Newslink April

msagb.com 

Newslink 

The Voice of MSA GB 

Issue 363 • April 2023 

Thank you, Peter, 

for everything 

MSA GB’s National Chairman 

Peter Harvey MBE stands down after 

leading the association for 28 years 

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Hi-tech cars, low-tech 

roads to run them on 

Colin Lilly 

Editor, MSA GB Newslink 

We are all aware that, as we pass through 

this decade, we are anticipating a period 

of change to the vehicles we drive. You 

may have already changed to a hybrid or 

an electric, or decided to postpone a 

decision while other power sources are 

researched. 

However, there remains one question 

– where will we drive them? 

One of the most frequent complaints 

drivers make is with regard to potholes. 

They not only damage cars and other 

vehicles, but also are a safety hazard. 

Drivers do not only have to be aware of 

road damage, but of the effects it has on 

the actions of other drivers: cyclists, 

e-scooter riders and mobility scooter 

users. 

In a recent survey Bristol’s roads were 

found to be in the worst condition in 

England, with 78.5 per cent requiring 

maintenance. This was followed by 

Blackburn with Darwen at 76 per cent. 

That runners-up spot for Blackburn is 

archly ironic: after all, the Beatles, 56 

years ago, sang of ‘4000 holes in 

Blackburn Lancashire’. Were the Fab 

Four being strangely prophetic, or has 

the situation worsened? I would suggest 

that now the Albert Hall could not cope. 

But it is not just potholes that are the 

problem; it is the neglect overall that is 

the issue. Road markings are fading and 

not replaced. Road signs are neglected 

to the point of being meaningless. 

Rural road edges are crumbling. 

Drainage is poor. 

Before we start on experimental 

road systems, let’s get the basics 

fixed. Progress is fine but we 

cannot burn the bridges of the 

past. Local planners permit or 

even encourage development 

within their area. This encourages 

extra population and with this comes 

more vehicles and more wear and tear 

on the local road network. The time 

comes when the development is 

completed and the roads adopted by the 

local authority. Many of the new 

developments use a range of road surface 

materials for aesthetic reasons. I shudder 

to think what they will look like in 20 

years’ time. 

The current position is that almost a 

fifth of local authority roads are within 

five years of structural failure. Despite the 

Government recently allocating £200 

million to ‘solve’ this problem, it is 

estimated that it will take eleven years to 

repair the current damage, at a cost of 

£14billion. 

My own North Somerset authority has 

stated that, at current funding levels, 

roads will only be resurfaced every 70 

years. 

We pay a car fund licence and council 

tax to fund, in part, the upkeep of our 

roads, so where has that money gone? 

Local authorities deal with only the most 

severe potholes, and then with a 

temporary fill which often lasts only a 

few days. 

Whether it be local or national 

government, someone needs to take a 

serious look at our transport system if we 

are to avoid a dystopian road network. 

Looking ahead, we may not be certain 

which power source will be used on our 

vehicles, but we do know they will need 

a very strong suspension. 

Welcome to your 

digital, interactive 


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or on an advert? It it contains 

a web address or email, it’s 

interactive. Just click and it will 

take you to the appropriate web 

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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. 

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COVER STORY 

Tributes have been 

paid to Peter Harvey 

after he stood down 

as Chairman of 

MSA GB 

See page 16 

NEWSLINK n APRIL 2023 03

Contents 

08 

Honoured to 

lead MSA GB 

06 

News 

DVSA’s dual-plan 

looks to the future 

12 

Welcome for our new Chairman 

Peter Harvey will be a tough act to follow 

but I’m determined to work hard for this 

association, says new National Chairman 

Mike Yeomans – Pg 6 

DVSA ups ADIs’ pass mark 

The Standards Check is going to be a 

touch tougher this summer, after the 

DVSA announced plans to raise the pass 

mark from 31 to 33 out of 51 – Pg 8 

Welsh worries over 20mph 

The DVSA has admitted that plans to 

lower the speed limit on the majority of 

residential roads in Wales to 20mph will 

cause operational difficulties – Pg 10 

Farewell to Peter Harvey 

Our outgoing National Chairman reflects 

on his time in office, discussing the 

successes and disappointments, the 

challenges and the triumphs – Pg 16 

Conference report 

Full coverage of the presentations at the 

MSA GB Conference 2023, including the 

DVSA’s update on L-test waiting times 

and the association’s AGM – from Pg 20 

Towards your CPD 

Looking at the twin perils that bedevil 

many learners: not making progress and 

undue hesitancy, with ADI and instructor 

trainer Steve Garrod – Pg 28 


The Voice of MSA GB 

The Motor Schools Association 

of Great Britain Ltd 

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04 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2023


MSA GB 

Board of Management 

National Chairman & 

Area 2 - East Coast Chair 

Mike Yeomans 

7 Oak Avenue, Elloughton, Brough 

HU15 1LA 

T: 07772 757529 

E: mike.yeomans@msagb.com 

Vice Chairman 

Peter Harvey MBE 

T: 01505 814823 

E: peter.harveymbe@msagb.com 

Area 1 – Scotland & 

Northern Ireland 

Chair: Steven Porter 

18 Heron Place, Johnstone 

PA5 0RW 

T: 01505 345372 or 

07747 600672 

E: steven.porter@msagb.com 

Area 3 – London & South East 

Chair: Tom Kwok 

52B Sutton Road, Muswell Hill, 

London N10 1HE 

07956 269922 

E: tom.kwok@msagb.com 

Area 4 – West Coast & Wales 

Chair: Arthur Mynott 

9 Hagleys Green Crowcombe, 

Taunton TA4 2AH 

T: 01984 618858 

E: arthur.mynott@msagb.com 

AREA 1 

How MSA GB 

is organised, 

in four AREAS 

AREA 4 

Keep in touch 

AREA 2 

AREA 3 

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 01787 221020. 

Follow MSA GB on social media 

Just click on the icon to go 

through to the relevant site 


News 

Christine Peek 

Many members will be greatly 

saddened to hear that Christine Peek 

has died after a short battle against 

illness. 

Along with her husband Neil, the 

Peeks were MSA GB members for 

many years and regular attendees at 

Conferences, often accompanied by 

their wider family. 

The MSA GB Board passes on its 

condolences to Neil and his family at 

this difficult time. 

Opticians in warning 

over eye test failures 

Two-thirds of drivers in the UK who 

use glasses are ‘putting off’ updating 

their prescription, the Association of 

Optometrists (AOP) has claimed. 

As a result, their vision isn’t 

suitable for driving – increasing the 

risk of accidents and a possible 

£1,000 fine, and three points on a 

driving licence. 

The AOP’s latest research found 

that a fifth of drivers who require 

glasses have not had their eyes tests 

in at least three years. 

Police data has shown that around 

3,000 people are killed or injured by 

drivers with bad eyesight (or where 

eyesight has played a part in the 

cause of the collision) every year. 

That wasn’t smart... 

Research by the RAC has discovered 

that much of the electronic safety 

system overseeing England’s smart 

motorways failed for two hours on a 

Wednesday morning in February. 

During the outage there were no 

sign, signals and stopped vehicle 

detection technology in operation, 

meaning that anyone who broke 

down on a motorway with all lanes 

running was left helpless. 

The National Highways operational 

control director said it was “urgently 

investigating this unplanned 

outage.” 

A tough act to follow, but I’m 

honoured to lead MSA GB 

Mike Yeomans 

MSA GB 

National Chairman 

Welcome to this, the April issue of Newslink. 

I’ve been a regular contributor to 

Newslink for many years – indeed, I used 

to be a regional editor – but this is my 

first issue as national Chairman of MSA 

GB. It’s something I’m very proud of, and 

it is a real privilege to have been elected 

by the board to take on the role. 

I look forward to helping us move with 

the times, to engage all ADIs and driver 

trainers, road safety experts and all those 

who are motivated to improve the safety 

on the roads. 

As an organisation we are focused to 

getting the best up-to-date information to 

our members, and will always aim to 

offer meaningful support to our 

membership and advice as required. 

The recent restructuring of our areas 

allows us to be available in more cities 

and towns and get real advice and help 

to local ADI groups and local authority 

road safety advocates. I am confident 

members will enjoy even more benefits 

from MSA GB as the next year unfolds. 

A little bit about me: I have been in a 

driver training environment for most of 

my life. I was educated in Hull and 

progressed on to university, attending 

colleges in Cambridge and latterly in 

Manchester. To be honest, my education 

has never stopped. I achieved teaching 

and psychology qualifications and 

completed the Fleet Management CPC. I 

am a Train the Trainer in several subjects 

including passenger transportation, 

freight haulage, eco driving and electric 

vehicles. My driving business is Training 

UK Development where as director, I also 

serving as the ‘Safe Driver Manager’. 

For local authorities I have developed a 

driver permit system and deliver in-house 

and external training for them, covering 

assessments in all types of vehicles, as 

well as classroom delivery on driver 

health and safety, assisting school 

academies with minibus training and 

driver records, and I am an adviser on 

road risk management policy. 

I have over 23 years’ experience with 

diversionary schemes, from delivery to 

setting up some of the early PowerPoint 

presentations of which many currently 

reflect those early initiatives. 

Training for licence acquisition has 

always been the mainstay of my 

business, recently concentrating on 

assisting local driver trainers with 

mock-test drives, helping to calm student 

nerves and give a valued appraisal of 

what standard the driver needs is to 

apply for a practical driving test. 

I have assisted the Highways Agency 

with development of education/training 

for the elderly driver. This has been a 

new initiative for the Safer Roads 

Humber Humberside in 2009, to mark 

the 50 years of the motorway and how 

we use the network. 

In addition I am currently Honorary 

President and Chairman of IAM 

RoadSmart Hull and East Riding 

Advanced Motorists and an executive 

board member of Institute for Master 

Tutors of Driving. 

Away from driver training I have served 

with the RAF Training Branch, rising to 

the rank of Squadron Leader, and was 

awarded the Lord Lieutenant Certification 

from the Crown for my training 

achievements, including support of youth 

in the community. 

Finally, please see page 16 for a full 

tribute to our outgoing Chairman, Peter 

Harvey. His service to this association 

merits the many fine tributes that have 

been paid to him; he is a tough act to 

follow. 

CONTACT 

To contact Mike, email him at 

mike.yeomans@msagb.com 



Strike action to hit more L-tests 

Further strikes will hit L-tests this month, 

the Public and Commercial Services 

(PCS) Union has confirmed. 

Not all DVSA staff are PCS members, 

and even if they are, they might choose 

not to go on strike, so it is impossible at 

this stage to say how many tests will be 

lost. However, the PCS has confirmed 

strike action will be taken on a rolling 

basis, affecting different regions on 

different days. 

At present the strikes will be 

held on: 

• April 17-18 April: 

North-east England and 

Scotland 

• April 20-21: North-west 

England and Yorkshire and the 

Humber 

• April 24-25 April: East of 

England, East Midlands, West Midlands 

and parts of London 

• April 27-28: London, south-east 

England, South-west England and Wales. 

See the panel at the end of this article 

for a link to a comprehensive list of the 

DTCs affected. 

What to do if your pupil has a test 

Pupils concerned their test will be 

affected can change the date of their 

test via the online booking system, 

but must give at least three 

clear working days’ notice or 

they will have to pay again. 

If they do not want to 

change the date, they should 

turn up for their appointment 

as planned. If the test cannot 

go ahead, the test will be 

rescheduled for the first available date, 

and they will be able to claim out-ofpocket 

expenses. They must have turned 

up for their test to be able to do this. 

Rescheduling some tests in advance 

DVSA is rescheduling some tests in 

advance. Candidates affected will be 

contacted by email. 

In addition to driving examiners, PCS 

members in the DVSA customer service 

centre will also be on strike, on April 5-6 

and April 11-12. On these dates the 

customer service centre will be open 

from 8am to 4pm and it may take longer 

than usual to answer your query. 

The full list of strike-hit 

DTCs can be found here 

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News 

DVSA ups the stakes 

by raising Standards 

Check pass mark 

The DVSA is raising the pass mark on 

the Standards Check, from the current 

31 to 33 out of 51. 

Nick Taylor, DVSA ADI Registrar said 

the current Standards Check was a great 

tool, and provided “an opportunity for 

ADIs and trainee driving instructors to 

show their skills and how they can help 

pupils better prepare to drive safely and 

independently,” but it was time to think 

about whether further changes were 

required. 

The DVSA had conducted a survey on 

raising the pass mark, and Nick pointed 

out that “the pass mark for the ADI Part 

3 test is currently 31. It is reasonable to 

think that as driving instructors become 

more experienced, their skills and 

competencies will improve and they 

should become better instructors, 

providing a higher standard of training to 

their pupils. 

“Therefore we would expect 

experienced ADIs to perform at a higher 

level than an inexperienced potential 

instructor taking their qualification test, 

making the increase to 33 appropriate.” 

He added that “the proposed increase 

in the pass mark is very achievable. It 

would help us all to continue raising 

standards and show to learner drivers 

and their parents that, once qualified, 

instructors not only maintain their skills 

but develop and improve them.” 

He highlighted a number of initiatives 

taken by the DVSA to improve ADI 

standards, including the engagement call 

for candidates with ADI examiners before 

standards checks take place. 

“We recently added a compulsory 

engagement call to the ORDIT 

assessments as well. This has had a 

positive response from those who have 

been able to take advantage of this 

opportunity. 

“The impact of any increase in the 

Standards Check pass mark would 

feature in these 

conversations, alongside 

support and advice on 

how to best prepare for 

the assessment.” 

Nick added: “Improving 

teaching standards is an 

ongoing process and we 

need ADIs’ support to 

help us make the right 

changes, to offer the 

best level of training to 

your pupils.” 

ADIs on the DVSA 

blog site had a mixed 

response to the news. 

One asked whether the higher pass 

mark would improve the standard of 

ADIs, adding that “the only thing I can 

see happening is more ADIs failing and 

feeling aggrieved towards the examiner.” 

A harder line was taken by one ADI 

who questioned the wisdom of the 

Standards Check in the first place: “I 

strongly believe the current Standards 

Check does not add any knowledge to 

the ADI, and passing or failing it does 

not tell us the exact level of the ADI. I 

think what matters is education, so 

providing training courses to ADIs may 

make a greater difference.” 

The DVSA defended the check, 

pointing out that it is “a practical 

assessment of instructional ability and is 

used to ensure driving instructors meet 

the minimum required standard.” 

However, it acknowledged that 

“education is also an important part of 

raising standards and was one of the 

reasons why the DVSA launched the 

engagement call in 2021.” 

“This is an opportunity for an ADI to 

engage with a DVSA examiner to discuss 

their Standards Check and ask any 

questions they may have. The examiner 

will also discuss continuing professional 

development and encourage the ADI to 

seek ongoing development with an 

ORDIT registered trainer. ADIs will also 

be signposted to resources such as the 

National Standards for Driver and Rider 

training.” 

Another ADI queried the Standards 

Check marking system: “There is no clear 

information of how the marking system 

works. What does a 3 in each section 

look like in terms of instructional ability?” 

They also questioned what ‘good’ 

tuition looks like and requested definite 

explanations as to why an action would 

be marked as a 1, 2 or 3 in each 

competency. 

However, there was some support for 

the move, with one ADI suggesting that 

raising the pass mark to 33 was not 

going far enough: “It should be 35 out of 

51. Better quality teaching by instructors 

would increase the L-test pass rate, give 

us more good drivers on the roads and 

finally reduce the waiting list.” 

What’s your view? 

Do you agreee that the Standards Check 

pass mark should be raised? Or do you 

think an alternative mode of assessment 

is required? Let MSA GB know by telling 

the editor, at editor@msagb.com 



Shake-up to test booking system as DVSA 

looks to encourage pupils to wait 

The DVSA is making changes to the 

L-test booking system this summer, to 

encourage learners to only book and take 

their driving test when properly prepared. 

Changes include tightening up the 

rules around cancelling tests and 

increasing the number of days a 

candidate must wait before booking a 

test after a failure. 

Explaining the rationale behind the 

changes the DVSA said: “In February, 

53% of learners failed their L-test, and 

examiners are having to physically 

intervene in one-in-eight tests for safety 

reasons. 

“This suggests that more than half of 

candidates are not ready to take their test 

or drive safely on their own. 

“These changes are intended to help 

improve pass rates, make more tests 

available for learners who are ready and 

help to reduce driving test waiting times.” 

They are part of a package of measures 

that were publicly consulted on in 2022. 

The changes include: 

• extending the period that those who 

fail their car test have to wait before 

booking another test from 10 to 28 clear 

working days. This will give learners the 

time to undertake additional learning and 

training, and gain experience, which will 

increase the likelihood of them passing 

their next test. 

We also foresee this having a positive 

impact on car test waiting times. 

• extending the notice period during 

which a cancelled car test will result in a 

lost fee, from 3 to 10 clear working days. 

This will encourage learners who need 

more practice, to give DVSA more notice 

when cancelling, and give better 

prepared learners more chance to take 

advantage of short-notice test 

appointments. 

DVSA reasoning for changes 

It believes the changes will encourage 

learner drivers to be better prepared for 

their driving test, help to reduce the 

number of driving test appointments that 

are wasted on learners who are nowhere 

near the standard, and make more tests 

available for your pupils who are properly 

prepared. It should also make it easier 

for ADIs to find tests that are cancelled at 

short notice for pupils who are test ready. 

A consultation on the proposal found 

that one-in-three learners would be 

encouraged by the changes to only book 

their test when they are ready, even if 

waiting times remained the same as 

‘‘ 

The changes will encourage 

learners to be better prepared 

for their driving test and 

reduce the number of driving 

test appointments wasted on 

learners nowhere near the 

required standard... 

‘‘ 

now. 42.8% of learners said this 

measure would encourage them to only 

book their test when ready, even if 

waiting times were reduced. 

That’s more than those who said it 

would not change their behaviour 

(42.2%), the DVSA said. 

37.1% of ADIs who responded to the 

DVSA consultation agreed with 

increasing the number of days your 

pupils will have to wait to rebook from 

10 to 28, and 46.8% agreed with 

increasing the short notice cancellation 

period from 3 to 10 days. 

The DVSA is working with Parliament 

to change the law, and the changes will 

hopefully take effect in the summer. 

You can read 

the full 

report here 


News 

Welsh plans to extend 20mph zones 

causing concern to ADIs and the DVSA 

The DVSA has admitted that plans by 

the Welsh Government to introduce a 

20mph default speed limit on residential 

roads and busy pedestrian streets could 

lead to a major overhaul of the driving 

test centre estate across the country. 

The legislation was approved by the 

Senned in July of last year, and its 

supporters say it will save lives by 

reducing the risk and severity of injuries 

from collisions between vehicles and 

other road users. 

It will also, it hopes, encourage people 

to make more sustainable travel choices, 

as well as bring benefits in reducing 

noise pollution and improving air quality, 

as well as other environmental boosts. 

The changes will affect most 30mph 

roads, but not all. It will mainly affect 

restricted roads – generally residential or 

busy pedestrian streets with streetlights. 

But not all 30mph roads are restricted 

roads, and these remain at 30mph, and 

will be signed as such. 

A map has been published on 

DataMapWales that shows which roads 

would stay at 30mph. 

However, while the Welsh Government 

website has a comprehensive list of 

reasons why this is a good idea, it does 

not mention learner drivers at all, and 

there is considerable concern within the 

DVSA and the ADI community that it will 

affect learning and testing. Speaking to 

the MSA GB conference, Peter Hearn, 

DVSA operations director, told delegates: 

“In places like Cardiff, this would mean 

all tests would take place in second gear, 

which would be wrong. 

“We need to look at whether we will 

have to move all Welsh test centres that 

are currently in urban areas outside 

towns and cities, if this policy stays.” 

Peter Harvey commented: “While most 

Welsh ADIs in urban areas have access 

to faster roads which won’t be impacted 

by this law change, it will make teaching 

very challenging. Imagine having a new 

learner, in an area surrounded by 20mph 

zones, knowing that you will have to 

stick to second gear throughout the 

lesson, with little or no chance of moving 

on to a 30mph road. Very challenging. 

“I can see why the DVSA is concerned, 

and without wishing to dive into the 

politics behind this, I’m surprised the 

Welsh Government website does not 

make reference to the issues that this 

will create for the driver training and 

testing community.” 

Peter added: “I understand the appeal 

of 20mph zones in suburban and 

residential streets, but there need to be 

30mph roads too. I’m sure ADIs will pick 

their way through the new 20mph zones 

and find ways to get from them to 

30mph roads in a reasonably sensible 

fashion, but my fear is that there will be 

areas where the logistics of this are 

impossible. If you happen to live in such 

an area, this could create huge issues for 

some Welsh ADIs.” 

The Welsh Government map 

of 20mph zones can be 

found be clicking here 

‘Book to hold’ offers ADIs chance to secure tests 

DVSA is reminding ADIs that its ‘Book 

to Hold’ facility on the ADI booking 

system means you can book and pay 

for an ADI qualifying test or standards 

check even if no suitable date is 

immediately available. 

Using the facility helps the DVSA to 

manage demand for tests at individual 

centres across the country and deploy 

examiners accordingly. This means 

more instructors and potential 

instructors can take a test on their 

preferred date or close to it. 

To enable them to match examiner 

availability with test demand even more 

closely, ADIs and/or pupils are asked to 

follow these guidelines when using the 

“book to hold” facility. 

• Only request a date within the 

12-week booking window. 

• Wait until the candidate is ready to 

take the test before you request one, to 

increase the chance of success first 

time. 

• Don’t request a date outside the 12 

week booking window for a Standards 

Check as it must be completed within 

three months of receiving your invitation 

and DVSA are likely to move the date 

forward. 

Using “Book to Hold” correctly means 

the DVSA can allocate examiners where 

they’re needed and ensure as many 

instructors as possible get a test on (or 

close to) their preferred date. 

CLICK HERE for more details 



Time to improve, DVLA, the pandemic’s over 

Colin Lilly 

Editor, MSA GB Newslink 

Three years ago we were commenting on 

the delays experienced by drivers 

applying for or renewing driving licences. 

The Government Public Accounts 

Committee have recently reported their 

findings on the chaos created by the 

pandemic 2020-22 on this area of life. 

The committee heard from licence 

applicants who had been threatened with 

job loss, unable to reach their place of 

employment, had difficulty arranging 

motor insurance, driving abroad or hiring 

vehicles. 

The committee said despite changes to 

the law allowing licence renewals to be 

postponed, and the DVLA taking on 

additional staff, the problems at the 

DVLA had persisted for two years. 

Concerned applicants problems had 

been made worse by the difficulty they 

encountered contacting DVLA during the 

pandemic. Between April 2020 and 

March 2022 around 60 million calls 

went unanswered, which represented 

94% of the total the DVLA received. 

On the positive side the 17 million 

applicants who submitted online, and did 

not involve medical conditions, were 

processed within three days. However, 

the three million paper applications, or 

which required a decision from the DVLA 

over fitness to drive, faced long delays. 

The committee report criticised the 

Department for Transport (DfT) for taking 

a “hands-off” approach to problems at 

the DVLA, and had failed to ensure the 

organisation was adopting modern 

working practices. The Committee Chair, 

Dame Meg Hillier MP, described the 

DVLA’s operations as “antiquated”. DVLA 

needed better systems to identify and 

fast-track driving licence applications 

where the customer would be severely 

affected by a delay, she said. 

The DVLA said it had recently 

modernised the telephony systems, so it 

should be able to cope better with any 

future surges in demand. Processing 

times were now back to normal. 

It is hoped that users of the service 

identify with this. 


News 

Twin DVSA documents offer hint of 

major changes to testing by 2030 

April 4 saw the DVSA take the wraps off 

two crucial strategy documents, when it 

revealed its Strategic Plan to 2025 and 

Vision to 2030. 

It is unusual for the DVSA to bring out 

two such documents at the same time, 

but the delivery of a vision document in 

accompaniment to its strategy document 

suggests the agency is well aware it 

needs to get ahead of major changes 

heading its way. This is particularly true 

in terms of major changes ahead on the 

environment and technology, including 

autonomous driving. 

In the Strategic Plan to 2025, the 

DVSA vowed to “concentrate on 

customer needs and reducing test 

waiting times. We are determined to do 

much more to inform, educate and 

advise everyone how to stay safe. And 

we want to help people manage their 

costs and their businesses including 

recruitment and development of drivers 

to support the national supply chain.” 

It’s short-term goals in setting 

standards, assessing and testing are to 

shorten waiting times, streamline the 

theory test customer experience and 

increase capacity in the HGV testing 

regime. 

It will also “support training 

organisations to do effective manoeuvres 

tests”, and adapt testing “around the 

England-Wales border for when the 

20mph default speed limit takes effect in 

Wales in September 2023.” 

Looking further afield to 2025, it 

wants to develop a digital driver services 

platform that supports flexibility, reduce 

its reliance on the fixed estate, improve 

its sustainability and explore whether 

driving test routes can be designed 

locally to take into account local issues 

and conditions in real time. 

But perhaps the big news is the 

following sentence: “Adapt driver and 

rider testing to reflect changes in modern 

vehicle types, including more automated 

and self-driving vehicles.” 

This would suggest major changes to 

the test could be on their way. 

There is also a proposal to “improve 

the way motorcycle trainers provide for 

motorcycling on modern and future 

roads,” as well as an acknowledgement 

that by 2025, it may need to adapt its 

policies to accommodate e-scooters. 

In the DVSA’s Vision to 2030, its goal 

is set out in a simple mission statement: 

Keeping Britain moving, safely and 

sustainably. As one would expect, the 

document contains a number of pledges 

to make our roads safer, but as the DVSA 

has always had safety as a driving force, 

it is perhaps more important to 

acknowledge the two large ‘elephants in 

the room’; the environmental landscape, 

and the technological one. 

On the first, “Road transport needs to 

be greener and healthier. We must help 

to end the UK’s contribution to climate 

change by becoming net zero... we must 

make towns and cities safer, encouraging 

people to make the healthier choice to 

walk or cycle.” 

But the DVSA must also harness “the 

potential of technology and data... We’re 

on the cusp of a transport revolution, 

where about 1 in 8 new cars sold in 

2030 could have self-driving features. To 

help people stay safe, we need to make 

sure they have the confidence to use 

these new cars. The revolution will bring 

an unprecedented quantity and quality of 

new data.” 

It adds: “By 2030 there will be 10 

million battery electric vehicles on the 

road, with 300,000 public charge points 

... we will have a ban on the sale of new 

fully petrol or diesel cars and 12% of all 

new cars sold could have self- driving 

capabilities... at the same time, half of 

all journeys in towns and cities to be 

made by walking or cycling.” 

This situation becomes even more 

acute by 2040, when “40% of all cars 

sold will have self-driving features.” 

That’s why, by 2030, “the DVSA will 

adapt driving standards for vehicles with 

self-driving features, and adapt theory 

tests and driving tests for vehicles with 

self-driving features...” 

It all smacks of major changes coming, 

though there are few concrete details in 

either document. However, CLICK 

HERE to read the documents in full, 

and Newslink will have a more 

comprehensive review of their contents 

– and possible implications for ADIs – in 

the May issue. Watch this space! 


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Private healthcare is peace of mind 

No matter how fit and healthy we are, it 

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Financial advice 

Make sure you make the most of any 

help the Chancellor offered 

The Chancellor announced in his recent 

Budget “We are following the plan and 

the plan is working,” and there will be 

no recession. With more and more of us 

feeling the impact of higher prices and 

interest rates, for many the Budget did 

help a little. Although inflation has 

dropped from the record high of 11.1% 

in October it will take some time before 

we see any significant drop. With that, 

MSA GB approved accountants FBTC 

wanted to outline a few key points from 

the Budget that might help you save a 

little. 

Please note, this information is given 

based on an individual operating as a 

sole-trader and is non-VAT registered. 

Firstly, the few announcements with 

change dates of April 2023 are: 

• Energy Price Guarantee will remain 

at £2,500 for the next three months, 

• Fuel duty frozen, 

• Tax relief for foster carers increased, 

• Pensions, Annual tax-free allowance 

has increased from £40k to £60k. 

The lifetime allowance has been 

abolished. 

The above may not feel like much, but 

it does make us reflect on the basic tax 

reliefs and strategies that already exists: 

• Make use of your Personal Allowance 

Any income received within the 

personal allowance, £12,570, is tax free. 

This income can be from pension 

income, rental profit, and offshore bonds 

not just from the work you do. 

If you haven’t used your personal 

allowance check to see if you can utilise 

it. 

• Check your tax code 

If you are in PAYE make sure you 

check your tax code as you could pay 

more tax than you should and it can take 

time to get this refund back from HMRC. 

(This is especially the case if you have 

taxable benefits in kind, for example a 

company car). 

• Marriage Tax Allowance 

Did you know you can backdate your 

application for marriage allowance up to 

three years? Transferring the personal 

allowance can save you up to £250 in 

tax per year. 

To maximise this tax saving, a spouse 

whose income is below the personal 

allowance will transfer some of their 

unused allowance to a spouse paying tax 

at basic rate. 

The allowance cannot be transferred to 

someone paying higher rate tax. 

• Personal Savings Allowances 

This allows you to receive a maximum 

of £1,000 of interest before you must 

pay tax on it, this is again dependent on 

your income tax band. This might not 

sound like a lot but its very much along 

the lines of – every little helps. 

• Savings plans 

Personal ISAs: ISAs are a tax-efficient 

way to save money. The personal 

allowance for ISAs is still £20,000. 

• Junior ISAs: Pass money to future 

generations, tax efficiently. 

• Business Expenses: 

Make sure you aren’t missing tax relief 

by not including business expenses that 

are allowable. 

• Complete your tax return on time (let 

FBTC complete it for you). You might 

think ‘it’s £100 late filing, I will just pay 

it’, but that’s potentially two weeks’ 

worth of fuel – it’s much better in your 

fuel tank than HMRC’s account. 

• Speak to a financial advisor – 

individual circumstances change from 

year to year, as do regulations. It is worth 

reviewing how you are managing your 

finances to make sure you aren’t missing 

out. 

• FBTC can provide MSA GB members 

with focused accountancy advice that is 

tailored to the particular needs of ADIs 

and PDIs. Call 0344 984 2515 for 

details 



Raising the pass mark could be a bonus 

Since DVSA announced its proposal to 

increase the pass mark for the ADI 

Standards Check from 31 to 33 out of 

55 there have been some reports stating 

that the DVSA was ‘increasing the pass 

rate’, writes Colin Lilly. 

This may just be semantics... it could 

have started as a typographical error that 

has persisted, but the pass rate isn’t 

changing; the pass mark is. 

Of course, often in any sector of 

education, when a pass mark is raised 

the pass rate falls, but this is not set in 

stone. 

The success rate for the Standards 

Check could rise despite the higher score 

needed. It is not an unreasonable 

expectation of the DVSA that ADIs’ 

standards of teaching rise with 

experience; we shall see. 

What is definitely true is that currently, 

teaching experience alone is not enough 

to improve you as an ADI. Any practical 

experience needs to be backed up by 

Continuing Professional Development 

(CPD) in its various forms; 

• Sitting in on driving tests 

• Attend live events. 

• Join Webinars 

• Engage the services of a good driver 

trainer. 

• Keep up with events via Newslink. 

CPD does not need to be expensive but 

it will give value to your business. 

Going back to the pass mark increase, 

when assessment standards are raised, it 

does tend to create a fear factor but this 

can have a positive effect. 

The ultimate outcome could be a rise in 

the success rate for the ADI Standards 

Check. 

Let’s hope so. 

What’s new? 

The DVSA’s official publisher, The 

Stationery Office, has launched a new 

Highway Code App. 

It’s for all road users and makes it even 

easier – and more fun – to keep up to 

date with the rules of the road. 

What’s new on the App? 

• Instant access to the very latest 

version of the Official Highway Code 

while on the move, on tablets and mobile 

devices 

• Quizzes and timed challenge 

features, that help users check their 

knowledge of the Highway Code and 

track their progress. 

• A voice over option enabling users to 

listen as well as read. 

The App costs £3.99 and is available 

to download on both Android and iOS 

platforms. 

You can find the app 

by clicking here 


Farewell, Peter Harvey 

Peter Harvey MBE stood down as Chairman of MSA GB at the AGM in March. In conversation 

with Rob Beswick, here he reflects on his time as Chair, celebrating the positive changes 

made to the profession during his time in office, highlighting the missed opportunities and 

remembering those people who had made his role so special. 

Thanks, it’s been great 

working with you all 

Well, Peter: 28 years in post: Did you 

ever think you’d be in the role this long 

when you took over the reins from Ron 

Feltham in 1995? 

No! I had no idea my tenure would last 

28 years. There was a long list of 

established chairmen around the country 

before me, all doing a great job, so I was 

surprised to be asked. Replacing Ron 

Feltham was no small task as he was 

such a charismatic man. I thought I may 

have been able to make a contribution 

working with my colleagues on the board 

and management team, but never 

suspected I would be doing it for so long. 

I’ve always been grateful for the trust my 

fellow chairs showed in me. 

What’s the thing you’ve most enjoyed 

about being Chair? 

That’s easy: meeting the people in this 

profession. The number of friends I have 

made over the years has been amazing, 

and it’s been great to be able to help 

hundreds of members and non-members 

through what for them were very trying 

times. When you’ve worked hard to help 

keep someone on the Register, and see/ 

hear the relief in them, it made it very 

worthwhile. 

I’ve also enjoyed working with other 

organisations involved in driver training 

and road safety: IMTD, NASP, EFA, 

PACTS and RoSPA, to name but a few. 

I’ve even enjoyed our meetings with 

politicians though I have to admit the 

scariest one was giving evidence to the 

Parliamentary Select Committee for 

Transport. 

How have things changed over the 

time? What’s the thing that you look at 

now and think, ‘wow, if you had said 

things would work like that in 1995, I 

would not have believed you?’ 

I think the biggest surprise is how the 

profession has been asked to adapt to 

new ideas. Just off the top of my head, 

back in 1995 we didn’t have a separate 

theory test for learners; we’ve coped with 

the introduction of the paper test and 

now we have this dazzling HPT, with CGI 

scenes to test learners’ understanding. 

To that you can add the complete 

overhaul of the driving test over the 

years. First it was extended to increase 

the time spent driving, then we 

introduced designated routes where the 

candidate was asked to follow 

schematics for a period, and that was 

replaced by the Sat Nav and following 

road signs on the independent driving 

section. 

You can add to this the ‘show me tell 

me’ questions and new exercises such as 

the pull up on the right. 

There have been massive changes, too, 

to the way new entrants to the profession 

are tested, through what are now Parts 

1,2 & 3, as well as the introduction of 

the check test – now the Standards 

Check. 

Away from the test, I suppose the 

biggest change is the vast improvements 

in technology. I certainly never imagined 

in 1995 that by now we’d all be walking 

around with a minicomputer in our 

pocket, or be on the verge of near 

autonomous vehicles. 

How have relations with the DVSA 

changed over the time? Have they 

improved, or got worse? What do you 

think of the agency’s performance? 

Not every change is for the better, but I 

would say that the way the DVSA liaises 

with ADIs is streets ahead of how it 

operated back in the 1990s – and those 

times were considered a marked 

improvement on the 1970s and ‘80s! 

We now have a really good working 

relationship with DVSA senior 

management, chatting on an almost daily 

basis. I can honestly say that some of the 

top people at the DVSA I would consider 

friends. Back at the beginning, driving 

examiners at the test centre wouldn’t 

even speak to you. Not all of them have 

joined in with the new relationship as 

willingly as others, but it’s a vastly better 

relationship between the two sides of the 

profession. 

As to the DVSA’s performance, it’s a 

little harder to comment on. I’ve always 

been aware that the DVSA is at times, at 

the mercy of whatever government 

happens to be in control at the time. 

The staff, in my opinion, try to push 

forward ideas to improve road safety. 

The one thing I can say for sure is that 

the DVSA listens to us now. 



“The way the DVSA liaises with ADIs 

is streets ahead of how it operated 

back in the 1990s – and those 

times were considered a marked 

improvement on the 1970s and ‘80s!” 

What has been the DVSA’s biggest 

success as far as changes to the driver 

training/learner’s infrastructure? 

When I look back, there have been 

loads of changes – many that new 

instructors would not think of. The best 

ones are often the simplest. A good 

example is the DL25, the examiner’s 

marking sheet. When I started, we didn’t 

even know what that was; now the 

candidate has a complete report on every 

marked fault. We also have the 

opportunity to hear the debrief on every 

test and sit in the back to see the whole 

event if you want. 

All of these things have been made 

possible because the ADI associations 

convinced the DSA/DVSA to make those 

changes. They are all hugely effective, 

but markedly simple at the same time 

One big victory was changing the law 

so learners could go on motorways with 

fully qualified ADIs in a dual controlled 

car. Our ability to work together with 

other representative groups such as 

NASP has made a huge difference to 

how DVSA, DfT and government work 

together to slowly make changes. 

There must have been some regrets over 

missed opportunities, at the same time? 

There are a few. My main two are, 

first, not being able to convince the 

transport minister of the day that 

compulsory CPD was the way forward. 

Continued on page 18 


Farewell, Peter Harvey 

Continued from page 17 

It had been agreed that each instructor 

would take seven hours CPD per year as 

a minimum. We and the then DSA felt 

that was a good way forward and was a 

similar system to what our colleagues on 

the LGV & PCV side were used to. 

However, at the eleventh hour, the 

minister pulled the plug on the grounds 

that it may be too onerous on small 

businesses. 

The other one – and people who know 

me well will be expecting this! – is not 

convincing Government to back 

compulsory log books. We spent many 

hours working with industry colleagues 

to design a mutually acceptable small 

book for parents and instructors to use, 

to help ensure the pupil would have a 

good training record that could use to 

reflect on their performance. It was all 

agreed...and then once again, dropped at 

the last minute. 

But here we go again, DVSA has had 

this good idea, guess what? Yes, it’s the 

new driver record! 

One final huge regret for me was not 

being able to convince the Minister 

during the pandemic, to allow people to 

have their theory test pass extended. It 

still seems totally unfair and unjust to 

me, especially as it was done on the 

grounds of road safety when the same 

department decided it would suspend 

MOTs and ignore the potential road 

safety problems that that could lead to. It 

seemed to me their priorities were more 

than a little skewed! 

Still, you can’t win them all. 

Looking forward, what is the change 

you would most like to see enacted? 

The obvious immediate issue is we 

have to focus on reducing practical L-test 

waiting times. DVSA needs to do 

whatever it takes to get waiting times 

down all across the country, not just at 

some centres. The waiting list must fall 

to around 8/9 weeks across the board at 

all centres, including part-time centres. 

The customers in more rural areas 

deserve to have the same service 

provided as main line centres. 

Doing this would at a stroke make life 

so much easier for professional 

instructors, as they could then use the 

fact that tests were available in the near 

‘‘ 

One big victory was 

changing the law so learners 

could go on motorways with 

fully qualified ADIs in a dual 

controlled car. Our ability to 

work together with other 

groups has made a huge 

difference to how we get 

things done with DVSA 

‘‘ 

future to convince learners to postpone 

their test when they are clearly not quite 

ready. 

The sad truth is the majority of learners 

just won’t postpone a test if the next 

available one isn’t for 24 weeks. 

Consequently they ignore their ADI and 

will have a go in their own car in some 

cases, which puts examiners at a higher 

risk. 

What makes it worse is that the DVSA 

then tells us the pass rate is going the 

wrong way. You don’t have to be a genius 

to work out why. Keeping blaming ADIs 

is not going to solve the issue. 

There was a simple solution, too. I still 

feel, the authorities missed the boat 

when they wouldn’t allow ADIs to sign off 

on manoeuvres – something they have 

now decided is a good idea with the LGV 

testing system. 

Trust ADIs to sign them off, then more 

time could be used on the test to look at 

the candidate’s driving. That may very 

quickly help candidates to see they are 

not ready to take the test. 

Here’s one final idea – though it might 

not be so popular, but it would help with 



members through the bad times by 

keeping everyone updated with the many 

rule changes and restrictions, to make 

sure we all stayed within the guidelines 

and standard operating procedures when 

testing resumed. 

road safety: make every driver retake the 

theory test before the renewal of their 

photo on their licence. 

I feel this would be a step in the right 

direction to update drivers’ knowledge. 

What has been the biggest challenge 

the association has faced while you’ve 

been chairman? 

There have been a few! The worst by 

far was the pandemic. The affects of that 

terrible time have changed us all, and 

how we do things, probably forever. 

The lockdowns saw a huge number of 

instructors leave the profession to find 

other ways of being able to make ends 

meet for them and their families. Not 

being able to earn money for 10 months, 

understandably, hit ADIs hard and it has 

taken many of them a long time to 

recover; some never will. 

We in the association tried to help 

How does the future look for the MSA 

GB in particular, and the ADI profession 

in general? Do you think the challenge 

of greater automated driving/technology 

could present problems for ADIs in the 

future? 

I’m sure the association will go from 

strength to strength. We have a good 

team on the board who reach out to their 

area committees to ensure members can 

have their say at local meetings. 

I’ve been really pleased to oversee our 

transformation to the digital era. We now 

have information going out to our 

members as soon as it’s available to us, 

via our newly updated website and all 

our media channels. 

One of best projects in the last year 

has been the launch of our new 

members’ App, which is proving very 

popular with members. 

As for the leaps forward in car 

technology, I don’t think these will be a 

threat to the profession. As we have 

always done in the past, instructors will 

adapt, and for some considerable time 

yet, people will need to be educated in 

learning the art of driving, whatever form 

of power unit sits under the bonnet. 

How are you going to spend the extra 

time you now have on your hands? 

I will still be very much involved as 

Vice Chairman; I will be around to help 

and support Mike in his new position as 

Chairman. 

I plan to spend a bit more time with 

the family and have a wee holiday as we 

are now able to travel around a bit more. 

Any final thoughts? 

It sounds clichéd I know but being 

chairman of MSA GB has been a 

pleasure and an honour. I wouldn’t have 

nissed it for all the world. 

There are so many people I’d like to 

thank. First has to be Jean, my wife, for 

all her support over the years. I would 

also like to thank all my colleagues on 

the board over the years, and especially 

The examiners’ marking sheet, 

previously known as the DL25: ‘Back in 

the 1980s we didn’t even know it 

existed!’ recalls Peter 

to Carol and John Lepine for all their 

hard work and efforts over all the years. 

We couldn’t have done all this without 

you. 

It would be remiss of me not to thank 

Colin & Rob at CMS Publishing, Colin 

Lilly, our Newslink editor, and all our area 

editors and contributors who keep 

Newslink at the forefront of our 

association. 

Finally, two things. I would like to 

finish off by wishing our new chairman, 

Mike Yeomans, all the very best in his 

new position. I’m sure Mike, the board 

and the team at head office will look 

after you well. 

Second, I have been amazed by the 

wellwishers who have got in touch in the 

past few weeks, saying thank you and 

reminiscing about times we’ve worked 

together. 

There have been so many gifts too, 

and all very much unexpected and 

appreciated. 

Special thanks to the association from 

Jean and I for the lovely gift you 

organised, and a special thank you to all 

the committees for their gifts. 

I’ll sign off with a quote: as a famous 

man once said “Hasta la Vista” – no, not 

him, the other one! 


MSA GB CONFERENCE 2023 

CONFERENCE 

2023: 

In-depth 

CPD, DVSA updates and tips 

from top trainers – plus an emotional 

farewell to Chairman Peter Harvey 

The decision to switch the MSA Conference online from an in-person event may have disappointed 

many members – but that didn’t stop the day from delivering some superb advice, CPD and insights 

from a host of expert speakers from the driver training community. 

Here we capture some of the highlights of the day, including an emotional send-off for the 

long-serving MSA GB National Chairman, Peter Harvey 

Conference session: Confident Drivers, by Kev and Tracey Field 

And breathe! It’s all about the vagus nerve 

An excellent presentation to conference by Kev and 

Tracey Field of Confident Drivers gave everyone food 

for thought on helping their pupils control their 

nerves – particularly on the driving test. 

Everyone gets nervous, and driving tests are often 

cited as the most nerve-wracking task many people 

have to tackle, so it’s no surprise that many 

outstanding candidates crumple on the big day. So 

how best can ADIs help their pupils take their L-test 

in their stride? 

Breathing exercises are one way to calm the 

nerves and reduce stress. As Kev and Tracey 

explained, it is all about controlling the vagus nerve. 

The vagus nerve, also known as the vagal nerves, 

are the main nerves of your parasympathetic 

nervous system, which controls specific body 

functions such as your digestion, heart rate and 

immune system. It is closely linked to our flight or 

fight response – our physiological reaction to an 

event that is perceived as stressful or frightening. 

The perception of threat activates the sympathetic 

nervous system and triggers an acute stress response 

that prepares the body to fight or flee. 

When learners find themselves overwhelmed by 

nerves, breathing exercises can help. Deep breaths, 

taken in through the nose and released slowly the 

same way, can take the mind away from the nervous 

situation and give them something else to focus on, 

creating a calming experience. 

The calming element of any breathe isn’t the 

intake; it’s exhaling, which should be slow and 

focused. Breathing out through pursed lips helps. 

Kev and Tracey also discussed box breathing, 

counting breathing and shape breathing. 

Overall, improving the pupil’s 

mindfulness was also important. 

Give your pupils something else 

to think about – the roads 

around them, the noises they 

hear, giving them something 

different to focus on – can also 

make a huge difference. 

• Kev and Tracey 

Field offer training 

courses for both 

ADIs, so they can 

help ease pupils’ 

nerves, and 

drivers who 

struggle with 

their 

confidence. 

Find out more 

at: https://www. 

confidentdrivers. 

co.uk 



Conference session: TSO, by Lucy Mackay, TSO Partnership Manager 

TSO Partnership Manager LUCY MACKAY took MSA GB Conference delegates 

through the publisher’s products, chief among which are those bibles of the road, 

the Highway Code and Driving - The Essential Skills. 

It’s Safe Driving for Life website regularly tops million visitors a month. It carries 

three blogs a month of road safety issues and is open to contributions from ADIs 

and driver training groups. 

The blog is there for everyone to share their case studies and best practice – 

anything that develops greater understanding of safer driving. 

Lucy was particularly keen to encourage ADI to engage with the 

Ready2Pass campaign, which was proving highly successful 

in helping learners understand the levels needed to pass 

their L-test. Over 80 per cent of ADIs who had engaged 

with the campaign have rated it positively, while 45 

per cent had said it had helped them convince pupils 

to defer their test to a later date. 

Lucy was also keen to promote the new theory test app. Packed with CGI hazard 

perception clips and questions taken from the official theory tests, it was the best way for 

learners to access up-to-date information and guidance to boost their theory knowledge. 

YOU CAN WATCH THE ENTIRE CONFERENCE AND LISTEN TO OUR EXPERT SPEAKERS HERE 

Conference session: Communication, by Graham Hooper, Tri-Coaching Partnership 

Maintaining good communication with your pupils, with a 

particular emphasis on understanding the type of dialogue 

and learning that made the greatest impact with them, was a 

vital component in the ADI’s toolbox, said Graham Hooper of 

Tri-Coaching Partnership. 

Everyone absorbs learning in a different way. Some people 

are visual learners, some auditory and others learn 

kinaesthetically – by touch and feel. The acronym grouping 

them is VAK, and it is important to understand which of 

these works best for your pupil. 

Visual learners understand and remember things by sight, 

picturing what they learn in their head. Auditory 

learners hear and listen, understanding and 

remembering things they have heard. 

The final group – kinaesthetic learners – 

need a multi-sensory learning 

environment for deep learning as they 

learn through ‘doing’. A kinaesthetic 

learner is someone who needs to be 

actively engaged in their learning, using 

movement, testing and trial and error to 

retain and recall information. 

Which one is applicable to each of your 

pupils? It’s important to find out. 

The pupil’s personal preference for learning 

should dictate your teaching. Kinaesthetic learners will find 

repetition of manoeuvres helpful, for example, while 

auditory learners need things explained in clear, simple 

language. Visual learners work best if you show them a 

situation and ask them to visualise themselves in it, such as 

taking them to a roundabout and showing them how other 

road users handle it. 

Look for ‘tells’ that reveal the pupil’s mood. Body 

language reveals much of how we feel – as he pointed out, 

if you ever want to see an example of body language giving 

away secrets, watch former US president Bill Clinton’s 

interview in which he protested his innocence of an 

affair with Monica Lewinksy. “His words said he 

had never had a relationship with her, but his 

body language said something very 

different.” 

Facial expressions, the eyes and 

speech volume all offer clues to what 

the pupil is thinking and responding to a 

situation. 

It was important not to get stuck on 

your own agenda and ignoring the 

feelings of the pupil. Park the lesson plan 

if their body language suggests the pupil is 

struggling with other issues. 

NEWSLINK n APRIL 2023 

21

MSA GB Conference 2023 

Conference session: The DVSA 

We’re getting there on test waiting 

times, promises operations director 

Peter Hearn, DVSA operations director was the 

first of our two speakers from the DVSA. 

He gave delegates a run through of the 

current L-test waiting list position, highlighting 

a big improvement in the situation since last 

June, when at any time only three per cent of 

L-tests were available to book. 

This has now improved and nearly 13 per 

cent of all tests were available to book, which 

amounted to around 80,000 test slots. 

However, he accepted that there were still too many 

driving test centres with little or no availability in a 24-week 

window: there were 75, as of the start of March. The DVSA is 

aiming at single figure waiting times for all test centres by 

October. 

The situation had not been helped by recent strike action: 

the most recent industrial action had cost 2,000 tests alone. 

Peter acknowledged that the waiting times were frustrating 

for ADIs and learners, but stressed how much the DVSA had 

done to improve the situation, adding 695,000 extra tests 

through a series of well-documented measures, including 

bringing in qualified non-examiners from other departments of 

the DVSA, buying back leave, extending operational hours 

and asking recent retirees to return on a temporary basis. 

The current test backlog was over 500,000. 

Flexible test delivery 

Peter also discussed plans for flexible test delivery. A 

number of tests of this strategy had been well received, he 

said. “Our estate is currently fixed in terms of locations, but 

our customers aren’t. We need to look at ways of taking tests 

to them,” he said. Community centres and churches could be 

used, possibly in areas where full-time testing isn’t practical. 

Ad hoc pop-up test centres could be one answer to taking 

tests to the candidates. 

It wasn’t practical to have test centres constantly 

changing, as examiners needed time to learn the 

routes, but more flexibility was clearly the goal. 

He wasn’t suggesting that all current driving 

test centres would close, however: there was still 

a need for permanent bases. 

20mph default speed limits 

One particular concern was the impact of the Welsh 

Government’s decision to bring in a default 20mph speed 

limit in urban areas. “In places like Cardiff, this would mean 

all tests would take place in second gear, which would be 

wrong,” said Peter. “We need to look at moving all Welsh test 

centres that are currently in urban areas outside towns and 

cities, if this policy stays.” 

Fighting fraud 

Peter was pleased that after lengthy negotiations, the DVLA 

is now allowing examiners to access driving licence photos, 

so candidates could be checked to eliminate fraud. 

A similar check was coming in on whether the cars used on 

tests were MoT’d. This was a greater concern when private 

cars were used on tests, rather than driving school vehicles. 

Peter was followed by a well-known face to many MSA GB 

members, John Sheridan, the DVSA’s Driving Training Policy 

Specialist 

John was another speaker who was pleased with the 

response to the Ready2Pass campaign. He thought it was 

fantastic tool to help pupils understand what was required on 

an L-test - “it delivers great information to pupils and provides 

a toolkit for you to use.” 

He picked out the printable check list of skills and actions 



John Sheridan 

that reminded pupil of what was 

needed on the L-test as particularly 

useful, and stressed the value of 

ADIs conducting mock tests to gauge 

real test readiness. 

He revealed that one-in-five pupils 

who fail say they felt their test had been 

marked too harshly: “That’s why mock tests are so important, to 

give learners a proper idea of the level that is expected.” 

45 per cent of ADI who use mock tests said they used the 

experienced to encourage pupils who are not ready for their test 

to put off applying. 

Free CPD – sit in on tests 

He also reminded ADIs that the DVSA provided them with 

‘free CPD’ if they attended a pupil’s test. “You will learn a great 

deal about what we expect simply by sitting in on a test,” he 

said. “I cannot stress enough the value you will gain.” 

Standards Check pass mark 

The pass mark for the Standards Check was rising, to 33 from 

31. He pointed out that the pass mark for the Part 3 test was 

31, “and everyone who has been an ADI for 12 months should 

have improved and consolidated their skills within the first year 

of passing, so asking them to hit a higher minimum standard 

was right.” 

ORDIT 

He was pleased that Ordit was now back up and running fully. 

“There will be a mandatory engagement call before an ORDIT 

inspection and the trainer needs to demonstrate progress and 

record keeping.” 

All ORDIT tests were now to be role play only. While role play 

was no longer used on Part 3 tests and Standards Checks, fault 

simulation on a role play was a valuable tool for trainers, and 

role play was the best way for trainers to evidence and simulate 

verbal testing. 

“ORDIT is about equipping the PDI with the skills to instruct, 

not what to instruct.” 

ORDIT trainers would be given two attempts to get a Grade A 

mark to stay on the register. 

One final point: John asked MSA GB members to be vigilant 

over PDIs’ advertising themselves as qualified driving instructors 

before they pass the Part 3. “Please remind any trainees or yours 

that they cannot say this until they pass.” 

Q&A with the DVSA 

In a lively Q&A session that followed John and Peter’s 

presentations, they were taken to task over what 

Graham Hooper claimed was an increasing move 

towards a “test-focused industry.” “The test should be 

seen as the lowest standard possible we can accept 

before allowing someone on to the road,” Graham said. 

“There has to be a greater focus on the post-test 

environment.” 

John Sheridan agreed that the post-test landscape was 

a concern, with one-in-five new drivers having a crash 

in the first two years, but “we need to evaluate 

candidates’ competence, so we will always need a test 

of some kind.” 

Arthur Mynott agreed with the DVSA view over mock 

tests, “a great way of ensuring pupils are aware of the 

standard required and confirming when they are ready 

for test.” 

Peter Harvey said he understood why the DVSA was so 

keen on pupils being test-ready but injected a little realworld 

common sense into the debate: “Where I’m 

based you cannot find a test for 24 weeks; it is unlikely 

you will convince any pupil to postpone their test if 

they have to wait half a year before getting a new slot.” 

He suggested a system tweak that would allow 

candidates who postpone tests to get a replacement 

slot more quickly than the average waiting times. 

The DVSA were questioned over the use of pupils’ log 

books; would they be accepted any time soon as a 

guide to the learner’s standard? 

Peter and John agreed that they were useful but 

allowing for their introduction as part of the testing 

regime required legislation, “and while this is an 

ambition it is unlikely to come to fruition any time 

soon.” 

The DVSA was keen on using Sat Navs to dictate the 

entire test route, but such a plan was rejected out of 

hand by Karl Satloka: “I’ve had pupils who have come 

to me from other instructors, and you can tell the ones 

who use the Sat nav exclusively. 

“Their observation skills and anticipation are really 

poor. They focus on the near ground and don’t look too 

far in advance.” 



MSA GB Conference 2023 

Conference session: MSA GB AWARDS 

As is customary at the Conference, MSA 

GB held its Annual Awards ceremony. 

The Ron Feltham Memorial Cup – which 

goes to the area/nation with the best net 

percentage membership growth/retention for 

the year in review, went to MSA GB 

Eastern, while the runner-up trophy – the 

John William Parker Memorial Cup – was 

won by Scotland. 

The Ian Scoular Memorial Shield – for 

the area or nation that recruits the most 

new members over the past year, was won 

by Scotland. 

The John Gross Editor of the Year Trophy 

was won by Brian Thomson of Scotland, 

who was praised for both the consistency of 

his contributions to Newslink as well as the 

quality of his thoughts and ideas in writing. 

The Member of the Year was named as 

Neil Palmer, of MSA GB South East. Neil is 

a long-standing member of the area 

committee has devoted a considerable 

amount of time to helping his fellow 

members over the years. 

Honorary Membership 

MSA GB’s ultimate accolade is to bestow 

Honorary Membership on those who have 

worked hard for the association over a 

number of years. It is seldom awarded: 

indeed, there have been only 24 Honorary 

Memberships conferred since 1985, when 

Pat Murphy MBE was made the first. 

This year, three members were honoured. 

They were: 

n Cos Antoniou (MSA GB Greater 

London): A former Chair of the area and 

board member, Cos was a hugely helpful 

and knowledgeable ADI to whom many 

members in the capital had turned to for 

advice. He stood down from the Board on 

health grounds but still remained an active 

member. 

n Terry Cummins (MSA GB South East): 

Terry has been Chair of his area on a 

number of occasions, stepping in when the 

need arose to steer the area calmly and with 

a huge amount of experience. He has 

always ensured his area is an active one 

and his honorary membership was richly 

deserved 

n Graham Clayton (MSA GB North 

West): Graham chaired the North West for 

14 years and has always been a hardworking 

and focused member of the Board. 

His contributions and support of the senior 

management team have been hugely 

appreciated over the years. 

Above, Steven 

Porter 

Right, Neil 

Palmer, 

Far right, from 

top: Brian 

Thomson, 

Paul Harmes, 

Graham 

Clayton and 

Terry Cummins 



Conference session: AGM and Farewell to Peter Harvey MBE 

Farewell and thanks, Peter 

The Conference also heard the 88th Annual general 

Meeting of the association. 

National Chairman Peter Harvey took delegates through 

the key points, pointing out a slight dip in turnover which 

was put down to the aftermath of the pandemic. 

He highlighted the introduction of the new MSA GB app 

and encouraged all members to download it to ensure they 

had the most up-top-date information at their fingertips. 

It was another example of how, Peter said, “MSA GB was 

leading the way in the driver training sector, allowing us to 

compete in the digital market. 

“We know ADIs can get information from a number of 

sources but they cannot always ensure that information is 

correct and up to date. At the MSA GB, we ensure it is.” 

New Chairman 

As has been widely trailed, Peter Harvey stepped down at 

the AGM after an incredible 28 years as Chairman of MSA 

GB. He thanked his wife, Jean, for her unstinting support, 

saying he could never have stayed in post as long without 

her help. He also paid tribute to John and Carol Lepine, 

who had run the association for over 30 years until retiring 

in 2019. 

There had been, Peter said, “many tough times and 

challenges during his time as Chair, but they were far 

outweighed by the great times he had spent in the company 

of his fellow ADIs from across Great Britain.” 

Peter’s successor was announced as Mike Yeomans, 

Chair of MSA North East. Mike acknowledged that he had a 

tough act to follow, but vowed to steer the association 

through the next stage of its history. He was determined to 

deepen its engagement with the road safety and driver 

training and testing community, and offer meaningful 

support to MSA GB members. 

MSA GB restructure 

A restructuring of the association had created four 

separate areas, all under the hand of an experienced MSA 

GB committee member. Mike was delighted to announce 

the new board as follows: 

n Steven Porter, Area 1 

n Mike Yeomans, Area 2 

n Tom Kwok, Area 3 

n Arthur Mynott, Area 4 

(See page 5 for lay out of new areas) 

Mike was delighted to announce that Peter Harvey had 

agreed to stay on the Board as Vice Chairman, bring his 

experience to bear on its future direction and strategy. 

Tributes paid to Peter 

Mike paid his own tribute to Peter. It had been an 

enormous privilege to work alongside him over the past few 

years, and he had seen for himself the huge amount of work 

and efforts Peter put into his time as MSA GB Chair. 

This was seen at its greatest extent during the pandemic, 

when he guided the association through what was a very 

stressful and worrying period for everyone. At a time when 

many ADIs were genuinely concerned about their futures, as 

tuition was paused and personal finances strained, Peter 

had offered advice and guidance to all who asked, while 

fighting the ADI’s corner in communications with the DVSA. 

On behalf of the Board and the wider membership Mike 

was delight to present Peter and Jean with a travel voucher 

as a token of the association’s appreciation of his work over 

the decades. 

A number of delegates paid their own tributes. Former 

MSA GB General Manager John Lepine said that his time 

with Peter had featured many challenges “but I wouldn’t 

have missed it for all the world; it was a real honour to work 

alongside you, Peter.” 

Graham Feest, Chairman of the Institute of Master Tutors 

of Driving, said he was delighted to announce that the 

IMTD was conferring its highest honour on Peter, awarding 

him Life Fellow status in recognition of his tremendous 

career and contribution to driver training and testing. 

Former MSA GB East Midlands Chairman and Board 

member Steve Sentance commented: “I would like to add 

my voice to what I am sure is an increasing volume of 

gratitude for the selfless dedication to the MSA GB and 

driver training in general by Peter Harvey MBE, a gentlemen 

who deserves all the accolades bestowed on him. 

“I am sure as Vice Chairman Peter will continue to 

dedicate his time and effort to the industry he has a huge 

passion for. 

“I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Mike 

Yeomans on being voted as Chairman of MSAGB a 

gentleman who I am certain will continue the hard work 

and commitment demonstrated by Peter.” 

The full official minutes can be found on page 26-27 

“There have been many tough times and 

challenges, but they are far outweighed 

by the great times I’ve spent in the 

company of my fellow ADIs...” 



News 

MSA GB 88th Annual General Meeting: 

Minutes 

Saturday, 11th March 2023 by 

video call, starting at 12.50pm 

1. Chairman’s Welcome 

The Chairman, Peter Harvey MBE, 

opened the 88th AGM at 12.50pm, 

introduced the agenda and welcomed 

attendees. There were 45 people 

present. He reminded them that only 

members should vote. 

MSA Board of Management. 

Top rank: Mike Yeomans 

(Chairman) and Peter Harvey 

(Deputy Chairman) 

Bottom: Steve Porter, Arthur 

Mynott and Tom Kwok 

2. Convening Notice 

The Chairman read out the Formal 

Notice of meeting. 

3. Apologies 

Apologies were received from Mark 

Bajona, West Coast; Rod Tipple, East 

Coast; Graham Clayton, West Coast; Rod 

Came, London & South East. 

4. Adoption of Previous Minutes 

Minutes of 87th AGM held virtually on 

19th March 2022, were proposed by 

Arthur Mynott, West Coast and Seconded 

by Terrence Cummins, London & South 

East. 

Carried unanimously. 

5. Matters Arising 

There were no matters arising. 

6. Adoption of Financial Statement 

The Chairman introduced the financial 

report for the year ending 30th 

November 2022, sent to members in 

advance of the meeting and available to 

view on the website or in Newslink. 

Last year’s turnover was down a little 

partially due to some members still 

recovering from the pandemic. Members 

were given the opportunity to pay 

quarterly to stay within the Association 

and still receive the benefits. There are 

currently good reserves. 

During the past year the new App was 

built which has received a lot of good 

feedback. Other costs include the 

website and PL and PI Insurance, which 

has risen considerably. 

Raising the cost of the membership 

fees was considered however, due to 

good reserves and still coming out of the 

pandemic it was decided fees will stay 

the same at the present time. 

The financial statement was proposed 

by Robert Baker, Scotland and NI and 

seconded by Alexander Brownlee, 

London & South East. 


Adoption of the Annual Report 

The Board continually strives to make 

further improvements to membership 

throughout the year and in many cases 

are one of the first to offer updates and 

changes such as the new App which 

helps MSA GB compete in a digital 

market. 

The Annual Report was proposed by 

Steven Porter, Scotland & NI and 

seconded by John Lepine, West Coast. 


8. Board Chairman 

Mr Peter Harvey MBE announced at 

last year’s AGM that it would be his final 

year as Chairman of the Board and he 

was now officially stepping down after 

28 years in the position. 

Peter extended his thanks to his fellow 

Board members for all their support, to 

Helen, Janine and Alice and all of the 

team at CJAM, and to Rob and Colin at 

CMS Publishing for their collective work 

in the background. 

Working for the Association had been a 

great experience which he could not have 

done without the ongoing support of his 

wife Jean and all their family. Peter and 

Jean have had some great times within 

the association as well as challenging 



times, and have made many friends. 

Peter thanked everyone present for 

their support over the year and all 

committee members for their work over 

the years. 

Peter Harvey introduced the new 

National Chairman, Mike Yeomans. 

The new National Chairman thanked 

Mr Harvey and said it is a privilege to be 

elected by the Board. 

The new Chairman looks forward to 

helping the association move forward 

with the times and to engage all road 

safety trainers and other organisations. 

He is confident the association will 

continue to relay important up to date 

information to its members and offer 

meaningful support and advice. 

Due to the restructuring of the areas 

the Association should be able to get into 

more cities and towns and get real advice 

out to local ADI groups, local authority 

road safety advocates. 

The Chairman is also confident that 

members of MSA GB will enjoy even 

more benefits from the Association as the 

next year unfolds. 

9. Board National Vice Chairman 

The Chairman informed members of 

the Board that Peter Harvey MBE, 

Scotland & NI, will stay with the 

Association in the role of National Vice 

Chairman. 

The Chairman took the opportunity to 

thank Mr Harvey for his incredible 

contribution, not only to the Association 

for the last 28 years as the MSA GB 

National Chairman but to the industry. 

The Chairman presented Mr Harvey with 

a gift from the Association. 

Graham Feest from the Institute of 

Master Tutors of Driving offered Mr 

Harvey his congratulations and was 

delighted to confer the title of Honorary 

Life Fellow from the Institute of Master 

Tutors on him. 

10. Board of Management 

The Chairman introduced the Board of 

Management for 2023/24. 

Area 1 Scotland & Northern Ireland 

– Stephen Porter. 

Area 2 East Coast – Mike Yeomans 

Area 3 London & South East – Tom 

Kwok 

Area 4 West Coast – Arthur Mynott 

The Chairman thanked the new Board 

and the old Board for their continued 

commitment to the Association. 

11. Motion – from the Board of 

Management 

The Board proposes Saffron 

Accountancy Services Limited 

(Registration No:07941205, Registered 

Office: 27 Chaucer Road, London, E7 

9LZ) be elected as MSA GB accountants 

and auditors for the year 2023/24. 

Proposed – The Chairman. 

Carried all for with one Abstention. 

Motion – from the Board of 

Management 

The Board proposes a revision of the 

MSA GB’s Articles of Association (Article 

20) to stipulate remote electronic 

attendance of meetings, such as via 

phone or video conferencing, will count 

as part of the quorum. 

Article 20: 

No business shall be transacted at any 

General Meeting unless a quorum is 

present when the meeting proceeds to 

business. Save as herein otherwise 

provided, forty members personally 

present shall be a quorum. Eligible 

members will be deemed ‘in attendance’ 

at General, AGMs or EGMs and be 

counted as part of the quorum whether 

joining the meeting in person or via 

electronic means such as telephone or 

video conference subject to their identity 

being verified. 

All voting and speaking rights will be 

applicable for such attendees. 

Proposed – The Chairman. 


13. Meeting Close 

The Chairman formally closed the 

meeting and thanked attendees for 

joining the call. He gave a final thank 

you to Mr Peter Harvey for putting the 

conference together. 

The chairman closed the 88th AGM at 

13.17pm 

YOU CAN WATCH THE ENTIRE 

CONFERENCE AND LISTEN 

TO OUR EXPERT SPEAKERS 

BY CLICKING HERE 

DVSA asks 

ADIs to back 

the driver’s 

record 

The DVSA has asked all ADIs to 

make keeping an accurate ‘driver’s 

record’ is part of every pupil’s 

learning journey. 

The driver’s record lets you 

monitor the level your pupils have 

reached against the 27 driving skills 

they need to be a safe and 

responsible driver. 

There are five progress levels for 

each skill: 

1. Introduced. The subject is 

introduced and your pupil is able to 

follow the instructions they’re given. 

2. Helped. Your pupil is improving 

but still needs a bit of help. 

3. Prompted. Sometimes your pupil 

needs prompting, especially if it’s a 

new or unusual situation. 

4. Independent. Your pupil is 

dealing with this consistently, 

confidently and independently. 

5. Reflection. In conversation, your 

pupil shows that they understand 

how things would have been different 

if they had done something 

differently. They can adapt to 

situations and see why perfecting the 

skill makes them safer and more 

fuel-efficient. 

The DVSA updated the driver’s 

record in February, to reflect the 

latest edition of ‘The Official DVSA 

Guide to Learning to Drive’. 

The update added short 

descriptions of each of the skills to 

the forms so you can easily print 

them to share with your pupils. 

The driver’s record is part of the 

DVSA’s Ready2Pass campaign, which 

it is encouraging all ADIs to engage 

with. 

As more than one ADI has 

commented: “Sounds like a great 

idea... if only we could have called 

them log books...” 



Making progress and 

avoiding undue hesitancy 

Steve Garrod considers the 

differences between two 

of the L-test’s principal 

reasons for failure 

I am often asked how to deal with the 

twin issues of making progress and 

avoiding undue hesitancy, or what the 

difference is between being hesitant and 

not making progress. 

As we all know, these comments 

constantly crop up during an L-test debrief 

after a failure, and it can be tricky to 

interpret these faults if you are not sitting 

in on the test or at the very least, 

participate in a debrief after a driving test. 

From my examining days, I can share 

the following (although thinking can 

often change and there are those who 

may not agree!) 

Being hesitant means not taking safe 

opportunities to proceed when safe to do 

so. The reasons for not doing so (the 

analysis) could include the pupil: 

• has not prepared the car and is 

therefore not ready to move off when safe 

• is unable to identify a safe gap 

• is unsure of who has priority 

• being over cautious (when deciding 

to move off) 

Not making progress means driving 

well below the speed for the road and 

traffic conditions. It is NOT simply failing 

to drive at the speed limit, as there may 

be some very good reasons not to drive 

up to the limit. 

Some of the reasons for not driving at 

an appropriate speed could include: 

• missing speed limit signs 

• failing to understand the national 

speed limit for the type of vehicle being 

driven 

• lack of confidence 

• mistaking KPH for MPH 

• being over cautious (mistaking 

driving slowly for being safe) 

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, therefore 

telling someone to ‘Go now’ or ‘Speed up’ 

is not helpful (although tempting!). 

As with all faults, if they are not 

analysed correctly it is unlikely they can 

be cured. The remedy for hesitancy is not 

moving off quicker, but moving off 

earlier. 

It is more helpful to explain the 

importance of moving off earlier and 

what steps can be taken to prepare the 

car earlier to achieve success. The origin 

of this fault can stem from the first few 

lessons when dealing with junctions. 

For example, when pulling up at the 

side of the road (for a normal stop) pupils 

are correctly taught to stop the car, apply 

Being hesitant means not taking 

safe opportunities to proceed 

when safe to do so. 

the handbrake then select neutral. If 

pupils are allowed to transfer this 

procedure to stopping at T-Junctions, 

however, they are likely to develop a 

habit that is hard to break. In most 

situations, hesitancy is caused by failing 

to prepare to move off before the car has 

stopped or, if the car has stopped, not 

selecting first gear before deciding if it is 

necessary to apply the handbrake. 

Some learners are unaware that they 

can select first gear while the car is 

moving, although the speed must be at a 

slow walking pace to keep the change a 

smooth one. 

Whether you encourage your pupil to 

select first gear as they are coming to 

rest or when they have stopped will 

depend on their ability and the layout of 

the junction, but when dealing with 

emerging, learners should be encouraged 



‘‘ 

Many signs are quite high 

up which means they can 

be missed as learners have a 

tendency to to look at eye level 

for hazards rather than out of 

the top of the windscreen 

‘‘ 

to be ready to move off when the 

opportunity is first identified and not wait 

until the gap arrives before preparing the 

car. (This is a fault ADI trainers will 

role-play during their training sessions). 

ADIs are taught to watch their pupils’ 

eyes hands and feet when they are 

teaching. If you look at a pupil’s feet you 

will often find (in a manual car) that 

when a pupil is waiting to emerge from a 

side road or at traffic lights their right 

foot is on the foot brake and not covering 

the accelerator, and very often the 

handbrake is not applied. This could lead 

to a number of faults when they try to 

move off. 

If the handbrake is not applied, the car 

may roll backward or stall as they try to 

quickly counteract the car rolling 

backward by moving quickly from the 

brake pedal to the accelerator. They 

could also over accelerate and move off 

into the path of passing traffic, or if the 

car does move off then it could be too 

slowly as their foot is not on the 

accelerator pedal as they rely on ‘tick 

over’ to move off. 

Even with the handbrake applied, 

some learners try to find the biting point 

between the clutch and brake, rather 

than the clutch and accelerator once the 

handbrake is released, which can cause 

its own problems. 

I appreciate that some diesel cars act 

like automatics insomuch as little 

acceleration, if any, is required to move 

off, but it takes time for learners to build 

up such delicate footwork in a petrol car. 

Part of any discussion on emerging 

should include the risks of not being 

ready to emerge when opportunities 

arise. 

If learners are encouraged to be ready 

to move off when a safe opportunity can 

be seen, once the last vehicle passes 

them they can move off earlier and under 

control rather than any quicker. If 

following drivers can see you are moving 

forward then they are less likely to 

become agitated and add more pressure 

on to the learner. 

Teaching learners to select first gear 

before deciding if the handbrake should 

be applied encourages them to look at 

the layout of the junction, for example is 

it up hill or down hill, and develops 

fluency. 

Although I have mentioned selecting 

first gear in these examples, second gear 

can be used for some downhill junctions. 

As ADIs we can be a little negative, eg, 

focusing on looking for hazards as we 

approach junctions, when we really 

should be encouraging learners to 

identify safe gaps to proceed on 

approach to all hazards. We need them 

to avoid approaching hazards too quickly, 

for example arriving at a junction when a 

car is passing, causing your learner to 

stop. 

In some situations arriving a little 

slower would allow the passing car to 

clear the junction leaving it clear to 

emerge. 

I heard a good saying some years ago 

on a Lancashire County Council course: 

‘Slow to Flow’. Slowing on approach to a 

hazard, such as a meeting situation or 

roundabout, increases the chance of 

being able to flow into the clear road. 

Making progress is driving at an 

appropriate speed, not necessarily at the 

speed limit, and I have listed some of the 

reasons above. If you can identify 

potential faults you will be able to find 

solutions to reduce the likelihood of the 

faults happening. 

For example, a questions and answer 

session on road signs and speed limits 

and where to find them, such as at the 

end of the road, repeater signs on 

lampposts, or at the mouth of a junction. 

Many signs are quite high on poles 

which means they can be easily missed 

because there is a tendency to look at 

eye level for hazards rather than out of 

the top of the windscreen. 

Learners should also be encouraged to 

look into side roads for speed limit signs. 

If the side road is displaying 30mph 

signs the chances are the road you are 

on is a higher speed limit. 

Once a learner has identified the speed 

limit, I often ask if they feel confident to 

increase their speed, we can then work 

on a plan to drive to the road and traffic 

conditions. 

The practice of aiming the eyes high 

and keeping them moving to take in the 

big picture (Taken from the Smiths 

System of Driving) on approach to 

hazards is still valid. Looking for speed 

limits and other signs to help you plan 

your approach to hazards and look for 

safe gaps to proceed and reduce the risk 

of missing vital information, such as who 

has priority. 

Not making progress can become a 

serious fault, particularly if following 

traffic is being held up or if following 

traffic an overtake safely within the speed 

limit. 

Some learners feel that driving slowly 

or giving way to other traffic when they 

have priority is safe, but in reality can be 

dangerous, as they can become a moving 

hazard. 

The risks of driving too slowly can be 

discussed as risk management before 

you take learners out on to faster roads, 

and help make sense of the subject. 



Why trust is the number one skill you 

need in business – and in life 

Phil Burman 

It’s an essential part of learning and 

pupils rarely take enough lessons without 

it. If pupils are to act on your guidelines 

now and in the future, plus take enough 

lessons to reach the required standard, 

there is one thing you absolutely must 

supply. It comes from you, and if it’s 

lacking, your good advice and the quality 

of your instruction COULD COUNT FOR 

NOTHING. 

It is as necessary to your professional 

life as it is to your private life; it 

underpins everything you do, say and 

teach and is, of course, TRUST. 

How should we define ‘trust’? For our 

purposes, the quotes below describe it 

well: 

• A firm belief in someone. 

• Accepting the truth of a statement. 

Question: who do you trust? For 

example: 

• Do you trust politicians? 

• Do you trust the standard of hygiene 

when you eat out? 

• Do you trust the garage mechanic to 

service your car correctly? 

Do pupils trust you? While we cannot 

control pupils’ initial ideas about driving 

or the number of lessons needed, we 

should aim to nurture their trust in us to 

its highest level. 

When a pupil trusts you, the instructorpupil 

rapport increases, and that 

‘invisible wall of resistance’ breaks down. 

A pupil who fully trusts you will: 

• Value your efforts. 

• Be prepared to take the number of 

lessons you advise. 

• Schedule their lessons at the 

frequency you suggest. 

• Only take their test when you agree 

they are ready. 

• Tell you if there is a problem, rather 

than stop taking lessons. 

• Recommend you to others. 

Good, bad or indifferent, ADIs are 

entrepreneurs. Forbes, the highly 

respected American business magazine, 

states that an entrepreneurs’ success 

depends on the level of trust they build. 

Pupils do not instinctively trust 

instructors. YOU HAVE TO EARN IT! You 

can do so by putting these points into 

practice: 

• Remember that a new pupil will 

assess YOU. 

• Look like a professional driving 

instructor (eg, branded clothing). 

• Have the appearance of a 

professional driving instructor (eg, display 

your logo on your jacket or jumper). 

• Make sure your car is clean and tidy 

(always inside). 

• Ensure pupils know you follow your 

MSA’s Code of Conduct. 

• Be polite, welcoming and friendly. 

• Treat pupils with respect and never 

belittle them. 

• To teach to a high standard, always 

drive to a high standard. 

• Return phone calls and messages as 

soon as possible. 

• Be punctual (or contact a pupil if you 

How should we define 

‘trust’? For our purposes, 

do you trust politicians, 

for example? Like former 

US President Richard 

Nixon? 

cannot avoid being late). 

• As much as possible, avoid 

cancelling or changing lessons. 

• Do what you say you are going to do. 

• If you make a mistake, do not 

attempt to cover it up. 

• Avoid talking about yourself, 

especially shun self-praise. 

• Do not gossip. 

• Do not pry into a pupil’s private life. 

• Show you understand any problems 

pupils may have. 

• If a pupil discusses a personal 

matter, never be the first to bring it up in 

another lesson. 

• Never express your opinion on a 

controversial subject. 

• Keep your integrity by always acting 

in the pupil’s best interest. 

• Give more than expected – it pays 

dividends. 

• Keep in mind it takes time to build 

trust but moments to lose it! 

Please take the time to re-read and 

apply the contents of this article if you 



aim to build your business and 

reputation in these uncertain economic 

times. 

• This 

information 

is from my 

book, The 

Top Ten Tips 

for Driving 

Instructors. 

You’ll find 

it’s stuffed 

with ideas 

to help you 

build your 

business 

and 

improve your instructional 

techniques, all for the price of a decent 

cup of coffee (from Kindle or a bit more if 

you want the Amazon paperback 

version). 

That said, you must be sufficiently 

motivated to read even a little every day, 

try things out in practice and evaluate 

the results. 

Thank you to all those who requested 

the Accredited Question And Answer 

Technique (pdf). The response to this 

special price publication has been such 

that I have decided to keep it open for 

just one more month at the price of 

£4.99. 

So if you want information that will 

help you become top-notch at Q&A, just 

drop a short email to me at 

phil@philburman.com 

And don’t forget to order the Speed 

Kills master copy leaflet to print as a 

pupil handout. 

It takes just one A4 sheet of paper, and 

you print both sides, giving you four 

pages. 

Page 1 exclusively promotes your 

school, and if you wish me to lay out the 

required details for you, I will be happy 

to do so. 

This is the last time I will offer the 

Speed Kills leaflet. It contains crucial 

information rarely seen elsewhere. 

It can save lives, so if you care about 

the future safety of your pupils, don’t put 

it off. 

Request the free-of-charge master copy 

now from phil@philburman.com 

Letters to the Editor 

BHS isn’t clear on 

rise in horse-vehicle 

Thank you for another bumper, packed 

issue of Newslink. One article in 

particular caught my eye: ‘BHS 

launches campaign as Highway Code 

revision fails to reduce horse incidents’. 

I wondered what BHS’s evidence 

was for its concerns. 

The key point was that in 2022, 21% 

more equine-related road incidents were 

reported to BHS using their App than in 

2021. However, this is about the 

number of reports, not the number of 

incidents. Perhaps more people have 

the app, described as ‘new’ on their 

website (see https://horseincident.bhs.org. 

uk/HorseIncidents ReportIncidentStart). 

Perhaps the app is now easier to use? 

Maybe, following Highway Code 

revisions, there was a campaign to 

report more incidents? Who knows? 

I am not suggesting BHS is wrong. I 

don’t know. I’m just saying they haven’t 

given any real evidence. 

David Wilkinson, 

MSA GB West Coast and Wales Area 

Editor’s reply: 

Many thanks for your e-mail and the 

positive comments. The thrust of the 

article is that despite the BHS attempts 

to make reporting easier, there is a 

concern that the message is still not 

getting through to drivers. 

Highway Code campaign 

is a damp squib 

Am I right in thinking that the people 

behind the Highway Code promised an 

extensive advertising campaign to back 

up the changes made last year, so that 

the public would understand the new 

‘hierarchy of vulnerable road users’ and 

change their driving habits? What 

happened to it? It’s certainly not been 

obvious to me – and possibly that’s why, 

hard as I look, I don’t see big changes in 

the way motorists act on the road either. 

A recent walk around my 

neighbourhood proved a case in point. 

Three times as I walked along the 

pavement I approached a road turning 

on my left, and each time I was 

confident that surely, any traffic coming 

along the road and intending to turn left 

into the road – or turn right if coming 

from the opposite direction – would 

pause before doing so, and let me have 

the right of way. After all, I am the 

vulnerable road user... 

Not a chance. Three times I slowed 

my pace and glanced around to check 

the traffic, and each time it was a good 

job I did as a car took a sharp left into 

the road, just about nipping my toe 

nails as they did. 

I was one of those that thought the 

Highway Code was on the right track 

with these changes; I think it is high 

time the agency involved got its drum 

out and started making sure the public 

is fully aware of what the revised 

Highway Code is telling them. 

Terry Jones, 

London and the South 

Have your say 

Always remember, members and readers are welcome to comment on any 

issues arising from Newslink, and your contributions to Newslink on any 

driver training, testing or road safety issue are always gratefully received. 

Send them to the editor@msagb.com 


Area News 

MOT testing – and so much more 

Janet Stewart 

London & South East 

At a recent meeting of the Institute of 

Master Tutors of Driving, various issued 

were aired which I thought were worth 

writing about. 

One that caught my attention was 

news of a consultation into whether or 

not changes should be made to the 

frequency of MOT testing of vehicles. 

As it stands at the moment, MOT tests 

are required when a vehicle is three 

years old and every year thereafter. It has 

been suggested that the first MOT should 

not be required until the vehicle is four 

years old, and/or that the frequency 

should be two yearly thereafter. 

While we are not in the EU anymore, 

it’s interesting that in many nations in 

the EU, first testing comes after four 

years. 

IAM RoadSmart conducted a poll on 

this matter and it found that 50% were 

in favour of no change, 46% in favour of 

moving to four-yearly testing and 4% 

undecided. 

It is estimated that the loss to the 

Government of delaying the first MOT by 

a year would be about £102M and there 

would, of course, be a significant loss to 

the garages that conduct the tests. 

There would be a benefit to the driving 

public in the short term but not in the 

longer term because faults might develop 

and become more costly to fix. Bear in 

mind that many drivers see the MOT as a 

substitute for proper and regular servicing. 

There has also been consultation on 

CPC for truck and bus drivers. We are all 

aware that there is a shortage of truck 

drivers in this country, but is the answer 

to make qualifying as a truck driver and 

maintaining that qualification easier? At 

the moment British drivers can drive in 

the EU but not work for a European 

company. There are barriers to drivers 

returning, both in terms of cost and time. 

It is required that a driver undertakes 35 

hours of training to re-enter the industry. 

It has been suggested that there 

should be a simplified qualification 

process as an option via e-learning, and 

then seven hours CPD in each of the next 

five years. 

There are also questions as to who 

should foot the bill – the driver or the 

company he/she works for? 

State of the roads 

I am not going to talk about potholes 

‘‘ 

So much of what has 

been achieved in terms of 

improving road safety is 

now being lost for lack of 

basic maintenance 

‘‘ 

but the state of our roads is of great 

concern to many of us. In 2019 the 

Department for Transport published their 

road safety statement, A Lifetime of 

Road Safety. This statement contained 

targets and aspirations. 

Sadly, there has been nothing further 

and there are currently no targets. All 

who are involved in transport, the 

environment and education need to think 

about the Pillars of the Safe Systems 

approach. We have moved on from the 

three Es – education, enforcement and 

engineering – to a more complex list: 

safer vehicles, safer speeds, safer roads, 

safer post-crash care and safer people. 

95% of collisions are down to human 

behaviour. 

But so much of what had been 

achieved in terms of improving road 

safety is now being lost for lack of basic 

maintenance. We can blame Brexit and 

Covid up to a point but there seems to be 

a lack of will (and obviously a lack of 

funding) for what, in many cases, would 

be quite simple measures. In the Budget, 

the Chancellor announced an extra 

£200M of funding to deal with potholes 



but I think it may well be a case of too 

little, too late. 

During the Covid pandemic, the 

hedges on my lane were not cut back. 

This is a far bigger deal than one might 

think. The passing places that we had 

have been largely lost so there are more 

broken door mirrors and scrapes and 

scratches. The thing about a hedge is 

that, if it is not cut regularly, each year’s 

new growth strengthens and forms new 

wood. Over time it becomes a much 

bigger task to take it back to its original 

position. 

A pupil of mine referred to the road 

surfaces being fringed (she was in to 

fabrics and fashion!). What she meant 

was that the edge of the road simply 

dropped away in a jagged (frilly) manner 

so that a car could fall off the edge into 

what might be shallow water or could 

often be deep mud. 

Then there is the vital issue of being 

able to see and be seen. Verges being 

overrun by foliage reduces visibility on 

bends. There may be a sign to warn 

drivers of a dangerous bend but it is not 

much use if it has been hit so many 

times that it is now in the hedge lying flat 

or lost in the leaves and branches. We 

are repeatedly told that rural roads are 

the most dangerous but I do wonder how 

long it will be before repair becomes 

impossible. I can hear my grandmother 

saying “A stitch in time saves nine”. 

We have 246,700 miles of road 

network in this country. 76% of our A 

roads are rural. In 2021 there were 70% 

more fatalities on rural than on urban 

roads. 

Apparently Ford have been working on 

technology which would project 

information onto the road such as speed 

limits, weather information and hazards 

approaching. Cubic Transport systems 

are working on the joining up of 

technology with an open data approach. 

All of this is to the good but it needs to 

happen now. 

I feel I should sign off this month as 

“Disgruntled of Chorleywood”. 

CONTACT 

Road signs are being 

obscured when foliage 

isn’t cut back 

To comment on this article, or provide 

updates, contact Janet at 

janetslittlecar@btinternet.com 

Lorry drivers 

slammed for 

faulty tyres 

Warwickshire Police says it is 

“disappointing” to have found issues 

with every single vehicle it checked 

during a recent multi-agency operation 

to ensure abnormal loads were being 

transported safely. 

Due to their size, vehicles carrying 

abnormal loads require a movement 

order to ensure the route they take is 

suitable. For public safety, movement 

orders also have restrictions on when 

the vehicle can travel. During the 

operation, Warwickshire Police 

intercepted drivers travelling on the 

M6 and brought them into the lorry 

park at Corley for their vehicle to be 

checked by officers, along with 

colleagues from National Highways 

and the DVSA. 

Police and partners found issues 

with every single one of the vehicles 

that were brought into the check site, 

including: 

• Two insecure loads 

• Two drivers travelling outside the 

times specified in the Movement 

Order 

• One excess speed 

• Three no movement order 

• Two over width when measured 

to movement order 

As a result, five abnormal loads 

were prohibited from moving until 

such time when new movement 

orders could be put in place by the 

drivers and/or operators. 

The officers also brought in HGVs 

and two of these were found to have 

insecure loads. One received a PG9 

for a dangerous tyre and was 

prohibited from moving until this was 

rectified. 

Inspector Dan Hicks, Warwickshire 

Police, said: “It was disappointing to 

see so many abnormal loads that are 

breaching the rules, but it was really 

productive day in terms of the number 

of vehicles we stopped and checked 

and drivers we spoke to about road 

safety.” 


Area News 

New era for MSA GB – but we’ll 

still always be at your side 

Andrew Burgess 

East Coast 

MSA GB 2023: so here we go, looking at 

a new era after our good friend and 

colleague Peter Harvey decided to step 

down after many years of long and 

devoted service to the organisation. 

I am sure that many of you will know 

all about the hard work – over many, 

many years – that Peter has put in for 

the organisation, and for that we send 

him our grateful thanks. 

But now we move on under the 

guidance of Mike Yeomans who has 

stepped into the role, (good luck with 

that one, Mike) I am sure you will do an 

excellent job. 

The first change we will see is that the 

MSA GB’s structure has changed and 

moved into four areas. This will help us, 

we hope, improve contact with the local 

MSA organisations, and we are looking to 

contact all local ADI groups and talk to 

them about what MSA GB can do for 

them. 

In the MSA GB East Coast area we are 

keen to visit as many ADI groups as 

possible, that’s whether they meet online 

or in person. We are drawing up plans so 

that all groups can join in with any 

events we put on. 

Times are changing; we as an 

organisation must move with them and 

the MSA has every intention of doing just 

that. 

One such event that I’d like to draw to 

your attention is we have a meeting 

planned with Diana Hall, who is a 

specialist in driving test nerves. 

It is taking place on Friday, April 21, 

at Ayton House, 11 Ayton House, 

Wymondham. Norfolk NR11 0QQ. The 

cost for the full day evvent is £110, but 

MSA GB members receive a discount to 

bring it down to £100. 

Diana will help us understand more 

about driving tests nerves and give us an 

in-depth look at how the mind works and 

how to deal with the problms it can 

create. 

She will look at: 

Anticipatory Anxiety: when several of 

the brain’s processes shut down meaning 

learning just can’t take place. Diane will 

teach you strategies to combat it. 

How to deal with Auditory Exclusion: 

when what you say goes in one ear and 

out the other! 

Handling emotion: Strategies to control 

negative emotions such as fear, stress, 

nerves, panic, anxiety, intimidation. 

Bad thoughts: Techniques to recognise 

sabotaging thoughts and behaviours and 

how to turn negativity into increased 

confidence and self-belief. 

And a 10-second technique to stop 

your pupil muddling up left and right! 

All instructors who attend the 

workshop will be invited to join a FREE 

Zoom meeting. During these sessions, 

we offer help and advice from dealing 

with stress and anxiety (for you as well 

as your pupils) through life skills, and 

answer any question you may have, or 

you can just pop along for a chat. 

Do you sometimes feel more like a 

counsellor or a therapist than a driving 

instructor? It’s not surprising when a 

third of your pupils are likely to suffer 

anxiety, and according to the World 

Health Organisation, that figure is on the 

increase. 

Diane and Chris from L of a Way 2 

Pass will share other amazing techniques 

to not only help your pupils with driving 

anxiety and test nerves, but to help you 

with for your own state of mind and 

anxiety as well. 

This workshop gives you a unique 

insight into your pupils’ minds, why they 

behave the way they do, and strategies 

to deal with even the most challenging 

students, ensuring you become the ‘go 

to’ instrustructor in your area. 

This event is just one example of the 

type of training we are looking to offer in 

the future. We are now in a position to 

offer you all the help you need to control 

many of the problems that we as driving 

instructors face on a daily basis. 

It goes without saying this is a very 

lonely job and at best can be very trying, 

but also very rewarding with the help of 

the MSA and working together we can 

bring greater success to the profession. 

Click here to book your 

place at this event 

MSA GB Eastern Workshop CPD/Training Session 

Helping Calm Driving Test Nerves, with Diana Hall (L of a Way 2 pass) 

Venue: Ayton House, 11 Ayton House, Wymondham. Norfolk. NR11 0QQ 

Date: Friday, April 21 

Time: 9am-5pm (includes lunch) 

Price: £110 (£100 for MSA GB members) 

CLICK 

HERE TO 

BOOK 



Would members reading this article please note that in an ideal world, we would have 

published this April issue of Newslink at the weekend.... 

DVSA’s new APRIL strategy could set 

the cat among the intellectual pigeons 

John Lomas 

West & Wales 

News reaches me from DVSA Towers 

that, as the agency is somewhat 

disappointed by the current driving test 

pass rates, a new plan has been 

concocted to address this. 

It has noticed that the very best 

instructors are often used by pupils with 

far less than average abilities, and that 

adequate instructors take far longer to 

teach the extremely gifted young drivers 

than they should. 

So DVSA is going to institute a 

scheme, which launched last Saturday, 

to match the very best instructors with 

the most gifted learners. 

This will take about a year to set up. 

First, some ADIs will recieve a 

scientifically designed aptitude survey 

that has been designed to start the 

process by selecting the intellectual elite 

within the profession. 

Meanwhile, young people aged 16 and 

17 years who have not yet acquired 

provisional licences will also be screened 

for high-achieving abilities and aptitude. 

After a year of DVSA preparation the 

DVSA’s new Applied Practical Instructors 

& Learners (APRIL) department will start 

matching these elite instructors and 

learners with each other; it is hoped by 

putting the best with the best we will 

reduce the average lesson counts for 

those individuals by over 50%, and boost 

the test pass rate at the same time. 

The DVSA accepts that for the less 

able there may be an increase in lesson 

numbers but also believes that it might 

also dissuade from learning to drive 

many of those who may well reach the 

standard for a test but then fall far short 

of that standard for the rest of their 

driving careers. 

You may well wonder how I obtained 

this information. It came from someone 

who contacted me claiming to be a 

whiistleblower using the name Justin 

Case; I did think of using those initials to 

mark other things I was told but decided 

that might offend some readers, so I will 

just use the iniitial J. 

Asked why I was chosen as the 

conduit, J explained that my less than 

reverent attitude to authority and the fact 

that I was retired meant that DVSA has 

no sanctions it can impose on me. 

J also told me about the Central 

Research Applied Practices (CRAP) 

section of DVSA, which had been looking 

at moving the DVSA into the instructional 

area by settting up a Driving Instructors 

& Learners Lyceum, to be known as 

DILLY, but then they realised that the 

staff and students would be called 

Dillies. 

Apparently this was the brainchild of 

an ex-employee called William 

Williamson, known within the corridors 

of power as Silly Billy. 

• Please note that MSA GB has not 

received this briefing officially... and our 

own DVSA source, based at the Forward 

Outcomes Office, London (or FOOL, for 

short) has denied John’s claims 

And finally … who fancies 

a hill start ... in reverse? 

Arguably the world’s most famous car, the 

Ford Model T (1908–1927), had a bit of 

a design flaw: it couldn’t drive up a steep 

hill if the fuel tank was below halfway 

because there was no fuel pump. 

The workaround in this design flaw was 

that drivers would go uphill in reverse, 

thereby using gravity to get the fuel to the 

engine.... 

Pictured right, a classic Tourer, from 1925 


Area News 

Every day’s a learning day - even when 

you’re stuck behind the farmer! 

Brian Thomson 

Scotland & 

Northern Ireland 

I sometime get asked if there are busy 

times and ‘slack’ times in the driving 

instruction industry, and if the work is 

seasonal in any way. However, like most 

public services since the country 

re-started after the pandemic, slack 

periods, for those willing and able, are a 

thing of the past. 

It depends on what your priorities are. 

In our area, a number of us in the local 

association have cut back either one 

lesson a day or are finishing earlier in the 

week just to have a little more ‘me time’, 

while others are using the situation to 

build up a little extra revenue. 

It’s a point I’m very interested in, and I 

will ask the MSA GB Facebook page 

Got any potatoes? 

administrators to ask the same question 

to members throughout the country: are 

you cutting back on your hours since 

re-starting or are you working longer? 

There will be facility for you to leave your 

comments. 

Returning to my opening question, it 

doesn’t appear that our industry is 

“seasonal” in its own right but certainly 

in our slightly more rural area there is a 

distinctly seasonal nature as to what we 

share the roads with. Starting at this 

time of year most things are normally 

quiet and settled, farmers are busy but 

normally in the fields – and that’s 

somewhere as instructors we try our best 

to keep our students out of. 

That’s not to say there’s isn’t a little bit 

of road sharing required from time to 

time with our farming friends, but it’s 

certainly true that rural roads may be 

fairly muddy at this time of year, adding 

another string to the learning bow for the 

student. 

Often, if we are traveling down a road 

which has been messed up a little by a 

tractor, I use it as an opportunity to 

demonstrate what difference braking on 

a muddy road makes. Not at full speed 

you understand, but even in second gear 

carrying out a ‘controlled stop’ has the 

desired effect of prompting the student to 

look over in my direction with “why isn’t 

this stopping” written all over their face. 

The trauma is still over, but then comes 

the realisation (learning objective) that 

keeping the speed down on the country 

roads may be safer. Job done. 

(Another little learning curve is 

explaining what this button in the car’s 

ventilation system does when passing 

Farmer Giles spreading his muck – see 

pic inset below) 

Back to the farmers. So our local lot 

have done what they need to do in the 

fields and now whatever has grown has 

to come back out. In our area the 



farmers rent their land over to a local pea 

growing firm that use machines the size 

of a small two-bed house to harvest the 

peas and get them to a processing plant 

in as quick a time as possible. Most of 

this work is done during the night and 

the machines are moved with convoy 

vans front and back and thankfully, not 

clashing with our normal working day 

hours too much, but it is a massive 

challenge to the students if we do meet 

one during a lesson. 

Like other farming community areas, 

meeting the local farmers on the road is 

not a problem. Usually they are travelling 

short distances from farm to field but 

come grain harvest and tattie lifting time, 

the ‘long hauls’ come into play. Then you 

see tractors of massive proportions 

hauling bogies that are capable of 

holding upwards of 15/20 tons of grain, 

then some with long flat trailers with 12 

to 14 ton boxes of tatties. These are not 

units that will stop on a sixpence (I still 

work in old money for stopping currency) 

but use up a lion’s share of the country 

‘‘ 

I use muddy roads as an 

opportunity to demonstrate 

what difference braking on 

a muddy road makes...it has 

the desired effect ... 

‘‘ 

roads. Thankfully, due to their size, 

spotting one approaching a corner is 

easier than seeing a normal car, so 

observation and preparation is the key. 

So, even if our work doesn’t involve 

ploughing, planting, pulling and 

pulverising anything (or shouldn’t), we do 

fit into a world where things like that 

exist, and teaching our students to cope 

with changing situations on the same 

roads they are using is an essential skill 

that will hopefully keep them safe on our 

‘seasonal’ roads. 

‘Brum’ in Brum, 

without a driver 

Driverless buses are transporting 

passengers around Birmingham, after 

the region’s mayor gave the scheme 

the green light. 

Passengers can use the buses 

between Birmingham International 

rail station and Birmingham Business 

Park, via the NEC Birmingham. As 

part of the project, a second route 

will also be rolled out between 

Coventry rail station and Coventry 

University campus – although no 

start date has been confirmed for 

this. 

A mixed fleet of 13 automated 

shuttles is serving the two new 

routes, and the scheme will be 

supported by a new centralised 

Remote Monitoring Teleoperation 

(RMTO) centre. 

Operated by Transport for West 

Midlands, the RMTO centre will 

monitor the automated vehicles, and 

using 5G connectivity it will be able 

to control them when required. The 

project aims to make self-driving 

vehicle operations commercially 

viable and to reduce technology and 

operator costs. 

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street 

said: “As a region, we’re already 

leading the way when it comes to the 

development of transport technology 

and future oriented autonomous 

vehicle systems. CAV technology has 

the potential to revolutionise the way 

we get around.” 

The driverless buses form part of a 

wider project which aims to 

demonstrate sustainable commercial 

connected and autonomous vehicle 

(CAV) services by 2025. 


Area News 

Local meeting helps Swindon ADIs get to 

grips with where the DVSA’s heading 

Arthur Mynott 

West and Wales 

Back in December I was put in touch 

with Sandra, an ADI from Swindon who 

wanted a meeting between local ADIs 

and the DVSA. After many emails 

between Sandra, the DVSA’s Darren 

Russell and myself, this meeting took 

place on Wednesday, March 1. 

There were five personnel present from 

the DVSA: Darren Russell, DVSA Deputy 

Registrar, Leigh Dorrington, ADI 

Examiner, Phil Smith LDTM, and Alison 

and Barney, two local examiners based in 

Swindon. They were joined by around 

30 ADIs, all of whom enjoyed a 

presentation by Darren about the future 

of the DVSA, examiner recruitment and 

mock tests, among other issues. He and 

the other DVSA staff answered many 

questions from the audience and 

addressed any concerns they had. 

This was a very useful and informative 

meeting that I was pleased to have been 

asked to organise. 

If any other ADI groups would like 

similar meetings I would be more than 

happy to help, just contact me via my 

details below. 

In last month’s Newslink I wrote about 

my concerns regarding the speed of the 

vehicles travelling through my village, 

and how I was going to take them to the 

Parish Council meeting to discuss this 

with them. 

The outcome of that meeting is that 

the Parish Council has agreed to buy and 

install a couple of SIDs (Speed Indicator 

Devices) and will speak to the county 

council and police about funding for 

these, as they cost around £3,000 each. 

They will also consult the authorities 

on the matter of reducing the speed limit 

throughout all the village from the 

present 30mph down to 20mph. 

These changes will take a few months 

to arrange but at least everything is set in 

motion. 

I first raised this issue last year on our 

village Facebook community page and it 

shows that when social media is used 

correctly, it can have positive results. 

We have now had our National 

Conference, details of which are in this 

issue of Newslink. It was again held via 

the Zoom platform but hopefully it will be 

back to the original format next year, as 

it was pre-Covid. 

You should all know by now that the 

original Western Area has amalgamated 

with the areas previously known as West 

Midlands, the North West and South 

Wales, and now make up one big area 

which will be called ‘West Coast & 

Wales’. I have been elected as Chairman 

of this new area, with a Deputy 

Chairman covering the northern part. I’m 

delighted to introduce Chris Truesdale as 

the person who will be covering that 

Northern part of the area, after he took 

over from Graham Clayton, the previous 

MSA GB North West Chairman. We will 

be working together to provide various 

events to our members, 

Please get in touch with either of us if 

you have any suggestions or questions or 

want to know details of any meetings, 

etc; remember, we are here to help. 

CONTACT 

To comment on this article, or provide 

updates from your area, you can 

contact Arthur on 07989 852274 or 

arthur.mynott@msagb.com 

CALLING ALL ADI GROUPS 

Are you a member of an ADI Group and would like to 

work more closely with MSA GB? 

We are compiling a database of local instructor groups 

and associations, and will publish this list in future issues 

of Newslink. If you would like to publicise your group in 

this publication, including contact details and when you 

hold meetings, let MSA GB know, by contacting us at: 

info@msagb.com 

CONTACT 

To contact Chris Truesdale, West & 

Wales Deputy Chairman, you can 

reach him on 

E: arc.angel@live.co.uk 

T: 07803 580885 



AA survey finds ADIs and pupils are 

starting to love learning in an EV 

Driving instructors and their pupils are 

leading the way with the switch to 

electric vehicles, but infrastructure 

challenges could hamper progress, the 

AA Driving School has warned. 

In the first year since electric vehicles 

have been available to its franchised 

driving instructors, around 49,000 hours 

of lessons have been given in EVs to 

around 3,300 pupils by the AA’s driving 

instructors. 

Feedback from EV driving instructors 

shows the top two struggles faced when 

adapting to an EV are managing the 

range with lesson schedules and finding 

suitable public charging posts. 

On the positives, the top benefits they 

have found are the smooth, quiet ride as 

well as the cost savings and positive 

experience for pupils. 

The increasing acceptance of electric 

vehicles among learner drivers is 

reflected in the growing proportion of 

learners who pass their test in an 

automatic vehicle. 

DVSA pass rate statistics show people 

passing their test in an automatic 

accounted for 13% of new drivers in 

2021/22, compared to just 5% 10 years 

ago. 

Camilla Benitz, AA Driving School 

Managing director, said: “Our instructors 

have shown they want to make the 

switch to electric and help the next 

generation of drivers feel confident 

leaving combustion engines in the past. 

“Overall, the first year of offering 

electric vehicles to our franchisees has 

been really positive and many electric 

instructors say they wouldn’t go back. 

They enjoy the cars’ smooth, quiet ride 

and like the fuel savings – both economic 

and environmental. 

“There are challenges to teaching in an 

electric car though, particularly around 

whether the charging infrastructure is 

robust enough, and more needs to be 

done to ensure the industry’s progress 

towards electrification is not hampered. 

“A key concern is around ensuring 

there are enough public charging posts to 

support instructors who do not have 

access to off-street parking so cannot 

install their own private chargepoints. 

“The car you learn to drive in often 

leaves a lasting impression, so ensuring 

electric learners have a good experience 

is a vital tool in helping alleviate any 

concerns new drivers have about running 

an EV. 

“We are confident the industry can 

adapt to the challenges and are planning 

to significantly expand the range of 

electric vehicles available to our 

franchisees this year.” 

The AA Driving School launched EVs 

on its fleet last March with the Peugeot 

e208, Peugeot e2008 and Vauxhall 

Corsa-e. 

Full details about the AA Driving 

School’s EV franchise is available HERE: 

Pretty useful, that... 

Like the look of this streamlined motorway overhead 

gantry (left)? That’s good news, as it’s going to be a 

regular feature on your motorway journeys for the 

forseeable future, after the design was selected by the 

National Highways in an open competition to find a 

new-look gantry to replace existing designs. 

London-based architecture company Useful Studio will 

now work with National Highways to develop its design 

concept. It is expected to become the standard design 

for new gantries in around two years. 


Q&A with... 

Why networking is the best way to 

progress – and beware a pea-souper! 

This month we chat to Andrew Burgess, an ADI based in 

Hessle and a member of the Area 2 East Coast MSA GB 

Committee, about his life as an ADI. 

When did you become an ADI, and 

what made you enter the profession? 

I first became an ADI in 1972. At the 

time I was working for a large driving 

school as the mechanic looking after the 

school cars. Seeing the tuition vehicles 

day in, day out, piqued my interest and I 

decided to have a go. 

I worked for a local driving school for a 

number of years, then went selfemployed 

for the next 49 years. 

I don’t teach learners any more; I 

switched over to running NDORS courses 

and now only work the speed awareness 

courses online, previously for 

Humberside Police, but now for TTC. 

What’s the best bit about the job? 

Working with a team of well dressed, 

polite, smart, highly-qualified and 

respected driving instructors! 

And the worst? 

Back in the day when I was a teaching 

ADI I would have to say it was the long 

hours and the poor pay at the time. 

What’s the best piece of training advice 

you were ever given? 

Give your full and entire knowledge 

and experience to your client, pay full 

attention to their needs, and complete 

their full hour’s lesson. 

What one piece of kit, other than your 

car and phone, could you not do 

without? 

In my day we did not have a mobile 

phone, so when training we always had 

a note book and a pen. 

What needs fixing most urgently in 

driving generally? 

When we refer to today, there is no 

doubt that there is a need to look at 

graduated driving licences. 

What should the DVSA focus on? 

Working towards improving the 

standard of the training of instructors, not 

only in their ability to do the job but their 

overall appearance and the impression 

they give to the public. Too many people 

in this sector let the side down with their 

attitude and appearance, giving a 

second-rate impression. Remember, this 

is a profession. 

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

transform driver training/testing? 

Log books and a higher standard of 

training in the industry. 

Electric cars – yes or no? And why? 

They are a must, so yes, because 

that’s the way technology is going, but 

first, we need to see more focus on 

ensuring the appropriate infrastructure is 

in place. 

‘‘ 

Best advice? Always give 

your full knowledge and 

experience to the client, pay 

full attention to their needs, 

and complete their full 

hour’s lesson 

‘‘ 

How can we improve driver testing/ 

training in one move? 

Start with the foundations of driver 

testing and training: improve the 

standard of trainers and examiners. 

Who/what inspires you, drives you on? 

My involvement with other 

organisations, and a general desire to see 

an improvement in road safety. 

What keeps you awake at night? 

Nothing, but my thoughts often turn to 

the quality of the trainer today. 

No one is the finished article. What do 

you do to keep on top of the game? 

For me the answer is to attend meeting 

such as those the MSA GB puts on, and 

work with like-minded people to try to 

improve when we can. 

As well as my involvement with MSA 

GB for the East Coast committee I am on 

the executive committee of the IMTD 

(Institute of Master Tutors of Driving). It 

keeps me up-to-date with the latest 

developments, but more importantly 

gives me a chance to chat with fellow 

professionals. You learn more about this 

job that way. 

What’s the daftest /most dangerous 

thing that’s ever happened to you while 

teaching? 

I think the daftest – I certainly felt daft 

– was turning up at the wrong client’s 

house. The most dangerous was working 



DTC update 

Macclesfield 

The temporary move of Macclesfield 

driving test centre has been extended 

after the centre was closed after a 

safety inspection. Testing will 

continue at Macclesfield Rugby Club 

until April 10, but from April 11th 

will switch to Bollington Leisure 

Centre, on Heath Road, Bollington, 

Macclesfield SK10 5EX. 

There are car spaces available for 

candidates but please park as close 

as possible to the reception as there 

is no waiting room. Examiners will 

meet candidates at their cars. 

The car park must not be used for 

candidates to practise parking 

exercises. 

Candidates and instructors will be 

able to use the toilet facilities at the 

centre. 

A traditional pea-souper in the 1960s. 

These images are from London but similar 

conditions could be found in all the UK’s 

big cities at the time, until smokeless coal 

became more widepsread 

in the thick fogs that we used to get 

years ago. We don’t seem to get real 

dense ‘pea-soupers’ now, probably 

because of the end of coal-fired heating 

and house chimneys belching out smoke, 

but I always remember when I started 

teaching we would go out in all weathers 

and conditions, including really dense fog 

where we would literally just crawl along. 

I suppose we had to do it at the time and 

they were the conditions the pupils 

would find themselves driving in quite 

often once they had passed. However, I 

wouldn’t want to go back to those days 

When or where are you happiest? 

As an ADI it was when I was working 

with a team at Kingston Works when 

they where running the NDIS scheme. 

They were really good days. 

Blackpool 

The lease at Blackpool DTC has 

been extended and a planned 

relocation to Kirkam LGV has been 

postponed. Tests will now run at 

Blackpool DTC until the end of May. 

All car, ADI and standard check 

tests that were booked at Kirkham 

LGV during this period will now be 

taken from: Blackpool Driving Test 

Centre, Government Buildings, 

Warbreck Hill Road, Blackpool FY2 

0XE. However, if your pupil would 

prefer to keep their test at Kirkam 

LGV, please contact the DVSA. 

Enfield 

The refurbishment of Enfield MPTC 

is being extended and will run until 

Saturday, April 15, as the planned 

works have not been completed. 

This means that testing will 

continue at Wenta Business Centre, 

Innova Park, Electric Avenue, Enfield 

EN3 7XU until that date. 

Please do not enter the Wenta 

Business Centre car park. Tests will 

start and finish along Innova Way, 

where examiners will meet candidates. 

Motorcycle tests will continue to take 

place at Enfield, but no waiting room 

or toilet facilities will be available. 


Membership offers and discounts 

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 updates 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. 

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 onthe-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. 

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. 

To get the full story of 

the discounts available, 

see www.msagb.com 



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. 

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. 

To get the full story of 

the discounts available, 

see www.msagb.com 

Membership offer 

Welcome, new ADIs 

We’ve a special introductory offer for you! 

Congratulations on passing 

your Part 3 and becoming 

an ADI. 

There’s an exciting career 

open to you from today, 

one that’s alive with 

possibilities as you build 

your skills, your client 

base and your income. 

But for all the excitement, it 

can also be challenging; 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 

Join MSA GB today! 

SPECIAL OFFER: Join for just £60 with your 

PI & PL insurance included immediately! 

No joining fee - saving you £25 

Call 01787 221020 quoting discount code 

Newslink, or join online at www.msagb.com 

We’d like you to join us 

We’re there to support you 

every step of the way. 

Our office-based staff 

are there, five days a 

week, from 9am-5pm, 

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.

Newslink April

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