pandemic. A minute’s silence helped
us all reflect on those colleagues
among the ADI fraternity and at the
DVSA who have lost their lives through
Where does that
name come from...?
Here’s a couple of useless but interesting nuggets
of information for you.
Know a Blue Ball Inn? We have a few of these
around here and I’ve always wondered where the
name comes from. Well, it dates back to the days
of the stagecoach when inns were situated on the
main routes around the country. Apparently, a
pole would be connected to the outside of the
hostelry and if they had a customer who wanted
to board the stage, they would simply raise the
ball to indicate that fact to the oncoming stagecoach.
Have you ever wondered why the
2017 Bentley Bentayga and the
Genesis GV80 – from Genesis Motors,
the luxury vehicle division of Hyundai
Motor Group – look similar? Well, the
answer is that they were both
designed by the same man, Sang Yup
Lee. In case you’re wondering about
the other
differences, well,
the Genesis costs
about half the price
of the Bentley, but
while it’s a very
nice car, it’s not a
Bentley!
Covid-19. My condolences to the
families of those we have lost.
It was a stark reminder that we all
must continue to work hard to defeat
the virus. If you have had the jab, it
doesn’t make you immune to
everything so please wear a face mask
and gloves when giving a driving
lesson to protect you and your family.
We must also remember the strict
cleaning protocols before and after
each lesson.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates, contact Alex at
msaeditorgreaterlondon@gmail.com
ODD SPOTS – by GUY ANNAN, MSA GB WESTERN
Guess
the car...
One’s a
Bentley, the
other... isn’t
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
41

Life as an ADI: A Year in Lockdown
Spare time, to be filled my way
MSA Western Chairman Arthur Mynott shares
his experience of life in lockdown as he
looks back on a year of work, hobbies and
squeezing in the odd round of golf...
How’s the past year been for
you? As MSA GB Western
Chairman, and my last piece
in Newslink was around a
year ago, I thought it was
time to put pen to paper again (or finger to
keyboard in this case). This is in addition to
the musings of our editor, Guy Annan, who
has been excellent at providing articles
every month from our region: informative,
sometimes amusing, but always interesting.
Guy has been a colleague and good
friend for many years and we regularly see
each other at various meetings and speak
often on the phone. By the way, if you get
the chance to speak to him, ask him about
his potatoes on his allotment!
Well, what a year it’s been! Never before
in our generation have we been told not to
work – and with a new vocabulary to boot.
‘Furlough’, ‘Zoom’, ‘SEISS’, ‘Hands, Face,
Space’, ‘Social Distancing’, ‘The R Rate’.
This last one confuses us in more rural
communities, as it also refers to the rate at
which the bull performs with the cows... (I
always thought I had a good ‘R’ rate as I
have four children!).
I begin early last March. Although Spring
was beginning the dark clouds were
gathering above and a sense of foreboding
was in the air. We’d had several cases of
‘‘
Without resources
such as a minidigger
it took hard
graft but when
finished it had
178 patio slabs
and two tiers of
bricks... I was
quite chuffed
42
‘‘
the coronavirus and a few deaths, but both
were beginning to rise at quite an alarming
rate. I, like other ADIs were still working as
normal but beginning to wonder what the
future held. As we got further in to March
there was more and more talk about
whether we should be working or not. On
Monday, March 23 I said to my wife that I
think I will stop working after today as it
doesn’t feel right. In fact, I did the first
lesson and then called the other pupils to
cancel theirs. They agreed, so that was
that. The first thing I did before I drove
home was to remove my top box, so I was
less conspicuous.
Then, bang. We were in Lockdown 1.0! I
think we all knew it was coming but when
it actually did it was still quite a blow. We
were all ordered to stay at home and not to
work. The only other time in my life that
I’ve not worked, apart from holidays, is
when I left agricultural college, but I found
a job and started a week later.
So, what to do in the next few weeks?
Like most people I was able to start lots of
DIY. I started by painting the hall, taking
down some doors to sand down and
repaint, some tiling in the kitchen and a
couple of other jobs inside.
Then I started outside as the one thing
that stood out in the first lockdown was the
extraordinary, lovely weather. Fortunately, I
live in the corner of a close of 12
bungalows which means our garden is
quite large. I already had one vegetable
plot but dug up another plot for more
potatoes, beans, etc.
After this I took down a hedge that had
become overgrown and killed by ivy, then
the offer of a second-hand greenhouse for
free was too good to miss, so I set about
digging the footings and put that in place.
You learn as you go on projects like these.
For instance, if you get a similar offer, take
the greenhouse down yourself. That way
you’ll know which piece of glass goes
where... it took several tries and a lot of
effort to work it out.
After this, I set about my biggest project,
one that I was hoping to do the following
year with the help of Alec, my son-in-law,
which was to patio an area of lawn just
outside our living room. There was quite a
slope to it and quite a bit of earth had to be
moved and originally Alec was going to use
a mini digger and electric cement mixer. I
didn’t have those resources to hand, so it
was all done with hard graft!
I started in early May and thought it
would take about four weeks, but then the
golf courses opened up so it took a little
longer.
When finished it had 178 patio slabs,
with one terrace of five bricks and another
of two. I’m chuffed with it.
Surely we’re coming to the end? By June
there was speculation that ADIs were going
to start work again. Throughout all this
time I thought we were treated abysmally
by the DVSA. They failed to let us know
what was happening with testing, starting
back to work, etc. I learnt more from MSA
GB than I’d did from anywhere else,
including the DVSA. I’m certain we knew
quicker than our local examiners did!
Then BOOM. All of a sudden, on Friday
July 3rd, Boris announced that ADIs could
start work from next Monday! I couldn’t
really believe it. We were still at two metre
social distancing at the time and here we
were, being told we could sit in a car less
than two feet away with someone from
another household.
Nevertheless, on Monday, July 6, I went
back to work. Pupils had already been in
touch and were more than keen to get
going again. The main difference was the
mask wearing and wiping everything for
every pupil. At first, I offered each pupil a
wipe outside the car and asked them to
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wipe every bit of the car they were going to
touch, door handles and switches and all
the controls. This sort of worked but I
noticed they kept missing bits such as the
seat adjusters and headlight switches, so I
began wiping everything myself.
Start at the seat belt buckle, work on to
the handbrake, gearstick, etc, until I was
outside and finished with the seatbelt itself.
That way I knew every bit had been done.
The worst bit was when I picked up a
pupil for their first lesson. I usually drive
them to a quiet area first, so I had to wipe
the passenger side down before they got in
and both sides as we swapped places and
the same again when we returned. I think
our cars must be the cleanest in the country!
The worst part was the mask wearing,
though; it’s particularly difficult if you wear
glasses as I do. It took a while to find the
right mask and when I did my wife copied
the design and made a few more, so I’ve
got 10 in reserve. We had to keep the
windows open for ventilation, but I found
that when wearing a mask you needed the
window open as your face felt quite warm.
After the lesson I took my mask off as I
drove off and my face suddenly felt cold
with the window still open.
All went well for the next few months.
with plenty of lessons, tests and more than
enough pupils – and I could still play golf! I
belong to a small society called TOGGS
‘The Old Geezers Golf Society’ (obviously I
am the youngest one there!) at our local
municipal course and there were a few
competitions to catch up on. I don’t know
why but my golf had improved through not
playing and I actually won three cups.
Things are going well... until October,
when things looked bleak again. More
cases, more deaths. Tiers were introduced
but down here in the South West things
‘‘
Living at the foot of the
Quantocks I found lots of new
walks...it’s quite a climb but
well worth it when you get up
to the top...
‘‘
weren’t too bad, so we were allowed until
November and then BANG! back in lockdown.
At least this time we were told it was for
just four weeks which meant we could plan
for restarting again.
Another four weeks at home but this
time the weather was a little different.
Gone were the long, sunny days of the first
lockdown, with shorter, colder days. More
time was spent inside although I did
manage to dig over both plots of garden to
overwinter, ready for next spring. I also
tidied everything including pruning the rose
and fruit bushes, putting the patio furniture
away and shutting it all down for the winter.
True to form, four weeks on and we
restarted lessons on December 2nd but
alas, it wasn’t for long. After we were all
told we could mix on Christmas Day (a
very controversial decision), West Somerset
went into Tier 4 on December 30 and
then, along with the rest of England, back
into lockdown again on January 5.
This third lockdown has been different
again. Wet, windy, cold and dark. Nothing
could be done outside for weeks so what to
do? I’m not one for sitting down on the sofa
all day watching TV – it feels like a day
wasted. The one thing I do every morning
is to take our dog, Rosie, for a walk. If I’m
working or leaving early for a round of golf
(contrary to what the missus says, I am not
obsessed with golf!) I usually do a walk of
just over two miles each morning before
breakfast. As I’m normally going to be sat
down for the rest of the day in a car, I think
this exercise is important.
During lockdowns, however, I’ve been
taking longer walks of six or seven miles
each day. I’ve found lots of different walks
plus I live at the foot of the Quantocks and
have a footpath 100 yards from my house
which takes me up to the top of the hills.
It’s quite a climb but well worth it when
you get up there.
During this lockdown, because I can’t do
any work outside, I’ve been taking Rosie
out again in the afternoon for the normal
two-mile walk. I know this is not strictly in
the Government guidelines but living in the
country I can’t see it being too much of a
problem, so forgive me.
In between the walks I tried to keep
myself busy by either being on the phone,
checking or sending emails, catching up on
book work or, if the weather allows, doing
some work in the garden. It’s a routine that
means the day isn’t wasted.
As I’m writing it looks like things are
improving and we will be back to work on
April 12. Hopefully, this will be our last
lockdown, but it will be a very long time
before things return to how they were
before this awful pandemic.
There are many things I have missed and
are still missing. As I said earlier, I have
four children but only seen my daughter
and her family as she has been in our
‘childcare bubble’. I haven’t seen my three
sons or their families in months and,
although we still talk several times a week
on the phone, it’s not the same as a hug
with the grandchildren. I know there are
many families in the same boat.
I miss shaking people’s hands, going out
for a meal, going to the theatre, going to
meetings and all the other things we took
for granted before.
For me, though, these lockdowns have
also given me an insight into how life will
be for me when I retire. I’m 63 (though you
wouldn’t think it to look at me!) and I used
to wonder what I would find to do to keep
busy when I do eventually give up work.
It has shown me that I can fill my time
quite easily with gardening, golf and
looking after my other half as she has
limited mobility nowadays so, now I know I
can keep busy, I can’t wait!
Rosie: West Somerset’s
most walked dog!
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
43

Q&A with Geoff Capes, North West committee member
From juke boxes and pool
tables to life as an ADI
When you’re a former Olympic shotputter and World’s Strongest
Man, you’re going to need a pretty big tuition car to carry you
round... oh, hang on, it turns out the latest participant in our
Q&A session with MSA GB members is not THAT Geoff Capes....
When did you become an ADI, and
what made you enter the profession?
I became an ADI in August 1998. I
was working in the leisure industry at the
time, travelling around to pubs and clubs
fixing gaming equipment such as fruit
machines, pool tables, juke boxes, etc.
I could see back then the pubs were
really struggling so I decided on a career
change.
I had thought about becoming a
driving instructor a few years back but
decided it wasn’t the right time for me
then as I had a young family.
What’s the best bit about the job?
That’s easy; it is when a pupil masters
a new skill that they are learning and
then go on to pass their test. I still get a
buzz to this day.
I think when I lose this feeling it will be
time for me to leave the teaching side of
the business
… And the worst?
There aren’t many but the worst is
probably the pressure that can be
brought to bear from pupils and their
parents when they want you to put them
in for their test when they are certainly
not ready. I don’t think I’m alone in
‘‘
The best bit of training
advice I have been given
– and I still do it today – is
to treat people exactly as
I expect to be treated. It’s
a philosophy I carry out
with my pupils and my
franchisees.
‘‘
thinking this is the worst part of the job.
What’s the best piece of training advice
you were ever given?
The best bit of training advice I have
been given – and I still do it today – is to
treat people exactly as I expect to be
treated.
It’s a philosophy I carry out with my
pupils and my franchisees.
What one piece of kit, other than your
car and phone, could you not do
without?
That would have to be my iPad. It’s a
very useful teaching aid and I also run
my business through it and all the pupils
love the teaching apps.
What needs fixing most urgently in
driving generally?
I think the public’s attitudes to driving
needs fixing the most. A lot of people
seem to disrespect the laws of the road
with the attitude of ‘me first’ but I
suppose that is people’s attitude in their
everyday life; too many people simply
have no respect for others.
What should the DVSA focus on?
I think they need to focus on their
communication skills and also look at
the ADI assessment.
What’s the next big thing that’s going to
transform driver training/testing?
I would think it is going to be all the
new technology that is being added to
cars. I know it takes me quite awhile to
come to terms with it all.
Electric cars – yes or no? And why?
I would say yes. I run a Toyota CHR
Hybrid which I find to be very
economical especially when we have a
newbie on the nursery routes where
most of the time it is running on electric
power.
How can we improve driver testing/
training in one move?
I think the tests are fine at the
moment. I would like to see more DVSA
area workshops; they could be used to
Stockport ADI Geoff Capes
with one of his cars. He has
eight ADIs under his wing,
and making sure they are
all kept busy is the thing that
gives him sleeplessness nights
44
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build a closer relationship between ADIs
and the DVSA, rather than the ‘us and
them’ attitudes we sometimes get at
present.
Who/what inspires you, drives you on?
My pupils mastering a new skill,
passing their tests, and also my family.
What keeps you awake at night?
I run a school of eight ADIs and
keeping them all busy can lead to
sleepless nights; other than that there is
nothing that keeps me awake
No one is the finished article. What do
you do to keep on top of the game?
By keeping up with my CPD, also
keeping up with all changes that are
introduced and attending all MSA GB
conferences
What’s the daftest /most dangerous
thing that’s ever happened to you
while teaching?
The two that spring to mind are
asking a pupil, as he approached a
roundabout, to turn right, 3rd exit off,
and he was going to turn right at the
stop line, literally against the flow off the
traffic.
Scary but comical were the couple of
occasions when we’ve nearly been hit by
flying debris in high winds: believe it or
not, a low-flying trampoline and a space
hopper!
When or where are you happiest?
Playing with my grandchildren. As far
as the job goes, at the test centres when
one of my pupils passes.
The other Geoff Capes,
pictured pulling a ferry into
harbour. Like you do.
The former World’s
Strongest Man has remarked
several times how people
always assume he’s a
driving instructor from
Stockport...
If you had to pick one book/film/album
that inspires, entertains or moves you,
what would it be?
I’m not a book reader but the film that
moves me every time is The Green Mile;
every time it gets me.
FINALLY, this is not a question we ask
everyone, for obvious reasons, but…
how often, when people know your
name and meet you for the first time,
do they say… ‘oh, I thought you’d be
bigger’ or ‘oh, you’re not THE Geoff
Capes, then...’
Ha, Ha! I used to be asked that
question quite frequently in my business
and personal life but as the years have
gone on the questions have been asked
less frequently. I suppose he isn’t a
well-known name for many young
people, but back in the day he was
huge. Literally.
Oddly enough I have actually met
him. It must have been about 25 years
ago and he was opening a store in my
home town of Stockport.
‘‘
I think the public’s attitudes
to driving needs fixing the
most. A lot of people seem
to disrespect the laws of
the road with the attitude
of ‘me first’
‘‘
Call to overhaul
rules on driver
medical fitness
The current approach to assessing
whether drivers are medically fit to hold
a licence needs substantial revision, the
European Transport Safety Council has
said.
A new report into how countries
assess medical fitness to drive, with
reference to current EU rules, shows
that the starting point for many is still
age-based assessment, despite the fact
that studies have concluded that
specific medical conditions, substance
abuse, mental disorders, epilepsy and
diabetes are more important factors
than age when it comes to medical
fitness to drive.
Mandatory age-based screening of
older drivers has not been shown to be
effective in preventing severe collisions.
It may even have a negative safety
impact, as older drivers with revoked
licences due to poor health become
vulnerable road users.
ETSC is recommending that national
governments should make wider use of
conditional licences to allow those who
may be at slight risk to continue to
drive under certain circumstances.
A lack of good data on the role
played by medical conditions and
disorders in road collisions is also a
significant problem, according to the
report. Pan-European in-depth collision
data could help but currently only a
small number of countries
systematically collect such data.
Many of the countries surveyed
require some form of medical check
when first applying for a licence to drive
a car, beyond the sight test required by
EU rules. But there are vast differences
in how these checks are carried out
among the different countries. The
medical test required when acquiring a
licence for the first time can vary from a
self-assessment form filled out and
signed by the applicant, to a medical
examination carried out by a family
doctor or a medical examination carried
out by a specialist doctor or
centre. ETSC is recommending that the
EU and national governments should
adopt a standardised screening process
based on international best practice.
• You can download the full report
at: https://etsc.eu/pinflash40
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021
45

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
46 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Membership offer
Welcome new ADIs
We’ve a special introductory offer for you!
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!
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.
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.
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.
To get the full story of
the discounts available,
see www.msagb.com
SPECIAL OFFER
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
NEWSLINK n APRIL 2021 47