Newslink August 2023

msagb.com
Newslink
Issue 367 • August 2023
The Voice of MSA GB
MSA GB SPECIAL FOCUS
ADIs chart DVSA progress
on L-test waiting times
Latest NASP meeting lays
Annual Review highlights
out current strategy
new examiners’ input
Loveday Ryder quizzed by
Select Committee MPs
DVSA Report underlines
scale of the challenge
We work for all Driver Trainers. Want to join? SAVE £25 – see pg 39 for special offer

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Just targeting age for driving
reviews is a blunt tool
Welcome to your
digital, interactive
Newslink
Colin Lilly
Editor,
Newslink
The BBC recently revealed the results of a
Freedom of Information (FoI) request to
DVLA, relating to reports of concerns people
had about a driver’s ability. The majorityof
the complaints involved older drivers.
In 2022 the DVLA received 48,754 reports
of concern about a person’s fitness to drive
from people in England, Scotland and Wales.
This figure was an increase of 82% on the
26,716 reports in 2021.
During the first three months of 2023
DVLA received 11,548 notifications, including
self-declarations, those by medical officials
and third-party reports.
DVLA data shows that, as of May 2023,
there were 6,023,173 people aged 70 and
over who hold full driving licences in Great
Britain.
The number aged 90 and over, during May,
was 139,673. This figure has increased by
40% in the past five years.
At the opposite end of the demographic
there are almost 2.5 million people aged
17-24 who hold full licences.
Department for Transport (DfT) data
reported increased casualty rates for both
older and younger drivers.
Older drivers, defined as those aged 70 and
over, made up 21% of car driver fatalities in
2021. Younger drivers, aged 17-24, made up
16%.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age
UK, said: “Our view, and the research backs
up the notion, is that age is a pretty rotten
proxy for ability to drive.
“As we get older, our reaction time slows
down. But we tend to make up for that
because we have greater experience.
“Most of us will get to the point where
actually it is time for us to hang up the keys.
But judging that time is quite hard.”
As I approach my 76th birthday I am well
aware of how the body changes. The
Government said motorists must ensure
they are fit to drive. I like to think that I have
the professional knowledge to make an
assessment of how my driving is.
To deal with the health issues I have an
annual medical check because I am taking
blood pressure tablets.
A recent eye test revealed I have an
age-related eye condition, for which I am
using eyedrops, but I can still make the
eyesight standard for driving without
glasses. I do need glasses for the ADI
standard, however.
I wonder how many other older drivers are
as diligent over their fitness to drive?
I have trouble reconciling the issue of
experience. Drivers of all ages demonstrate a
varying personal affinity for driving. Some
involve themselves in the task, keeping
themselves up to date with changes both
nationally and locally. In contrast, others have
little interest and in effect do not develop
from the day they pass their driving test.
Weston-super-Mare, like many towns, has
seen changes to the road layout in recent
“Drivers of all ages demonstrate
a varying personal affinity for
driving. Some involve
themselves in the task, others
have little interest and in effect
do not develop from the day
they pass their driving test...”
years. Older drivers who have not kept up
with these changes can be seen driving the
same route they have used for years
irrespective of the fact that the traffic flow
has now reversed or is not permitted. This
shows a lack of awareness of their driving
environment.
Defenders of the current situation will
state that it is in fact the younger generation
who are over-represented in casualty and
crash statistics. This is an accepted situation
currently but graduated licences are under
constant consideration. The majority of new
driver incidents are down to a lack of
experience; this situation will improve over
time. With older drivers, whether it be
eyesight or frailty, the situation will not
improve with time.
Whichever age group we are considering,
the lack of an adequate Department for
Transport strategy is not an acceptable
situation and acts as a disservice to the
population as a whole,
See a pale blue box in any article or
on an advert? It it contains a web
address or email, it’s interactive. Just
click and it will take you to the
appropriate web page or email so you
can find more details easier.
You’ll also find these panels across
the magazine: just click for more
information on any given subject.
To get the
full story,
click here
How to access this
magazine
You can read Newslink in three ways:
Go online and read the interactive
magazine on the Yumpu website; or,
if you would like to read it when you
don’t have a mobile signal or WiFi,
you can download the magazine to
your tablet, PC or phone to read at
your leisure. Alternatively, a pdf can
be found on the MSA GB website, at
www.msagb.com
COVER STORY
The DVSA gets its
messages out over
the L-test waiting
times, to NASP,
MPs and through
its Annual Report
and Review
From page 12
Follow the link
MSA GB sends
you to access
Newslink,
and then just
click Download
(circled above)
to save a copy
on your device
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 03

Inside
20
14
11
News & Features
The DVSA reports
Comprehensive coverage as DVSA
addresses L-test waiting times
through a number of avenues: the
latest meeting with NASP; evidence
to MPs on the Transport Select
Committee; and via its Annual Review
and Annual Report – from pg 12
New services for members
MSA GB announces two new services:
access to a dual controlled car after a
crash and a new way to market your
school to learners – Pg 8
Drink-driving deaths rise
Calls to toughen up drink-drive limits
or enforcement, as shocking new
figures reveal drink-driving fatalities
are on the increase – Pg 11
31
You’re driving like a Cretan
A fortnight’s holiday often offers a
glimpse at how roads and road safety
are viewed outside the UK. So what’s
it like on the roads of Crete? – Pg 28
Code needs a cycling tweak
Arthur Mynott asks if it is time for a
change in the Highway Code as
cyclists create a rolling road block for
other road users – Pg 32
Newslink
The Voice of MSA GB
The Motor Schools Association
of Great Britain Ltd
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Ltd. Reproducing in whole
or part is forbidden without
express permission of the
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04 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
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 4AH
T: 01984 618858
E: arthur.mynott@msagb.com
How MSA GB
is organised, in
four AREAS
AREA 1
AREA 4
AREA 2
AREA 3
Keep in touch
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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.
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through to the relevant site
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 05

News
The roads have become a political football
Colin Lilly
Editor
MSA GB Newslink
For as long as I can remember, driver trainers
and road safety professionals have said that
whichever government is in power, they will
not change the situation on the road because
it is not a vote winner.
Now it would appear the situation has
changed. Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ),
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) and
20mph speed limits seem to be high on the
political agenda.
Newslink and MSA GB have always strived to
be apolitical, not showing support for any one
political party. However, there are occasions
when something appears to be developing into
an election issue which needs to be reported.
It is felt in political circles that the London
ULEZ scheme had a substantial influence on
the result of the recent Uxbridge
Parliamentary by-election. As a result the
political parties must now decide where they
stand on the issues. Although the objective
of these zones is to reduce atmospheric
pollution and provide safer areas, others view
them as a restriction on the freedom of
motorists.
Opinion polls suggest that the public are
generally in favour of these areas. Perhaps
living with them may change views. British
people place a high value on freedom.
Those that may have a NIMBY attitude to
these zones tend to develop stronger feelings
when they travel and then become affected.
While the focus currently is on London, this
is not just an issue for the capital. A large
number of drivers have been caught out by
other Low Emission Zones. For instance,
drivers diverting off the congested M5 at
junction 18, Avonmouth, en route to Bristol
Airport or taking the A38 to the South West
must pass through a zone. They
subsequently receive a fine notice for not
registering their vehicle.
Also in Bristol, the first phase of a low
traffic neighbourhood was recently installed
in the north east of the city. When it became
clear the effect such schemes could have on
elections, the second phase was paused.
A number of MPs have urged Ministers and
the Prime Minister to hold a review on LEZs
and LTNs. Any changes could involve
legislation as the powers to set speed limits
and other road systems was granted to local
authorities as part of the process of
decentralising government.
No doubt the DVSA is watching
developments closely as the viability of
some test centres could depend on the
extent of local schemes. However, any
changes of policy would only apply to
England as the necessary powers to make
changes are devolved to the governments of
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Wales
is the main area of concern for DVSA at the
moment, as a widespread 20mph in
residential areas comes into force next month
and currently, they are worried normal
testing will not be possible.
Unsurprisingly, various environmental and
road safety organisations have spoken in
support of the schemes, quoting
improvements in pollution levels and casualty
rates.
Whatever the outcome, there could be
interesting times ahead.
Sunak reviews LTNs in bid to woo motorist vote
Rishi Sunak has ordered a review of lowtraffic
neighbourhoods (LTNs) as he seeks to
pitch the Conservatives as a pro-motorist
party.
Under LTNs, local councils attempt to limit
traffic in town and city centres – with drivers
often prevented from using quiet residential
roads as through routes. The measures are
also designed to encourage uptake of other
modes of transport.
But their adoption has attracted the anger
of some Tory MPs, who see them as an
attack on motorists.
Mr Sunak pointed out that “the vast
majority of people use their cars to get
around and are dependent on them. When I’m
lucky enough to get home to North Yorkshire,
it’s more representative of how most of the
country is living, where cars are important.
“I just want to make sure people know that
I’m on their side in supporting them to use
their cars to do all the things that matter to
them.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has
spoken out before about LTNs, but Labour
dismissed the announcement and accused
the Government of “pure hypocrisy”.
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh
said: “The Conservatives accelerated and
funded the use of LTNs, so it is pure hypocrisy
to see them denounce a policy they have
been instrumental in introducing and
accelerating at pace.
“Measures to improve road safety around
schools and in residential streets are often
demanded by local communities themselves.
“That’s why these are decisions for local
authorities and must be done with proper
consultation and taking on board the
concerns of communities.”
Shadow international trade secretary Nick
Thomas-Symonds, speaking to Times Radio,
said Labour backs “well-planned” LTNs.
The pitch to motorists and car owners
comes after the Conservatives’ narrow
victory in the Uxbridge and Ruislip byelection
last month, which saw the Tory
candidate tap into local concerns about the
expansion of London’s ultra-low emission
zone (Ulez).
That success has seen some Tory MPs
urge Mr Sunak to engage in a rethink on net
zero, amid hopes of attacking Labour’s green
ambitions.
The spread of the LEZ and LTNs in recent
months has emerged as a concern among
some on the right of the Conservative Party
who say road safety can be dismissed.
06 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Zero faults on 1-in-50 tests
DVSA statistics released for the period April
2022 to March 2023 show that fewer than
two per cent of L-tests are carried out
without a single driving fault being recorded
– but even this relatively low figure is a big
increase over the past decade and a half.
Just short of 1.7 million L-tests were
conducted during the period, with 816,775
passes. It represents a pass rate of 48.4 per
cent.
This is an increase since before the
pandemic, when the pass rate was 45.9 per
cent, though isn’t much of a rise in the years
from 2011-2017, when it ranged from 46.9
per cent to 47.1 per cent for a six years, in an
example of astonishing consistency.
The zero faults statistic is actually the
most interesting, as it has shown a steady
increase over the past 15 years: from just 0.2
per cent of tests (one in 500) in 2008 to 1.9
per cent in 2022-23 (nearly one in 50).
The extent to which the DVSA is still
struggling to get back on its feet since the
pandemic is laid bare in the statistics. While
the agency had made huge efforts to deliver
1,68,955 L-tests, this figure is still down on
the high watermarks of 2016-2017and
2017-18, when 1.73 and 1.72m tests were
conducted, and shows how far the agency
still has to go on this issue.
n In August’s issue we will feature a
comprehensive breakdown on the L-test
stats per test centre. See how your local one
is faring.
Under review: how the DVSA is performing,
from page 12
Click here
for the full
statistics
Top 10 reasons to
fail the L-test
The DVSA has updated details on the top
10 reasons to fail the driving test.
As in previous years, the number one
reason examiners record a fault is centred
around poor observation at junctions,
followed by moving off (safely) and
junctions when turning right.
The top 10, in order of the number of
faults recorded, are:
Junctions (observation)
Mirrors (change direction)
Move off (safely)
Junctions (turning right)
Control (steering)
Response to signals (traffic lights)
Response to signals (traffic signs)
Positioning (normal driving)
Response to signals (road markings)
Reverse park (Control)
Click here for the
full statistics
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 07

News
MSA GB launches new partnership with insurer to
keep you on the road when things go wrong
MSA GB partners with AI Insurance
Solutions Limited to provide
members with dual control cars for
when things don’t quite go to plan.
A critical service to driving instructors is the
provision of a dual-controlled replacement
vehicle for non-fault and fault accidents.
But in recent months we have had several
calls from MSA GB members across the
country who have been let down by their
insurance company not being able to supply a
dual-controlled vehicle when they have had
an accident.
They report that they are usually offered a
replacement vehicle but not one with dual
controls – which isn’t a lot of good when
running a driving school.
MSA GB steps in
Understanding the stress and the
detriment to your business this can cause,
we are pleased to announce that we have
formed an exclusive agreement with AI
Solutions Ltd to supply a replacement vehicle
to you should the need arise.
This means that MSA GB members will be
able to obtain both a replacement manual or
automatic dual-controlled car for both fault
and non-fault accidents, without the need to
buy an extra insurance policy to cover the
risk.
The cost of using this new service is zero.
You don’t need to register or buy an
insurance policy.
If you need to use the service the cost of
your replacement vehicle will be charged
either to their insurance policy or yours,
depending entirely on who is at fault.
Additionally, if the vehicle needs to be
recovered, this also will be charged to the
appropriate insurer.
However, we must stress that this does
not impose any restrictions on where you get
your vehicle repaired. The FCA states under
‘treating customers fairly’ that - ‘a policyholder
does not have to use the services of
their broker or insurer but can access any
service they choose without their instructor
insurance policy being invalidated.’
So, in the event of an accident you simply
need to contact The AI Insurance Solutions
Emergency (AIIS) assistance line on 01945
425211. AIIS will then inform your insurer and
organise for your replacement dual controlled
car to be delivered to your chosen location as
soon as possible.
If your vehicle is drivable and legal postevent,
then it is best to arrange a delivery to
the body repairer at an agreed time. If the
vehicle, however, is not drivable, then AI
Solutions will ensure that it is delivered to the
most convenient location for you.
Sadly, statistically, road traffic crashes do
happen, and we cannot prevent you from
being involved in one.
However, with this new agreement we
hope to ensure that any impact to MSA GB
members is kept to a minimum.
FAQs on the new membership service
Q: How do I use the service?
A: You just call ALLS’s emergency assistance
number on 01945 425211.
Q:What will the service cost me?
A: Just the cost of a call.
Q: Should I notify my insurance company?
A: Absolutely, although AIIS will also talk to
them to confirm hire provision and, where
appropriate, details of the repairer.
Emergency crash protocol: What to do if you are involved in a crash
In the event of a crash, call 01945 425211 to use the AIIS offer
08 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
FAQs (continued)
Q: What if my vehicle is not drivable?
A: AIIS will recover the vehicle to safe storage and
get you home or to a nominated location.
Q: Is this an insurance product that I need to
purchase?
A: No, the service is provided to you on a no-cost
basis.
Q: What if my vehicle is drivable?
A: AIIS can arrange for an estimate to completed
and deliver the car to the repairer to ensure that you
are mobile throughout the process and that there is
no loss of income.
Make a date in
your diary now:
March 22-23
the 2024 MSA GB
conference
Preparations are well underway for the
2024 MSA GB Annual Conference
Returning to an in-person event from
22nd – 23rd March 2024 after four years as
an online event, our annual conference is set
to be bigger and better than ever, as we
bring together delegates from across the
UK to meet with leading figures from the
motoring and road safety community. Each
one will be ready to impart their knowledge,
opinions, and expertise to our attendees.
Alongside a jam-packed day of
presentations and interactive workshops,
there’ll also be a full schedule of
entertainment and leisure activities, so
you’ll have plenty of time for networking
and to catch up with old friends and forge
new connections.
We will soon be providing further details
on the MSA GB 2024 Annual Conference, so
please keep an eye on Newslink, our app and
social media channels for updates.
n A prompt and
courteous reporting
process 24 hours a day
n To be taken to a safe
place/home if your car
is not drivable
n A replacement dual
controlled car on same
day as accident
reported, if before 2pm
(in Scotland, this may
take up to 24hrs)
n The vehicle will be of
a similar size
n Regular updates on
your vehicle’s repair
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 09

MSA GB News
New membership service: Find My Local
MSA GB Instructor directory launched
Cut through the competition
by advertising your skills on
MSA GB’s own ADI directory
With the DVSA (https://tinyurl.com/
4b3t9a9e) reporting a 24 per cent increase in
the number of new driving instructor
registrations in 2022/2023, compared to
2020/2021, our industry is set to become
even more competitive as driving instructors
do battle to gain the attention of those
wanting to learn to drive.
To help MSA GB members cut through the
industry noise and raise their profile, we’re
delighted to announce the launch of our
online ‘Find My Local MSA GB Instructor’
directory, which will be proudly displayed on
the MSA GB home page and on the MSA GB
App.
Once live, this new directory will be easily
accessible by the public, who can use our
simple search engine to source a driving
instructor in their local area, who suits their
learning needs.
For MSA GB members it couldn’t be simpler
to input your details and make sure you stand
out from the crowd. We’ve included several
opportunities for you to highlight any special
skills or teaching experience that you may
have, for example teaching pupils with
disabilities or those who are particularly
anxious drivers.
To upload your profile onto the MSA GB
directory, all you need to do is:
n Log into the Member Area
n Look to the left of the page and scroll
down until you see three blue arrow tabs.
n Click on the tab - ‘Add Directory listing’
n You will then be taken to the following
page:
n Input your details and upload your photo
(adding your photo is optional)
n Once you’ve inputted all your details,
check that all your information is correct
n Tick the box if you agree to share your
details on the website. Please note if you do
not tick the box your details will not appear
on the on the Find My Local MSA GB
Instructor directory.
n Click submit – and your done!
This is just one of the many fantastic
benefits that MSA GB members get to enjoy
with their membership, which also includes:
n PI & PL Insurance cover totalling £10
million.
n Legal & Technical Advice
n Member Representation
n Access to a wealth of exclusive
information and downloadable resources
n Member Discounts
n Our monthly digital industry magazine
- Newslink
n Comprehensive driving school cover.
We hope registering is a straightforward
process, but if you need any assistance, or
have any queries, don’t hesitate to contact
our membership team on info@msagb.com
or 01787 221 020
10 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Demand for action from Government
as drink-drive deaths rise
Road safety groups have called for
immediate action from the Government after
new figures show the number of people
killed in drink-drive collisions in 2021 reached
a 12-year high.
Between 240 and 280 people were killed in
drink-drive collisions in 2021, with a central
estimate of 260 fatalities.
That’s the highest since 2009 and
represents a statistically significant increase
from 2020.
Meanwhile, the central estimate of the
number of killed or seriously injured
drink-drive casualties in 2021 is 1,880, an
increase of 23% on 2020.
An estimated 6,740 people were killed or
injured in drink-drive collisions, an increase of
4% from 2020.
The DfT says the number of reported
drink-drive collisions – and casualties
involved in them – are likely to have been
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in
recent years, but critics say this is a poor
excuse for inactivity, as the figures are a
backward step, returning us to 2009’s level.
The RAC says the figures should provide “a
wake-up call” to the Government.
Simon Williams, the RAC’s road safety
spokesman, said: “These figures are
extremely worrying and demonstrate that
the battle against drink-driving is far from
over.
“This should be a wake-up call to both the
Government and police forces about the need
for effective enforcement, including increased
roadside breathalysing
Breathalyser firm Alcosense has described
the data as “very concerning”.
Hunter Abbott, MD of AlcoSense, said: “It’s
very concerning indeed to see the number of
fatalities caused by a drunk driver increase by
nearly a fifth.
“Although we spent much of 2020 in
lockdown, resulting in less traffic on the
roads, restrictions were also in place for the
first half of 2021 so again there were fewer
vehicle movements than usual.
“We haven’t seen this many drink-drive
deaths for 12 years.
“What these figures don’t tell you, of
course, is how many more casualties were
caused by ‘lethal but legal’ drivers – those
who were above the point of intoxication
where effects on cognitive function occur,
but below the official drink-drive limit.”
These figures mean that drunk drivers
accounted for 17 per cent of all road deaths.
Analysis by AlcoSense of the new data
shows that London and the South East
accounted for 28% of all drink-drive
casualties in Great Britain, with Scotland
(where the drink drive limit is lower) recording
the fewest (3%). July was the worst month
for drink-related injuries on the roads.
Just 37% of motorists involved in a collision
were breathalysed, compared with 54% ten
years previously.
“More drivers need to be tested by Police
after an accident,” adds Mr Abbott, who is
also a member of the Parliamentary
Advisory Council for Transport Safety
(PACTS).
“Every year 17% of motorists fail the test
or refuse to provide a sample”.
Scotland’s decision to reduce its drinkdrive
limit from 80 milligrams of alcohol per
100 millilitres of blood to 50 in 2014 is being
cited as a possible reform for England, after it
was revealed in 2021 that the numbers of
drink-drive accidents and casualties in
Scotland fell by 64% and 66% respectively
between 2010 and 2020 (the latest year for
which estimates are available): from a
rounded estimate of 530 to roughly 190
(accidents) and from around 740 to some 250
(casualties).
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 11

News
MSA GB writes: July – traditionally a quiet month for news in the driver
training and testing sector – proved anything but, as the DVSA was
involved in a number of interesting events and published some critical
documents. Over the next few pages we try to give you a flavour of
everything that was released, starting with the latest NASP report,
followed by a review of the DVSA’s Annual Review 2022-23 and Annual
Report and Accounts 2022-2023, and finished off with a report on
Easter treat, anyone? DVSA re-sets
waiting list target for March 2024
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
(DVSA) & National Associations
Strategic Partnership (NASP)
Quarterly Meeting Report
Wednesday, July 12
Loveday Ryder’s session in front of MPs on the Transport Select
Committee. By its very nature, a lot of this copy covers similar ground:
you’ll find the phrase ‘L-test waiting times’ used on numerous
occasions, for example. However, we felt it was important you had a
chance to get across where the agency is at this moment in its battle
with providing L-tests – comfortably the most important issue
affecting our profession today
The DVSA and NASP meet on a quarterly
basis – this was the third meeting of the year.
It was attended by seven representatives
from the DVSA and three NASP associations.
The purpose was for the DVSA to provide an
update on the following topics:
n Driver recovery
n Driver policy
n ADI registrar
n ADI examiner
n DVSA Ready to Pass? campaign
The DVSA and NASP both discussed and
provided updates on action points noted at
previous meetings. The points are as follows:
n Relationship managers – the DVSA is
working on a proposal to introduce a
relationship manager scheme in the autumn
for key stakeholders.
n Organisation chart – NASP has
requested an organisation chart highlighting
ADI area managers, heads of departments
and what their teams do, operational
managers (including how many areas there
are), LDTMs and key members of staff at
DVSA. This has been agreed to be created by
September 2023.
n Test centre open days – the external
affairs and communication teams are waiting
for the proposal to be reviewed by senior
team.
n Workshop – DVSA and NASP agreed to
hold an in-person workshop on August 1.
n Booking driving test and learner
behaviour – DVSA and NASP are working
together to create a follow-up blog to the one
posted on July 6 about driving test waiting
times.
n Behavioural change workshop – DVSA
12-week waiting
time target date
and NASP agreed to hold this workshop at
the end of November/early December. NASP
to provide DVSA with dates.
n ADI investigations on GOV.UK – DVSA
met with CFI team (who conduct
investigations) and it was agreed that basic
guidance will be published on gov.uk and
request has been made.
n Terms of reference – DVSA and NASP
agreed to a seven-day deadline to provide
the meeting agenda and action log ahead of
quarterly meetings.
Driver services update
Waiting times for booking a driving test
remained high in May, with the average
waiting time recorded as 17.3 weeks.
The DVSA is aiming to reduce waiting times
to 12 weeks by the end of the financial
business year (March 31, 2024). (Editor’s note:
The original plan was to have the waiting times
at nine weeks by December 2022).
There is seven per cent (100,000 tests)
more demand for driving tests this year,
caused by the impact from industrial action
and having reduced capacity to provide these
tests. The DVSA ensured it ringfenced a
number of tests for learners who were
affected by the industrial action so that
learners could reschedule their tests as close
to their original driving test as possible.
The DVSA has seen a change in booking
behaviour following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, the average customer
would wait until their ADI confirmed they
were ready to sit their driving test; however,
ADIs have recorded an increase in the number
of learners who book their tests before they
have started learning to drive. This means
there are a high number of tests that are not
ready to be delivered.
The DVSA lost one million driving tests
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since the Covid-19 pandemic but has since
made these one million driving tests available
again. The DVSA confirmed it has delivered
550,000 of those tests, and the remaining
450,000 are available.
The DVSA has been actively encouraging
driving examiner recruitment by running a
large recruitment campaign to attract high
quality and a diverse range of driving
examiners. Since April 2021, there have been
474 examiners who have entered active
testing. The rate of examiner attrition is 15
per month.
(Editor’s note: If the DVSA loses 15
examiners a month since April 2021, that
means it has lost around 400-410 examiners
during the same period).
The DVSA has procured new software in
the deployment teams to help book driving
tests for driving examiners who work on a
shift or part-time basis.
This should increase the number of
available tests and release these tests
further in advance, allowing flexibility for both
driving examiners and learners.
Driver policy update: BOTs
The DVSA and NASP discussed how they
can work together to improve the support
and guidance ADIs need to encourage
learners and change booking behaviour back
to how it was before Covid-19.
The DVSA is targeting businesses that
have breached their booking terms and
conditions. So far, 177 businesses have been
suspended from using the DVSA booking
service. IT and technology teams at DVSA are
clamping down on parties using IP addresses
that are problematic. DVSA welcomed ADIs
who informed them about phishing scams
and fraudulent activity.
DVSA and NASP discussed the potential of
enforcing penalties against learners, ADIs and
third parties who abuse the system.
Booking behaviour
The DVSA plans on posting a blog on the
‘safe driving for life’ website, which will target
young learner drivers and will encourage
them to book their driving tests when they
are ready.
The DVSA would like to better understand
learner driver expectations – especially why
they book tests before they have started to
learn and how often they swap their tests
– and the reality of sitting their driving tests
before they are ready.
The DVSA is going to gain more data and
insight from learners who have received their
driving test results by adding additional
questions to the satisfaction survey. This
data will help inform their work, as well as
blog posts and messaging to learners.
ADI registrar update
Not all ADIs are aware of the national
standard. The DVSA and NASP discussed how
they can work together to educate ADIs
about how to improve their standards
through CPD courses, what CPD is and where
CPD can be accessed.
Before any changes to the standard checks
are introduced, the DVSA and NASP want to
ensure ADIs are better prepared.
Continued on page 14
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 13

News: NASP meeting
Slow down on criminal record checks...
big rise in engagement calls
Continued from page 13
Criminal records
DVSA informed NASP that its criminal
record check supplier recently moved its
contact centre.
This has resulted in the supplier not being
able to answer questions or provide relevant
information.
Weekly meetings are taking place between
DVSA and their supplier. The DVSA will update
NASP once this issue has been resolved.
ORDIT
A number of NASP members asked for
clarification around the number of ADIs that
are allowed to register for ORDIT – it was
previously believed to be a maximum of 150
members. The DVSA confirmed there is no
limit on the number of approved ADIs on the
register and encouraged as many ADIs to join
as possible, to increase the standard of
instruction. DVSA will be working to educate
ADIs about ORDIT and help those who apply
to be better prepared.
ADI examiner update
The DVSA is actively recruiting from the
driving examiner workforce. There are five
newly trained ADI examiners and they are in
the process of recruiting another 10 to train in
September. The DVSA offers an intense
training programme which includes a
five-week residential training and ongoing
development opportunities following the
programme. The DVSA is aiming to recruit a
further 15 ADI examiners next year.
TIP
There are currently 39,550 registered ADIs
(March 2023). Since the changes to the
parameters in May 2023, the DVSA has seen
a positive reduction in the number of ADIs
hitting four parameters. There are now 4,200
ADIs hitting that target, compared to 10,000
ADIs before the implemented changes were
made.
Engagement calls
DVSA has delivered 4,624 calls in total. The
feedback on engagement calls remains
positive and the DVSA continues to receive
calls from ADIs requesting an engagement
call to have their standards check.
ADI performance reports
The DVSA receives around 100 requests
per week. They have been working with
Government Digital Services to improve the
way ADIs can request their data.
DVSA will be working to promote the new
online form (Request your Approved Driving
Instructor (ADI) Driving Test Data Report) for
ADIs to complete.
Book to hold: PDIs
If there are no suitable available tests, then
the PDI can pay for a test and put it on hold
(they will provide a preferred test centre and
date). Deployment will then allocate a test.
The DVSA confirmed that currently, there
are 480 candidates waiting for a Part 2 test,
and 396 for a Part 3. The DVSA is working
‘‘
The DVSA is actively recruiting
from the driving examiner
workforce. There are five newly
trained ADI examiners and
they are in the process of
recruiting another 10 to train
in September.
towards a target for all PDIs to be offered a
test within 15 days of joining the hold list.
They are currently ahead of target and
offering tests within 11 days of joining.
Ready to Pass update?
DVSA and NASP held a behavioural change
workshop on August 1, with topics including:
n Encouraging ADIs to complete CPD
n Encouraging ADIs to sit in on driving tests
n Plus other topics
A full report on this will be published in the
September issue.
Working as a Driving instructor results:
14.7 per cent of all ADIs responded to the
Working as a Driving Instructor survey. The
DVSA will publish these results early August.
Barriers to taking mock tests
Recent survey feedback highlights that
learners are reluctant to sit a mock test for
the following reasons; it is too expensive,
they have already taken a real test and failed,
learners are happy to watch a YouTube video
or their ADI did not offer a mock test.
The DVSA is working on creating guidance
for learners who want to take a mock test.
NASP comments
NASP asked DVSA to consider updating the
‘Find driving schools, lessons and instructors’
page on GOV.UK to display if driving
instructors offer manual and/or automatic
training and mock tests for learners.
The DVSA said that this work will need to
wait and be discussed as part of future
conversations with NASP and wider industry
about making better consumer information
available to learners and their parents.
NASP also requested an updated version of
the key main areas of failure/underperformance
of ADIs on Standards Checks/
Part 3s as members find this information
useful and it can be incorporated into CPD in
this area to help trainers work on any issues.
This will be discussed as part of workshop
we are holding with NASP on ADI qualification
process in October.
• The next NASP meeting will take place in
November
14 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

News: DVSA publications
A veteran DVSA watcher finds
plenty of glossy photos and
well-turned graphics to admire
in the DVSA Annual Review
2022-2023, and some facts
and figures to play with in the
Annual Report and Accounts
– but little to comfort him that
the agency is on the case as
far as L-test waiting times are
concerned
When is a report a review, and when is a
review, a report?
I ask this fairly odd question because two
publications landed in July from the DVSA:
The DVSA’s Annual Review for 2022-23, and
the Annual Report and Accounts for the same
period.
They cover, as you might guess, similar
ground: the Review is a lighter publication full
of eye-pleasing graphics and sentences
constructed in a manner that wouldn’t tax a
child in Year 2, while the Annual Report is a
more serious tome, with its breakdowns of
the key facts and figures.
Both are there to tell you how well the
DVSA is doing, so it’s the place to go if you
want to read all about the agency’s successes
over the past 12 months. It’s an annual treat
for those of us who like to pick through the
bones to see what’s what and gauge
progress – all wrapped up in a narrative style
that reminds me of reading Soviet Union
propaganda reports in the 1970s on the
success of the latest Five-Year Plan for
manufacturing tractors.
In other words, it’s a tad biased and tries to
maximise success and deflect attention from
failure.
The key thing is, don’t mention the L-test
waiting times. In Loveday Ryder’s foreword to
both there is an acceptance that the agency
has missed its targets to reduce these a bit...
‘the last few years have been challenging…’
but that ‘we’ve managed to reduce waiting
times for some of our services to prepandemic
levels.’ Emphasis on ‘some’.
But... part from that, we steer clear for the
most part of the one topic that ADIs want to
see pages and pages devoted to. Instead the
documents devotes its attentions to carbon
targets, the setting up of niche HR groups
and various other internal flin-flam.
So what is there to soothe our fevered
brows on waiting times? This...
“The target for waiting times for car
Here’s the DVSA news:
L-test waiting times
aren’t down, folks!
practical tests to be 9 weeks or less by
December 2022 has not been achieved... and
waiting times remain high at 16 weeks.”
You can say that again. Why?
“This is due mainly to the legacy backlogs
caused by suspending services in 2020-21 in
response to COVID-19. Waiting times have
also been impacted by industrial action
during the year. Our recovery has been
significantly delayed.
But never fear, help is at hand...
“To address this, we have recruited and
trained over 460 new driving examiners
since the beginning of recovery following
COVID-19, with more than 250 recruited and
trained in 2022-23. This has resulted in a net
increase of 186 driving examiners. We have
increased capacity to deliver as many tests
as we can. We delivered more than 580,000
additional tests in the last year.’
Now I’ve a bone to pick here. The same
DVSA told the Westminster Select
Committee on Transport (see the report on
page 20) that the rate of attrition for
examiners was 15 a month. It’s a figure that
was also quoted to the NASP meeting. 15 a
month is 180 a year - take that off the 250
recruited and trained in 2022-23 and you are
left with 70 new examiners at the coalface. If
that 15 a month is a constant, since the
beginning of the recovery – and we’re taking
that as August 2021 – to today is 24 months.
Multiplying 24 by 15 gives us 360 examiners
leaving the show ... or just 100 fewer than the
460 recruited.
We’re not saying anyone is being
deliberately off here. It could be that the
figures are made hard to follow by covering
different starting dates, so it’s hard to pin
down exactly how many new examiners
there are, but the fact is the information
doesn’t sit well with that offered to NASP or
the MPs.
It’s probably not a big point but it does
mean the headline figure of recruiting
400-odd examiners in no way means we
have that many extra boots on the ground,
and the newcomers don’t deliver a massive
dent in the L-test waiting times.
At eight tests a day, five days a week,
examiners will deliver 40 tests. Multiply that
by 47, and you have just shy of 2,000 extra
tests per year per new examiner. When you
consider that we have a backlog of 500,000-
600,000 tests, you can see why the DVSA
needs that 400-odd examiners to be net of
leavers, rather than a gross figure.
Ignoring the disaster that is waiting times,
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‘‘
The report reminds me of reading
Soviet Union propaganda reports
in the 1970s on the success of the
Five-Year Plan for manufacturing
tractors... a tad biased and trying
to maximise success and deflect
attention away from failure...
The good news:
Falls in road
traffic
casualties
what else is in the lightweight Annual Review?
We are on happier ground with Ready to
Pass, the buck-passing exercise that blames
the DVSA’s failure to offer its key product, the
L-test, on a combination of youngsters so
desperate to have a driving licence that they’ll
take a test at the drop of a hat, fearing they’ll
never get one again, or on ADIs for not
stopping them doing so, despite the fact that
they have no power whatsoever to stop
people booking an L-test.
That’s how the DVSA is selling it... though a
read through the session with MPs (see page
20) and we have a different take on the
problem. Read it; you’ll like it.
Anyway, back to the official line on Ready
to Pass. It ‘encourages learners to consider
their readiness before booking a driving test
... we designed a website, giving learners and
their ADIs bespoke tools to help them assess
this readiness.
‘For example, by taking a realistic mock
driving test during a lesson. And we explained
how to book a test if a learner is ready, or to
delay it if not ... we want to show learners and
their parents the costs of taking a driving
test too soon…’ overall, ‘behaviour change is
the aim of the campaign.’
Or you could just do your base job and
make more L-tests available…
I’m not sure whether the DVSA is aware of
this, but it is starting to sound a bit like British
Rail when it blamed train cancellations on ‘the
wrong type of snow’… in the case of the
DVSA, ‘we’re getting the wrong sort of
learners.’
And that is the end of the waiting lists in
the Annual Review. Now we get on to the
‘other’ things the DVSA wants to talk about:
cultural aspirations, new staff networking
groups, colleagues’ wellbeing. Are these
topics going to get the target audience’s
pulse racing? At times, the DVSA report is
beyond parody.
Now, I’m not saying these aren’t important
things to discuss but sometimes, when you
are in a crisis, face up to it. The fact is, in the
first 17 pages of the Annual Review, the DVSA
goes on about its internal policies on eight, its
response to Ukraine on one (who knew?).
Add the front cover plus introduction, and
we’ve covered the first 12 pages on internal
navel gazing and fluff.
I get the need for the stuff on MoTs - not
our sector, but important and part of DVSA’s
brief, so it’s understandable – but there is
depressingly too little about the meat and
drink of driver training and testing. What’s
also worrying is the lack of evidence of
forward thinking on how the L-test will
evolve to accommodate self-driving cars and
other tech; there is little reference to studying
this, and certainly no details about changes
to the L-test to fine-tune it for modern
driving. Why?
So what’s in there? Well, illegal trailers (see
column on page 19), MoT reminders and
fraud, sustainability, the five-year plan from
2022 and the Vision to 2030 (where we get
the only reference to future-proofing the
tests, with a nod to the Vision’s plan to set
standards, assess and test vehicles with
self-driving features), and some stats on
MoT numbers.
Continued on page 18
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 17

News: DVSA’s Annual Review and Report
Continued from page 17
Then we discuss trailer training, the ATF
digital scheme and some driving test stats.
There are some pages on apprentices within
the DVSA, vehicle standards, its TV showcase
on L-test fraud and some more selfcongratulatory
stuff on internal customer
services, communications and employee
mental health support.
And what of the Annual Report? There is
more meat on the bone, but a lot of it is the
typical stuff government departments have
to publish - salary scales, auditors’ thoughts,
greenhouse targets. In the main it’s dry as
dust but there are, again, some interesting
nuggets.
For instance, Loveday Ryder received a
handsome bonus for 2022-23. Somewhere
between £5,000-10,000. It was awarded in
recognition of hitting certain targets -
though hard as I tried, I couldn’t see which
omes they were. My guess would be they are
linked to cutting costs and streamlining
services. If only the DVSA board was paid
bonuses on L-test slots available...
It acknowledges that one key KPI has been
missed:
Car practical test candidates satisfied with
the service they receive from DVSA. Target,
greater than 70 per cent. Actual outcome, 68
per cent. Target not achieved.
Okay, a whistle-stop tour of the other bits
and bobs. First, you know when the DVSA
tries to get rid of no shows on tests, and get
candidates to cancel earlier? I can see why
they are so keen: in 2022-23 there were
‘78,000 avoidable driving test cancellations’.
That doesn’t cover strike action, that’s no
shows. That is a lot. If we assume the backlog
is around the 600,000 mark for L-tests, it
equates to nearly 12 per cent of them.
Here’s another little snippet that caught
the eye. In 2021 ‘the vocational driving test
was changed so that the off-road
manoeuvres element could be conducted by
external assessors. This has been successful
with over 100,000 off-road tests conducted
by these assessors. HGV training schools
now provide around 90% of these tests.
‘We have a team within DVSA which
ensures the off-road elements of the test are
delivered to the necessary standard.’
Surely you know where I’m going with
this? If you can do that for LGVs, why not do it
for L-tests, too? Why not let ADIs assess
their pupils on manoeuvres, and let the
L-test focus on proper driving skills and
real-time decision making? Think of the extra
time it would leave examiners to do more
tests.
How the DVSA fought back: Extra test provision from 2022 to 2023
What else is in the Annual Report? Well,
Loveday has had to have the begging bowl
out at the Treasury, as the agency lost
£26.5million in the period under review.
That’s a lot, around five per cent on
expenditure, and the type of performance
that would set most businesses into freefall.
However, like Netflix, Tesla and Uber, the
DVSA doesn’t have to worry about little
things like making a profit or breaking even,
so we can safely assume the Treasury has
picked up the bill.
What are the reasons behind this?
‘Practical test throughputs were below
plan, with testing limited by our capacity to
deliver. In spite of some successful
recruitment, we were not able to build all the
capacity we needed. 2.0 million tests were
delivered during the year, and at year end we
had 511,000 car practical tests booked and
not yet delivered.
‘Income was above plan by £5.0m with
additional theory test income offsetting the
practical test shortfall.
‘Overall expenditure was £14.2m below
plan and £36.6m above prior year.’
What is interesting is that, in most years,
the DVSA delivers around 1.8 million tests. In
2022-23 they delivered two million, but they
were still below plan.
In short, income was £406.9m, but against
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this you need to set expenditure (mainly
wages) of £210m and other operating
charges of £176.4m. With other costs added
in the ‘out’ column recorded £433.4m in
costs, leaving a loss of £26.5m.
Other titbits. Staff turnover rate still seems
ridiculously high to me, and is getting worse.
It was 14.3 per cent in 2022-23, compared
with 12 per cent the previous year.
Possibly the next stat doesn’t help: eight
per cent of respondents had experienced
discrimination and 10 per cent bullying. The
only light at the end of the tunnel on this is
that these figures were a couple of points
down from the previous year.
Finally, the targets against which every
Civil Service department truly measures
itself: Net Zero, or carbon reductions.
Here we have an unqualified success story.
Hooray! With a target against of total emissions
at 6,153 Tonnes of Carbon equivalent (TCO2e)
or less, 5,292 TCO2e was achieved.
This was a great effort and achieved
without having to axe too many of the
DVSA’s 853 flights (though this is way down
on the 1,100+ before the pandemic).
Why fly anywhere? After criticism by some
‘‘
What else is in the
Annual Report?
Well, Loveday has
had to have the
begging bowl out at
the Treasury, as the
agency lost
£26.5million in the
period under review.
of the DVSA’s love of flying, it’s blamed on
the Scottish Isles... ‘there is no other practical
way to access some islands.’ Fair enough.
It’s a great stat to round off with... if only
the L-test waiting times reduction could have
been achieved with matching success.
So where does all this leave the average
ADI? Does the Annual Report and Annual
Review educate the ADI on how the DVSA
operates? Yes, a bit. Does it make the ADI feel
that the DVSA is in control of the key issues
of the day – ie, getting it back on track after
Covid? Honestly, no. It’s trying, but without a
determined effort to recruit even MORE
examiners, eradicate the bots and get more
tests per day, after reading the reports you’re
left with a feeling that the agency is pushing
a stone up a hill, only for it to roll back down
again the next morning.
It’s grim to say but I think the DVSA is
doing a brilliant job of re-organising the
deckchairs on the Titanic. I’ll tell you, they
have never looked better… it’s just that the
water is lapping around our feet in an
ominous manner, and I can’t help but get that
sinking feeling that things won’t get better
any time soon.
B+E testing:
the last word
One of the things that caught our eye was
this snippet, in the Annual Review. On pg 4:
‘We had to support the Government’s
campaign to rebuild the economy.’
No example is given on the page of how
the DVSA did this, but one example
referred to later says that ‘A lack of driving
tests during COVID-19 lockdowns
contributed to a shortage in HGV drivers.
DVSA helped to address this by stopping
the car trailer test. We still care deeply
about towing safety, and it was not an
easy decision. But it eased some of the
pressure and allowed more examiners to
do HGV testing.’
The report then goes on to praise the
new Accredited Trailer Training Scheme,
launched in collaboration with the National
Register of LGV Instructors, Safe Towing
Scheme and Skills for Logistics to fill the
hole left by stopping trailer tests.
There are now 88 accredited training
providers, and between them they have
worked with around 300 drivers.
Just for balance, on average, every year,
30,000 used to take the old B+E car trailer
test...
On pg 13 in the same report, is the
following: ‘In 2014, three-year-old Freddie
Hussey was killed by a runaway trailer in
Bristol. The investigation found that people
did not understand the law around using a
trailer. This failure to meet essential safety
standards in the manufacture and use of
trailers put people at risk. So, we began to
focus our surveillance in this area.’
It struck me, reading this, that one way
to make sure trailer safety standards are
maintained on our roads, and to ensure
Freddie’s tragic death is not repeated,
would be to introduce a system whereby
new drivers have to be trained and tested
before towing trailers. That would improve
standards…
Instead we have what is a voluntary
scheme in which the public can tow trailers
without having to undergo any formal
training. The public’s response has been
predictable: fewer than one per cent of the
drivers who used to take a B+E test now
take training, so far, suggesting that in the
future, the roads will be chock-full of
untrained drivers towing trailers.
Can’t help but think that somewhere,
the chance of improving those essential
safety standards has been missed.
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 19

News: DVSA chief with the MPs’ Select Committee
I get it, says DVSA chief: Long waiting
times push learners to take tests early
Loveday Ryder has a polite
grilling from MPs on the
Transport Select Committee
The start of July saw DVSA Chief Executive
Loveday Ryder give evidence to the House of
Commons Select Committee on Transport
– with L-test waiting times a key part of the
discussions.
MPs Iain Stewart (Chair); Mr Ben
Bradshaw; Jack Brereton; Karl McCartney;
Grahame Morris; Gavin Newlands; and Greg
Smith questioned Ms Ryder and Peter Hearn,
Director of Operations (North), on the DVSA’s
work, with a particular focus, in addition to
waiting times, on the agency’s plans for
autonomous driving.
As you would expect, the session produced
a lengthy transcript, all of which can be read
at https://committees.parliament.uk/
oralevidence/13455/pdf/.
A few highlights...
Ms Ryder told MPs that “it has been a
challenging couple of years. We have
continued to recover from the pandemic,” but
she was “really proud” of the “tremendous
hard work that our people have put in across
the agency.”
She highlighted a number of DVSA success
stories, including its new theory test booking
service, “which has high levels of customer
satisfaction” and the building up of the agency’s
vocational testing, and improvements in
enforcement.
However, “the car practical driving test
backlog has sadly not recovered to the level
that we had hoped to achieve.”
Apology aside, the MPs were, perhaps
understandably, more interested in focusing
on some of the less savoury parts of the
DVSA’s performance. The delay to its
business plan was one, and Ms Ryder was
also questioned about a public bodies review
of the DVSA planned for the autumn.
Karl McCartney MP led on L-test waiting
times. He pointed out that the DVSA had set
its own target of nine weeks to book a test by
December 2022; why, then, was the current
wait time 17.3 weeks?
Ms Ryder told MPs that the DVSA lost 74%
of is business through Covid – about a million
tests lost. The challenge was to replace these
without compromising standards. The steps
taken are well known to MSA GB members:
“We got retirees back into the workplace, we
had our managers testing, and we pulled in all
other warrant card holders”... and “we
recruited 474 new examiners ”, but when
challenged accepted that this figure did not
mean additional examiners, but new ones,
and the rate of attrition meant the DVSA
“was losing 15 examiners a month.”
She added: “We have put a lot of focus on
the Ready to Pass? campaign, trying to work
with people coming forward for their test, to
encourage them not to come forward until
they are ready. We have introduced mock
tests, working with driving instructors.
“We found from our research that a lot of
people coming forward thought that the test
was too hard, which would indicate that they
did not understand the standard that they
needed to achieve. We have given all our
guidance to driving instructors so that they
can conduct mock tests before people come
through. We are seeing a 20% increase in the
pass rate for people who have done mock
tests over those who have not, which is quite
notable.”
Gavin Newlands MP was also interested in
the L-test waiting times: “What is the current
backlog on practical tests, and how quickly
are you getting through the backlog?
Realistically, when will you get through it?”
The DVSA reply focused on ‘available slots’.
“The way we look at it, and the way we try to
measure progress, is to look at the number of
available slots.
“Before the pandemic we were looking at
45% slack in the available slots that people
could book. When things were bad, that got
right down to 3%. It was creeping up, so as we
came to December 2022, we were seeing the
levels get higher. We had reached about 15%
available slot capacity within the booking
window. We were quite encouraged by that.
We thought that the trend was going in the
right direction and that we were making
progress.”
Examiners’ strike action had stopped this
progress, however. “We had to hold back
tests in order to be able to give people whose
tests were cancelled an alternative slot.
Therefore, again, we saw the available slots
coming right down, to about 6%. We are now
in a period where industrial action has been
paused and that level has come back up to
about 9%.
“In terms of where we would like to get to,
it is important to say that we are profiling an
extra 7% on our demand forecast. Not only do
we have the Covid effect to deal with, but we
are actually seeing pressure and demand in
our forecasting rise by about 7%, which we
are profiling in.
“We are seeing a change in customer
behaviour as well. Quite understandably, I
think, people tend to book their test earlier in
their driving journey, maybe before they
have even had a lesson.” (our emphasis)
As Gavin Newlands said, “That is possibly
20 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

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Iain Stewart
because they have to because of the wait.”
Loveday Ryder: “Absolutely.”
This was an acknowledgment – rarely
made – that it isn’t ADIs’ fault for candidates
arriving for their test ill-prepared.
Gavin Newlands nailed the issue with one
last point: “Are we now essentially in pretty
much the same situation as we were
immediately out of the pandemic?
Loveday Ryder: “We were seeing a steady
improvement, as I say, up until the industrial
action part started. We are currently
predicting to be at about 12 weeks by the end
of our business year.”
One interesting point that emerged from
the Select Committee hearing was that the
DVSA had been forced to change its tack over
its new examiner cohort. Whereas they were
initially brought in on fixed two-year
contracts, the challenges of recruiting enough
candidates had seen the agency begin to
make more of these positions permanent.
On bots hoovering up tests, Ms Ryder was
convinced that “ultimately, this problem will
go away when the wait times come down. We
were not seeing this level of activity
beforehand. It has sprung up on the back of
scarcity of test slots.
Could reselling of tests be made illegal? Ms
Ryder said that it is definitely something that
it would be interesting to look at. It would help
enormously if we could.
Electric vehicles, automation
Karl McCartney asked if any work had been
done into the safety aspects of electric
vehicles and people who work on them?
Would you be looking for the DFT to bring
some regulations into being that would
ensure that people were kept safe if they
were working on EVs?
Peter Hearn said he had a team in place
looking into this, as “electric vehicle, for
obvious reasons, can be very dangerous if
you do not understand the complexities.”
Cars will increasingly have driver assist and
self-driving technologies. How are you going
to ensure that those are fit for purpose in
testing in the future?
Peter Hearn: “It is a fairly similar process. We
need to understand that in a lot of detail,
which is why we have put this team together,
with support; we are working with the
Department and with the technical expertise
in the Department as well.
“Of course, it is going to impact not just on
the vehicle’s MOT—the mechanical check—but
on the driving test. We need to be prepared for
that and understand what it would look and
feel like, and how we adjust the test as a
consequence. ”
Changes to estate
Finally, there was a great deal of discussion
around DVSA plans to change how it delivers
driving tests. Is the DVSA moving away from
providing driving tests at the existing
dedicated centres?
Ms Ryder pointed out that we already
operate that mode of testing in many places
in Great Britain: “a community centre here or
a shared building there. It is a model that we
are used to because it works very well for
outlying geographies.”
She added: “What we wanted to do was to
see whether it would offer better customer
service, so we have been working on some
pilots. There have been four different venues
that we have been piloting it through, with a
view to seeing whether it offers customers
more flexibility, better facilities and just what
the model can do. It would maybe save
money on the driving test estate as well,
although I know it is not primarily driven by
the need to save money. We have conducted
those pilots. We have some results in and we
‘‘
“Quite understandably, I
think, people tend to book their
test earlier in their driving
journey, maybe before they
have even had a lesson...”
“Because they have to wait?...”
“Absolutely...”
(interchange between Loveday Ryder
and Gavin Newlands)
“Are we now essentially in
pretty much the same situation
as we were immediately out of
the pandemic? Is that where we
are, roughly? ...
Gavin Newlands
are now working through what the impact is
on our business model and what
opportunities there are, but no decisions
have yet been taken.”
Peter Hearn added, “if we can offer more
choice to the customer by having multiple
sites that we may use only one day a week,
that is better for the candidate. It will be more
local for them. It is something that will evolve.
It is not something that will happen
overnight.
Grahame Morris asked if such reforms
“could be fraught with problems where there
are no dedicated premises, with no facilities
to do paperwork. There are issues around
safeguarding, for example, for the public. I will
be interested to see the results of that when
they are available.
Peter Hearn: “They are clearly issues that
we want to address and we have started to
address them. Obviously, the driving test by
its nature is out on the road and the time
spent in the test centre is relatively small. It is
a meet and greet really, and then we are out
conducting the test. There are some factors.
We have occasions when we need to retreat.
There need to be some welfare facilities and
toilet facilities. All those are features that we
will obviously make sure are available as we
start to evolve this and test it.”
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 21

News
Driving test centre updates: Bike races, safety
concerns and road resurfacing hit services
Skipton driving test centre (DTC)
Resurfacing work on Carleton Road near
Skipton DTC has over run and will now not be
completed until Friday, August 11. If you or
your pupils are unable to access the centre
due to the work, park behind the test centre
on Carleton Avenue, which is located just off
Carleton New Road.
The waiting room and facilities at the test
centre will still be available as normal.
If you experience any problems on the day
of your test please call the driving test centre
on 01756 793589.
Macclesfield driving test centre
The Macclesfield DTC has been closed
after a safety inspection and all tests will be
conducted from Bollington Leisure Centre,
Heath Road SK10 5EX until August 13.
Candidates should use the overflow car
park of Bollington Football Club on
Ovenhouse Lane. Follow the DVSA signage.
Examiners will meet candidates at their cars
at the time of the test. The car park must
not be used for candidates to practise.
Candidates and instructors will be able to
use the toilet facilities at the leisure centre.
There is also a café for accompanying drivers
to wait in.
Glasgow Theory Test Centre
Please note that access to this theory test
centre will be affected by road closures,
parking restrictions and public transport
diversions in central Glasgow due to World
Cycling Championships taking place between
Monday, July 31 and Sunday, August 13.
The Theory Test Centre on West Nile Street
will be open as usual but access will be
affected on August 4, 7, 8 and 12.
The centre will not be accessible by vehicle
all day as races are being held in the city
centre and all surrounding roads are closed. It
will be accessible on foot, but this will mean
using special marshalled crossings of the race
route for safety. Some city centre road
closures will remain in place when there are
no races.
If you have pupils with tests booked during
this period, please remind them to allow extra
time to travel.
Lancing driving test centre: reopening
Lancing DTC has reopened and testing has
resumed from today (Friday, August 4).
The World Cycling Championships
take place in Glasgow from July 31
to August 13.
Scarborough driving test centre
Scarborough DTC has changed location.
The last L-test was conducted at
Scarborough Goods Vehicle Testing Station
on July 25. All car driving tests, motorcycle
tests and instructor tests will now take place
at the new driving test centre at Falsgrave
Community Resource Centre, Offices 10/11,
Falsgrave Resource Centre, Scarborough
YO12 4DH.
There are marked car spaces available for
candidates, as well as a disabled parking bay.
Other parking is available on a first come, first
served basis.
The car park must not be used for
candidates to practise parking exercises.
There is a dedicated waiting area for
candidates and instructors. They are also able
to use the café and toilet facilities at the
Centre.
Redhill Aerodome
There is an unexpected road closure on
Kings Mill Lane, the road leading to Redhill
Aerodome driving test centre (DTC).
The road is closed at one end and the
diversion is 20-25 minutes long. The works
are planned to finish on August 9.
Please ensure that you and your pupils plan
your journey accordingly so you arrive with
enough time before the scheduled driving
test. If you experience any problems on the
day of a test, please call 01737 821182.
Driving test nerves: Call out
to MSA GB members
Everyone gets nervous about their
driving test. Passing the test is one of
life’s milestones that can prove life
changing. It can also create opportunities
to travel and to say yes to job offers that
you wouldn’t previously have been able
to consider. However, for some pupils
those nerves and a fear of failing can get
in the way on test day.
So we’re asking MSA GB members, what
do you do to help your pupils stay
focused and get a grip on their nerves?
Are you an advocate of calm breathing
and mindfulness, or perhaps you think
switching your phone off an hour prior is
the way to quieten those nerves?
Please share your nerve-beating tips for
pupils, by emailing our membership team
on: info@msagb.com.
22 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

ADI groups and associations
MSA GB is proud of its long-standing links with many local ADI
groups around the country. Many are small, dedicated to driver
training in one city, town or even focused on a sole DTC, but all
work tirelessly to improve the work of being an ADI. This can
be in representing ADIs’ interests and views to your DVSA area
manager, offering an ADI’s voice to local authorities and town
planners, or by simply providing a network within which ADIs can
find help and advice from their fellow instructors. After all, for
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
many ADIs working as sole traders, being a driving instructor can
be a lonely task: local ADI groups help stop it feeling quite so much
that it’s ‘you against the world.’
From this issue onwards Newslink will be publishing a list of local
ADI groups and associations. We will only publish those groups
who let us know they are happy to be included in our list, however,
so if you would like to see your details here, please contact Peter
Harvey at peterharveymbe@msagb.com
Aberdeen and District Driving Schools Association
Secretary: Derek Young
T: 07732 379396
E: derekyoungcreel@aol.com
Meets quarterly February (AGM), May, August and November.
Cost £35 per annum
Angus Driving Instructors Association
Secretary: Frances Matthew
T: 07703 664522
E; francesmatthew@hotmail.co.uk
This group holds six meeting per year (usually one week after the
Scottish committee meeting)
Cost £20 per year.
Aylesbury Vale Driving Instructors Association
Chairman: Sue Pusey
T: 07780 606868
E: AVDIA@btinternet.com
Meetings are first Wednesday of every month at Church of the
Holy Spirit, Camborne Avenue, Aylesbury, HP21 7UE. 7.30pm start.
Guest speaker every other month, refreshments provided.
Annual fee £30. First meeting free as try before you buy.
Birmingham Approved Driving Instructors
Contact: Dave Allen
T: 07939 627493
E: Daveallen1999@googlemail.com
Cornwall Association of Approved Driving Instructors (CAADI)
Secretary: Rachael Lloyd-Phillips
E: rachael@oneandallsom.co.uk
This group meets via Zoom on the 3rd Monday every other month
at 7.30pm.
City of Dunfermline and District ADIs
Secretary: Gail Pilch
T: 07817 661450
E: dunfermlineadisecretary@outlook.com
Meetings are bi-monthly, at
Dunfermline Northern Bowling Club, Dewar Street,
Dunfermline KY12 8AD
Glasgow & District Driving Instructors Association
Contact: Bryan Phillips
T: 07989 339 646
E: bryan.phillips@hotmail.co.uk
Meet on the last Sunday of the month, once every quarter, at
The Fort Theatre, Kenmuir Ave, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow, G64 2DW.
Joining fee: £15 per year
Hinckley & District Driver Trainers Association (HDDTA)
Chairman: Barrie Pates
T: 07914 408 739
E: haddta@yahoo.com
Hull and East Riding Driving Instructors (HERDI)
Contact: Andrew
T: 07754542993
E: herdi.rsa@gmail.com
Lanark Driving Instructors
Secretary: Sandra Smillie
T: 07975 147150
Meet quarterly from March which is our AGM
South Warwickshire Association of ADIs (SWAADI)
Andy Thomas
T: 01926 717230 / 07900 673634
E: artommo@hotmail.com
We meet at 8.30pm every third Monday of the month except
August and December (no meetings) at The Windmill Inn,
Tachbrook Road Leamington Spa CV31 3DD,
Rolls and snacks are available for a small charge and membership
is £25 a year and includes a monthly newsletter and addition to a
WhatsApp group for local issues/traffic updates, etc.
Swindon Driving Instructors Association (Swindon DIA)
Contact: Sandra Jill Richens
T: 07795 006015
E: SJRichens@btinternet.com
Taunton Association Driving Instructors
See Facebook page – search ‘Taunton ADI & PDI Forum’
If you want to see your local ADI group listed in this index,
contact Peter Harvey on peterharveymbe@msagb.com
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 23

Towards your CPD
Are your lessons
up to PAR?
Steve Garrod
Preparing learners for learning is an essential
part of any lesson, regardless of the subject
about to be taught, because it helps prepare
them to apply what they have already learnt
to what they are about to learn.
A teaching model I have always found
useful is one I discovered some years ago
while training to be a teacher. It is called the
PAR model (Geoff Petty, Teaching Today).
PAR stands for Prepare, Apply and Review.
Think of this as a three-legged stool, if you
forget one of the legs, the stool will fall over!
Although Geoff Petty applies his theory to
classroom teaching, like any good theory of
learning, can be applied to any subject,
including driving.
PRESENT
The first part, Present, covers what we
instructors know as the recap. It enables
learners and instructors to recall and check
relevant prior knowledge to provide a
structure for the lesson, in other words, a
framework for how the practical part of the
lesson is going to be conducted. It also
provides an opportunity negotiate goals
(objectives). Including learners in this part of
the lesson helps motivation because they are
encouraged to play an active role in planning
the lesson.
An example of this could be to develop
planning skills on approach to busier
junctions, such as roundabouts. By this stage
most learners will be able to control the car
safely on quieter roads and will be ready to be
stretched a little more by having to control
the car and make decisions for themselves.
I have always found this to be the stage
24 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

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when basic errors start to re-occur, because
they are no longer thinking about what is
going on below the dashboard, instead they
have to concentrate on what is happening
above it, ie, out of the window, and this
means decision making. Until this point they
may have been guided up to and out of
junctions with prompts and not had the
pressure of following traffic, but this is the
stage when they begin to take more
responsibility for their own, yours and the
safety of other road users.
Present is in four parts.
Recall and check prior learning. The
learner recalls how to approach a junction
with a view to emerging and the skills
required to do this safely. It will also include
recalling similar situations such as how to
assess the traffic on the main road.
This enables you to improve any
weaknesses in prior learning and it puts this a
learner’s short-term memory and ready for
use, for example when to change gear or how
to judge a safe opportunity to emerge.
Asking learners questions requiring them to
recall prior learning helps them to understand
the new material before it is taught.
Provide a structure for new learning built
on what has already been learnt. This
involves prioritising the content, such as
when to signal or where to position, for
example, looking for road markings and
changing lanes.
Discussing the structure of the lesson
enables you to cover essential key learning
points such as reading road signs and how to
read the body language of other vehicles
using the same junction (eg, speed and
position) or how to deal with vulnerable road
users, particularly with the last year’s
changes to the advise given in the Highway
Code relating to the hierarchy of priorities and
being responsible for others. This is also a
good time to show the type of road signs you
can expect to see during the lesson.
The main purpose of a recap is to show
how existing skills relate to the new subject,
in other words you are adding another
building block to the foundation. Once the
foundation is in place I like to think that
learners will have ‘pegs’ to hang their new
learning upon, for example, recalling how to
apply MSM PSL on approach to a left turn
should help them to predict how this system
is likely to be applied to a right turn.
In reality, this is what most learners find
tricky, therefore it is the instructor’s job to
identify which part of MSM PSL needs
greater support.
The new information is usually in the
manoeuvre part of MSM, a change of
position, speed or where to look. At busier
junctions, the last part, ‘Looking’, is often the
difficult part because it includes Assessing
and Deciding when it is safe to proceed.
This is where the shared responsibilities
are important- for example, which part of
MSPSL does your pupil feel confident to take
responsibility for and what part do they feel
the need for guidance?
Agreeing goals. Goals, or objectives as I still
think of them, can be short term, in fact the
shorter the better. Allowing your learner time
to warm up by encouraging them to
demonstrate what they have learnt is a good
way to start any lesson; for example, set a
task of some independent driving for two or
three minutes. That is a goal. You will be able
to assess what has been learnt, identify
areas for improvement and agree another
goal for the next part of the lesson.
Setting goals that will be achieved ‘at the
end of the lesson’ misses an opportunity to
motivate learners because it poses a greater
risk for having to changing the objectives.
In a previous article I spoke about avoiding
‘‘
Motivate your learner, for
example by reminding them of
the skills they have and giving
them the sense of belief that
they can apply these skills to
different situations (eg, busier
junctions)
the ‘content trap’. It is important to focus on
skills, both practical and behavioural (such as
knowing when to give way) than it is to talk
about subjects, such as roundabouts. Once
you have seen that your learner can deal with
quieter junctions safely, you can then
introduce busier ones.
No one has ever suggested roundabouts
must be covered in one lesson, so it is quite
natural to say that you will be working on
these types of junctions in the next few
lessons. This is not to say objectives should
not be changed if a learner is struggling, they
should, but be realistic with what can be
achieved in each short session.
Finally, Motivate your learner, for example
by reminding them of the skills they have and
giving them the sense of belief that they can
apply these skills to different situations (e.g.
busier junctions). Starting lessons with a
short independent drive (as in the example
above) will help learners to see the relevance
of what they are learning.
The way you ask questions in a recap can
motivate and de-motivate learners. If the
question is too complex or too vague, it is
unlikely your learner will understand the
question, for example, “How do you deal with
roundabouts?”
Relating to prior learning helps learners to
feel part of the lesson and asking questions
encourages them to apply what they have
learnt to new situations, before you have
taught the new subject.
Here are a some examples:
“How did you decide it was safe to proceed
at that busy junction?”
“When have you used this system before?”
“How do you think you can apply this
system to approaching a roundabout?”
Continued on page 26
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 25

Towards your CPD / News extra
Feedback is crucial for
any good lesson plan
Are your lessons up to PAR?
Continued from page 25
As well as preparing learners for their
lessons, the introduction should help learners
see the new content as a sensible and logical
development of what they learnt last lesson,
rather than a string of disconnected (or
random) activities.
Teaching a turn in the road is good
preparation for dealing with emerging at tight
junctions because of the skills required, so it’s
important to link the lessons as you go.
Having a clear picture of what you are about
to do in the form of a visual aid is a great way
to develop questions and allow learners to
see the bigger picture of what they will be
expected to do during the lesson.
APPLY
This is the doing part of the activity. It is
when learners are working towards their
goals. Each activity should be long enough
for success but not too long that too many
mistakes occur.
During a lesson you could have a series of
activities to help your learner grow in
confidence. Remember, it is better to set
short term goals than setting one for the end
of the lesson.
Just as during the Present stage,
instructors will be giving and receiving
feedback to and from their learner. This will
include identifying faults, which will need to
be addressed and new goals set; for example,
your learner approaches a Give Way sign too
quickly. The consequences of this fault would
be discussed and a new goal set before
moving on to the next junction with the
relevant prompts to help the learner
approach at a more manageable speed.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking the fault
will be rectified just because it has been
discussed and the learner can tell you the
danger of approaching too quickly; many
know the consequences but they just can’t
do it correctly.
A bit like my golf. I know the consequences
of slicing the ball but I can’t always avoid
doing it!
‘‘
Don’t fall into the trap of
thinking the fault will be
rectified just because it has been
discussed and the learner can
tell you the danger of
approaching too quickly; they
know the consequences but they
just can’t do it correctly.
REVIEW
This is the opportunity for you both to
discuss the learner’s performance. Allowing
learners to give their reflection first means
instructors will get an insight to what they
perceive went well or not. It also gives you
the opportunity to find out how they prefer to
learn, for example would they prefer you to
prompt them next time or you to give a
demonstration?
Many learners think that they have failed a
task because of a rough gear change or an
early signal, where as they may have missed
the bigger picture and failed to realise they
did not allow enough time to change gear,
which is why it was rough (cause an effect).
This is where the skill of the instructor
comes in by giving praise for them identifying
the fault then building on this by asking “Why
do you think that happened?” or “What could
you do differently next time?”
This way they set their own goal and you
will be able to compare the performances at
the end of the next short session.
In the diagram below, you will see feedback
is included in each section. Feedback is not
one way, it is feedback from the learner to
the instructor, though observation,
questions, general discussion and facial
expressions and body language and feedback
from the instructor to the learner.
26 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

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AA survey lays bare scale
of waiting times problem
with 500,000 backlog
An AA Freedom of Information request has
found that two-in-five driving test centres
have seen waiting times increase this year,
with 59 driving test centres recorded waiting
times of more than five months (24 weeks).
Four-in-five faced waiting times above the
pre-pandemic average of six weeks.
In addition to long waiting times at test
centres, official DVSA data shows the national
backlog of learners waiting to take a test has
remained above 500,000 since July 2021.
Figures show the backlog stood at 551,271 in
May 2023 (down by 65 places from 551,336
in April 2023).
In the survey, ADIs said 89.6 per cent of
pupils cited long waiting times for a test as
the reason they were taking an extended
break from driving lessons.
There were strong regional differences.
London and the south east were the worst
affected areas, but several Scottish test
centres had no change to the 24-week
waiting times, including East Kilbride, all three
test centres in Glasgow, Edinburgh (Currie)
and Paisley. Wales’s Newport test centre also
saw no change to its 24-week waiting times
on these dates.
There were areas of success, however. A
third of test centres saw waiting times
improve: Basingstoke (19 weeks vs 3 weeks),
Gloucester (16 weeks vs 6 weeks), Herne Bay
(24 weeks vs 6 weeks), Taunton (24 weeks
vs 11 weeks) and Wakefield (24 weeks vs 3
weeks).
Yet the internet was awash with sites
claiming to offer a quicker way for desperate
learner drivers to access a test slot, but
pupils pay a premium for these services.
Many websites offer ‘subscription’ type
packages which, for fees starting from
around £18 per month, promise to alert pupils
when a test slot becomes available.
Other reports show social media adverts
selling test slots for up to £2,504.
Transport Minister Richard Holden MP told
the House of Commons the DVSA “will
continue to take steps to block cancellation
services from accessing the booking
system;” while speaking to the House of
Commons Transport Select committee,
Loveday Ryder said it would be interesting to
see if reselling tests could be made illegal.
Camilla Benitz, AA Driving School
Managing Director said it was “simply
unacceptable” that two-fifths of driving test
centres have increased waiting times since
the start of the year.”
She pointed out that “the extortionate
costs of resold driving tests unfairly penalise
those on lower incomes.”
“There is such a disparity in test availability
that learners could still save months of
waiting by booking at an alternative centre.
Greater visibility of tests and waiting times at
test centres should be available to all
learners, not just those who can afford to pay
extra through booking services.
“We need to see a concerted effort to
tackle the issue otherwise the backlog will
remain. This means the DVSA making more
tests available, recruiting examiners to
increase their numbers and improving their
pupil booking website. Only then will we start
to see an improvement in the backlog.”
Camilla Benitz, AA Driving
School Managing Director said
it was “simply unacceptable”
that two-fifths of L- test centres
have increased waiting times
since the start of the year.”
SNP slams UK as
car insurance
policies soar
Car insurance costs in the UK are
“skyrocketing” compared to the rest of
Europe, the SNP says, as research found
prices growing exponentially.
Analysis by the House of Commons
Library found the UK motor insurance
annual inflation rate grew to 43.1% in May
2023. In the same month, the same figure
stood at 2.6% in Germany, 0.4% in France
and 0.0% in Spain. In both Belgium
(-0.4%) and Ireland (-3.6%) the annual
motor insurance inflation rate reduced.
The analysis found that UK car
insurance inflation has grown since
January 2022.
The party’s transport spokesman,
Gavin Newlands MP, said: “The Prime
Minister keeps telling the public that
inflation is a global problem but this
independent analysis shows that Brexit
Britain is being hit far harder than our
European neighbours.
“While independent nations within the
EU have kept car insurance inflation
relatively low, the UK’s has spiralled out of
control – skyrocketing to a staggering
43.1%.
“Small independent countries like
Belgium and Ireland – who have complete
control over their own affairs and access
to the European Union and world’s largest
single market – have managed to reduce
their inflation rate substantially.
“Meanwhile, Scotland continues to
suffer under the control of Westminster
governments we do not vote for.”
A UK Government spokesman said
insurance premiums are a commercial
decision which it does not seek to
intervene in.
A spokesman said: “While setting
premiums is a matter for individual
insurers, the Government has strongly
supported motorists including by
extending the fuel duty cut, which will
save the average car driver around £200.”
“While independent nations
within the EU have kept car
insurance inflation relatively
low, the UK’s has spiralled out
of control – skyrocketing to a
staggering 43.1%.
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 27

Driving abroad
At last - you’re driving
like a Cretan
Rob Beswick
“You’re driving like a Cretan.”
To be fair, that’s an accusation that was
possibly levelled at me in my youth, and
deservedly, but today I hope I’m more the
cautious, sensible type when behind the
wheel, all observation, moderate speed and
early indication.
But on this particular comment you need
to check the spelling. It’s Cretan, rather than
cretin.
The barb came from the wife who, after
watching me wrestle with the roads of Crete
for the best part of a fortnight, reckoned I’d
just about got the hang of the local conditions
in the last couple of days of our holiday. I’m not
great at picking up new things…
So what’s driving in Crete like? Two weeks’
holiday gave me a heads up. It’s interesting, to
say the least. To start with, let’s put it into the
broader context of Greece’s overall road
safety record. It has made impressive strides
in recent years to improve road safety, and in
2021 was rewarded with the European
Transport Safety Council (ETSC)’s illustrious
PIN award for its efforts.
As often happens, however, with the
harvesting of the low hanging fruit completed,
road deaths increased marginally in 2022-23,
up about three per cent, though since 2019
traffic fatalities are down eight per cent.
Looking at the figures for the past decade is
even more encouraging: road deaths are down
by a third since 2013. It’s also interesting to
see a graph of European nations, plotting
both the changes in road deaths and the
numbers of seriously injured: on this chart,
Greece is in many ways a clear winner across
the ETSC grouping, with strong reductions on
both indices. (see graph on facing page)
But that triumph masks the worrying fact
‘‘
that looking at the ETSC group of nations as
a whole (the EU, plus the UK, Switzerland,
Norway, Serbia and Israel), Greece is the sixth
worst in terms of road mortality per million
inhabitants, with only Hungary, Serbia,
Bulgaria, Romania and Portugal, worse.
So how does this translate on to the roads?
In short, you can tell there’s a problem. For a
start, if you think the UK’s roads are bad, try
driving in Crete. The major cities of Chania,
Rethymno and Heraklion are linked by the
E75 – the island’s national highway – and it is
a good road, with speed limits of 110km/h in
Greece has made impressive strides to improve its road safety
record in recent years but is let down in some areas ... if you think
the UK isn’t great about not using a phone while driving, don’t go
to Crete! It appears second nature to drive while clutching a phone
Making way. The white 4x4 overtakes
as we straddle the solid line that marks
the hard shoulder. Note the car doing
the same on the other side of the road
as the black car gets ready to overtake
places. It is certainly a huge improvement on
the old ‘national highway’, which still exists
today connecting minor towns and villages.
Before the E75 driving on this must have
been very frustrating: it’s chaotic and narrow,
full of bottlenecks and obstacles, and is badly
maintained in places. Mind you, a Greek
venturing on to Britain’s roads could say the
same thing, such has been the disintegration
of the highways in the past decade!
Back to the E75 - or National 75. The first
thing to say is that while it is well maintained
– certainly on a par with a UK Motorway or A
road – it is single carriageway for much of its
length. In sections it broadens out to two
lanes, and around junctions the second lane
returns, but for much of its length (and we
travelled from Chania right past Heraklion as
far as Agios Nikolaos on the eastern side of
the island), it is stubbornly single carriageway.
What there is, however, is a ‘dynamic’ hard
shoulder… and while in the UK this would be a
28 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
The chart right shows Greece’s remarkable
progress on road safety. Its combination of
an 8 per cent drop in serious injuries since
2012 and a four per cent decrease in traffic
fatalities arguably beats other nations’
performance (red circle)
refuge for broken down vehicles (I’ll ignore
‘smart’ motorways for now!), in Crete it
serves a very different purpose.
Basically the hard shoulder is where you go
on a single carriageway when someone
wants to pass. It becomes second nature to
dive in, not fully but with half the car’s width
in the shoulder, half in the running lane. This
leaves enough space for other motorists to
overtake, as long as they don’t mind pinching
a bit of the carriageway in the other direction.
It sounds dangerous but it works. The hard
shoulder isn’t wide enough all the way to take
your vehicle in fully, hence the half-in, half
out philosophy, but by tucking in you keep
the traffic flowing.
Speed limits are confusing. For sections of
the E75 the top speed is 110km/h – in the
dry. Signs indicate a lower limit of 90km/h in
inclement weather, as the French do, with a
little rain cloud on the signs. It’s something to
bear in mind as, while we Brits think of Crete
as a very hot island, in winter snow is not
unusual on the mountains, turning to heavy
rain down by the coast. Coupled with strong
winds and Crete can be a challenging place to
drive, so if travelling out of season, be
warned.
Other than that the speed limits are a little
nonsensical, with swift changes from 110 to
90, down to 70 and 50, without any real
reason why. There are speed cameras too...
That’s not the only thing to worry about,
Greek sheep are as reluctant to move
for cars as British ones... particularly
when they’ve found some shade
though. The ETSC report on Greece shows a
huge willingness on the part of the state to
get a grip on road safety, and in the key areas
of concern – drink/drug driving, speeding
and distraction – there are policies and
initiatives to improve all three. But on at least
one, and possibly the others, the message
isn’t getting through.
In the UK we all moan when we see people
clearly using their phones while driving, but it
has to be said it’s increasingly a rare sight.
This ‘improvement’ is down to a combination
of technology allowing people to maintain
conversations while driving ‘hands free’, and
therefore legally (if not safely), and the
penalty of six points focusing even the
dimmest of minds.
But I’ll tell you one thing: if you think the UK
isn’t great on not using a phone while driving,
don’t go to Crete! It appears second nature to
drive while holding a phone.
Cars, motorbikes (how do they hear!),
buses and – especially – vans and lorries, all
were driven by someone seemingly fused to
their mobile. As a result the roads are full of
near misses, last minute swerves and minor
scrapes.
As for drink/drugs, well, the drink limit is
50mg/100 ml, but the difference is, like with a
lot of Europe, it’s not a ban if found guilty. It’s
a fine - pretty much an automatic one, as in,
go to the ATM, and get the cash out.
Continued on page 30
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 29

Driving abroad
You’re driving
like a Cretan
Continued from page 29
From 0.50 to 0.80 transgressors pay €200;
from 0.80 (the UK limit) to 1.10mg/ml it’s
usually €700 plus a 90-day ban. After that
– and let’s face it, once you go past 1.10mg/
ml, you’re pretty smashed – it finally gets
tough, with a six-month ban and two months
in jail possible. Repeat offenders face tougher
sanctions.
That lower limit penalty is a worry, as it
appears to suggest drink-driving requires a
slap on the wrist. Penalties start lower than in
the UK but only get really serious once you
go beyond the UK threshold. Even way above
the UK limit the ban remains six months.
That might explain why, after wandering to
our local taverna in a quiet mountain village,
we couldn’t help but notice one or two of the
older residents ‘wobbling’ to their cars. On
one occasion we sat there all saying quietly
“surely not” as one gent climbed behind the
wheel, clearly ‘tired and emotional’, to borrow
Private Eye’s favourite phrase.
Off he set, no lights on. A drunken mistake
or deliberate ruse to avoid being spotted by
the police?
Lighting is another issue. You don’t have to
go far from a village to find no lights
anywhere, and boy, is the night sky dark in
Greece. Combined with a lack of reflector
studs in the road, either down the middle or
marking the road edges, and it made driving
in rural areas pretty scary at night.
And then you come to the roads. As I said
earlier, the main highway is well maintained
but venture off it and it all becomes a little
ropey. The thing to bear in mind is the climate.
We were there as the Southern European
heatwave was starting, and 40 deg C+ was
recorded. Even up in the mountains summer
temperatures are in the mid-30s - about 90
deg F. But in winter there is enough snow to
run a minor skiing industry. Such temperature
differences have a shattering impact on the
road surfaces, creating cracks that quickly
lead to fissures. Add to that freeze shattering
of the rocks on the hills towering above the
roads, sending debris crashing down to do
more damage or just sit there waiting to snag
an unwary driver, and you have a perfect
recipe for tyre, wheel and bodywork damage.
The rural roads are all single carriageways
with a small ‘hard shoulder’ marked by a solid
A beautiful island full of friendly people... who just happen to like
shooting up road signs in the countryside. To paraphrase a quote from a
popular Noughties film, ‘every man and his nan is packing heat in Crete...’
white line, but crossing the line is to court
trouble. The edges of the roads are badly
chipped and fragmented, and covered in
sharp debris from rock falls.
As a result I don’t think I’ve ever seen as
many cars with dents, bangs and scrapes as I
have on Crete, and I bet the tyre replacement
garages do a roaring trade.
What about the drivers? Aggressive, but
not in a confrontational way. More the type
that won’t give way, will be right up your
backside, and will use speed inappropriately
– braking accordingly. But I don’t think I saw
an angry row; even when two cars pulled
‘‘
And then you come to the
roads. The thing to bear in
mind is the climate. In the
summer it’s hot but in winter
can be very cold... the
temperature differences have a
shattering impact on the road
surfaces, creating cracks that
quickly lead to fissures.
bumper to bumper in a small town on a
narrow road, both refusing to back up, the
‘confrontation’ was noisy, brash and full of
waving, but I never thought anyone was
going to get out and hit anyone.
Final points. First, you can park anywhere.
That’s not true - it just feels like that,
particularly in the smaller towns and villages.
Coming across a car dumped in the centre of
the road as a form of temporary central
reservation was not unusual.
Two, if you are going to drive, navigate well.
Two reasons. The first is that signs are meant
to be in Greek and English (and all warning
signs are English standard, such as Stop, Give
Way.) However, a lot of place names are in
Greek only, and maps appear to struggle
translating between the two. In addition
Crete has the same laissez faire attitude to
cutting back vegetation around signs as they
do in this country, and you have the perfect
recipe for getting lost. We resorted to rear
passengers checking road signs behind us in
the opposite direction to find our way.
All-in-all, though, a great experience,
particularly when you get into the mountains
and enjoy the dazzling views. It’s a beautiful
island full of friendly people… it’s just that I
can’t see them overtaking the UK for road
safety in the ETSC rankings any time soon.
30 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Let’s stay safe together as THINK! reboots
Highway Code awareness campaign
THINK! has relaunched its Travel Like You
Know Them campaign, as part of continued
efforts to raise awareness of the 2022
Highway Code changes.
The campaign offers a snapshot into the
lives of others, aiming to help people see
beyond their mode of transport and improve
understanding of how others see and use the
road.
The campaign speaks to everyone who
uses the road, with an emphasis on those
who have a greater responsibility to reduce
the risk they may pose to others.
The Highway Code was changed in 2022,
following extensive consultation with
walking, cycling and disability groups.
People are again being encouraged to:
n Give priority at junctions to people
cycling straight ahead and people waiting to
cross or already crossing the road
n Pass horse riders at under 10mph and
allow at least two metres of space and keep
to a low speed when passing people walking
on the road
n Leave at least 1.5 metres when
overtaking cyclists at speeds of up to 30mph,
and give them more space when overtaking
at higher speeds
n Remember that people cycling may ride
two abreast or in the centre of the lane if it is
safer to do so, pulling in when safe to allow
vehicles to overtake
Richard Holden, roads minister, said: “We
have some of the safest roads in the world
and will continue to strive to improve road
safety for all users.
“It is fantastic that the Travel Like You
Know Them campaign is back to continue to
raise awareness of these important changes
and to change behaviour on our roads to help
keep those more at risk safe.”
Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK chief executive,
said: “The Travel Like You Know Them
campaign challenges the false binaries that
people are either motorists, cyclists or
pedestrians, when the reality is most of us
are a combination of all three.
“It breaks down tribal mentality that can
stoke tension on our roads, making them
more dangerous for us all. It should be
applauded and Cycling UK is pleased to see
government continue to highlight the
important Highway Code changes designed
to make cycling and walking safer.”
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:
“Drivers, cyclists, pedestrians – whatever
labels we use, at the end of the day we’re all
humans getting from A to B and this
campaign reminds us all, in a very personal
way, of the responsibilities we have for
looking after each other.
“Every casualty on our roads is one too
many and we hope all road users take the
time to remind themselves of what they
should be doing differently following last
year’s major changes to the Highway Code.”
Antony Kildare, Chief Executive at IAM
RoadSmart, said: “Since the new Highway
Code changes were rolled out, there has been
further need of an educational campaign to
ensure the amendments are disseminated
and fully adopted by the millions of existing
drivers, motorcyclists and other road users.
“As a road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart
believes a relaunch of the Travel Like You
Know Them campaign that encourages
motorists to think of others, and that aims to
influence behavioural change may prevent
people from taking unnecessary and
uniformed risks.”
Cycling miles up, fatalities down
The number of people killed while cycling,
per billion miles, on Great Britain’s roads fell
by nearly a quarter compared with
pre-pandemic years, according to new
analysis by Cycling UK.
The latest DfT statistics on road traffic
estimates for England, Wales and Scotland
– published earlier this month – show the
distance travelled by people cycling in 2022
totalled 3.9 billion miles.
This is an increase of 12% from an
average of 3.5 billion miles per year for
2015-19.
Meanwhile, provisional road casualty
figures published in May show there were
85 fatalities for pedal cyclists in 2022, the
lowest number of fatalities since 1993.
This represents a 15% reduction from an
average of 100 fatalities per year between
the years of 2015 and 2019, the closest
comparable years after the pandemic.
Cycling UK says this is significant as it
allows it to calculate the rate of people
killed while cycling per billion miles
travelled – ‘the best way to see if cycling on
the roads is growing safer’.
In 2022, 22 people were killed while
cycling per billion miles cycled compared to
an average of 29 between 2015-19, a 24%
reduction.
The cycling charity believes a number of
road safety measures, including liveable
neighbourhoods
and updates to the
Highway Code, introduced in 2021 and
2022, may be part of the reason for the
significant decline.
However, it says more Government
action and investment is needed to ensure
this marks the beginning of a longer-term
trend in road casualties for people cycling
and doesn’t become a statistical anomaly.
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 31

Area news
Time for a change in the Code as cyclists
prove a rolling road block on some roads
Arthur Mynott
MSA GB
West Coast & Wales
Be honest, what are your views on cyclists? I
know some drivers aren’t big fans, but love
them or loathe them, as drivers and
instructors we have to deal with more and
more of them on our roads on a daily basis
– and take precautions accordingly.
Don’t get me wrong, I think cycling can be
very beneficial, reducing traffic levels and
helping keep us fit in our everyday lives. Let’s
face it, as instructors, we should be looking at
keeping a little more active, considering the
sedentary nature of our work.
I can remember as a youngster going off
cycling at weekends and in the school
holidays with my friends. We could be gone all
day, taking a packed lunch with us and seeing
how many miles we could cover on the little
mileometer gadgets our bikes had. Mind you,
the roads then were a lot quieter than they
are today, with far fewer cars around.
Every other Sunday I used to cycle about
five miles to my friend’s house and after tea,
(and doing our homework), his father used to
drive me home with my bicycle in his car
boot. The following Sunday my friend would
cycle to mine and my father would take him
back.
Looking back, we didn’t have any worries
about cycling along the roads and neither did
our parents.
Today, though, the roads are so much
busier and the cars go much faster, which
adds a lot of jeopardy to what was a simple
pastime.
So I’m not against cyclists, but what
annoys me are the ‘Mamils’ – Middle Aged
Men in Lycra (other genders included). These
are not your average people who are cycling
for pleasure or cycling to work; these are the
With cycling on the
rise, do we need a
change in the
Highway Code to
help motorists and
bike riders use the
roads together
better?
ones who are pushing themselves to see how
far and how fast they can go for sport or self
esteem.
The problem comes when we have to pass
them in our vehicles. They can easily be doing
up to around 20-25 mph, which means we
need quite some distance to be able to pass
them.
I live about 11 miles from Taunton and use
the A358 to get there. The problem with this
road is that it has quite a lot of bends and
many stretches where there are either single
or double solid white lines in the middle of the
road.
Still summer, but autumn training event approaching
A reminder now about our Area Event which is being held on
November 9th at the Gloucester Robinswood Hotel, on the
outskirts of Gloucester.
Our confirmed speakers are;
n John Sheridan, DVSA Driver Training Policy Manager
n Sue Robertson DVSA ADI Examiner
n Amy Hartley, FBTC Accountants
n Haydn Jenkins, Disability Driving Instructors
n Mike Yeomans, MSA GB National Chairman
n Peter Harvey MBE, MSA GB Vice Chairman
Cleevely Motors will also have electric vehicles there for you to test
drive, and Driving Instructor Services will also have a stand with
items for sale.
The doors open at 9am for a 9.30 start and will finish around 4pm.
The cost, which includes a buffet lunch and refreshments
throughout the day is £40 for members if paid before 20th
September, £45 after this date, and £45 at any time for nonmembers.
This will be an excellent opportunity to mix and chat with other like
minded ADIs and PDIs, get to know the latest from the DVSA and
pick up some good advice from our expert speakers.
To book, please contact me on the details below.
Arthur Mynott, Area Chairman MSA GB West Coast & Wales.
Tel. 07989852274
arthur.mynott@msagb.com
Hopefully, see you there.
32 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
As we all know, rule 129 of the Highway
Code says ‘You must not cross or straddle it
unless it is safe and you need to enter
adjoining premises or a side road. You may
cross the line if necessary, provided the road
is clear, to pass a stationary vehicle, or
overtake a pedal cyclist, horse or road
maintenance vehicle, if they are travelling at
10mph or less’.
I believe it is this last part (the 10mph bit)
where some of the problems lie nowadays.
Most of these cyclists reach speeds well in
excess of this unless they are going up a
steep hill so there are not many places where
you can pass them on the aforementioned
A358 unless you cross over these lines and
hope there are no police watching you!!
Bear in mind that the Highway Code also
says that you must give at least 1.5 metres of
space when passing a cyclist so unless the
lane you are in is very wide, you have to go
over the centre line to overtake them.
Quite frankly, most of the roads around
here can’t accommodate both cyclists and
vehicles together so something needs to
change.
Personally, I think the 10mph limit should
be raised to at least 15mph, if not 20mph
bearing in mind the speed that cyclists can
achieve nowadays.
Second, I would like to see a rule in place
that there should be no more than two or
three cyclists travelling together in a group.
Any more than this and it is virtually
impossible to pass them. That’s not side by
side, as the Code already states that they
ride no more than two abreast, but the entire
group shouldn’t be bigger than that.
Some roads have now had cycle lanes built
alongside them, at great cost. Excellent idea,
but only if the cyclists use them. Last week I
was driving to Wells Golf Course to play with
other driving instructors from DIGA (the
Driving Instructors’ Golf Association) and for
about 15 minutes I was in a queue of traffic
doing between 15-20mph on a national
speed limit road. I was puzzled by the slow
rate of progress as it didn’t suggest a
permanent blockage such as road works. Lo
and behold, when I was nearly in Wells, I
discovered the reason for the delay: a solitary
cyclist, whose slow speed in an area with few
passing places had held up traffic behind him.
On my return journey, there was another
cyclist, also going to Wells who must have
had around 80-100 vehicles following him.
No wonder drivers get annoyed with them.
It is even more annoying if this happens when
there is a cycle path alongside the road.
My eldest son drives a double decker bus
between Glastonbury, Wells, Weston super
Mare, Bristol and Bath, covering the roads
between them, and he reports that cyclists
are even more of a problem for him as it is
harder for a bus to pass a cyclist.
As I said at the beginning of this article, I
am not against cycling in general. About 25
years ago, after a serious stomach operation,
I got myself fit again and, with my son Simon
who was 15 at the time, we did a sponsored
cycle ride from our home at that time in
Twycross, Leicestershire to Skegness, a
distance of 108 miles, in one day.
We raised about £1,500 which was divided
between our church and the local hospital
radio. Not bad considering it was 25 years
ago!
I’ve dug out a photo from the time - above.
Wales on course
for 20mph limit
The Welsh Government has teamed up
with police forces across the country to
educate the public over the new 20mph
default speed limit roll out in September.
On September 17, Wales will become
the first UK nation to
introduce a new
default 20mph speed
limit on restricted
roads.
To prepare
motorists for this
significant change, the
Welsh Government
and the police are
working with the fire
service, Go Safe
(Wales’ Road Casualty Reduction
Partnership), local authorities and other
community groups to educate motorists.
At roadsides across Wales, fire service
staff will work with partners, to stop
speeding motorists in 20mph areas and
offer them the opportunity to watch an
educational video rather than face a fine of
prosecution.
The video warns about the dangers of
excessive speeds and highlights the
benefits of slower speed. It is only offered
to those motorists not driving excessively
over the speed limit.
Supt Leanne Brustad, Gwent Police said:
“Engagement, education, and enforcement
plays a huge part in the rollout.
“We will continue to work closely with
our partners to educate drivers as much
as possible as the new speed limit comes
into force and help deliver all of the
benefits of this policy.”
Group manager Richie Smart, South
Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Our
fire fighters see the devastating impacts
that road traffic collisions, including those
in built up areas where people and vehicles
mix closely, can have.
“We are therefore pleased to support
our partners to raise awareness of the
importance of speed limits to keep
everyone safe.”
The DVSA is yet to comment on how it
wil respond to the new speed limit for
L-tests, amid fears testing from some
centres may be impossible because of the
new lower limit.
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 33

Area News
Technology’s with us, and there is more to
come: we have to embrace its potential
Janet
Stewart
London & the
South East
For some time now I have been interested in
electric cars, levels of automation and
self-driving vehicles. There is so much
exciting research being done on these
subjects at the moment, and so many articles
are being published in various places.
One of the research bodies I keep a close
eye on is Agylisis, and I was particularly
interested in a paper they published earlier
this year on connected data.
Many fears have been expressed about
both electric vehicles and the future of
self-driving cars. People point to the
incidence of things going wrong and their
concern is understandable, but in all
innovation, since time immemorial, progress
has had costs in terms of accidents and
mistakes. Henry Ford himself said that failure
is simply the opportunity to begin again more
intelligently. Just because an idea does not
work out first time is no reason to abandon
the whole concept.
Personally, I think it is a mistake to give up
on smart motorways but I am probably in a
minority on this subject.
Understanding what was going on on our
roads used to require people standing at the
side of a road with clip boards, stopwatches, a
pack of sandwiches and a thermos flask.
There will probably be a place for this for
some time to come but there is now so much
more that we can do; or rather, that the
vehicles can do for us. Many of us will be
aware of the Automatic Traffic Counters that
appear from time to time. These are the
tubes that are stretched across the road at
various locations to survey the speed and
density of traffic.
A step beyond the ATCs we find inductive
loops. These are coils of wire built into or
buried in the roadway which pick up
disturbances in the electromagnetic field
from traffic passing over them. They gather
information on speed and volume of traffic
and can also ascertain the type of traffic
(cars, trucks etc) from the axle lengths
registered.
In the recent past we have become
accustomed to vehicles beeping at us when
there is something close behind. I now have a
car with a camera that gives me a picture of
what is behind me when I am reversing. My
car has a sensor at the front as well that will
tell me if I seem to be getting too close to the
vehicle in front without slowing down.
Then, of course, there are the sat-navs
constantly updating our progress and often
giving us the option to change the route if the
way ahead is congested.
The next step, which is already happening,
is to have cars talking to each other.
Connecting a vehicle to the internet itself is
something that has been happening for over
15 years already – a two-way interchange of
information which does not require the
‘‘
There is untapped potential
for data from connected
vehicles making a real
contribution to the safety of
our roads in the future.
vehicle to have autonamous driving features.
There was a paper produced by Roadsafe in
2021 addressing connected vehicles and road
safety. The focus was on how the exchange
of data between drivers, vehicles and
infrastructure could support the
development of safe, efficient and
sustainable driving. There is untapped
potential for data from connected vehicles
making a real contribution to the safety of
our roads in the future.
A while ago I read something that gave me
pause for thought. It was actually science
fiction, but it seems science fiction quite
often turns into science fact.
In this scenario cars were self-driving (of
course) but also talking to each other so that
when car A was approaching a corner where
there was virtually no line of vision, car B,
which was coming from the other direction,
would ‘tell’ car A that it was there.
In other words, with the right technology,
cars will be able to see through walls and
round corners.
And why not? Is it not just a matter of
bouncing information off satellites?
If anyone is interested in reading the paper I
referred to, it is Connected Data for Road
Safety by Richard Owen published by Agilysis
in January of this year.
34 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

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Chatbot isn’t all it’s crack up to be – but
the ULEZ question still needs answering
John Lomas
MSA GB
West Coast
& Wales
Chatbot v Human ADI
In the June issue of Newslink, on pages 20
and 21, there were two articles answering the
same question, on helping a pupil ‘who is
struggling to understand how to drive when
on a single-track road with passing places,
and on blind brows on such roads.’
One article was generated by a Chatbot,
the other by Janet Stewart from London and
the South East.
On reading both it was fairly obvious that
there was no direct human involvement in
the Chatbot version whereas Janet’s article
showed that it was written by someone with
not only knowledge but also awareness of
the myriad of variations which might crop up
up while you are driving.
I was surprised that there was no feedback
in the July issue, though maybe it might still
be on its way.
What the articles demonstrated and/or
confirmed is that AI and Chatbots do not KNOW
anything. All they do is take the question and
then apply the various elements of the question
to the internet and then make a reasonable
attempt to put them together in a logical order to
answer the question, but they can’t add nuances.
The human written answer is just so obviously
written with knowledge and empathy for the
learner’s problems and concerns.
Beware t’internet
Thinking about that article reminded me to
warn you about just whose advice you take
from the internet. I don’t have Tiktok or
Snapchat or whatever is the latest go-to
platform, but I am sure that the following,
drawn from my experience with FaceBook
and YouTube, applies to them as well.
1) Be absolutely certain that the person
whose advice you are looking at is qualified to
give that advice. Looking for them elsewhere,
such as on Linked-In, MIGHT show them and
their experience.
If something comes from a ‘friend’, is that
someone you actually know or is it a ‘friend
of a friend of a friend, etc’ friends? Has it been
forwarded without being fact checked?
I have recently received messages alerting
me to traffic problems, which on investigation
turned out to be three-four years old, so
obviously the person who sent them on was
spoofed by whoever sent it to them.
If you can’t prove who Youtubers are, don’t
trust them for advice on critical topics, or ask
someone you can trust if they are aware of
the person and how well they regard them.
General advice from the BBC’s Morning
Live is: If you get a message, call, email,
messenger or even letter, and it’s not
expected or requested, then distrust it.
If they claim to be a business you use tell
them to ring off and you will verify them by
ringing the business direct. Don’t use the
same phone because they can keep the line
open and take your call instead of who you
intended. If you have to use the same phone,
wait 30mins. The family ‘lost phone’ scam is
easily spotted if you just ring the normal
number for the person who has sent the
apparent message from an unknown number.
Bear in mind also that Alex/Cerie or
whatever machine you speak to at home is
also just a dumb machine with NO
KNOWLEDGE, just the ability to search the
web quickly.
I don’t wish to sound negative about
everything on the internet. For instance, I
have found Conquer Driving’s presenter on
Youtube quite good, as is Tom Scott, who I
referenced on the New Forest crossroads
article I contributed a few months ago.
In the last week or so I have been
inundated on Facebook by Traffic Desk,
which appeared to be genuine with advice
about safety when driving. However, when
they started posting road sign pictures with
questions about meanings, I started to notice
subtle differences compared with our signs
as they showed some of the international
yellow background diamond shaped signs.
It turned out to be an African-based site
which was focused on former Empire/
Commonwealth countries, which explained
why they had been showing pictures and
diagrams of vehicles on the correct side of
the road.
On-going oncology
Latest news is I have finished chemo and
have now been told I am on a three-month
review programme. To me that appears to be
a good news story, as far as it goes. Cardio
did a similar thing after fitting my pacemaker,
a three-month review, followed by a sixmonth
review interval.
ULEZs
Back in March I asked how ADIs in or close
to the border of London’s ULEZ were planning
to deal with it.
It’s claimed the ULEZ influenced the recent
byelection but I’m not going down that path.
However, I have seen that the start of the
zone will be at the Greater London /County
border, regardless as to whether there is
anywhere to turn off or turn round at that
location; also the Greater London Authority is
apparently not willing to pay for advance
signs because they would be in another
authority’s area.
I am fairly sure that border signs are ONLY
seen on major routes so it could be easy for a
visitor to enter a side road for an address
they are seeking and emerge accidentally
inside Greater London’s ULEZ without
passing a sign.
It would be useful forADIs in or close to the
ULEZ area to let us know just how you are
preparing for it.
Training day and AGM
A quick note about the Area 4 training day
and AGM. It is being held on November 9th at
the Gloucester Robinswood Hotel, on the
outskirts of Gloucester. I hope to be there to
catch up with old friends and possibly meet
new ones, though I can’t be sure yet as it may
well depend on my ongoing health situation.
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 35

Area News
50 years on, why do we still hesitate to
help the public improve their driving?
Andrew
Burgess
MSA GB East Coast
Is it time we make a serious attempt to
improve the standard of driving in the United
Kingdom? After being in the business for over
50 years I feel we still see no positive
improvements in the overall standard among
the public.
My involvement in the training industry has
now been over 50 years and has covered
many aspects of training, from car to vans
and buses.
I qualified in 1969 as an ADI and at the time
we were talking about driver improvement
then – and it seems to me we still doing it
now.
My work is now in the classroom,
delivering on-line awareness courses. As
with many of my colleagues doing the same
thing, I find that the majority of clients at the
end of the courses learn so much that they
feel that training would be beneficial to all
drivers, possibly at the time of the renewal of
their driving licences.
Is this the way we should be going to
improve the standard of driving and help to
reduce the number of fatalities on the UK
roads? I am quite sure that there are many
ADls out there with the same option as me.
It might not be popular among the public
but consider, when I first started training,
seat belts had just come in. Everyone
objected to them, and when they were made
mandatory there was a huge push-back
against their use. Time proved the people
who supported them to be right as they have
saved countless lives.
Drink driving is making an unwelcome
return, and it now appears that drug taking is
a bigger problem than it was before.
Education must be the way forward, as time
has proved over and over again.
The thought of taking your driving test
again would spread fear and dread into many
people’s lives, but there is a better way
forward that achieves the improvements in a
way that would be welcomed. Assessment
– by a professional driver trainer – is not a
test; take away the threat of losing your
licence and put in its place education, if only
by means of the Offender Education
programme.
A programme of assessment would give us
the opportunity for further driving training
improvements and improve the quality of the
driving standard on the roads today. It would
also give instructors the chance to earn more
money and in turn pay more tax to the
Government. Win-win!
We know only too well many drivers don’t
read the Highway Code as it is, so some kind
of mandatory education programme would
be a way of getting any new rules over to
drivers and bring the importance of road
safety back to those who haven’t taken any
notice of the changes that have taken place.
Let’s have a look at the facts. 31st Jan 1983
seat belts became compulsory for all front
seat passengers. The Road Safety Act 1967
made it an offence to drive a vehicle with a
blood alcohol concentration over 80mg of per
100ml of blood. That limit remains in place
today.
Drugs, now there’s a problem? Not just
illegal drugs but prescription drugs.
We need to ask the question about driver
training. The number of cars on our roads has
‘‘
We know only too well many
drivers don’t read the Highway
Code as it is, so some kind of
mandatory education programme
would be a way of getting any
new rules over to drivers and
bring the importance of road
safety to many
increased since 1969 when I began driver
training, from approximately 7.7 million cars
on the road then, to today’s approx 32 million.
Given that increase, surely we should bring
in more rules to govern standards and
improve driving?
Councils told to clean up the pavement
Councils are being urged to cut the clutter on their pavements, to
allow pedestrians to walk and wheel more easily and for those on the
road to be able to see more clearly who might be about to cross.
The plea was made by Living Streets, to mark its Cut the Clutter
week (July 10-16).
The walking charity wants councils to ban all A-board advertising
on the pavement, remove unused phone boxes, and cut back hedges
that encroach on pavements, among other measures to ‘cut the
clutter on Britain’s pavements’.
With a rise in electric vehicles, e-scooters and e-bikes, the charity
also wants a commitment from councils that charging points and
cycle storage will be placed on the carriageway and not on the
pavements, unless there is at least 1.5 metres clearance left for
people walking and wheeling.
36 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
We went, we
saw ... sadly,
we got beat
When one of the Montrose groups organised
a quiz night to raise funds for local causes,
who better to put a team forward than the
ADIA (Angus Approved Driving Instructors).
Teams of six were needed, made up of
people with a grasp of general knowledge
and some other topics. We were struggling
as we only have 21 members in the ADIA, so
finding six members who fit the criteria was
not going to be easy.
However, up to the plate stepped Lynn
Newton, Ailsa Vickrage, Brian Thomson,
Frances Matthews with partner Kenny ... now,
already you mathematicians reading this
have spotted a flaw in our team selection!
As the quiz was held in the local cinema, a
few of the rounds had a film feel, with
pictures of headwear (name the headwear
and actor) and a TV round that left me
amazed at some participants’ TV knowledge.
We were shown floor plans of buildings used
in various programmes, and had to name the
show. A music round was another where we
‘must do better’ was the mark.
Despite that, it was a really good evening
and although out of the eight teams there,
we didn’t come first (although I was appealing
for a re-count), we managed to steer away
from last place. It was also a great way to
raise funds for local organisations and enjoy
the company of fellow ADIs.
Attending did have another reward, as the
cinema staff were happy to put up a poster
for ADIA’s forthcoming charity test day
(right) where we ask full licence holders to sit
a normal driving test. Two of the staff even
put their names forward to take part.
All-in-all a very worthwhile evening.
Supporting the ADIA
Annual L-Test Day
Right is a poster advertising the ADIA Annual
Driving Test Day. It’s on August 26 and is open
to any licence holders who want to gauge how
well their driving has held up and whether
they’d pass their test under modern
conditions. All support welcome, so if you
know anyone from the general public who
might be interested in taking part, let them
know about this. Contact details can be found
on the advert for those looking to take part.
Not Eggheads...
Kenny, Ailsa,
Lynn, Frances,
Brian
NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023 37

Members’ benefits
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
Access to a replacement dual
control car after a crash
EXCLUSIVE DEAL FOR MSA GB MEMBERS
MSA GB has partnered with AI Insurance Solutions Limited to provide
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If you lose your dual-controlled tuition car in a crash, MSA GB’s new
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Our exclusive agreement with AI Solutions Ltd will supply a
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Contact The AI Insurance Solutions Emergency (AIIS) assistance line
on 01945 425211 for more details, or see pg 8.
Ford updates special
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Some exciting news for members: Ford has
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Take a look at the Ford website www.ford.co.uk for
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For further information, to view frequently asked
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Please note these discounts are only available to
MSA GB members and their immediate family if they
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ACCOUNTANCY
MSA GB’s Recommended
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ADVANCE DRIVING
AND RIDING
As the UK’s largest
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DISABILITY AIDS
Driving shouldn’t just be a
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this the case! MSA GB members can take
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MSA GB OFFER:: Special Driving Instructor
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HEALTH / FINANCE COVER
The Motor Schools Association of
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for medical plans, dental plan,
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MSA GB OFFER:: HMCA only offer medical plans
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38 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2023

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PUPIL INSURANCE
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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
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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 n AUGUST 2023 39