Newslink March 2022

msagb.com 

Newslink 

The Voice of MSA GB 

Issue 350 • March 2022 

ADIs hit in the pocket 

by fuel price surge 

We work for all Driver Trainers. Want to join? See pg 47 for a special introductory offer

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com 

When waiting lists collide 

Colin Lilly 

Editor, MSA GB Newslink 

The driving test system is like a silo of 

grain. To empty the silo through a hopper 

at the bottom allows the grain to be 

loaded into sacks and successfully 

passed to the next stage. 

Unfortunately, in this case fifty per cent 

of the grain does not make it into the 

sacks and is returned to the top of the 

hopper. This means the process of 

emptying the silo is not as efficient as 

originally thought. 

In addition, a full delivery is added to 

the top of the hopper each day equivalent 

to the rate that passes out of the hopper, 

whether successful or not, and the end 

result is that quickly the silo overflows. 

This is an ongoing process that does not 

improve. 

I hope that you will now begin to see 

the analogy with the driving test. 

As instructors we still have queues of 

prospective clients, at some point they 

will join the test waiting list. It is likely to 

become a list without progress. 

To resolve this the DVSA will have to 

provide many more driving test slots 

which will involve a substantial increase 

in examiner numbers – well above the 

current rate. 

If we see light at the end of the tunnel 

then it is likely to be the express 

travelling in the opposite direction. This 

will be as a result of an increasing birth 

rate. In 2004, the birth year of 2021 

17-year-olds, there were 715,996 births; 

this has increased over the subsequent 

five years to 794,383, an increase of 9.4 

per cent. 

If the DVSA is serious about reducing 

the waiting lists then a readily available 

answer is there in the form of ADIs. It 

needs to consider the idea of getting 

driver trainers involved in the process, as 

devolved examiners, while still remaining 

an ADI. 

Without meaningful action such as this 

the DVSA will find themselves without a 

paddle. 

Finally, an ominous note to sign off on. 

There is a lot of frustration building 

among prospective drivers as they 

struggle to find a test slot. There is an 

apparent increase in the number of 

‘private learners’ – those being trained, 

one assumes, by the Driving School of 

Mum and Dad. I am aware of an increase 

in the use of P-plates. I always take this 

as a reflection of the new driver’s 

confidence. Is this a result of limited 

contact with an ADI? 

I also wonder if there is a hidden 

increase in the number of unlicensed 

drivers. 

It’s not a great picture. I hope we will 

not see the result of the current situation 

reflected in future KSI/crash statistics. 

CONTACT 

To comment on this article or any other 

issue surrounding driver training and 

testing, contact Colin via editor@msagb.com 

Welcome to your 

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or on an advert? It it contains a 

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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 

Text message alerts for tests 

rearranged by DVSA 

DVSA has begun sending text messages 

to candidates with a practical L-test 

booking that needs to be cancelled, 

rearranged or put on hold. 

The message alerts your pupils that 

their test will not take place as planned 

and prompts them to check their inbox 

for an email with the full details. 

The text message will show on the 

phone as being sent from GOV.UK 

DVSA. 

However, the DVSA is only able to 

send text messages if a phone number is 

included when your pupil books their 

practical car test, so please encourage 

them to include one. 

If a landline number has been 

included with the booking, candidates 

will get a voice message on their 

landline. 

Text alerts will not be sent for 

rearranged tests that were booked 

through the online business booking 

service. 

Follow the 

link MSA 

GB sends 

you to 

access 

Newslink, 

and then 

just click 

Download 

to save a 

copy on 

your device 

COVER STORY 

The soaring price of 

petrol starts to cause 

concern for ADIs. This 

forecourt was captured 

by a Press Association 

photographer in 

southern England. 

See page 16 



Issue 350 • March 2022 

ADIs hit in the pocket 

by fuel price surge 

msagb.com 

We work for a l Driver Trainers. Want to join? See pg 41 for a special introductory o fer 

NEWSLINK n MARCH 2022 

03

12 

08 

20 

News 

Face coverings: 

The mask is off: DVSA announces end of 

mandatory face coverings on L-test – Pg 6 

Geoff Little 

Peter Harvey pays tribute to his longtime 

colleague and friend Geoff Little, 

who has died, aged 74 – Pg 8 

Eyesight checks 

Removing need for L-test eyesight checks 

to be held in good light could increase 

test availability, says DVSA – Pg 10 

Blind warned that public aren’t 

used to Highway Code changes 

Blind community advisors issue warning 

not to expect public to have fully grasped 

changes to Highway Code yet – Pg 12 

Boost for deaf test candidates 

New packs help improve communication 

and increase inclusivity – Pg 14 

Fuel price worries 

Global tensions threaten to send fuel 

prices soaring – Pg 16 

Companies rally round centre 

A disabled driver assessment centre is 

back on its feet – with a little help from 

its friends – Pg 18 

Clean Air Zone plans axed 

Where now for Clean Air Zones as Mayor 

and PM admits latest schemes are 

‘unworkable’ – Pg 20 



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©2022 The Motor Schools 

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without express 

permission of the editor. 

04 NEWSLINK n MARCH 2022


MSA GB Annual Conference 2022 

MARCH 18-19 – BOOK NOW 

at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Coventry 

• DVSA officials 

• Trade stands 

• Networking events 

• Road safety speakers 

• Business advice 

• MSA GB AGM 

Features 

Rural ADIs ignored by DVSA 

Think getting an L-test at your local centre is 

tough? Then spare a thought for ADIs who use 

Local Driving Test Centres... – Pg 24 

A distraction not to be sneezed at 

You’d never think of closing your eyes while 

travelling at 70mph... but that’s what happens 

when you sneeze – Pg 28 

Why communication is king 

Phil Burman on the importance of getting your 

points across – Pg 30 

Keep in 

touch 1 

If you have updated your 

address, telephone 

numbers or changed your email 

address recently, please let us 

know at head office by emailing 

us with your new details and 

membership number to 

info@msagb.com. 

If you can’t find your 

membership number, give us a 

ring on 01625 664501. 

Prices start from just 

£55 for the 

Conference day. 

See pg 22-23 for 

more details 

Or book your place now at 

www.msagb.com or 01625 664501 

28 

Letting the pupil take control 

Client-centred learning means it’s necessary 

to let the pupil set the agenda, says ADI 

trainer Steve Garrod – Pg 32 

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: 

Mike Yeomans 

chair.ne@msagb.com 

n Scotland: 

Steven Porter 

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: 

info@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: 

Terry Cummins 

chair.se@msagb.com 

n South Wales: 

All enquiries to 

info@msagb.com 

Keep in touch: 

Just click on the icon 

to go through to the 

relevant site 

2 

Follow MSA GB on social media 

n Newslink: 

All enquiries to 

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rob@chambermedia 

services.co.uk 


05

News 

DVSA ditches facecoverings for L-tests 

The DVSA has announced that the 

remaining Covid-19 restrictions affecting 

driving and theory tests in England have 

now been lifted in line with the 

government’s announcement that English 

restrictions ended from 24 February. 

That means that face coverings are no 

longer mandatory on L-tests and theory 

tests, and wearing one will be a matter 

of personal choice for candidates and 

examiners. It also means instructors can 

return to sitting in the back of cars on 

driving tests. 

If a pupil does wish to wear a face 

covering they do not have to advise the 

DVSA of this in advance. Examiners may 

also wear a face covering, but again, it is 

a personal choice and they will not insist 

that the candidate wears one if they are. 

Another subtle change is that driving 

tests will no longer end early unless the 

candidate’s driving is so poor it is a risk 

to their safety and that of other road 

users – in line with the pre-Covid-19 

policy. During the pandemic, once it was 

clear the candidate would not pass – ie, 

they had already made a serious error – 

examiners were calling an early end to 

L-tests to minimise their contact with 

members of the public. 

While the government advice is that 

you no longer have to self isolate if you 

have Covid-19, the DVSA encourages 

candidates to rearrange their test if you 

feel unwell for any reason. 

At the time of publishing, MSA GB 

has had no further information on the 

situation at test centre waiting rooms. 

Scotland and Wales 

The current driving and theory tests 

safety measures in Scotland and Wales 

remain in place, though as both nations 

are relaxing many of their restrictions it is 

likely that this situation will change soon. 

ADIs sitting in on tests 

The restriction on ADIs and any 

06 

accompanying drivers to sit in on a 

driving test has ended, and the DVSA is 

again encouraging instructors to observe 

tests as part of their own personal 

development and that of their pupils. 

ADIs will also be encouraged to be with 

their pupils for the result and feedback. 

ADI Standards Checks and Part 2 tests 

The lifting of restrictions also includes 

ADI Part 2 tests and ADI Standards 

Checks. Standards Checks will continue 

to last for 40 minutes. 

Clean vehicles 

One point to make clear is that while 

the DVSA will no longer be cancelling 

driving tests if the inside of a vehicle is 

not clean, it is continuing to encourage 

you to clean and tidy the inside of your 

car when presenting it for a driving test 

in line with good hygiene. 

It will be optional for examiners to 

wipe down surfaces in test vehicles or 

ventilate these vehicles during tests. 

The end of the facemask.... or is it? 

MSA GB WRITES... 

Well, it looks like that part of our recent 

lives is over – for now, at least. 

Few will mourn the passing of the face 

covering on driving lessons and tests, 

and it will be nice when Scotland and 

Wales join England in getting rid of 

them. But whether or not all ADIs and 

pupils dispense with them is debateable. 

We have spoken to a number of 

instructors who believe they will continue 

to wear them for the time being, and 

with Covid-19 cases still running at 

80,000+ positive cases a day, there is 

an argument that they are still needed. 

As one ADI put it, “if I catch Covid-19 

I’ll be off work for at least a week, which 

means I won’t be earning. After the past 

Pupils testing positive for Covid-19 

If candidates test positive for Covid-19 

up to five days before their driving test 

they should not attend their test to 

reduce the spread of the virus. 

ADIs and pupils can email the DVSA 

at customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk with 

the subject title ‘Covid-19 short notice 

cancellation’ to rearrange their test. 

To do this you or your pupil will need 

to include the following information in 

the email: 

• their driving licence number 

• driving test booking reference number 

We will then contact you or your pupil 

to help rearrange the test. Your pupil will 

not have to pay again. 

Taking rapid lateral flow tests 

Until 1 April, the DVSA is continuing 

to ask your pupils to take a rapid lateral 

flow test before their driving test if they 

do not have Covid-19 symptoms. They 

should do this on the day of their driving 

test, before they leave home. 

two years I can’t afford any more slack 

weeks when I’m not working, so I’ll keep 

wearing a mask and keep the windows 

open to ensure good ventilation in the 

car. I don’t need a Gvernment to tell me 

what is good common sense and what 

isn’t; and for the time being, while the 

virus is clearly in widespread circulation, 

I’m staying masked up.” 

NEWSLINK n MARCH 2022

News 

Geoff Little: A fine man and a dedicated 

servant to ADIs and the MSA GB 

MSA GB members will have 

been saddened to hear of the 

recent death of Geoff Little, the 

association’s deputy chairman. 

Here Peter Harvey, MSA GB 

national chairman and a longtime 

friend of Geoff’s, pays 

tribute to a man he described as 

a “true gentleman and one of the 

nicest guys I’ve ever met” 

I was deeply moved to hear from his wife, 

Rita, that MSA GB Deputy Chairman 

Geoff Little had lost his brave fight 

against cancer. He passed away 

peacefully with Rita by his side, on 3rd 

February. He was 74. 

Many members – particularly in the 

West Midlands – knew Geoff had been ill 

for some time, and he had received 

chemotherapy and hospital care during 

the past year. However, it still came as a 

shock to learn of his passing, particularly 

as Geoff had always seemed so full of life 

and good health. 

I came to know him well during our 

many years together at the MSA. He left 

school at the age of 15 and had a 

number of jobs, including a spell as a 

sales rep for Terry’s, the chocolate 

manufacturer; he loved chocolate! He 

entered the driver training profession in 

1972 at the age of 25 – and like many of 

us, his career as a driving instructor was 

more by accident than design. 

I have to be very careful with my terms 

here as Geoff was not, I don’t think, an 

‘ADI’ to start with. He entered the 

profession when it was still voluntary to 

be registered as a driving instructor, 

though he was one of the first official 

‘ADIs’ on the register. He became an 

instructor when his then employer, a taxi 

company for whom Geoff was a driver, 

decided to start teaching learners to 

drive. Geoff jumped at the chance of 

doing something slightly different from his 

cab work, and never looked back. 

Geoff worked for the taxi company’s 

driving school before setting up the Geoff 

Little School of Motoring, which soon built 

up a great reputation in Coventry. 

His involvement with the MSA GB did 

not come about for some time, however, 

until a chance meeting with fellow West 

Midlander Jon Gross, who was employed 

by the MSA as a recruitment agent, saw 

him join the association in 1988. Jon 

spotted Geoff’s potential and immediately 

asked him to join the West Midlands 

committee. Within a year he was its 

deputy chairman, before succeeding 

Garth Green as chair in 1990. 

This gave Geoff a seat on the MSA board, 

where he impressed the then chairman, 

Ron Feltham, with his boundless 

enthusiasm, common sense and desire to 

improve road safety in general and driver 

training in particular. When I was asked 

to become National Chairman in 1995, 

succeeding Ron, Geoff was the obvious 

choice to be my deputy. Over the years I 

learned I could rely hugely on him for his 

wise counsel, practical sense and good 

humour, even when times were bad. 

Geoff rarely got ruffled by events – 

something I saw for myself when we 

joined forces in what was one of our most 

Geoff Little receives his 

Lifetime Achievement 

award from the IMTD’s 

Graham Feest 

‘‘ 

Geoff was a 

well-known 

figure in driver 

training circles 

and attended 

countless 

meetings for the 

MSA and IMTD 

‘‘ 

memorable projects, improving the 

driving of ex-pat oil industry employees 

in Nigeria. A combination of drinking, 

poor quality roads and a lack of good 

sense had seen the ex-pats bring to life 

their inner Nigel Mansell, as they raced 

around the local roads. Inevitably a string 

of crashes occurred, prompting the oil 

firm to act. A representative in the UK 

asked the MSA to design and deliver a 

defensive driving programme for its 

workers. It wasn’t on the rigs where they 

were vulnerable, but when back on terra 

firma on leave. 

Geoff and I flew out to Nigeria for a 

memorable six weeks, working with the 

ex-pats and locals to create a training and 

assessment programme. It was great fun, 

and a real eye-opener about the driving 

standards and road conditions in that 

part of the world. Some of the driving we 

assessed was calamitous, but we were 

delighted with how the programme was 

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS 

Geoff’s funeral will be on Monday, 7th March at 1.15pm, and will be broadcast 

via a weblink, should you wish to join Rita and the family in paying their respects. 

You can access the webcast link at https://www.wesleymedia.co.uk/webcast-view 

and enter the Webcast log-in pin, which is 262-7083 

The family have also arranged for a Tribute page dedicated to Geoff’s memory 

should you wish to say a few words to Rita and the family. To access this, just 

click on this link: https://geoffreylittle.muchloved.com/ 

08 



accepted. It is still running to this day, 

delivered by local Nigerian ADI, and still 

keeping the RTAs down! 

Geoff found this side of driving training 

much to his liking, and in recent years his 

focus has been on driver awareness/speed 

awareness courses, which he has delivered 

by the hundreds. Indeed, such was his 

reputation in that field that he has 

contributed a great deal of the course’s 

content, as well as designing driver training 

programmes for big firms including Jaguar 

and Land Rover. 

Geoff was a well-known figure within 

driver training and testing. He attended 

countless meetings over the years with the 

DSA/DVSA, and was a leading light of the 

Institute of Master Tutors of Driving 

(IMTD). He joined the IMTD in 1996 and 

had spells as vice chair and chairman 

before being made President in 2011, a 

role he fulfilled until 2021. In 2018 he 

was made an Honorary Life Fellow, and in 

September of last year, in what turned out 

to be his last appearance at an event with 

his fellow driver trainers, he received a 

Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Away from his work he was married for 

33 years to Rita and was devoted to his 

family and grandchildren. He loved his 

holidays – he was an early devotee of the 

video camera and never failed to come 

away from his travels without some film of 

their trips, though his promise to put it all 

on to DVDs never quite materialised. 

He loved chatting to people and learning 

their stories – I think all ADIs are peoplepersons 

at heart, and Geoff was very much 

that. At conference he loved nothing better 

than to pass the time away with his fellow 

ADIs, sharing a laugh and a joke about the 

profession over a beer and crafty cigarette. 

His despair at the failings of his beloved 

football team, Coventry City, never failed to 

raise a laugh from those who shared 

similar loves of wholly inadequate sporting 

enterprises – though his unconditional 

loyalty to them meant he continued to 

support them through thick and thin. 

My abiding memory is Geoff is of a 

cheerful, resolute and honest man who 

would always go the extra yard for his 

fellow ADIs. He was devoted to the MSA 

and there are countless instructors and 

members out there who benefitted from 

his advice and guidance. 

More than that, though, he was a 

thoroughly decent man, a true gentleman 

and one of the nicest people I have ever 

met. It was a privilege to work alongside 

him for so many years. 

Geoff, rest in peace, my friend. 

Geoff Little, July 1947 – 

February 3rd 2022. 

West Midlands ADIs have 

lost a great friend 

Terry Pearce 

MSA GB West Midlands 

The passing of Geoff Little is a great 

loss, not only to his friends and 

colleagues in the West Midlands but to 

the driving tuition industry everywhere. 

Geoff became the West Midlands 

Regional Chairman in 1990. My first 

meeting with Geoff was, to say the 

least, tense, as I politely had a moan 

at him. Geoff was part of a local 

Coventry MSA group that as a new 

instructor and MSA member I wished 

to join. At the time there was another 

large out-of-town driving school that 

was competing by offering cheap 

driving lessons, so the local MSA group 

formed a new association and told the 

press that all their members had at 

least five years’ experience. 

This excluded me as a newly 

qualified instructor and at a MSA 

garage meeting in Birmingham I took 

the opportunity to tell Geoff exactly 

what I thought, stating that if the local 

group did not want me now, then I 

would never join them in the future. 

Thankfully Geoff and many of the 

other ADIs realised they did not 

approve of all the group’s ideas and 

left shortly after. Geoff was very happy, 

many years later, to remind me about 

having a go at him at our first meeting. 

I am happy to say we became good 

friends afterwards. 

We travelled together to many places 

around the West Midlands, attending 

garage and committee meetings, even 

coming home from Stoke-on-Trent in a 

snowstorm. A lot of committee 

meetings were often held around 

Burton-on-Trent and when Geoff, Ralph 

Walton and myself travelled together, 

no matter who was driving, each 

journey had one thing in common: we 

got lost coming home! 

For about 20 years Geoff helped to 

organise a crown green bowls 

competition between the MSA GB 

committee and Ashford House, Burtonon-Trent. 

It was a family outing and 

Geoff’s grandson David and my son 

Conrad often accompanied us. We 

played for a trophy named after a 

previous MSA secretary, Tony 

Robinson, who passed away in 2000. 

We normally lost but our opponents 

always graciously called it a draw. I 

think that most committee members 

will remember Tony as the person 

whose car arrived at every meeting 

obviously loaded, but left empty due to 

the fact that the boot was always 

laden with cases of beer, for committee 

members, which Tony used to obtain, 

at bargain prices, from the Burton 

brewery. 

Geoff was the backbone of MSA GB 

West Midlands for many years and I 

was very happy when he suggested I 

join the committee in 1995. In that 

role I saw for myself how hard he 

worked for the region, always striving 

to do the best he could for others. He 

will be sadly missed. 

Geoff pictured with his grandson 

David playing bowls in the annual 

MSA GB West Midlands v Ashfield 

House bowls match. MSA GB 

inevitably lost... but our chivalrous 

hosts always called it a draw.... 


09

News 

Eyesight checks in the gloom is latest 

DVSA plan to cut L-test waiting times 

DVSA’s drive to increase the availability 

of L-tests has led to a proposed change 

of the rules around eyesight checks. 

Currently, L-test eyesight checks must 

take place in good daylight. This 

automatically means that tests are only 

organised to take place in daylight, and 

excludes any chance of lengthening the 

testing day by running tests early in the 

day or at dusk, particularly outside the 

summer months. 

It also means that at times tests are 

cancelled if, in the opinion of the 

examiner, the light is too poor to conduct 

the eyesight check, often because of bad 

weather. 

The proposed change would allow the 

DVSA to carry out tests at any time and 

not just rely on candidates having to read 

from a car number plate. It is looking at 

different ways to test someone’s eyesight, 

such as on a tablet in the same way 

some opticians do. 

As part of this the DVSA is working 

with the Secretary of State for Transport’s 

Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on 

Driving and Visual Disorders to assess 

and review a new approach. 

If allowed, the DVSA would have 

greater flexibility to offer tests in lower 

light conditions. Tests could be run much 

later in the day, start earlier, and there 

would be less chance of bad weather 

cancellations. 

Starting tests in poor visibility 

stretches imagination beyond belief 

MSA GB asks... What’s your view of 

this idea? On paper some may say it is 

sensible. After all, there is little point 

in someone passing their driving test 

but being unable to see a number 

plate – the designated level at which 

the authorities believe your sight is 

good enough for you to drive – once 

the light fades, as can be the case 

with some eye conditions. 

It also prevents the frustration of 

attending an early driving test only to 

find the light is deemed as too poor for 

eyesight tests to take place, and the 

entire test is cancelled. 

There is the other factor: anything, 

just about anything, that helps get 

more tests on the roster is a positive 

thing. 

However, not every member of the 

MSA GB has responded positively. 

MSA GB South East member and 

regular Newslink contributor Rod 

Came said the plan showed the DVSA 

was “out of touch with reality” as it 

scrabbled round for an answer to the 

problem of L-test waiting lists. 

He commented: “Book now for the 

21.20 test on the 21st June; sunset is 

21.21 so your client will be able to 

demonstrate to the examiner their 

ability to overtake in the dark. 

“Won’t that be fun. 

“How out of touch with reality is the 

DVSA? 

“In my experience practical driving 

tests are not carried out in poor 

visibility, in fact they are abandoned 

when visibility deteriorates, so the 

suggestion that they should start in 

such conditions stretches my 

imagination beyond belief.” 

There is also a road safety benefit, as 

the DVSA believes this change would 

encourage ADIs and learners to practise 

driving more at night before their test. 

Night-time driving lessons are an 

important part of any pupil’s training, but 

in a survey it was revealed that one-infour 

newly qualified drivers said they 

wished they had spent more time driving 

in the dark during their lessons. 

More worryingly, 1 in 10 new drivers 

said they had actively avoided driving in 

the dark since passing their test. 

This means around 47,000 drivers 

who passed their test in the last year 

might not be regularly driving at night. 

This is a real concern, especially when 

around a third of all road accidents 

involve young drivers at night. 

All drivers must be able to drive safely 

in the dark, so this proposal will better 

prepare your pupils for this important 

driving skill, the DVSA says. 

What’s your view? 

You still have time to have your say. 

The DVSA has held open its consultation 

on this issue until 8th March. It also 

includes other measures for improving 

driving test availability and processes. 

So far 10,000 responses have been 

received. 

Click here to 

have your say 

10 



Mark Magee steps down as 

DVSA’s head of driver policy 

Mark Magee, one of the DVSA’s best 

known figures, has retired after 14 years. 

He is replaced as DVSA head of driver 

policy by Lianne Parkinson. Prior to 

taking on that role Mark was ADI 

registrar until he moved over to driver 

policy five years ago. 

Jacqui Turland remains as the current 

ADI registrar. 

Peter Harvey commented: “Mark was 

always a pleasure to deal with and made 

himself available to discuss driver 

training and testing policy with MSA GB 

officials, particularly when he was ADI 

registrar and in recent years over major 

changes to the L-test and allowing 

learners to go on motorways. 

“When he was the registrar I thought 

he always gave ADIs a fair hearing if he 

had to review their position on the 

register and treated each case on its 

merits. He was also happy to attend our 

events, and made a positive contribution 

to the profession.” 

Peter added: “I’m sure I speak for all 

MSA GB members when I welcome 

Lianne to her new role and look forward 

to working with her in the future.” 

Lianne previously worked for a number 

of years at the DVLA where she led on 

projects such as the abolition of the tax 

disc, introducing Direct Debit for vehicle 

tax, digitising many of the vehicle 

paper-based services, improving 

accuracy of data and launching a new 

trailer registration scheme to help 

hauliers travel more easily throughout 

Europe. 

Lianne commented: “Before Mark left, 

he and I were able to have a good 

hand-over of responsibilities and he 

shared how his experiences of attending 

and presenting at ADI events where he 

met and spoke to a lot of you. 

“He said working with the ADI 

community had been a real pleasure and 

I’m really looking forward to being able 

to do the same.” 

‘‘ 

Mark always made himself 

available to discuss policy with 

MSA GB officers... and when he 

was Registrar he always gave 

ADIs a fair hearing and treated 

each case on its merits... 

‘‘ 


11

News 

Blind community advised to not change 

behaviour over the new Highway Code 

The new Highway Code has provoked a 

huge amount of discussion, some 

positive and some negative, but as with 

all major changes, it has also unearthed 

a number of what were possibly 

unintended consequences as the changes 

came info force. 

John Lomas, MSA GB North West 

editor, was one of a number of members 

who contacted our head office to ask 

whether the blind community had had 

any input in the changes. 

This was prompted by a Facebook 

message that said: ‘When considering 

these changes drivers need to remember 

that guide dogs are trained not to take 

their owners across a road when cars are 

present. If they were waiting to cross a 

side road, and a car was looking to turn 

into that road, guide dogs will not take 

their owners across the road. 

‘This could lead to the situation where 

drivers wait on a main road for blind 

pedestrians to cross, while their dogs sit 

patiently waiting for the coast to clear.’ 

It is a good point, and anything that 

encourages drivers to be more aware of 

the challenges facing the blind 

community is to be welcomed, but it 

needs stressing that the Highway Code 

changes were discussed extensively with 

members of that community before being 

brought in. 

Here we publish advice provided by 

‘Guide Dogs’, which is a working name 

for the Guide Dogs for the Blind 

Association. The guidance produced 

relates to Assistance Dogs as well, and is 

an open statement to the blind community. 

Changes to the Highway Code: how 

they impact on the blind community 

Updates to the Highway Code put 

greater emphasis on the safety of 

vulnerable road users and pedestrians. 

We’ve had a few guide dog owners ask 

us about these changes, and how they 

will affect working their guide dogs. Here 

are our responses to some of the most 

common questions: 

Should I change my behaviour 

when crossing the road? 

As there is not yet widespread public 

awareness of these changes, we’re 

currently recommending that you don’t 

change your behaviour when crossing 

the road. You should take control of the 

situation and only cross when you feel it 

is safe to do so. In many cases, not 

proceeding in front of vehicles at junctions 

will remain the safest option, including 

when traffic is giving way to you. 

What should I do if a vehicle stops for 

me to cross? 

We recommend that you take control 

of the situation and are clear to the 

motorist about your intention. For 

example, waving the car on or stepping 

away from the kerb edge are clear signals 

that you’re not prepared to proceed. 

It’s often safer for people with a vision 

impairment to ‘indent’ further into a side 

road before deciding to cross. 

However, each person and situation 

are unique, and thus it’s only possible to 

offer general guidance and advice. 

Can I rely on drivers to follow the new 

rules? 

As there is not yet widespread public 

awareness of these changes, we 

currently recommend that you don’t 

change your behaviour when crossing the 

road. While one driver may follow the 

new guidance, other may not. You should 

not assume that you are totally safe to 

proceed when a single car offers to give 

way to you. 

Will the updated Highway Code lead to 

changes in how guide dogs are trained? 

No, we won’t need to change how our 

dogs are trained as the updated Code 

will make little difference to their 

understanding of safety in traffic. Our 

dogs are taught to be aware of moving 

vehicles and respond to any that may 

present a threat to safety. 

However, it’s the person who takes the 

responsibility for safe places and times to 

cross the road. 

Stationary vehicles are not a threat to 

safety and our dogs already cross in front 

of cars that stop and give way at zebra 

and pelican crossings. Dogs are unlikely 

to interpret these differently to any other 

road when car drivers attempt to follow 

the new code. 

Have the rules changed around cyclists 

and pedestrians? 

Under the updated Code, cyclists have 

a responsibility to reduce danger to 

pedestrians and should also give way to 

pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a 

road at junctions. 

However, as there isn’t yet widespread 

public awareness of these changes, we 

are currently recommending that you 

don’t change your behaviour when 

crossing the road. 

Click here for 

more information 

12 


News 

New examiner packs are inclusive 

boost for deaf learners 

DVSA has published a new candidate 

pack for deaf learner drivers. 

This pack is a tool that will be used by 

examiners when conducting practical car 

tests for deaf candidates. 

It has been developed using feedback 

from candidates, examiners and 

instructors. 

The pack is supported and endorsed 

by a number of external stakeholders 

including the Royal Association for Deaf 

People, the Disability Driving Instructors 

Association, Driving Mobility, and NASP 

members the Motor Schools Association 

of Great Britain, the Driving Instructors 

Association and the Approved Driving 

Instructors National Joint Council. 

The pack features written instructions, 

cues and visual prompt cards to help 

examiners communicate with candidates 

and explain the process of the test. This 

will help ensure a consistent experience 

for test candidates, with the pack being 

freely available ahead of their test date 

– to help them prepare and put them at 

ease. 

When the pack will be used 

The DVSA has introduced all its driving 

examiners to the pack and trained them 

in using it, and it will be used for all tests 

involving a deaf candidate. 

Examiners may still use other forms of 

communication upon the request of the 

candidate, such as lip reading or British 

Sign Language, where possible. 

Please note that examiners will not use 

the prompt cards while the vehicle is in 

motion, only when stationary to avoid 

further distraction. 

How you can use the pack 

MSA GB is encouraging all its 

members to make themselves 

acquainted with the pack, even if you do 

not usually teach deaf pupils. It is a 

positive move towards improving 

inclusivity if all ADIs are aware of the 

challenges and issues facing deaf learner 

drivers. 

You can download a copy of the pack 

for your own training purposes by 

clicking the panel below. 

Feedback and development 

After the pack has been used for a 

period of time, the DVSA will contact 

ADIs for feedback on its usefulness and 

contents, as well as take in the views of 

the deaf community. 

The pack may be revised at a later 

date to take into account any suggestions 

made. 

Click here for more details 

and the packs 

Driving test centre updates 

Pontefract 

The address of the temporary 

Pontefract driving test centre has 

changed. 

The address of the new temporary 

site is: Churchill House, Mill Hill Rd, 

Pontefract WF8 4HY 

Candidates with tests booked should 

now meet their examiner at Churchill 

House until this work has been 

completed. 

The Churchill House car park is not 

available for parking or for practising. 

The tests are starting from the car 

park at the Masonic Hall. Candidates 

should park there and then walk to 

Churchill House, where examiners will 

meet them. 

Candidates should not practise in, or 

enter the Masonic Hall car park unless 

they are arriving for a test. 

Basingstoke 

The Basingstoke driving test centre 

will be temporarily closed for 

refurbishment from Monday, 7th March 

until Sunday, 10th April. 

All practical car driving tests, ADI 

tests and standards checks will still go 

ahead as planned, however, but instead 

these will take place at the following 

address: Grove House, Lutyens Close, 

Lychpit, Basingstoke RG24 8AG 

Testing will recommence from the 

Basingstoke test centre on Monday, 

11th April. 

Doncaster 

As previously advised in Newslink, 

the Doncaster driving test centre is 

temporarily closed for refurbishment 

until Friday, 25th March. 

Tests are continuing from Unit 12 

(Legacy Centre), Shaw Wood Way, 

Doncaster DN2 5TB, with the test 

centre reopening on 28th March. 

Letchworth 

Letchworth’s DTC driving test centre 

is temporarily closed for refurbishment 

and will re-open on Monday, 28th 

March. 

ADIs in the area were advised of this 

closure in December. 

Tests are currently being run from 

Mercure Letchworth Hall Hotel, 

Letchworth Lane, Letchworth Garden 

City SG6 3NP, until Friday, 25th 


14 



MP comes out fighting after ADI asks 

for help to save her local DTC 

An ADI in Hampshire has enlisted the 

help of her local MP to keep a driving 

test open. 

MSA GB member Sue Jepson contacted 

Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith 

(pictured below) for help after the 

DVSA announced that the 

Forest Hills test centre would 

close on 10th April. 

She told him that DVSA 

plans to close the driving 

test centre in Townhill 

Park (Forest Hills Drive) 

will force people from the 

east of Southampton to 

travel to Maybush for a driving 

test. “It is a well-used and popular 

test centre and this closure will be hugely 

inconvenient and unpopular with many 

people,” she said. 

She pointed out to Mr Smith that little 

or no consultation had taken place with 

local ADIs, and that the decision would 

cause considerable extra expense for both 

them and their pupils. 

Furthermore, she said that the closure 

would mean Maybush would now have to 

cater for 55+ tests per day, but its 

infrastructure was not capable of handling 

that number. 

In particular, “the car park 

cannot accommodate that 

number of candidates, and 

the surrounding area is not 

suitable for this volume of 

learners.” 

“The DVSA says it is going 

to reconfigure the car park, 

but this is going to happen only 

after Forest Hills has closed!” she 

said. 

Sue sent a copy of her concerns to 

DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder 

before asking Mr Smith to help. 

Royston Smith replied: “Thank you for 

your email and apologies for the delayed 

response. Thank you also for sharing a 

copy of the email you sent directly to the 

DVSA. I agree with every word of your 

email. As soon as I found out about this 

from local driving instructors, I made 

contact with the DVSA Chief Executive on 

13th January, outlining my concerns. 

“I do not think it is fair or right for this 

centre to close and I believe this will be 

detrimental to many of my constituents, 

as you have highlighted. I am opposing 

the closure and will keep pushing the 

case for a centre to remain open. ” 

Mr Smith has set up a petition on 

Survey Monkey, which MSA GB members 

can view at the link below and sign if they 

feel it is appropriate. 

Mr Smith will send it on to the DVSA in 

due course. 

The survey can be viewed – and signed 

– at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ 

ZLK59ZJ 

Click here to see 

the petition 


15

News 

ADI facing huge hike in fuel prices as 

global tensions explode into chaos 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 

pours more fuel on fire of 

ongoing energy supply issues 

ADIs are being warned to expect much 

higher fuel prices in the coming months 

as the global energy supply crisis was 

exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of 

Ukraine. 

Russia currently supplies around five 

per cent of global oil supplies, making it 

one of the biggest producers – though its 

contribution to the total UK forecourt 

supply is believed to be less than this. 

However, despite supplying a fairly 

small amount of the total, its invasion of 

Ukraine has exacerbated current global 

supply issues, and as a result oil market 

analysts expect to see the uncertainty 

over future supply to lead to a huge rise 

in fuel costs at the pump. 

Petrol prices hit an average for petrol of 

£1.50 this weekend, for diesel, £1.53 

– and some more gloomy market experts 

believe it could go much higher, with a 

price point of £1.60 per litre possible in 

the next fortnight. 

The price of Brent crude oil hit its 

highest level in eight years after 

increasing by 6.3% to $102.90 last 

Thursday, the day after Russia began the 

invasion of its neighbour. 

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams 

said, after fuel prices broke the £1.50 

mark, “The question then becomes 

where will this stop and how much can 

drivers take, just as many are using their 

cars more and returning to workplaces. 

“If the oil price was to increase to 

$110, there’s a very real danger the 

average price of petrol would hit £1.55 a 

litre. 

“This would cause untold financial 

difficulties for many people who depend 

on their cars for getting to work and 

running their lives as it would skyrocket 

the cost of a full tank to £85. 

“At $120 a barrel, without any change 

to the exchange rate which is currently at 

1.35 US dollars – we would be looking 

at £1.60 a litre and £88 for a full tank.” 

Experian Catalist’s figures showed UK 

average prices on forecourts last week as 

149.43p for petrol and 152.83p for 

diesel. This compares with petrol at 

145.91p and diesel at 149.22p a month 

ago, and petrol at 122.50p and diesel at 

125.99p a year ago. 

AA president Edmund King said: 

“Russia’s attack on Ukraine and resulting 

geopolitical uncertainty has pushed Brent 

crude above 100 US dollars per barrel 

for the first time since 2014. 

“This will result in hikes in prices at 

the pumps and new record fuel prices 

are likely any time soon.” 

For ADIs already contemplating soaring 

gas and electricity prices at home, as 

well as higher prices in the shops, this 

news could not come at a worse time. 

If petrol does reach £1.60 a litre as 

has been predicted, an ADI doing 

30,000 miles a year in a 40mpg car 

would see their fuel bill rise from around 

£4,155 a year ago to an eye-watering 

£5,500. 

A spokesman for MSA GB said that, 

regrettably, the huge rise in fuel bills has 

to be passed on to the customer. “ADIs 

should not expect to carry the burden of 

this rise in fuel costs alone. 

“Unfortunately, all instructors must 

look again at their pricing and increase 

lesson charges to absorb some, if not all, 

of this increase. Let’s hope this situation 

calms down soon.” 

One-in-six speeding offences cancelled, police admit 

More than one-in-six speeding offences 

detected by police in England and Wales 

ends up being cancelled, new figures 

show. 

Analysis of Government data by the 

RAC Foundation revealed that 400,000 

(17%) of 2.4 million speeding cases in 

the 12 months to the end of March last 

year were dismissed. 

This is up from 13% during 2019/20. 

Reasons for cancelling offences include: 

n Faulty speed cameras. 

n Cloned vehicles carrying false number 

plates. 

n Emergency vehicles lawfully breaking 

speed limits. 

n Delays in issuing notices of intended 

prosecution. 

n Lack of resources to bring cases to 

court. 

The RAC Foundation said some of these 

issues could have been exacerbated by 

the coronavirus pandemic. 

The highest proportions of cancelled 

speeding cases during 2020/21 were in 

Greater Manchester and Warwickshire, 

both at 39%. 

Wiltshire, which has no fixed speed 

cameras, saw the lowest proportion of 

dismissed cases, at just 2%. 

RAC Foundation director, Steve 

Gooding, said: “It is correct that drivers 

caught speeding should face the 

consequences, but it is also important 

that the systems of detection and 

prosecution are robust. 

“The hundreds of thousands of 

cancelled offences each year indicate they 

are not. At the very least it is an 

administrative burden the police could do 

without. 

“We urge the Home Office to start 

collecting data from police forces about 

these cancelled offences so we can 

understand where the problem lies.” 

16 


The Official 

Highway Code 

NEW EDITION 

Updated with the new rules and advice 

Essential reading for all road users 

New edition publishes in April 2022 

Bulk discounts available to driving schools 

and road safety organisations 

RRP 

£4.99 

www.safedrivingforlife.info 

If you’re interested in advertising in The Official Highway Code or on 

www.safedrivingforlife.info please contact dvsaadvertising@media-shed.co.uk for details 

The marketing of products published by TSO is funded by TSO, tso.co.uk 

The Stationery Office Limited is registered in England No. 3049649 at1-5 Poland St, Soho, London W1F 8PR

News 

Companies rally round to help disabled 

assessors bounce back after vehicle theft 

Colin Lilly 

Editor, MSA GB Newslink 

In the December issue of Newslink we 

reported the sad news that Southamptonbased 

Wessex DriveAbility’s fleet of 

modified vehicles for driving assessments 

had been stolen. At the time it was 

thought the theft would put the company 

out of business, thus making it 

increasingly difficult for disabled drivers 

to get back on the road. 

Well, I’m delighted to report that the 

charity has been able to restart its services 

after receiving a number of donations from 

local and national companies. 

Wessex DriveAbility operates as a 

charity within the national network of 

Driving Mobility Assessment Centres. Its 

team of ADIs and occupational therapists 

provide ‘fitness to drive’ assessments for 

elderly and disabled people who selfrefer 

or are signposted from the DVLA, 

Motability, NHS and the police. The team 

ensures drivers are safe to continue 

driving and, where necessary, provide 

clinical recommendations relating to 

adapted driving controls and wheelchair 

accessible vehicles. 

However, the theft before Christmas of 

its fleet of specialist vehicles meant it 

was unable to provide this vital service. 

Nevertheless, through the 

determination of Rachel Odell, centre 

manager and her team, Wessex has been 

able to restart services once more, aided 

by donations from national adaptation 

equipment suppliers – all co-ordinated 

and fitted for free by Chapman Car Care, 

also based in Southampton. 

Ben Chapman, managing director at 

Chapman Car Care, was the prime 

instigator of the rescue package. His 

company is a Motability approved 

adaptation installer specialising in vehicle 

adaptations for disabled drivers, 

passengers and driving instructors. Ben 

has also been a trustee of Wessex 

DriveAbility for over four years so when 

he heard the news of the break-in, he 

immediately visited the centre to see 

how he could help. 

Ben explains: “I was shocked and 

Ben Chapman, of Chapman 

Car Care: “Giving up my 

time for Wessex was the 

least I could do” 

sickened when I saw what had 

happened; there was broken glass 

everywhere and the Wessex team were 

all in shock. 

“This was such an awful crime that 

would impact on so many people with 

disabilities. Without any assessment cars 

and as a charity, could this be the end of 

Wessex? We had to do something. 

“Within a few hours I had managed to 

contact a few of our main vehicle 

adaptation manufacturers who kindly 

offered to donate a range of equipment. 

Once Rachel had managed to organise 

delivery of a replacement Ford C-Max 

following a challenging insurance pay 

out, I fitted all the control systems free of 

charge. 

“Giving up my time for free was the 

least I could do to help Wessex, as we’ve 

had such a strong commercial 

relationship for many years.” 

As this new vehicle is fitted with a 

large range of adaptations it provides a 

highly flexible solution suitable for a wide 

variety of drivers. This has been crucial 

to get services back up and running as of 

the five vehicles stolen, two are still 

missing and two are undergoing 

investigation. Unbelievably, one of these 

cars was written off in a recovery yard 

accident and another spotted parked 

near the centre with fake numberplates. 

Rachel is so grateful to everyone who 

has supported Wessex during this 

challenging time: “We had equipment 

donations from Jeff Gosling Hand Controls, 

Lodgesons, Elap and Kivi; thanks to them 

we are back clinically assessing and 

signposting disabled drivers. 

“With the demand for our services 

already stretched by the pandemic, this 

theft could not have come at a worse 

time. 

“However, with help from companies 

such as Chapman Car Care, we have 

been able to get back on our feet. 

“We are all so appreciative. Ben 

Chapman has been absolutely amazing 

making all of this happen, especially as 

the new car he has fitted out contains so 

much specialist equipment. 

“Despite numerous setbacks, we 

continue striving to replace the other 

vehicles and have already installed more 

robust security at the centre. 

“The Wessex team and I are feeling 

more positive about the future now and 

are delighted to be seeing once more the 

positive outcomes we achieve.” 

18 



MTVs reduce engine size required for bike tests 

New regulations changing the rules on 

engine capacity for motorcycles used for 

category A2 motorcycle tests and to 

some categories of vocational driving 

licences came into force on 1 March. 

The changes: 

n The Minimum Test Vehicle 

Requirement (MTV) for motorcycles used 

for the A2 test is reduced from 395cc to 

245cc, provided that the other MTV 

requirements are still met 

n Candidates who pass a test in an 

automatic C1 or D1 vehicle who already 

hold a full manual licence in another car, 

bus or lorry category, will get both the 

Last chance to 

get CycleSavvy 

ADIs can still sign up to take part in the 

Cycle Savvy pilot project and get access 

to a free two-hour online training course. 

Nearly 2,000 ADIs have already 

registered – but you must register and 

complete training before the end of 


This Department for Transport-funded 

research project will help to improve 

understanding and co-operation between 

people who drive and people who cycle. 

As an ADI you can help to influence the 

future of driver and cyclist training 

through your participation and feedback, 

as well as gaining valuable training. 

Free online training 

You can access a free two-hour online 

training course, or opt for a practical 

training session and be entered into a 

prize draw. Five £100 Amazon vouchers 

must be won. 

Click here to register 

manual and auto entitlement – but 

cannot drive vehicles on the new 

entitlement until their licence has been 

updated by DVLA. 

Bikes that can be used for A2 tests 

These changes will benefit both the 

motorcycle industry and test candidates 

who will be able to take their test on a 

wider range of motorcycles. 

If you are planning to upgrade your 

motorcycle fleet you can read the full 

guidance, including the changes to the 

minimum test vehicle requirements, on 

GOV.UK and view the updated list of 

bikes that can be used for A2 test. 

The list may not include every bike so 

if you have any questions about any that 

aren’t listed please email 

technicalstandards@dvsa.gov.uk 

Vocational licences 

Eligible drivers who want to add the 

additional C1 and D1 entitlement 

upgrades to their licence will need to 

write a covering letter to DVLA to apply 

along with their current licence, stating 

which entitlement they want to be 

added. These will need to be sent to the 

dedicated postal address which is: 

DVLA, Swansea, SA6 7JL. It is hoped to 

update the licence in two weeks. 


19

News 

Clean Air Zones in tatters as supply chain and 

pandemic set back low emission vehicle take-up 

The future of Clean Air Zones (CAZ) 

around the UK has been put in doubt 

after Greater Manchester put back plans 

to introduce its own zone. 

The original Greater Manchester Clean 

Air Plan was designed to start in May, to 

comply with the government’s directive 

on clean air standards. 

Where this scheme differed from 

others already introduced was its sheer 

scale – it had the potential to impact on 

the entire Greater Manchester region, an 

area of 2.8 million people – and the 

number of vehicles it would affect. 

However, local authorities within the 

region have said they are struggling to 

implement a plan proposed before the 

pandemic. It was originally hoped at its 

announcement in 2019 that businesses 

and private car owners would have three 

years to switch their vehicles to electric 

or cleaner petrol engines before the 

plan’s implementation. This would be 

backed by a major public information 

campaign promoting cycling, public 

transport and walking. 

However, businesses struggling to cope 

with the financial impact of the 

pandemic have parked plans to upgrade 

vehicle fleets, as have many private 

owners who have delayed new car 

purchases. In addition, supply chain 

problems have hampered the ability of 

manufacturers to get stock of their latest 

models to the UK. 

In addition, proposed public 

information campaigns promoting the 

zone have been cancelled as the focus 

has been on dealing with the pandemic. 

The result is a series of clean air zones 

coming to fruition for which neither the 

public or local businesses are ready for. 

Oxford City Council brought in its own 

clean air zone from 28th February which 

will see most non-electric or ultra-clean 

engined cars and vans charged between 

£2-£10 a day for entering the city 

centre, but it covers a relatively small 

area and is being viewed as a pilot, the 

results of which will be used to guide the 

implementation of a larger plan in the 

future. 

A clean air zone in Birmingham is up 

and running but it has been criticised by 

environmental groups for being limited in 

the area covered and the vehicles 

charged. For example, a six-year old 

1.5-litre Ford Kuga is clean enough to 

enter Birmingham without charge – 

something clean air advocates says 

proves the scheme is too weak. 

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy 

Burnham admitted the future of clean air 

zones was now in doubt and called on 

the government to extend the deadline 

given to councils to be compliant with air 

quality standards to 2027 from the 

current 2024. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had tried 

to shift the blame for Manchester’s zone 

collapsing by saying the Mayor’s plan 

was “unworkable”, but as Burnham 

pointed out, it is the government’s legal 

direction requiring compliance by 2024 

which has now become ‘unworkable’. 

Burnham laid the blame squarely at 

the feet of the government. “It was clear 

to us in January that a delay would be 

the only thing that would allow the 

redesign of the scheme and a different 

way of achieving compliance.” 

He said: “The more time the 

government is prepared to allow, the 

greater the level of protection that can be 

provided to jobs and businesses in 

Greater Manchester and the less punitive 

the measures will need to be.” 

The Labour mayor called on the 

government to set a new date for 

compliance, saying that a charging 

scheme would not be required if the 

deadline is 2027. 

Why Clean Air Zones? 

Poor air quality affects everyone’s 

health, particularly the most vulnerable 

people in society: deprived communities, 

children, elderly people and those with 

chronic conditions like asthma, heart 

disease, stroke and some cancers. It 

contributes to thousands of deaths a year. 

Manchester’s problem 

The original Greater Manchester Clean 

Air Plan included a region-wide category 

C charging Clean Air Zone. It claims that 

only the most polluting vehicles which 

don’t meet emission standards would 

have been charged to drive in the Zone, 

but analysis suggests far more vehicles 

would have been brought within the 

scope of the CAZ than with similar 

schemes around the UK. 

Government has now agreed to lift the 

legal direction that GM should achieve 

compliance with legal limits for nitrogen 

dioxide by 2024, but only until 2026. 

‘‘ 

The government’s 

plan is unworkable 

... It was clear in 

January that a delay 

would be the only 

thing that would 

allow the redesign 

of the scheme 

and a different 

way of achieving 

compliance.” 

Andy Burnham (left) 

20 


Safety at 

your feet 

Protecting instructors and 

pupils for over 60 years 

He-Man Dual Controls Ltd 

023 8022 6952 

www.he-mandualcontrols.co.uk

Events 

LAST CHANCE TO BOOK ... MAKE SURE YOU’RE 

AT THE 2022 ANNUAL CONFERENCE! 

MSA GB Annual 

Conference 2022 

WE’RE BACK with an in-person Conference for 2022 

Join us at our Annual 

Conference 2022 at the 

DoubleTree by Hilton 

Hotel, Coventry 

Weekend of 

Friday & Saturday, 

18th & 19th March 

• DVSA officials 


• Networking events 

• Road safety speakers 

• Business advice 


We are delighted to announce that we are 

returning to an in-person MSA GB Annual 

Conference and AGM for 2022 on March 18th & 

19th at the Double Tree by Hilton in Coventry. 

As with our previous conferences, the event will include: 

• Keynote presentations from industry experts, 

including officials from the DVSA 

• Time for Q&A with leaders of our profession 

• Presentations from road safety and business 

professionals on topic of interest to ADIs 

• Industry update and CPD sessions 


• Networking opportunities with your fellow ADIs. 


DVSA Speakers will be: 

n Peter Hearn, Director of Operations 

n Chris Howes, Driver Training Policy Specialist 

n Nigel Robinson, ADI/CBT Enforcement Delivery Manager 

n Bill Pope, Head of Publishing 

PLUS Workshops by Bob Morton, Graham Feest as well as 

the opportunity to network and ask questions on the day. 

PLUS THE HE-MAN MSA GB AWARDS 

and TWO SOCIAL EVENTS 

FRIDAY EVENING BUFFET – chance to relax and mix with 

friends before the Conference begins on the Saturday. 

SATURDAY EVENING DINNER AND QUIZ NIGHT – for 

some light entertainment before you head home on the 

Sunday. 

Book your place now at www.msagb.com or / 01625 664501 

22 

NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2022


LOCATED IN THE HEART OF ENGLAND, just off 

the M6, is where you’ll find our venue, the 

DoubleTree by Hilton Coventry Hotel. 

Newly refurbished and welcoming, it’s just 10 

minutes from Coventry city centre, just off the M6, 

and has modern guestrooms with a 49-inch LCD 

TVs, work desk and upgraded complimentary WiFi 

should you wish to make a weekend of it. There’s plenty of on-site parking, a 

Starbucks and a Living Well-pool, sauna, steam room and gym on site. 

Why not make a weekend of it with your partner? Special MSA GB room rates 

available (see below and panel right) 

Ticket packages 

Day Delegate Early Bird Price 

Accommodation prices 

Please book your accommodation 

direct with the hotel by calling 

02476 603000 and quote the 

MSA GB’s discount code, AMOTB 

to secure our special rate for the 

weekend. 

Single occupancy B&B, per night 

£82 

£55 www.msagb.com 

Double occupancy B&B, per night 

Day ticket to conference including morning coffee, lunch, 

afternoon tea and all paperwork 

Delegate Weekend Early Bird Price 

£115 

Weekend package to include Friday night buffet, Day ticket to 

conference including morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and 

Saturday evening food & entertainment 

Once you 

have chosen the 

package that suits 

you, book on 

01625 664501 or 

Non-Delegate Weekend Early Bird Price 

£90 

Non-Delegate Weekend package to include Friday night buffet and 

Saturday evening food & entertainment 

£92 

HURRY! 

MSA GB special 

room rate expires 

on Saturday, 

March 5! 

Friday Night Buffet Social 

£30 

Saturday Night Dinner & Quiz 

£30 

Bringing a non-delegate guest? Our host 

hotel has superb leisure facilities for them 

to use, and Coventry is a fascinating city 

with some great attractions, including the 

world-famous cathedral and peace 

museum 

NEWSLINK n FEBRUARY 2022 

23

Special report 

Rural ADIs left in limbo 

as DVSA prioritises its 

urban test centre estate 

Aaron Gale, who is a member 

of MSA GB from Huntly in 

Aberdeenshire and also sits 

on the Inverurie & District 

Driving Schools Association, 

has supplied this report 

highlighting the long-term 

difficulties ADIs operating 

in rural areas experience in 

accessing driving tests 

It’s possible that ADIs who mainly present 

pupils at main test centres (MTC), may 

not be aware of the plight of ADIs and 

that of their clients, who are primarily 

based at local test centres (LTC). 

For those instructors who do work and 

live rurally, the lack of driving test 

availability dominates every aspect of 

how they run their business. What’s 

most concerning for many is that this 

problem is getting worse and shows no 

signs of improving. 

In addition to the same long waiting 

times all ADIs are experiencing, recent 

closure, without warning or consultation, 

of LTCs in England have caused anxiety 

for many rural instructors for whom the 

closure of their LTC could put them out 

of business (see page 15 for news of this). 

What’s the difference between 

MTCs and LTCs? 

As most ADIs are aware, MTCs are 

located in cities and typically offer driving 

test appointments daily with a team of 

examiners carrying out seven tests per 

day. Waiting times for a test can vary – 

and at present are lengthy. LTCs are 

situated in smaller towns and the DVSA 

usually rents an office from a local 

business. An examiner (on very rare 

occasions, two examiners) will travel 

once or twice per week from the nearest 

MTC and conduct driving tests from this 

rented office. 

To put this into context, Aberdeen 

North test centre, which operates in the 

Bridge of Don area, has four-five 

examiners working five days per week 

carrying out 28-35 tests per day. 

Inverurie test centre, by contrast, has one 

examiner working two days per week, 

carrying out 14 tests per week. In one 

week, Inverurie carries out roughly half 

the amount of tests Aberdeen North does 

in one day. This is despite Aberdeenshire 

now having a greater population than 

that of Aberdeen City. 

Because the demand for tests at LTC 

greatly outstrips supply, candidates 

usually wait months for a test date – 

even before the pandemic. It’s also 

considerably more difficult to book a test 

at an LTC. When a day of test 

appointments goes live on the system, 

they are often booked up within minutes 

and candidates will have to wait weeks 

for the next batch to go live. 

This problem is exacerbated by 

‘cancellation apps’ which interrogate the 

DVSA booking system for test dates and 

alert their customers to new available 

dates. Candidates without such an app 

can therefore be trapped in a constant 

cycle of refreshing the system day in, day 

out in the hope they can catch a test 

date before they are booked up. 

At some LTCs, test appointments are 

so rare that they don’t even appear on 

the system. Instead, a candidate places a 

test on ‘hold’ and their name is placed 

on a waiting list. Once the TCM has 

made an examiner available for a day of 

tests at the LTC, the candidate is sent an 

email with the date and time of their 

test. This email can arrive months after 

the test is placed on hold and the test 

itself can be months after the day the 

email is received. 

If the DVSA goes ahead with proposed 

changes to the length of time a candidate 

has to wait before being able to book a 

test after an unsuccessful attempt, it may 

see candidates in rural areas having to 

wait another 28 days before even being 

able to back on hold for potentially 

months. 

How do these long waiting times affect 

ADIs working rurally? 

As you might expect, the system for 

booking a test at a LTC is clunky and 

difficult to manage. The variability and 

unpredictable nature of the system can 

make it difficult for ADIs to estimate 

when they should place their pupils on 

hold for a test. It’s not uncommon for a 

pupil to be given an inappropriate test 

date. ADIs must walk a careful line 

between holding a competent pupil back 

and presenting an underprepared pupil 

for test. 

While it is technically possible to swap 

candidates dates around to better suit 

their level of competency, an ADI may 

have to wait up to two hours on hold to 

the DVSA to do so and even then, there’s 

no way to guarantee a pupil will get a 

suitable date. 

A lack of test dates at LTCs ultimately 

leads to rurally based ADIs bringing 

‘‘ 

Although both faults are 

relatively easy to identify, 

they are not always so easy 

to analyse, because they can 

often be to do with a lack of 

confidence... 

‘‘ 

24 



candidates to MTCs for test. This has a 

detrimental effect on the surrounding 

areas where the volume of learner drivers 

increases, clogging up residential areas 

and test routes. The extra time spent 

travelling to the MTC from rural areas 

(for test and practice) also has a negative 

effect on the environment. 

This extra travelling can also impact 

the capacity to earn for rural ADIs. Many 

rurally based clients are put off going 

with a local instructor because they are 

aware a large proportion of their lesson 

time will be spent travelling and instead 

opt for cheaper public transport to take 

them for lessons with a city instructor 

who works at an MTC location. 

Alternatively, rural ADIs can opt to 

commute to MTC locations but only at 

extra cost to their fuel bill, carbon 

footprint and time. 

LTCs do not hold value for ADIs only. 

The lack of test availability and threat of 

closure is felt negatively by the local 

communities they serve more generally. 

Learner drivers are faced with the same 

additional financial, environmental and 

time burdens as ADIs. Indeed, it’s 

possible that for some people struggling 

with the cost-of-living crisis, closure of 

their LTC could lift learning to drive out 

of reach all together. The impact of this 

should not be underestimated in areas 

where driving is the only viable way to 

access employment and essential 

services. 

Perhaps most importantly of all, the 

lack of test availability in rural locations 

incentivises rurally based learners to 

learn in cities and not the more 

dangerous rural, country roads that they 

are likely to drive on most when full 

license holders. From a road safety point 

of view, it makes sense that young 

learners should be tested on these roads. 

Why are waiting times so poor at LTCs 

when demand is so great? 

The huge imbalance in the way TCMs 

manage driving test availability between 

MTCs and LTCs can be explained by 

looking at the way the DVSA measures 

and monitors driving test waiting times. 

TCMs are judged on their ability to keep 

test waiting times on target at MTCs 

only; this incentivises them to prioritise 

appointments for MTCs at the cost of 

LTCs. 

If the DVSA feels – as it did before the 

pandemic – that it’s unacceptable for a 

candidate to wait longer than two weeks 

for a test at an MTC, why is it seemingly 

acceptable for a rurally based candidate 

to wait months at an LTC? Given that 

demand for tests at LTCs is clearly there, 

it’s easy to see why some rurally based 

ADIs and their clients see this imbalance 

as discriminatory. 

What can be done to improve waiting 

times at LTCs? 

Many rurally based ADIs believe that 

waiting times at LTCs would be greatly 

improved if the DVSA took them into 

account when measuring the 

performance of a TCM. Tweaking the 

system so that poor waiting times at 

LTCs are treated with the same 

significance as those at MTCs would see 

TCMs incentivised to redress the balance 

between where they schedule their 

examiners’ time. 

It’s clear, though, that the DVSA is not 

motivated to make this change. The 

Inverurie & District Driving Schools 

Association has years of replies from the 

DVSA about this very complaint. As well 

as the familiar excuse that long waiting 

times are the result of underprepared 

pupils presenting for test, they often 

By prioritising urban centres at the 

expense of rural ones, the DVSA is 

accused of ignoring the higher fatality 

rates on rural roads among 

inexperienced drivers. 

Left, one benefit of teaching in rural 

areas is that DTCs tend to have higher 

pass rates than their urban counterparts. 

In 2019 the test centre in Gairloch was 

found to have Great Britain’s best pass 

rate, at 86.5 per cent 

imply that rurally based instructors 

should be grateful that LTCs exist at all 

and that pupils should be trained to pass 

a test at any location, not just their local 

area. 

The ADI’s concerns for the financial 

viability of their business and the impact 

on the environment are seemingly 

brushed aside. 

Whether or not it is even possible to 

inspire the DVSA into making any 

meaningful change is not clear, but it can 

be said with confidence that they will/do 

not listen to the concerns of individual 

ADIs or small ADI groups or associations. 

Local MPs may have access to levers 

which could force change from within 

the DVSA, and pressure from an 

exasperated public might bring the 

support of these local MPs to the side of 

rurally based ADIs. 

But much of the public are unaware of 

the extent to which a lack of test 

availability/closure of LTCs is detrimental 

to the local community. 

Perhaps the only option is a concerted 

campaign utilising social media and local 

traditional media to raise awareness of 

these issues with the public. 


25

Comment 

As ever, more questions than answers 

when DVSA brings forward new ideas 

Rod Came 

MSA GB South East 

As was covered in the February issue of 

Newslink, the DVSA has started a trial of 

using non-DVSA car parks at 15 driving 

test centres around the country. 

The trial will last for six weeks, so it 

should be ending mid-March. 

Several questions immediately came to 

mind when I read the news, such as; 

n Who owns the car parks: 

supermarkets, councils, colleges, private? 

n Is the DVSA paying for the use of 

the car parks for driving test 

manoeuvres? 

n Will parking spaces with no vehicles 

in the adjacent spaces be the only ones 

used? 

n Will the spaces only be used be for 

driving test purposes? 

n Will ADIs have access to the car 

parks for practice purposes? 

n What enforcement will there be to 

differentiate between ADIs and DEs using 

the spaces? 

n If vehicles are in the adjacent spaces 

will DEs be required to take action if 

there is an imminent risk of collision with 

another vehicle? 

n Will all the spaces be of a uniform 

size so that the test is the same for every 

candidate? 

n If the vehicle in an adjacent space is 

large and close to the dividing marking 

will the manoeuvre still take place? 

n Will DVSA indemnify ADIs should a 

penalty charge be issued? 

I’m sure you have had a number of 

your own questions about this idea. 

To my mind, it is not acceptable to the 

industry for the DVSA to state that it is 

going to start carrying out this kind of 

change to the driving test without 

reference to NASP, for the industry’s take 

on the ramifications of such a change, 

especially in relation to the questions 

listed above. 

DVSA says that it wants to work with 

the industry but has a strange way of 

displaying that. The recently announced 

closure of several test centres without 

any consultation being an example; now 

followed by this ‘trial’ it suggests that as 

usual, DVSA will take far-reaching 

decisions without any consideration of 

the practicalities for their customers and 

ADIs. 

Has your test centre been part of this 

trial? 

We are interested to talk to ADIs who 

have had pupils who took part in this 

trial. Let us know your views: contact the 

editor at editor@msagb.com 

Tougher phone rules come into force 

Tougher rules around mobile phone use 

behind the wheel come into force later 

this month, banning drivers from using 

their phones to take photos or videos, 

scroll through playlists or play games. 

The current law states that it is a 

criminal offence to use a hand-held 

mobile phone to call or text while driving 

– but a legal loophole has ensured drivers 

have escaped punishment for other 

actions such as taking photos. 

This is because such actions aren’t 

seen as ‘interactive communication’, and 

therefore do not fit the current definition 

of the offence. 

The new law will come into effect on 

25 March and means anyone caught 

using their hand-held device while 

driving will face a £200 fixed penalty 

notice and six points on their licence. 

Transport Secretary Grant Schapps 

said: “By making it easier to prosecute 

people illegally using their phone at the 

wheel, we are ensuring the law is 

brought into the 21st century while 

further protecting all road users.” 

26 



BAS makes sure driving is for all 

BAS (NW) Ltd are a vehicle adaptations 

company with over 40 years’ experience 

in the industry. 

Based in Warrington, their mobile fitting 

service covers the majority of the North 

West and they also offer fitting at their 

fully equipped workshop. 

In addition to supplying and fitting new 

He-Man dual controls, they also have a 

range of reconditioned dual controls 

available. 

BAS also specialises in vehicle 

adaptations for disabled drivers and 

passengers and have a wide range of 

products available to both Motability 

scheme and private customers. 

The company’s motto is ‘life without 

boundaries’ and they are passionate 

about driving being accessible for all, 

regardless of a person’s disability. 

As a result of this they launched their 

‘driving school packages’, which were 

created to encourage driving instructors 

to equip their vehicles with the 

adaptations required to teach people 

with a range of disabilities. 

Government launches 

major campaign to boost 

Highway Code changes 

THINK! has made a suite of resources available for road safety 

teams to use to communicate the recent changes to The 

Highway Code, as part of a new awareness campaign. 

The changes to The Highway Code came into effect on 29th 

January, but there were fears that a general public distracted by 

the Covid-19 pandemic had not taken on board the new rules. 

A new communications toolkit has been created to support 

stakeholders to raise awareness of the changes, predominantly 

across social media and digital channels. It includes campaign 

creative assets, which stakeholders and partners can use to 

amplify the campaign messages. 

The assets include static social media posts and copy – with 

animations to follow in the near future. 

Both the toolkit and the assets are available via the DfT 

extranet. 

At their core, the Highway Code changes are designed to 

improve safety for the most vulnerable road users. 

They centre around a new hierarchy of road-users, meaning 

drivers of quicker or heavier modes of travel have the greatest 

responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may pose to 

others on the road. 

In total, ten sections of The Highway Code have been 

changed, with 50 rules being added or updated. 

These cover issues such as people crossing the road at 

junctions, walking, cycling or riding in shared spaces and 

overtaking when driving or cycling. 

The packages combine multiple 

adaptations and they offer a discount 

compared with purchasing the 

adaptations separately. 

In addition to supplying and fitting the 

products, BAS will provide full product 

demonstrations and continued support to 

instructors on functionality and usability. 

They will do everything possible to ensure 

that the instructor feels completely 

confident teaching with these adaptations. 

We all know that driving shouldn’t just 

be a privilege for people without 

disabilities, it should be accessible for all 

and with the BAS driving school 

packages, there really has never been an 

easier time to make this the case! 

For all your driving instructor needs 

you can trust BAS, whether it’s for dual 

controls or a wider range of adaptations, 

they have you covered. 

Visit their website www.basnw.co.uk 

or contact the office on 01925 640730 

today to find out more. 


27

Towards Your CPD: The perils of sneezing 

Hurray... it’s March... spring is 

around the corner. But for millions 

who suffer from hay fever, that 

means ‘sneezing season’ is just 

around the corner too, and that 

brings with it a whole new 

dimension to the topic of 

‘distracted driving’, as motorists 

have to handle sneezing fits when 

they are behind the wheel. 

How bad is sneezing as a 

distraction – and is there anything 

that can be done to control it? 

Tom Harrington takes a look 

For some people, there is one 

distraction that over-rides all others 

when it comes to staying safe 

behind the wheel – and it’s one they can 

do little about. It’s the monster inside 

that builds to a crescendo – and then it’s 

“Aitchoo!” 

Whenever you feel a sneeze coming on 

as you’re driving down the road, most of 

us feel a little panicky. What if you lose 

control when you sneeze? What if you 

accidentally swerve or slam on the 

brakes? We all experience that same fear, 

but how many of us actually caused a 

car crash by sneezing? 

According to multiple studies, quite a 

few drivers have. Public safety and police 

officials suggest that drivers with colds, 

flu or other conditions involving sneezing 

fits should simply not drive. 

If you’re in good health but feel a 

sneeze coming on, find a way to pull over 

to the side of the road if possible in a 

safe and convenient place and let it rip. 

But it’s not that easy. “Sneezing can be 

very violent, causing the sufferer to close 

their eyes temporarily, especially with a 

severe cold,” Steve Rounds, a police 

officer, said in an interview. “Driving a 

car with such symptoms would certainly 

be irresponsible and could be held as an 

aggravating factor in any accident that 

led to a death or serious injury, laying the 

driver open to a charge of causing death 

by dangerous driving.” 

Unfortunately, this means Sneezy 

should probably never get his driver’s 

licence. Maybe the other dwarfs will 

make better candidates. 

We’ve all got behind the wheel at one 

time or another when we’ve felt a bit 

under the weather. But have you ever 

thought about just how dangerous it 

could be? An ill-timed ‘aitchoo’ can result 

in a sniffly motorist, driving at 35mph, 

closing their eyes for over ten car lengths. 

28 

The driving 

distraction 

that’s not to 

be sneezed at 

Indeed, a survey by Halfords Autocentres 

claimed that nine per cent of all car 

crashes in Britain were a result of drivers 

taking their eyes off the road due to cold 

or flu symptoms. 

Sneezing is a reflex movement caused 

by irritation of the mucus membrane 

lining the nose. We sneeze when we 

have a cold because the inflamed nose 

membranes are super-sensitive to the 

touch of tiny inhaled particles, cold air, 

sunshine and other stimuli which would 

normally have no effect. 

There is always time for the brain to 

note the irritation and issue orders 

forbidding other parts of the brain from 

triggering the sneeze reflex. Sneeze 

violently while driving at 70mph 

(120kph) and you will cover 330 yards, 

or almost a quarter of a mile, dazed and 

semi-blind. Three sneezes in a 15mph 

traffic flow will see you further on and 

possibly introducing yourself to the 

vehicle in front. 

Every sneeze involves about five 

seconds of grimacing and snorting, two 

seconds of complete distraction and at 

least three seconds of head-shaking and 

eye-wiping. Should an accident occur, 

you can try pleading involuntary loss of 



‘‘ 

How bad a problem is sneezing while 

driving? 

Sneezing while 

Research has found that more than 

2,500 drivers crash every year in the UK 

driving: can you 

after sneezing at the wheel. The survey, 

conducted by Olbas cold and flu remedy, 

be prosecuted? 

interviewed 2,000 people and found that In June 2014, a former highranking 

member of the Gurkhas 

a third agreed that driving is the worst 

time to sneeze, with seven per cent of 

was cleared of killing a couple 

these having been involved in a road 

after suffering a sneezing fit while 

accident as a result. 

driving. 

The research also found that 16 per 

Sgt Major Harry Gurung, 45, 

cent of people surveyed suppress 

sneezed “four to five times” in 

sneezing while eating and six per cent try quick succession as he overtook a 

to stop themselves sneezing while at 

car on the A40 near Abergavenny 

work. 

in Wales. 

AA Business Services has issued a 

David and Mary Marshall died 

series of tips as part of a ‘safe-sneeze 

when the soldier clipped the back 

guide’ to ensure accidents are kept to a of their Ford Ka, but a common 

minimum. 

cold expert backed his claim that 

Its director, David Wallace, said: 

sneezing was to blame. 

“Drivers doing 70mph lose their vision 

At Newport Crown Court, he 

for as much as 100 metres with every was acquitted of causing death by 

sneeze. So someone having a sneezing dangerous driving and by careless 

‘fit’ of eight sneezes in a row could be 

driving. 

travelling ‘blind’ for up to half a mile.” 

Prof Ronald Eccles, director of 

However, he said modern technology Britain’s Common Cold Centre, 

was improving conditions for drivers: 

said it was “impossible” for 

“Non-drowsy medicines are now 

people to sneeze with their eyes 

available, and more cars have pollen 

open. “A typical sneeze lasts for 

filters and air conditioning, allowing 

up to three seconds and both eyes 

motorists to stay cool by driving with the always close during a sneeze,” he 

windows up.” 

said. “If Mr Gurung sneezed four 

times he would have been 

distracted by it for up to 12 

seconds.” 

However, it’s no ‘get out of jail 

free’ card, as Laura Newton, 

motoring law expert at Rothera 

Sharp which handled the case, 

confirmed. “Any defence can be 

hard to prove. It falls under 

‘automatism’ rules and it’s the 

same as if you’re unexpectedly 

blinded by sunlight or a bee 

enters the car and causes you to 

thrash around.” 

One point to remember: if you 

drive while suffering from a heavy 

cold or flu and use sneezing as a 

reason why you were involved in a 

crash, the police could take a dim 

view and land you with a fine of 

up to £2,500 and between three 

and nine penalty points. 

Plus, if you’re on tablets you 

could be leaving yourself open to 

a drug-driving charge – depending 

on the medication. Some hay 

fever medication clashes badly 

with driving – and the punishment 

is a minimum one year driving 

ban and unlimited fine. 

Sneeze violently while driving 

at 70mph and you will cover 

almost quarter of a mile, dazed 

and semi-blind... if you have a 

real fit and sneeze repeatedly, 

this distance could increase to 

almost half a mile 

‘‘ 

control due to a sneeze; it might make a 

convincing defence to a charge of 

dangerous /careless driving. It won’t 

always work but some drivers who 

caused death due to sneezing have been 

cleared of dangerous driving (see panel). 

Have you ever noticed how television 

performers never seem to sneeze? The 

tension of their job, and the 

concentration they are devoting to it, sets 

up a nervous reaction which counteracts 

any impulse to sneeze. So if you feel the 

urge to expel air from the nose 

involuntarily (sneeze), reduce speed and 

try to prevent it. It is possible. If you are 

unable to do so, stop your vehicle in a 

safe and legal position and do not 

proceed until you have fully recovered. 

What should I do to keep me safe from 

an involuntary sneeze while I’m driving? 

The obvious answer is always drive in 

such a way that leaves you a big margin 

for error. That means leaving enough 

room between your vehicle and the one 

in front to avoid a rear-end crash. If 

you’re travelling at 35mph, you should 

be at least three seconds from the vehicle 

in front in dry conditions and 

considerably more in wet weather – the 

faster you’re travelling, the further that 

distance should be. 

Ideally, you’d be able to pull over if you 

think you might sneeze, but that’s not 

always possible. Blow your nose before 

you begin driving to minimise the chance 

of sneezing while you’re on the road. If 

you’re suffering from hay fever symptoms 

– watery eyes, headaches and 

drowsiness – your driving performance 

could be impacted, so it might be best to 

consider whether you need to get behind 

the wheel at all. 

If you’ve got something more serious, 

like the flu, you should stay at home. 

Hay fever tips 

As we edge nearer to spring, so we 

enter the most dangerous time of year for 

hay fever sufferers. Growing grass 

produces huge amounts of pollen which 

make life a misery for those with the 

condition – and also make every drive a 

potential nightmare. But there are some 

simple tips they can take to make sure 

they handle the situaiton. 

n Check your meds. Only take 

medication which does not cause 

drowsiness 

n Keep a box of tissues near the 

dashboard 

n Slow down if you are about to 

sneeze and drop back further from the 

car in front 

n Check whether your car has a pollen 

filter fitted. Most new models have it 

fitted as standard. Make sure it is 

renewed at least once a year 

n If your car has air conditioning, use 

it instead of opening windows and air 

vents – it will reduce pollen grains in the 

car 

n Block out bright sunlight by wearing 

sunglasses 

n Vacuum car mats and carpets 

regularly during summer. 


29

Towards Your CPD: Communicating 

e a t n i 

g 

i r i t u 

se 

L a i 

v a o 

n r 

d d t 

o 

h r f y l 

d n o k 

Phil Burman highlights how 

communication is key to 

being a quality instructor 

I found it a huge privilege to be 

featured in February’s Q&A in Newslink. 

In reply to the question, ‘No one is the 

finished article. What do you do to keep 

on top of the game?’ I said I look 

outside of driving tuition – ‘thinking 

outside the box,’ as some might put it. 

I didn’t add that I rarely search for 

ideas – I don’t have to – they jump out 

and stop me in my tracks! 

Here’s an example. A programme 

came on the radio about ballet – a 

subject in which I have zero interest. I 

was about to change channels when 

something caught my attention, and I 

listened to the whole show. 

It featured the internationally renown 

choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne, as 

he reimagined the famous Tchaikovsky 

ballet The Nutcracker Suite. The 

programme explored how Sir Matthew 

produced an updated version, taking it on 

tour to venues throughout the country 

before staging a final hugely successful 

performance in London. 

I was fascinated with both his desire 

and technique to improve each 

performance. He sat in the audience, 

making notes about what was bad! 

I suppose you could compare it to the 

role of an ADI Standards Check 

examiner! Observing lessons was an 

activity I frequently carried out when 

running my driving school, so Sir 

Matthew’s approach instantly ‘clicked’ 

with me! 

The dancers were all seasoned 

professionals. If they were 

happy to be challenged 

(and they were), my 

question to you is this: 

are you willing to 

discover your bad points? 

If you want to do better, 

confront this issue now. It 

could be too late when an ADI Standards 

Check is coming up. And there’s 

something else to consider. Don’t you 

wish to be positioned at the top end of 

the market, charging a rate commensurate 

with your enhanced ability? 

Developing your career needn’t take 

much time, as long as you keep at it. If 

necessary, drop something, like a TV 

soap, and spend 30 minutes studying 

instead. Speaking from experience, it 

takes dedication to study after work or 

on a day off, but I’ll let you into a secret. 

No training that I have invested my time 

or money in – be it a course, one to one 

training, or studying at home – has ever 

failed to benefit my ability or reward me 

financially. 

Here’s how I turned a bad point to my 

advantage. Shortly after qualifying as an 

ADI, I studied for what was then called 

OBSERVING LESSONS 

As mentioned, observing lessons 

was something I carried out on 

countless occasions for over 15 

years. 

Contact me at phil@philburman. 

com if you would like me to analyse 

your lesson or lessons and provide 

feedback – easy enough to do with 

an in-car camera and SD card. I 

look forward to hearing from you! 

the City & Guilds 730 Adult Education 

Teachers Certificate, which consisted of 

theoretical and practical elements. 

On one occasion, a teacher trainer 

observed my lesson. With a class of 10 

pupils, I showed a driving test video and 

afterwards held a discussion, or should I 

say I tried to. To my embarrassment, 

nobody spoke! Eventually, I managed to 

squeeze a few words from some before 

the lesson slowly fizzled out. A highly 

embarrassing situation as my assignment 

was ‘encouraging student communication’! 

I felt devastated with the low marks 

awarded but received advice worth its 

weight in gold! I’ve followed it ever since, 

and it is this. The first thing to teach is 

always communication. I should have got 

the students talking before showing the 

video. ADIs, too, need to establish a 

good flow of two-way conversation with 

new pupils, especially useful when pupil 

feedback is required. I got good marks 

for the rest of the course’s practical 

elements – but recall little about them, 

so how valuable were the good 

comments compared to the bad? 

Here are some methods should you 

wish to work on your bad points: 

• As soon as practicable after a lesson, 

consider what you could have done 

differently to achieve a better result. 

Think about the good things too. But 

drop techniques that work less well, at 

least with the individual pupil. 

• Ask the pupil what they do not like 

about your instruction. Or provide 

options. For instance, is your preference 

(a) or (b) when dealing with this topic? 

• Have a colleague(s) observe your 

lessons (and vice versa) and discuss the 

results. You might discover some new 

instructional techniques! 

30 



Coming to terms with safeguarding responsibilities 

For anyone in the driver training industry, 

safeguarding seems to be a term that we 

are certainly aware of, but do we really 

know what it means, and moreover, 

what our responsibilities are? 

Safeguarding refers to how we protect 

children and vulnerable adults from 

abuse, harm or neglect. In our working 

lives as driver trainers we will regularly 

come into contact with both groups. 

Anyone who has not reached their 18th 

birthday is defined as a child, and a 

vulnerable adult is someone who may 

have specific care or support needs 

either temporary or permanently 

rendering them more at risk. 

I am sure each and every one 

of you has had a day where 

you feel like you’ve been a 

therapist with your pupil’s 

tales of woe from school, 

college, partners ... the 

list goes on! For those 

pupils that are still children 

(as per the above 

definition), think back and 

ask yourself if you have been 

in a situation where you have felt 

that they were either at risk or needed 

help, other than just a chat with you. 

Maybe you have noticed marks on 

them that don’t look like they could have 

been caused accidentally. Could it be a 

sign of someone abusing that child or 

self harm? 

If so, what did you do? 

Of course, we aren’t detectives, or 

medical professionals, but ADIs are 

responsible adults with a duty of care, so 

if you get that gut instinct that something 

is not right you have a responsibility to 

report it. 

If you feel a child or vulnerable adult 

is in immediate danger, don’t 

hesitate to call the police on 

999. 

If you feel a crime has 

been committed call the 

police non-emergency 

number on 101. 

You can also contact 

your local Multi Agency 

Safeguarding Hub 

(MASH) with any 

concerns anonymously. The 

hubs will risk assess every 

case and are able to signpost all relevant 

agencies to help that child or vulnerable 

adult. Your local authority website will 

have details of your local hub. 

Also, don’t forget to protect yourselves 

against complaints. Don’t direct children 

you are teaching to your personal social 

media profiles, just business profiles. Set 

boundaries for times you will respond to 

messages. Do not tag on social media or 

take pictures of children who have 

passed their driving test without 

permission from the parent or guardian. 

Even that image on your mobile device 

could be seen as a potential safeguarding 

concern so please keep up those 

professional boundaries. 

Safeguarding courses 

Consider taking some safeguarding 

CPD to show you care about the welfare 

of every person in your car. 

Green Penny has experienced 

safeguarding tutors who can provide you 

with the vital information you need. 

For more information call 

0330 111 7230 or see 

www.greenpenny.co.uk 


31

Towards Your CPD: Client-centred learning 

Client-centred learning has 

been the key phrase for ADIs 

for some time now – so why do 

so many struggle to showcase 

it on their Standards Check, 

asks Steve Garrod. 

Client-centred learning (CCL) remains the 

focus of many a training course, but 

according to an DVSA enforcement 

officer I spoke to at a recent ADI event, it 

continues to be a weak part of many a 

Standards Check. 

In the context of driver training, CCL 

means taking learners out of a passive 

role and encourages responsibility and 

awareness so that they can develop their 

decision making for when they have 

passed their test and drive independently. 

Raising the sense of responsibility and 

awareness in pupils is at the heart of 

client centred learning. They need to feel 

in control of a situation rather than 

feeling the situation is controlling them. 

Asking questions such as “What can you 

see?” will start to build up an awareness 

of what is happening around them and 

encourage them to think about how they 

will control the situation. 

If a trainer takes over by talking them 

through every situation, the pupil is likely 

to return to a passive role (associated 

with traditional instruction). It is 

important, therefore, that the trainer/ 

pupil relationship is an equal partnership 

where the atmosphere is relaxed with 

pupils ready to take on more 

responsibility. 

Think of it as a two-way conversation. 

There are various methods of questioning 

techniques that can be used to help keep 

the balance of CCL and instruction as 

you will see by reading on (when you are 

ready!) 

Knowing what to cover and how to 

approach a lesson requires some 

thoughtful questioning. The first time you 

meet a new learner, you could find out 

what has worked well when they have 

previously learnt something new, for 

example do they prefer to watch a 

demonstration, have guided practice or 

try something on their own with minimal 

if any input from the trainer. 

It stands to reason that there is a limit 

on what someone can ‘have a go at’ 

when dealing with driving, so such 

situations will need to be managed 

efficiently. Of course, the opposite end of 

the scale is to ask the pupil if there is 

anything that hasn’t worked, as this 

information is also important to help 

32 

Letting the 

pupils take 

control... 

build up a pupil profile and how they 

best learn, together with their likes and 

dislikes. Asking these types of questions 

should also help to identify specific 

learning needs in a tactful way, for 

example, if someone is dyslexic, they 

may have had something in place to help 

them with previous study and this could 

be transferred to learning to drive. 

People absorb information in a variety 

of ways, and it is the responsibility of 

trainers to use a range of approaches to 

help pupils learn and to find out how 

they best grasp new concepts. 

There are many ways of categorising 

learning styles. One you may have come 

across is Neil Fleming’s VARK model. It 

was designed to help students (and 

others) to learn more about individual 

learning preferences. The VARK model 

identifies preferred methods of learning: 

Visual (Pictures, movies, diagrams, 

watching demonstrations) 

Auditory (listening, music, discussion, 

‘‘ 

Raising the sense of responsibility 

and awareness in pupils is at the 

heart of client centred learning. 

They need to feel in control of a 

situation rather than feeling the 

situation is controlling them. 

‘‘ 

lectures) 

Reading and writing (making lists, 

reading textbooks and making notes) 

Kinaesthetic (movement, experiments 

and hands on activities) 

Visual learners may learn best by 

watching videos or a demonstration on a 

subject, for example, how to enter 

roundabout or join a dual-carriageway. If 

this is linked with a visual aid or diagram 

it could help build up a mental picture of 

how to carry out the activity and in 

which order to carry out the individual 

tasks, before they begin. Some visual 

learners also like to draw their own 

diagrams to help them learn. 

Auditory learners learn best by 

listening to information. They tend to 

benefit from listening to instructions (they 

may have enjoyed lectures at university) 

and are good at remembering things they 

are told. It sometimes helps for auditory 

learners to think aloud or talk themselves 

through something. This helps them to 

remember how to carry out a specific 

task, such as how to change gear, or in 

which orders mirrors should be checked 

before signalling. It can also help to 

make audio recordings of lessons or 

explanations as these can be listened to 

between lessons. Some make up 

mnemonics, songs or rhymes to help 

reinforce learning, such as how to 

remember the two second rule, or if they 

are unsure if to wait or go at a junction to 

say, ‘if in doubt, hang about’. 

It can sound like a cheesy Saturday 

night game show sometimes with the 

frequent catchphrases, but if it helps 

them to learn, why worry! 

Learners that prefer to read and write 

often enjoy writing lists and notes during 

lessons or reading up (eg, Highway 

Code, Learning to Drive) on subjects in 

between lessons, as this helps to 

reinforce what has been and what is yet 

to be covered. They may also like to take 

away handouts (think of show me / tell 

me pads) after lessons for future 

reference. Above all, these learners will 

often pass their theory test quite quickly! 

Kinaesthetic learners learn best by 

touching and doing. For example, 

checking the oil and tyres and engaging 



in lessons with plenty of activity with 

minimal explanation, as they find sitting 

still for long periods a challenge. 

Many will often enjoy sport and 

practical activities and enjoy working 

with their hands. I am currently teaching 

a young learner who plays the piano and 

has the lightest of touches with the foot 

controls. 

Kinaesthetic learners enjoy practising 

something to master a new skill (such as 

clutch control) and often have a handson 

approach to learning in general. 

It can be argued that labelling learners 

is not helpful and that making sure 

lessons provide a blend of each learning 

style will produce a better learning 

experience. It could be that some 

learners have not had an opportunity to 

learn by certain methods before or have 

not been able to set their own learning 

goals, so it may take a little time for new 

learning styles to be accepted and 

understood. Asking a bit about a 

learner’s background will help you to 

build up a picture but always be open to 

trying new approaches if something 

doesn’t seem to be working. By 

discussing the learning outcomes with 

your learner, you should be able to agree 

how best a task can is approached. An 

important point to remember is that you 

will have pupils whose preferred learning 

style does not match your preferred 

teaching style, or their preferred learning 

style may not be practical for the 

situation, so be prepared to adapt. 

For example, it may be necessary for 

you to talk someone through a hill start. 

If this is what you feel the pupil needs to 

help them then it is still client centred 

learning because you have identified 

what the client needs to progress. The 

questions can come once the skill has 

been improved. 

Apart from recognising and 

understanding learning styles, CCL also 

looks at teaching approaches that ADIs 

should have to hand — a bit like tools in 

a toolbox. 

One of the most important tools is 

using questions (Q&A). The most widely 

known are open and closed questions. A 

closed question is suitable when there is 

only one correct answer, for example 

‘What is the speed limit on this road?” 

They are useful for checking knowledge. 

The pupil either knows it or they don’t. 

Open questions encourage a more 

creative response and can act as a 

supplementary question to a closed 

question. 

For example: 

“What is the speed limit?” (Closed) 

“Why do you think it’s 20mph?” 

(Open) 

Closed questions can generally be 

asked on the move as they are not too 

distracting. Answers to open questions 

are not known and although they can be 

asked on the move, they are more suited 

to being parked up by the side of the 

road. Open questions can be used to 

start conversations where learners are 

given an opportunity to explore their 

thoughts, values and opinions about the 

subject. 

For example: 

“What do we cover in our last lesson?” 

“Is there anything that you feel needs 

improving?” 

“How do feel about tackling some 

busier junctions?” 

“What do you think about the new 

shared space zone in the High Street? 

Sometimes we can ask safety critical 

questions. These are often used to 

prevent use of the dual controls. 

For example: 

“Is anyone about to cross at the Zebra 

crossing?” 

“How much room will you leave this 

cyclist?” 

These types of questions do not really 

require a verbal answer, but instead they 

are designed to make learners take some 

form of action to keep the car (and 

others) safe. It also provides an 

opportunity to correct a potentially 

dangerous fault in a reasonably calm 

atmosphere. Once you have time to pull 

up or have a quiet stretch of road ahead 

you, it is essential that you return to the 

safety critical question and ask, “Why do 

you think I asked you about the zebra 

crossing?” The good thing about safety 

critical questions is that the responsibility 

remains with the learner because they 

have to make a decision about how to 

respond to the question. 

Continued on page 34 


33

Towards Your CPD: Client-centred learning 

Continued from page 27 

Task specific questions are part of an 

exercise that has been agreed with a 

pupil. For example, at the start of the 

lesson you may say you may ask about 

some road signs and markings along a 

particular stretch of road. This can be 

useful if they are still studying towards 

their theory test or if the road signs have 

not been seen before. 

For example: 

“What is the next road sign? 

“What do the hatch markings mean?” 

“Where will you position for this right 

turn?” 

It is worth remembering that some 

people don’t like being asked questions 

and will need time to accept this 

method. It also could be the way the 

questions are being asked. Questions 

need to be correctly timed if they are to 

be effective and at a comfortable pace to 

allow for thinking time before responding. 

Bombarding someone with questions will 

do nothing for their confidence and will 

almost certainly lead to a drop in their 

driving performance, meaning one 

thoroughly dejected pupil. 

Leading questions are usually used 

subtly and will direct a pupil’s answer in 

a particular direction, for example, ‘How 

are you getting on with your theory?” It 

forces the pupil to give an answer about 

their theory test and reminds them that 

you have not forgotten that they their 

theory test is yet to be passed. 

Goal questions, as the title suggests, 

encouraging pupils to take ownership of 

their learning and to think about the 

support they need from the trainer to 

help them achieve their goal. 

For example: 

What would you like to achieve today? 

What support do need from me? 

What skills do you already have that 

will help you achieve this today? 

You can see that these types of 

questions are used when stationary or 

before entering the car (on a standards 

check under the current restrictions). 

Coaching questions are effective 

questions that focus on the thoughts and 

feelings that motivate behaviour. For 

example, you could ask someone how 

they felt when dealing with a busy 

junction or what concerns they may have 

about a particular type of junction. 

Coaching questions can also be used to 

find out what someone was thinking 

about before they approached a hazard. 

For example: 

“What were you thinking about as you 

approached that pedestrian crossing? 

“What made you feel it was safe to go 

at the last roundabout?” 

It is the way the question is asked and 

the stress (intonation) on each word or 

syllable that can turn a non-judgmental 

into a negative question. 

For example: 

‘What were you thinking about as you 

approached….? 

‘What were you thinking about as you 

approached…? 

“What were you thinking about as you 

approached…? 

If the rapport with the pupil is positive, 

they will have no problem telling you 

about what they were thinking about or 

anything else for that matter. You just 

need to make sure the conversation does 

not spoil their concentration. These 

questions can be asked for positive and 

negative situations because it is 

important that pupils know what success 

feels like and that good practice has 

been noticed. 

If pupils associate these types of 

questions with driving faults, they may 

‘‘ 

Encouraging reflection is an 

important part of CCL... simple 

questions such as ‘what have 

you learnt today’ is simple but 

effective... focus on what went 

well and goals for the next session 

‘‘ 

lose motivation and the person asking 

coaching questions may resort to 

traditional teaching methods to ensure a 

successful outcome the next time the 

pupil approaches a similar junction. 

Coaching questions are very different 

from traditional instructor-type (and often 

instructor-led) questions. Unlike open 

questions, coaching questions are not 

always subject specific. They could be 

described as wide-open questions and 

can uncover barriers to learning, such as: 

“Is there anything that concerns you 

about today’s lesson?” 

“Describe your thoughts to me?” 

You will see that they deal with the 

learners’ feelings rather than 

performance, although finding out what 

is holding someone back often leads to a 

better performance. Many ADIs feel if 

they do not get a good response from 

asking questions, coaching does not 

work for them. Adapting to coaching 

takes time and requires a combination of 

skills, including active listening, to really 

understand how a pupil is feeling. 

It is essential that a safe blend of 

coaching and instructing, particularly in 

the early stages of learning to drive. 

If a pupil has hit a learning plateau 

(yes back to Part 1 again), for example 

they are struggling with parallel parking, 

suitable questions would be: 

“How can I help you?” 

“Would you like me to talk you though 

it?” 

“Would you prefer a demonstration?” 

“Would you like to try something 

different?” 

Do not be under the impression that 

everything can be rectified with Q&A, but 

by using coaching techniques you should 

be able to find a suitable method of 

learning to get your pupil back on track. 

Being stuck on something is not a 

problem but staying stuck is. 

It can sometimes be useful to repeat or 

paraphrase part of a learner’s response, 

with the aim of engaging them to provide 

more insight into their thoughts and 

feelings. This will help to understand 

more about what a pupil is thinking and 

possibly, how they are feeling. For 

example: 

Trainer “Have you had a good week?” 

Pupil: “Sort of” 

Trainer: “Sort of?” 

Pupil: “Well I did some mocks at 

school and I think they could have gone 

better?” 

Trainer: “Is there anything you could 

have done differently to have made them 

go better?” 

Pupil: “Well, I don’t really put much 

effort into revising so my mum is giving 

me a hard time.” 

There are times when something 

beyond our control influences a lesson. It 

could be that the pupil needs to work 

harder at school if they are to continue 

having their lessons paid for by their 

parents. 

Sometimes this method works and 

sometimes it doesn’t. 

Encouraging reflection is an essential 

part of CCL, both for trainers and pupils. 

Questions such as “What have you learnt 

today” is simple but effective. Focus on 

what went well and what goals should 

be set for the next session. 

If you haven’t already used the 

standards check form to reflect on your 

performance, why not start after your 

next session and see if you can set 

yourself some learning outcomes? 

34 


New research conducted by IAM 

RoadSmart has revealed that motorists 

still see potholes as the biggest safety 

issue on Britain’s roads, even when 

compared to speeding, road rage, 

congestion or drink and drug driving. 

The road safety charity’s Safety 

Culture Report discovered that nearly 

four-in-five drivers (79 per cent) perceive 

potholes to be a bigger issue for them 

than they were three years ago. Only five 

per cent thought the problems of 

potholes was better than last year. 

90 per cent of drivers had been affected 

by potholes in the past year, with 32 per 

cent stating they had even changed route 

to avoid them. 16 per have reported a 

pothole to the authorities. 

Neil Greig, director of policy and 

research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “The 

fact that motorists perceive potholes to 

be a bigger issue compared to drink 

driving and speeding, which cause more 

deaths, goes to show how much of a 

problem the pothole crisis is. 

“Not only is damage to vehicles caused 

by potholes expensive and inconvenient, 

but it is also a major safety concern 

affecting all road users. In particular, 

potholes pose a serious risk of injury to 

those on two wheels, as well as 

potentially causing drivers to swerve into 

oncoming traffic.” 

It is estimated that 42,675 miles of 

UK roads are classed as being in ‘poor’ 

structural condition. Bringing them up to 

an acceptable standard would cost an 

estimated £11.14. 

Motorists in Wales, the North West 


We’re going just potty about pot-holes! 

Pot holes 

are seen as 

getting 

worse by 

nearly four 

in five 

drivers 

and South West were the most adamant 

that the local pothole problem has got 

worse, while Londoners were least likely 

to agree that it had. 

Neil added: “Drivers are suffering from 

potholes every day and it is adding to the 

stress and cost of running a car. No one 

can enjoy their motoring anymore if the 

roads are in such poor condition. The 

government must deliver long-term 

funding for road maintenance so that the 

repairs backlog can be eliminated.” 

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35

Comment 

The L-test farce just got personal 

The lack of car driving tests is 

becoming a national scandal 

which will have far-reaching 

consequences in coming years 

Rod Came 


OK I have had enough. I have written 

about it until you are bored with it, but 

now it has come to the point where it 

directly affects me and mine. What am I 

talking about? The total inability of DVSA 

to meet its obligation to provide driving 

tests to learner car drivers. 

My third grandaughter passed her 

theory test and I asked her to book a 

practical test for the end of May/ 

beginning of June. I am sure you have all 

been there, but for me it is the first 

practical experience of trying to defeat 

DVSA. 

No.1 grandaughter had her test last 

October and passed, her experience was 

no problem. My second grandaughter, 

having passed her theory, managed to 

get a date for when I asked her – again 

no problem, the system works. She’s 

now on tenterhooks in case the DVSA 

decides in its infinite wisdom to cancel, 

alter or otherwise disrupt her plans. 

No. 3 grandaughter input all her 

details, selected a date at Hastings test 

centre – result, nothing available. Not 

only at Hastings but also at every other 

test centre in the south east of England, 

including London. 

Let’s try a later date – result, nothing 

available in the south east of England 

this year, and it is only the middle of 

February! 

If today’s date were 1st April I might 

just be able, with a big effort, to see the 

funny side, but it isn’t 1st April and it 

isn’t funny – it is deplorable. 

The DVSA, in respect of providing 

driving tests for learner car drivers, is not 

fit for purpose, it is creating a national 

problem. It was reported a week or so 

ago that a similar situation exists in 

Wales, the only difference there being 

that a test could be found somewhere in 

Wales in 10 weeks’ time. 

DVSA say they are training up a tiny 

number of new examiners, back room 

staff are being utilised to train, supervise 

and accompany new examiners, retired 

examiners are being asked to return to 

the fold (as if!), examiners are working 

weekends and Bank Holidays. Has it 

occurred to DVSA that it is not 

candidates turning down weekday tests 

in favour of weekend tests that is the 

problem – candidates will walk over hot 

coals to get a test date, any test date – it 

is that DVSA cannot provide tests to the 

million-+ learners who are desperate for 

one. 

People do not just ‘want’ a driving 

licence, a great many NEED one. The 

economy of this country moves on the 

wheels of cars, vans and trucks, all of 

which require drivers, and drivers need a 

driving licence. Why is DVSA preventing 

these people from obtaining a licence? 

DVSA will say that it is pulling out all 

the stops and doing everything it can to 

provide more driving tests, but it is not. 

They can’t be, the evidence being that 

there are none available; if DVSA was 

successful there would be. 

Driving test examiners have to be 

trained to a high degree to ensure the 

security of the driving test. Oh, come on! 

It is not rocket science to decide whether 

a driver is or is not safe enough to be 

allowed to drive unaccompanied on the 

roads of this country. You do not have to 

sit in the passenger seat for long to come 

to a conclusion one way or the other; any 

experienced ADI can do that within five 

minutes. 

The lack of car driving tests is a 

national scandal which will have 

far-reaching consequences in coming 

years when trained and licensed drivers 

are required to replace those who are 

retiring or quitting, but insufficient 

numbers are available. 

What can be done to alleviate the 

situation? The problem is quite simple, 

there are not enough qualified car driving 

examiners, the answer is to provide 

more, and quickly. But how? 

Surely new examiners do not have to 

trained and supervised to the nth degree, 

they only need to be able to differentiate 

between a safe driver and one who is not 

up to standard. Maybe the way in which 

Even the much vaunted booking apps 

can’t help you in the south-east of 

England, where there are no tests 

available at all for the rest of this year 

36 



a driving test is assessed could be 

changed – but that is a non-starter as it 

would take decades and we can’t wait 

that long. 

It is obvious from the number of times 

that the final date for applications to 

become a DVSA examiner has been 

extended, that nowhere near enough 

people actually want to be examiners on 

a short two-year contract. Why would 

they? It is not as if when the contract 

ends they can move onto a similar 

position with another company, DVSA 

having the monopoly on driver testing. 

Mind you, the pay is not up to much, 

in round figures about £14 a test + 

allowances, holidays, sickness pay, 

‘‘ 

It is not rocket science to 

decide if a driver is safe 

to be allowed to drive 

unaccompanied on the roads... 

an experienced ADI could do 

it in five minutes ... 

‘‘ 

pension – that all adds up, but not on a 

short-term contract, and DVSA will not 

commit to more than that because they 

might end up with too many examiners 

(in their view) as they did a few years 

ago and have to get some to quit. 

DVSA’s view of too many examiners 

would get the waiting time for tests down 

to an acceptable level (I suggest four 

weeks so that ADIs could predict the 

driving ability of their clients more 

accurately and the pass rate would rise) 

but of course, we can’t have that 

because it might suggest that ADIs are 

professionals who know what they are 

doing. 

And being well-trained professionals 

they could then be considered capable of 

certifying that their client’s driving ability 

was up to a standard for them to qualify 

for a full driving licence, which would 

then leave the whole DVSA edifice 

crumbling and people having to justify 

their positions or be out of a job. 

Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. 

Consequently my third grandaughter and 

a million others like her around the 

country are fighting the DVSA booking 

system trying to secure a driving test. 

DVSA has got to make changes and 

fast; its inability to provide a core 

function for its existence is simply not 

acceptable. 


RoadPeace is calling for traditional 

road signs to be replaced with more 

passive structures, in a bid to 

minimise the damage caused to a 

vehicle and its occupants in the event 

of a crash. 

The national road victims’ charity 

says it has supported ‘far too many 

families’ whose loved ones have been 

killed following collisions with trees, 

lamp posts and other street furniture. 

The charity references the Institute 

of Highway Engineers’ Sign 

Structures Guide 2021, which states 

that when a vehicle strikes a 

structure, such as a standard lighting 

column at moderate to high speed, it 

is probable that the car will suffer 

serious structural damage. 

The guide notes that during a 

high-speed impact, even if the car 

remains relatively undamaged, the 

forces on the internal organs of 

vehicle occupants can cause fatal or 

serious injuries, despite the use of 

seat belts and air bags. 

Made in either aluminium, steel or 

glass reinforced plastic (GRP), passive 

sign posts have either high-energy, 

low-energy or non-energy absorbing 

qualities, which reduce the risk of 

injury to vehicle passengers in a 

One of the passive 

roadsigns as 

manufactured by 

Varley and Gulliver 

Safer solutions needed 

to dangerous road signs 

collision. 

Nick Simmons, CEO of RoadPeace, 

said: “There are too many objects at 

the roadside and we’ve supported far 

too many families whose loved ones 

have been killed following collisions 

with trees, lamp posts and other 

street furniture. 

“Traditional poles and posts can 

have a serious adverse impact on 

vehicle passengers in a collision, so 

RoadPeace strongly supports the use 

of passive sign posts and masts.” 

One organisation that makes 

passive sign posts is Varley and 

Gulliver, whose products are designed 

to shear or breakaway following a 

vehicle impact. 

Stacy Willis, solutions manager at 

Varley and Gulliver, said: “Passive 

posts and masts play an important 

role in road casualty reduction by 

limiting the injuries sustained by a 

vehicle’s occupants in the event of a 

crash. 

“We are really proud of our range of 

passive posts, which are strong 

enough to support large road signs, 

but are designed to break off safely if 

a vehicle collides with them, thus 

reducing the impact for the driver and 

other passengers.” 

37

Road safety news 

Small fall in drink-drive deaths no reason 

to cheer, road safety groups claim 

The number of people killed in drinkdrive 

related deaths fell slightly during 

2020 – but there’s no reason to 

celebrate the news, analysis shows. 

The Department for Transport statistics 

for 2020 show that between 190 and 

250 people were killed in collisions 

where at least one driver was over the 

drink-drive limit, with a central estimate 

of 220 deaths. This would be the lowest 

since 2015 – and down four per cent 

from 230 in 2019. 

But 2020 was a year heavily impacted 

by Covid-19 lockdowns, with traffic 

levels at historic lows and many licensed 

premises closed for much of the year. 

Accordingly, road safety experts had 

hoped the death toll would have been 

even lower. 

Indeed, Hunter Abbott of Alcosense, 

the personal breathalyser kit maker, 

said: “This apparent fall in drink-drive 

casualties needs to be viewed in the 

context of the Covid lockdown. There 

was a 17 per cent fall in road fatalities 

during 2020 (down from 1,752 in 2019 

to 1,460). This means that drink-drive 

deaths – as a percentage of the total 

figure – actually rose to 15 per cent, the 

highest percentage in over a decade.” 

In addition, traffic volume was down 

21 per cent between 2019 

and 2020. But DfT 

figures estimate that 

6,480 people were 

killed or injured 

in drink-drive 

collisions in 2020, 

compared with 

7,800 the year 

before. This 17 

per cent reduction 

is less than the fall 

in traffic volume, so is 

actually a worse figure 

than the previous year. 

It was also interesting to note 

that the police carried out the lowest 

number of breath tests on record in 

2020 – nearly 50,000 fewer than in 

2019. This was down to more officers 

being used to control lockdown as well 

as fewer officers on duty because of 

illness/isolating. 

IAM RoadSmart said the figures confirm 

that the UK’s “underlying epidemic of 

drink-driving remains unchecked.” 

Neil Greig, IAM’s director of policy 

and research, said: “While there has 

been a small reduction in the number of 

drinkdriving related deaths and injuries 

compared to 2019, when you factor 

in the reduction in traffic due to 

COVID-19, the role of alcohol 

in fatal crashes actually 

went up. 

“There is no one 

simple answer to 

reducing these figures, 

but we believe a 

smarter package of 

measures is needed 

from the Government. 

This includes a lower 

drink-drive limit to reinforce 

good behaviour, fast-track 

of evidential roadside testing 

machines to release police resources 

and tailored approaches to help drivers 

with alcohol problems. 

“Rehabilitation courses work, and we 

believe everyone convicted of drinkdriving 

should attend one rather than 

having to opt in. 

“More use of alcolocks – which require 

the driver to blow into a mouthpiece 

before starting or continuing to operate 

the vehicle – and extra penalties such as 

vehicle forfeiture could all be part of a 

more joined-up approach to the problem. 

Hard core drink-drivers are simply not 

getting the message, and these figures 

will not improve until policy changes.” 

Million riders enjoy ‘going for a Spin’ 

Spin, the micromobility unit of Ford, has 

passed a key milestone after a million 

rides were ordered as part of governmentled 

trials into e-scooters’ use as a mode of 

urban transport. 

The company says the startling figure is 

proof of the growing popularity of 

e-scooters in the UK. Cllr Lee Scott of 

Essex County Council (ECC) said: “There’s 

been a huge interest in the Essex Spin 

e-scooter trial since it launched in 

December 2020, with nearly 700,000 

rides to date. 

“We’re seeing people opt to use 

e-scooters instead of cars. This fits with 

our safer, greener, healthier ambition to 

encourage Essex residents to walk, cycle 

or scoot, especially for shorter journeys.” 

He added: “Safety is of paramount 

importance to ECC and we have teamed 

up with 15 local accessibility groups to 

form the Essex E-Scooter Trial Access 

Stakeholder Group. 

“This group enables vulnerable road 

users to give us their feedback directly, 

which helps ECC keep the scheme 

constantly under review and make 

changes where necessary. 

“For example, under the direction of 

this group, we have brought down the 

maximum speed of e-scooters from 

15mph to 12.5 mph.” 

Spin says its shared e-scooters are 

shifting people away from driving solo to 

taking an e-scooter for short journeys, 

with 76 per cent of trial participants 

saying they ride an e-scooter instead of 

using a personal car at least a few times a 

month. 70% say e-scooters are the fastest 

way of getting to their detination. 

However, with no sign as yet of any 

formal training or skill assessments for 

e-scooter riders, the question still 

remains, are they safe? 

38 


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Area News 

Concerns already as public seems unwilling 

to embrace Highway Code changes 

Bob Page 

Editor, 


What’s you view on the new Highway 

Code rules? Speaking to random 

members of the public and friends I am 

hearing views like “should be scrapped”, 

“political correctness gone mad”, “the 

insurance industry will love this” and 

“crash for cash made easy.” 

However, by far the most worrying 

response is the one that goes “Highway 

Code, never heard of it mate”! 

It’s clear that if these rules are to work 

some serious prime-time advertising will 

be needed. 

Speaking with members of our MSA 

GB South East committee, even after 

only a few days, many, including myself, 

had anecdotes about the way the public 

had responded to the changes. 

Worryingly, some were where it would 

have been dangerous to give way to a 

pedestrian waiting to cross the roads, 

such as when leaving busy roundabouts. 

I know sensible and courteous drivers 

will continue to drive sensibly and 

courteously, and selfish drivers to drive 

selfishly, but the biggest losers will be the 

L-test candidates who could face some 

tough decisions about how to respond to 

the changes. It’s our job to prepare them, 

of course, and the one positive would be 

another reason (if they needed one) to 

make their observations more effective. 

Back to the committee’s view on the 

changes: we unofficially came to the 

conclusion that more advertising is 

needed from the publishers and some 

tweaking is required. At the very least we 

would like to see the addition of the 

words ‘When you can do so safely’, as in 

Highway Code rule 223 which deals 

with giving way to buses, and explaining 

to pedestrians that sometimes, the best 

rule for all of us is to use our common 

sense. 

New rules at 

junctions 

must be 

underpinned 

by common 

sense if they 

are to work 

effectively 

and safely 

Reminder that filthy plates can lead to a hefty fine 

Yasmin Ajib 

MSA GB North East 

Roads across the UK are covered in 

muddy water and dirt as we pass through 

winter. But what does this mean for road 

users? 

Due to these weather conditions, 

vehicles are dirtier than normal – and 

sometimes this makes number plates 

unreadable. Drivers are now being 

targeted by the police if they have a 

number plate obstructed by dirt and could 

face a hefty fine of up to £1,000. 

Getting a fine of such a magnitude due 

to a dirty number plate may seem 

unreasonable as there are no laws that 

explicitly rule out having a dirty vehicle 

but there are laws in place that state 

number plates must be readable. It is the 

driver’s responsibility to check their 

number plate isn’t obscured. 

The fine is there to act as a deterrent 

for drivers to check their number plate 

before they start their journey and a 

reminder that they should be cleaned 

immediately to avoid penalties. 

Road users may not be aware of this 

simple rule on making sure that their 

number plates are clean, but it is 

important. The plates are visible to 

Automatic Number Plate Recognition 

(ANPR) cameras and the police. 

There are many requirements affecting 

number plates, that drivers need to be are 

aware of. These include sizing and 

lettering, but other guidelines state that 

nothing can prevent or impair the 

capturing of photographic images of the 

plate. To these we can add cleaning the 

number plate; it might not seem 

important, especially as dirt will 

continuously go on the number plate, but 

looking at those fines, it is! 

It’s not just members of the public who 

struggle with this. I have noticed a 

number of driving school cars with 

unreadable number plates because they 

are coated with a thick layer of dirt, grit 

and dirty water. As driving instructors, we 

are there to teach safer driving and set an 

example to other road users. 

It is very important to teach yourself 

and others about this rule to avoid 

unnecessary fines. Keeping the plate 

clean is an easy habit to start. 

40 



Cycle Savvy, cycle saint or cycle sinner? 

Janet Stewart 

MSA GB Greater London 

I have just signed up for the DVSA ‘Cycle 

Savvy’ course. I’m doing it because I am, 

on occasion, a cyclist and am not 

anti-cyclists per se. I answered the 

required questionnaire honestly and in 

answer to the question as I why I was 

signing up I replied that I was interested 

in learning more. 

However, I was already a little 

disgruntled because the blurb 

accompanying the email invitation to the 

course said we must ‘co-operate with 

people who cycle’. I always thought 

co-operation was a two-way street! 

Looking at the changes to the Highway 

Code at the end of last month, I have no 

quibble with the new ‘hierarchy of 

vulnerability’. It makes sense. With 

regard to pedestrians crossing the road at 

a junction, again, I have always taught 

that a driver should give way to them 

when it is safe to do so. 

That said, problems abound. Last 

week in Watford I was the second car at 

a major junction about to move forward 

at a green light on to a dual carriageway. 

Wheels were rolling when a woman on 

her phone stepped in front of me. I 

blasted my horn to ‘alert her to my 

presence’ and she looked round a little 

surprised and then continued across the 

road, never pausing her conversation as 

her path took her into on-coming traffic 

from the other side of the junction. This 

sort of thing has been happening for 

years and I think most of us have come 

to expect and almost to accept it. 

But then there are the cyclists. I am 

writing this on a Saturday afternoon. 


This morning I went shopping at Tesco. 

As I went along the main road I caught 

up with a group of cyclists. I tried to 

count them but lost count after eight. 

They were moving in a bunch, all in a 

cycle club livery, and changing places 

with each other. I eventually got past 

them and so did a few other people. But 

this was on the A404 and there was a 

very long queue of traffic behind us. Of 

course, we then hit a set of traffic lights 

– a massive three-lane junction for the 

M25. There were cyclists behind us, 

cyclists in front of us, cyclists to right of 

us, cyclists to left of us, all jockeying for 

position. Since we were stationary I had 

the chance to look at the faces of a few 

of the other drivers. There were 

expressions of dismay, anxiety and 

obvious rage, most of us realising that 

having succeeded in getting clear of this 

Banish the L-test nerves 

MSA GB Eastern is hosting a specialist 

driving test nerves workshop in April. 

To be held on 26 April at Sprowston 

Sports and Social Club, the day will 

see presentations from Diana Hall and 

Chris Allsopp into how pupils can face 

their L-tests with confidence and how 

best to counter the nerves that many 

experience. 

This a full day’s course (9am-5pm), 

costing just £110, which covers all 

course material, refreshments, lunch 

and follow-up Zoom meetings. 

For more information contact area 

chairman Paul Harmes on 

chair.oe@msagb.com, or book direct 

with L of a Way to Pass at 

www.lofaway2pass.com 

This is certainly going to sell out as 

places are limited, so book yours fast. 

The event is at Sprowston Sports and 

Social Club, Blue Boar Lane, Norwich 

NR7 8RY 

group of riders, we were going to have to 

do it all over again as soon as the lights 

changed. Most of us simply stayed still to 

let them get ahead because it was very 

difficult to predict which side they would 

come up on. 

It seems to me that most casual 

cyclists won’t know much about the 

change in the Highway Code but the 

club cyclists will. I wonder if the briefing 

before they set out had been: ‘Take any 

road position you like, don’t worry about 

the cars, they have to keep you safe!’ 

Many drivers in this part of the world 

are cycle savvy and some cyclists are 

cycling saints but it seems to me that 

there are increasing numbers of cycling 

sinners. 

They are putting themselves at risk 

which is, actually, rather more important 

than being such a nuisance to drivers. 

The recklessness of some cyclists is just 

a multiplicity of accidents waiting to 

happen. Whatever happened to personal 

responsibility? Surely there is an 

understanding that, up to a point, we 

should all of us have regard to our own 

safety and take reasonable precautions? 

So again, ‘co-operate with people who 

cycle’? Yes, I will, but please could they 

make the tiniest little bit of effort to 

co-operate with me? Drivers cannot keep 

all the cyclists safe unless the cyclists do 

at least something to help themselves. 

CONTACT 

Let Janet have your views at 

janetslittlecar@btinternet.com 

41

Area news 

DVSA’s booking changes: Back to the 

Future, or is it Forward to the Past? 

John Lomas 

Editor, MSA North West 

I have to apologise for the fact that I’m 

providing little in the way of copy from 

the North West itself, as I am no longer 

in the region. We even had a regional 

committee meeting disrupted by Storm 

Eunice and the lack of internet on the 

night! 

However, I will continue to put forward 

my views and experiences from wherever 

I am at the time. 

Of course, if anyone from the North 

West sends in copy that can go, suitably 

accredited. 

Back to the Future or is it 

Forward to the Past? 

A recent Despatch offering from DVSA 

talked about how ADIs can discourage 

pupils from booking tests too early, and 

encouraging them to take advice from 

their instructors. 

Among the comments made was: 

‘Extending the period that unsuccessful 

car candidates must wait before 

applying for another car test, from 10 to 

28 days, and extending the period in 

which a cancelled car test will result in 

a lost test fee, from 3 to 10 days.’ 

Now this might sound pedantic but I 

have to ask: do they actually mean 

applying or is it meant to be taking? 

If it is applying, then that is far beyond 

the timescales that learners worked to 

previously. 

When I first started instructing, back in 

the pre-compulsory badge era, an 

unsuccessful candidate had to wait ‘one 

calendar month before a retake, though 

the application could be made 

immediately.’ 

Indeed, that has been the ruling ever 

since; apply as soon as you like but you 

can’t have a test sooner than the 

designated time period since the last 

one. 

Both the measures proposed in the 

quoted section are the same, or very 

similar, to what we have had in the past 

before DVSA, or maybe it was DSA, 

changed them, so are we going Back to 

42 

the Future or Forward to the Past? 

(Apologies to Universal Pictures and 

Amblin Entertainment if my use of their 

film franchise title breaks some obscure 

copyright rules!). 

One Way or not One Way? 

The recent announcement of Highway 

Code changes has prompted a flurry of 

newspaper articles, many of them 

offering a very cursory look at the 

changes but accompanied by an even 

greater quantity of readers’ comments, 

many of which displayed a great deal of 

ignorance about the current Highway 

Code. Based on that there is little hope 

that the situation will improve. 

‘‘ 

How many times have you been 

trying to emerge from a junction, 

or turn into a side road, and seen 

a group of pedestrians stood by 

the side of the road. Are they 

stood there passing the time of 

day... or waiting to cross? 

‘‘ 

The area 

under 

discussed. The 

road marked 

with the road 

marker is 

Beatrice Road, 

which ends 

with a No 

Entry sign. 

Does this 

indicate a 

one-way 

street? 

My daughter sent me a link to one 

such article in Swindon and looking at 

the comments published (interestingly, 

about 50 per cent were blocked and 

marked as breaking website rules), many 

of the correspondents appeared unaware 

of their current responsibilities, and 

many of the cyclists who commented 

appeared to be looking forward to 

making complaints about drivers. 

One reply, however, raised an 

interesting point about just what drivers 

think they know. If you refer to the 

photos on this page – taken from Google 

– this person lives on a road with a No 

Entry sign at the western end (Beatrice 

Rd as shown on the Gmap above) and 

on leaving their house, has cycled 

eastwards only to be told by irate drivers, 

including a professional minibus driver, 

that the road is a one-way street. 

In fact, there are absolutely no One 

Way direction signs at either the eastern 

end of the road or opposite any of the 

side road and back lane accesses to it. 

I am writing this after using Streetview 

as I am not currently down in Swindon to 

check that it is still true. 

I wonder, do any of the drivers living 

along that road ever emerge from the 

side roads or back lanes and turn east or, 



‘‘ 

Highway Code changes has 

prompted a flurry of articles 

accompanied by readers’ 

comments, many of which 

displayed a great deal of 

ignorance about the 

Highway Code. 

‘‘ 

having parked on the road, then perform 

a turn in the road to return from whence 

they came? 

One of the photos does appear to show 

that at least one does go eastwards. 

Could it be that the highway authority 

has actually got a one-way street order in 

place and have simply omitted 

(forgotten) to put up the necessary 

signage? 

Do any of our Swindon-based 

colleagues tell their pupils about such 

seeming anomalies? 

Could some of the newly stressed 

provisions bring about some more ‘you’re 

wrong here, no matter what you do’ 

moments? 

I can certainly see that happening in 

the illustrations from the new Highway 

Code that graced the cover of February’s 

Newslink. 

L-test examiners, after this supposed 

‘bedding down’ period, can have just as 

contrary a view of the situation as the 

candidates. The changes do appear to 

have an element of subjectivity about 

them; there won’t need to have actually 

been any ‘incident’ to see an L-test 

failed, and there will be no grounds for 

an appeal. 

As an example, how many times have 

you been trying to emerge from a 

junction, or turn into the side road, while 

a number of pedestrians are having a 

good old natter by the side of the road? 

Are they stood there passing the time of 

day ... or waiting to cross? If your pupil 

came across such a group on an L-test 

would they be happy to pause to let 

them cross – and risk sitting in the 

middle of the road embarrassed as the 

conversation continues for the next few 

minutes? 

I think there could be an emerging 

market for 360 o camera coverage, which 

will then encourage even more citizen 

snouts, most of whom know next to 

nothing about what is legal or good 

practice and what is not. 


Looking forward to meeting 

up face-to-face again 

Mike Yeomans 

MSA GB North East 

I have been looking for a local venue to 

have a face-to-face meeting of local MSA 

GB members and their friends and 

colleagues. Ideally it would be 

somewhere not too expensive and easy 

to get to, so that there are lots of 

members within a 30-mile radius. I have 

two locations so far for the MSAGB 

North East area. 

First location is the Gomersal Park 

Hotel, for the west of the region. The cost 

is a little high but good for a bigger event 

once or twice a year. The second 

location, in the east is in Beverley at the 

Beverley Westwood golf club, (food 

available at reasonable prices and a bar.) 

I am keen to get out to local ADI 

groups to help with industry updates and 

if you’re looking for a speaker, not just 

ADI updates but general road safety 

topics, I can help. 

At the Beverley venue, on the second 

Monday in February, I attended a local 

IAM RoadSmart group meeting. It was 

run with a group of members at the 

venue (and came with very nice 

sandwiches and chips and cheap drinks) 

as well as an online Zoom presence as a 

hybrid meeting. It was a very successful 

event, and I wondered if this might suit 

some our MSA GB North East members 

and friends as a way forward. 

I am also very keen to visit the more 

northern members, up towards Durham/ 

Newcastle etc; if there is a good location 

to meet up, let me know. I don’t mind 

travelling, it’s the engagement that’s 

important so we get the correct 

information out to ADIs, rather than 

some of the misinformation often found 

on social media. 

I am always available to answer 

questions; anything I don’t know 

immediately I can get you the help or 

answers you need from those who know. 

I have spent a lot of time chatting to 

groups online about the recent changes 

to the Highway Code, and the future of 

electric vehicles in our industry. I have 

also been travelling the country engaging 

with road engineers and road safety staff 

about concerns to reduce crashes and 

future government plans to assist this. 

There is much to discuss with groups 

and your thoughts are always worth 

listening to. ‘Every day is a school day’, I 

believe, is the quote, and it’s absolutely 

true. 

Finally, I am looking forward to 

catching up with you at the MSA GB 

conference in Coventry. I know you will 

get a lot out of attending. 

Contact me with any article or 

comments you would like to put in 

Newslink from your area, or contact the 

editor direct. 

Remember, ADIs who live near you 

will be interested in local updates and 

information. Newslink is a good medium 

to tell your friends and colleagues about 

matters of interest to you and them. 

CONTACT 

To comment on this article, or provide 

updates from your area, contact Mike 

at chair.ne@msagb.com 

Gomersall 

Park Hotel: 

A good 

base for 

meetings in 

the west of 

our area 

43

Q & A with... 

Talking to other ADIs keeps 

me at the top of my game 

This month, our ADI under the 

Q&A spotlight is well-known 

ADI, instructor trainer and writer 

Steve Garrod... 

When did you become an ADI, and 

what made you enter the profession? 

I began my training and took my Part 

1 in 1993. I was with 50 other hopefuls 

at the regional test centre in London. 

Why? Well, I had been a motorcycle trainer 

(RAC/ACU) before CBT was introduced, 

and a friend of mine, who was already 

an ADI, suggested that I might like to 

train as an instructor. I remember sitting 

in on one of his lessons and, because he 

made it look easy, I thought how hard 

can this be? Little did I know! 

What’s the best bit about the job? 

Only this week I had a young man 

pass his driving test with some good 

feedback from the examiner. I dropped 

him back at his school during break time 

and, even though I have been lucky to do 

many things in this profession, seeing his 

pleasure of showing his mates his pass 

certificate is the best thing about the job. 

And the worst? 

The long drive home after a failed test! 

What’s the best piece of training advice 

you were ever given? 

To listen and to make the pupil the 

focus of the lesson. This was years 

before CCL had been mentioned. 

What one piece of kit, other than your car 

and phone, could you not do without? 

My digital foot pump! 

What needs fixing most urgently in 

driving generally? 

Mobile phone use. I still regularly see 

drivers texting and speaking on their 

phones while driving. 

What should the DVSA focus on? 

Reducing waiting times and allowing 

ADIs to sign off manoeuvres to reduce 

the time taken on a driving test. 

What’s the next big thing that’s going to 

transform driver training/testing? 

An eagle-eyed 

instructor ... 

Steve Garrod 

gets to grips 

with a bird of 

prey 

New technology in EVs. Examiners will 

need to know how to assess if it is being 

used properly. With the rise in automatic 

transmission, hybrids and EVs, ADIs face 

a dilemma when selecting the most 

suitable car for training to ensure they can 

meet the demand of new drivers over the 

next 5-10 years. 

Electric cars – yes or no? And why? 

Yes, it is the future and although I 

currently teach in a manual car, I think 

automatics are now so advanced that 

pupils will soon demand to learn in them. 

How can we improve driver testing/ 

training in one move? 

It would be nice if we could, but I feel 

we need more examiners and more test 

centres with better facilities, including 

larger areas for parking and manoeuvring 

practice. Instead we see overcrowded 

test centre car park and test centre 

closures with candidates having to travel 

further for their tests with increased 

waiting times. 

It really makes running a driving school 

difficult as we need more admin time. 

Who/what inspires you, drives you on? 

A colleague of mine, Dennis Hylton. 

Dennis is a great presenter and 

classroom trainer and is always well 

organised. Together we run Education 

and Training courses and the Assessor 

qualifications. He makes sure all the work 

is ready for inspection from our awarding 

body. It’s his own drive for perfection that 

inspires me to do my best. 

What drives me on? 

The fear of not having enough money 

to pay the mortgage and essential bills 

etc. It stems from a difficult time in the 

early 1970s when my mum, sister and 

I were in various sheltered 

accommodation before eventually finding 

somewhere to live in Bromley town 

centre. 

Although our house is now nearly paid 

for and I am lucky to be involved in a 

successful business, the thoughts of 

those dark days still drive me on to make 

sure we never have to endure such harsh 

times again. 

What keeps you awake at night? 

At the moment it is an owl in a nearby 

tree. Other than that, I am pleased to say 

I do sleep well! 

No one is the finished article. What do 

you do to keep on top of the game? 

I keep talking to other trainers and 

discuss points and problems I have 

encountered. 

44 



What’s the daftest /most dangerous 

thing that’s ever happened to you while 

teaching? 

There are a couple of things. I was 

working as a driving examiner in south 

east London. Having entered a 

candidate’s car I asked the elderly lady 

to start the engine, but the key would 

not turn. At that point another candidate 

approached us and asked “Are you in 

the right car?” 

My candidate then looked down and 

said. “I wondered where the other pedal 

came from!” I hadn’t noticed that my 

candidate should have been in an 

automatic car and we were trying to 

start a manual! 

As for dangerous, I had to stop a fully 

qualified driver on a fleet day taking the 

wrong turn at a busy junction on the 

M25. He had mistaken a slip road 

bringing traffic from the main 

carriageway on to the roundabout for an 

exit. Had I not grabbed the wheel in 

time we would have been going the 

wrong way and against three lanes of 

oncoming traffic. 

When or where are you happiest? 

Working in our garden or spending 

time with my wife on any of our 

‘adventures’. 

If you had to pick one book/film/album 

that inspires, entertains or moves you, 

what would it be? 

This sounds like Desert Island Discs! 

My favourite book is Jamaica Inn 

by Daphne Du Maurier. The atmosphere 

One of my 

favourite films 

is The Day of 

the Jackal, with 

Edward Fox ... 

he plays the 

quintessential 

Englishman who 

is really a coldblooded 

killer. 

she creates with the weather conditions 

over Bodmin Moor really captured me 

and it made me feel cold, even on 

warm summer days. It also got me back 

into reading after a few years. The 

descriptions of the characters made 

them realistic, so much so that on a 

recent holiday to Cornwall we stopped 

off at the Jamaica Inn for lunch. 

While in the area I saw village names 

used in the book. One of them is the 

village of Altarnun which is nearby and 

although it is over 30 years since I read 

the story, I had to go to see the church 

just to say I had been to the home of 

the main villain in the book! (The Vicar 

of Altarnun). 

One of my favourite films is The Day 

of the Jackal, with Edward Fox (1973). 

Given that there are no special effects 

and very little music in it, the story 

manages to keep me captivated. I think 

Edward Fox plays the part of a 

quintessential Englishman who is really 

a cold-blooded killer. 

An album I still listen to is The Joshua 

Tree by U2. I was given a turntable for 

Christmas and look forward to playing 

the original vinyl copy once again! 

Last year we went to see a few shows 

and concerts. One of the best was 

comedian Rob Brydon at the Winter 

Gardens in Margate and it was a great 

night. It brought back memories of 

holidays in the 70s! 

What moves me? Good question. I 

think someone achieving something that 

means something to them, regardless of 

what it is. 

EVs prompting drivers 

to boost their skills 

Two-fifths of drivers want to boost their 

EV knowledge by going back to driving 

school, new research has found. 

A survey on behalf of the AA shows 44 

per cent of qualified drivers would like 

the chance of an EV lesson, rising to half 

(49 per cent) among those 

aged 18-to-24. 

Londoners were 

most interested, 

with 53 per cent of 

drivers declaring 

their desire for an 

EV lesson. This is 

likely to be a 

reflection of the 

recent ULEZ expansion 

prompting drivers to 

consider driving lower-emission vehicles. 

Mark Oakley, AA Driving School 

Interim Managing Director, said: “As we 

head towards 2030, more and more 

learners will be starting their driving life 

in an EV. 

“Terminology like charging and range 

will be second nature to them, but it is a 

learning curve for drivers who have been 

used to combustion engines for decades. 

“We know there are lots of myths and 

misconceptions about driving EVs that 

are stopping some drivers from making 

the switch. 

“Having the opportunity to take a 

lesson with an instructor in an EV could 

be a really useful way for many drivers to 

overcome their concerns and see that 

driving an EV is a great option for them 

and the environment.” 

As the UK approaches the 

government’s 2030 emissions deadline, 

AA Driving School is calling on the 

government to update the Highway Code 

to include more information about 

electric vehicles. 

In December, it was announced there 

will be an update to add a warning in a 

‘waiting and parking’ section to remind 

drivers that EV charging cables can be a 

trip hazard on the pavement, but this is 

the only inclusion. 

From March 2022, the AA Driving 

School is offering pupils the option of 

learning to drive in an EV as the Peugeot 

e208, Peugeot e2008 and Vauxhall 

Corsa-e will be joining the fleet of cars 

available to its instructors. 

Read more about EVs at: theaa.com/ 

driving-advice/electric-vehicles 


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 and click on the Member Discounts logo. 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 GB’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 GB 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 

As the UK’s largest road 

safety charity, IAM 

RoadSmart is proud to 

partner with the Motor Schools 

Association GB. Working together to 

promote and enhance motorists skills on 

our roads. 

MSA GB OFFER:: Get 10% off Advanced 

courses; visit www.iamroadsmart.com/ 

course and use the code MSA10 at the 

checkout or call 0300 303 1134 to book. 

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 GB 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 GB OFFER:: Special discount 

of 20% on all car air fresheners and refills. 

CARD PAYMENTS 

MSA GB 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 GB 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 GB 

Members. 

MSA GB 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 GB OFFER: Special Driving Instructor 

Packages for MSA GB 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 GB 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 MARCH 2022


Membership offer 

Welcome new ADIs 

PUPIL INSURANCE 

Help your pupils private practice 

by signing them up to 

Collingwood’s instructor 

affiliate programme. 

MSA GB 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 GB 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 GB 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 GB OFFER: 10% discount on 

purchases across our tyre ranges. 

To get the full story of 

the discounts available, 

see www.msagb.com 

We’ve a special introductory offer for you! 

Congratulations on passing your 

Part 3 and becoming an ADI. 

There’s an exciting career 

open to you from today. 

It’s one that is alive with 

possibilities as you build 

your skills, your client 

base and your income. 

But for all the excitement, 

it can also be a 

challenging profession. Who 

can you turn to if you’re 

struggling to get over key driver 

training issues to a pupil? Where can you 

go to soak up advice from more 

experienced ADIs? Who will help you if 

you are caught up in a dispute with the 

DVSA? If the worst happens, who can 

you turn to for help, advice and to fight 

your corner? 

The answer is the Motor Schools 

Association of Great Britain – MSA GB 

for short. 

We are the most senior association 

representing driving instructors in Great 

Britain. Establised in 1935 when the 

first driving test was introduced, MSA GB 

has been working tirelessly ever since on 

behalf of ordinary rank and file ADIs. 

We represent your interests and your 

views in the corridors of power, holding 

regular meetings with senior officials 

from the DVSA and the Department for 

Transport to make sure the ADIs’ voice is 

heard. 

SPECIAL OFFER 

We’d like you to join us 

We’re there to support you every 

step of the way. Our officebased 

staff are there, five 

days a week, from 9am- 

5.30pm, ready to answer 

your call and help you in 

any way. 

In addition our network of 

experienced office holders 

and regional officers can offer 

advice over the phone or by email. 

But membership of the MSA GB 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: No joining fee, 

saving you £15 – all for just £70! 

Join MSA GB today! 

No joining fee, saving £15 

includes Professional Indemnity and 

Professional Liability insurance 

Call 0800 0265986 quoting 

discount code Newslink, or join 

online at www.msagb.com 

£70 

Just for 12 months membership 

NEWSLINK n MARCH 2022 47

Newslink March 2022

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