NEWSLINK January 2024_compressed

msagb.com
Newslink
The Voice of MSA GB
Issue 372 • January 2024
New cars: a weighty
safety concern
EuroNCAP warns that the
‘concerning’ trend towards
heavier cars could put
other road users at risk
We work for all Driver Trainers. Want to join? SAVE £25 – see pg 35 for special offer

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
No end in sight to the chaotic
DVSA v Examiner carnival
Colin Lilly
Editor,
Newslink
A warning often given is ‘CAUTION! The light
you see at the end of the tunnel may be the
express coming in the opposite direction.’
This is the situation that, once again, the
DVSA is facing. The DVSA, the little engine that
tried, is about to enter the tunnel with its
passengers of clients and their ADI trainers on
a mystery trip.
The express coming towards them is the
PCS Express with its threats of industrial
action threatening to derail the DVSA plans to
reduce the driving test waiting list, not to
mention the passengers on the journey.
The only person likely to prevent the
disaster is the signalman, the Minister of
Transport. Can they activate the right signals
or throw the points at the last moment?
Over the next couple of months, we will see
how this tale proceeds.
Most driver trainers presenting clients for
test are desperate to see a reduction in waiting
times, and some progress has been achieved.
The average waiting list was down to 18.3
weeks in November. But this has produced
some collateral damage. Bringing all examiners
with a warrant card back to frontline testing
has not received universal approval among
staff, while creating damage to the normal
management structure.
The dispute is not just about examiners’ pay,
which is currently approximately £8k below
the national average adult salary. It is also the
conditions that PCS members are complaining
MSA GB Annual Conference 2024:
Prices and venue announced
Time to get the weekend
cleared....
Venue and pricing
details released.
See pg 26 for more details
and first news
about. The 5-out-of-7 rotas with compulsory
weekend working and the perceived lack of
support to assist following instances of
examiner abuse have also been cited as
causes for complains.
The PCS reported that 59.21% of its
examiner members voted in its recent ballot,
with 90.5% in favour of industrial action.
Despite a high proportion of non-voters this
still represents 54.5% of all DVSA members.
Our members are reporting that some local
examiners are leaving to become driver
trainers as this now seems an attractive
alternative. In recent years, a good income can
be made despite the risks of self-employment.
In the 1930s, when the role of driving
examiner was created, the structure was
designed to attract ex-military or retired
police officers. The fact they had a pension
meant they could accept a lower salary. The
current salary still reflects this history.
Although some younger examiners are
entering the DVSA it is still not attractive to
many as a career. For example, the two-year
contract given to recent recruits does not
encourage someone with a family seeking a
mortgage. A complete re-structuring of the
role is necessary, but only the Secretary of
State for Transport can permit this.
There is little doubt that this could be a long
and damaging dispute. Unfortunately, the
ultimate victims are those caught in the
current waiting lists.
It is down to your personal choice where
your allegiances lie. Not an easy decision.
Despite all this on the horizon we hope that
all MSA GB members and their families have a
happy and successful New Year.
• Examiners to strike: see pg 6
• New L-test data: see pg 8
Welcome to your
digital, interactive
Newslink
See a pale blue box in any article or
on an advert? It it contains a web
address or email, it’s interactive. Just
click and it will take you to the
appropriate web page or email so you
can find more details easier.
You’ll also find these panels across
the magazine: just click for more
information on any given subject.
To get the
full story,
click here
How to access this
magazine
You can read Newslink in three ways:
Go online and read the interactive
magazine on the Yumpu website; or,
if you would like to read it when you
don’t have a mobile signal or WiFi,
you can download the magazine to
your tablet, PC or phone to read at
your leisure. Alternatively, a pdf can
be found on the MSA GB website, at
www.msagb.com
COVER STORY
Making a splash in
a big heavy Range
Rover. But are
these goliaths a
safe option for
other road users?
See 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
The Voice of MSA GB
Issue 372 • January 2024
New cars: a weighty
safety concern
EuroNCAP warns that the
‘concerning’ trend towards
ever heavier cars could be
putting other road users at risk
We work for a l Driver Trainers. Want to join? SAVE £25 – see pg 35 for special offer
msagb.com
Newslink January 01-40.in d 2 07/01/2024 12:58
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 03

Contents
08
26
12
More examiner strike misery on
the way for ADIs and learners
The PCS union has said its ballot before
Christmas gives it an overwhelming
mandate for more industrial action – pg 8
18
Good news on L-test capacity... or
is it another false dawn?
Despite DVSA’s best efforts, the number of
tests available was up by only five per cent
- will that bring down waiting times? – pg 10
Conference
speakers update
20
Identifying the errors on the move
– and handling them safely
Steve Garrod takes a look at the best way
to put your pupil right without disrupting
the lesson flow – pg 18
The case of the missing
L-test candidates
Close but no cigar: why we’re still no closer
to finding out whether L-test slots are
being lost – pg 9
EU’ve got to be joking, say road
safety groups
17-year-olds will be able to get behind the
wheel of LGVs across Europe unless MEPs
perform a U-turn – pg 14
Duty of Care: Who is to blame, and
is there a claim?
Tom Harrington explains exactly what an
ADI’s obligations are in regard to their Duty
of Care to pupils – pg 26
Newslink
The Voice of MSA GB
The Motor Schools Association
of Great Britain Ltd
Head Office:
Peershaws,
Berewyk Hall Court,
White Colne, Colchester,
Essex CO6 2QB
T: 01787 221020
E: info@msagb.com
Newslink is published monthly on behalf of the MSA GB
and distributed to members and selected recently
qualified ADIs throughout Great Britain by:
Chamber Media Services,
4 Hilton Road, Bramhall, Stockport,
Cheshire SK7 3AG
Editorial/Production: Rob Beswick
e: rob@chambermediaservices.co.uk
t: 0161 426 7957
Advertising sales: Colin Regan
e: colinregan001@yahoo.co.uk
t: 01942 537959 / 07871 444922
Views expressed in Newslink are not necessarily those
of the MSA GB or the publishers.
Although every effort is made
to ensure the accuracy of
material contained within
this publication, neither MSA
GB nor the publishers can
accept any responsibility for
the veracity of claims made
by contributors in either
advertising or editorial content.
©2023 The Motor Schools
Association of Great Britain
Ltd. Reproducing in whole
or part is forbidden without
express permission of the
editor.
04 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

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
AREA 1
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
How MSA GB
is organised, in
four AREAS
AREA 4
AREA 2
AREA 3
Area 4 – West Coast & Wales
Chair: Arthur Mynott
9 Hagleys Green, Crowcombe,
Taunton TA4 4AH
T: 01984 618858
E: arthur.mynott@msagb.com
Keep in touch
If you have updated your address, telephone numbers or
changed your email address recently, please let us know
at head office by emailing us with your new details and
membership number to info@msagb.com.
If you can’t find your membership number, give us a ring
on 01787 221020.
Follow MSA GB on social media
Just click on the icon to go
through to the relevant site
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 05

News
IN BRIEF
UK survey reveals main
gripes for van drivers
In a new survey from AA Accident Assist,
the thing that irritated van drivers most
was tailgating (29%), closely followed by
middle lane hogging and mobile phone use
(21%).
Women are most annoyed by a vehicle
that is too close to their back bumper,
with 34% identifying it as the most
irritating driver behaviour compared to
27% of men.
The poll of 13,400 drivers also found
that that a third (32%) are unaware of or
choose to ignore the two-second rule.
Drivers’ lack of adherence to the
two-second distance rule has particularly
negative consequences in the winter as
data shows that accidents caused by
vehicles driving too close to the ones in
front and failing to stop in time increase by
a quarter.
Furthermore, more than 10% of
rear-end crashes lead to concertina
shunts, involving at least three vehicles.
Taoiseach promises to
act on road deaths rise
The Irish police (the Garda) ran one of its
biggest-ever road safety campaigns over
Christmas as alarm was raised over a big
increase in road deaths.
Ireland’sTaoiseach Leo Varadkar has
expressed his own concern after 170 lives
were lost in road traffic crashes by the
start of December - 33 more than for the
same period last year, equating to a 20
per cent rise at a time when the EU is
calling on member states to halve road
deaths against a 2011 baseline.
Safety campaigners including PARC
road safety group have called for extra
Garda resources to be focused on the
roads, as well as renewed road safety
promotions and stricter driving licence
enforcement to be made a national
priority.
The top four counties for road deaths
are Tipperary, Mayo, Galway and Cork.
PARC also wants urgent action so that
mutual recognition of driver
disqualifications between Ireland and the
UK be implemented immediately.
RoSPA slams Government
as progress on improving
road safety grinds to a halt
The World Health Organisation’s Global
Status Report on Road Safety, which was
published in December, should serve as a
wake-up call to the UK Government after it
exposed the appalling lack of progress the
country is making on reducing road fatalities
and serious injuries.
That’s the view of RoSPA, which said
reducing road casualties over the past
decade has “ground to a halt”, with little
interest shown by the Conservative
Government in improving road safety.
The charity has called on the Government
to publish its long overdue Road Safety
Strategic Framework, which has not been
updated in England since 2019.
According to the latest figures from the
report and RoSPA’s analysis of recent road
safety statistics, fatalities and injuries in the
UK have plateaued. There has been just a five
per cent reduction in road deaths across
Great Britain since 2010, versus a 46 per cent
reduction across UK in the decade leading up
to that year.
By way of contrast, the wider European
region has seen a 36 per cent reduction in
road deaths.
David Walker, Head of Road and Leisure
Safety at RoSPA, said: “We are seeing around
81 people killed or seriously injured on our
roads every day, which is unacceptable and
evidently linked to the dramatic lack of UK
road safety progress over the last decade.
“We cannot and must not wait to act and
urge the Government to publish its long
overdue Road Safety Strategic Framework
for England, and to set out casualty reduction
targets that are in line with other G7 nations.
Only then can we begin to address our woeful
position on the road safety leaderboard.”
Bike riders and pedestrians bear
brunt of danger on world’s roads
The annual number of road traffic deaths has
fallen slightly to 1.19 million per year,
according to the latest WHO report, meaning
there are 3,200 deaths every day. Road
traffic crashes remain the biggest single killer
of children and young people aged from 5 to
29 years of age.
Overall, set against the benchmark of
2010, road traffic deaths have fallen by 5%,
but WHO describes it as a “persistent global
health crisis”, with pedestrians, cyclists and
other vulnerable road users facing an acute
and rising risk of death.
“The tragic tally of road crash deaths is
heading in the right direction, downwards, but
nowhere near fast enough,” says WHO
Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus. “The carnage on our roads is
preventable. We call on all countries to put
people rather than cars at the centre of their
transport systems, and ensuring the safety
of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable
road users.”
Ten countries succeeded in reducing road
traffic deaths by half: Belarus, Brunei,
Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Russian
Federation, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE and
Venezuela. 35 more countries made notable
progress, reducing deaths by 30-50 per cent.
The most dangerous region is South East
Asia, accounting for 28 per cent of all
fatalities, with 25 per cent in the Western
Pacific. 5 per cent are in Europe and 12 per
cent in the Americas.
Fifty-three per cent of all road traffic
fatalities are vulnerable road users.
Pedestrians make up 23 per cent of these but
powered two-wheel riders make up 21 per
cent, despite there being far fewer in number.
Meanwhile, research indicates that 80% of
the world’s roads fail to meet pedestrian
safety standards and just 0.2% have cycle
lanes, leaving these road users dangerously
exposed.
And while 9 in 10 people surveyed identify
as pedestrians, just a quarter of countries
have policies to promote walking, cycling and
public transport.
06 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Britain’s parking woes increase
Drivers are being hit with an average of
nearly 36,000 parking tickets a day by
private companies in Britain.
More than 3.3 million tickets were handed
out between July and September, according
to analysis of Government data by the PA
news agency and the RAC Foundation.
The figure is up 16% from 2.9 million during
the same period last year and represents a
record daily average of 35,960.
Each ticket can be up to £100, meaning the
total cost to drivers may be near £3.6 million
per day at the current rate.
Private parking businesses have been
accused of using misleading and confusing
signs, aggressive debt collection and
unreasonable fees.
A long-awaited code of practice aimed at
eradicating some of the sector’s worst
behaviour was due to be introduced after
legislation was passed in Parliament in March
2019, but it was withdrawn following a legal
challenge by parking companies. It would
have halved most fines and set an upper limit
of £50
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding
said: “In March it will be five years since a law
was enacted to better regulate the private
parking sector, yet even now we don’t know
when these will be introduced.
“This glacial pace has been a source of
immense frustration to the millions of drivers
heavily penalised for supposed infringements
in private car parks and to all the MPs who, at
the time the legislation was being debated,
were queueing up to recount to Parliament
the parking horror stories reported by their
constituents.”
New LGV driving test
centre opens in Ayrshire
DVSA opened a new large goods
vehicles (LGV) practical driving test
centre in Dreghorn, Ayrshire on Monday,
January 8.
The new facility will replace Ayrshire’s
existing LGV test centre at Kilmarnock.
The address for the new facility is:
Dreghorn LGV Test Centre, 9A
Corsehill Mount Road, Dreghorn, Irvine,
Ayrshire KA11 4JZ
The DVSA has contacted all candidates
regarding the new facility in Dreghorn.
However, if an LGV trainer has booked
any tests on behalf of their pupils, they
are asked to let them know about these
changes.
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 07

News
New year, new round of
strikes ready to hit L-tests
Decisive examiners’ ballot
clears way for more tests lost to
industrial action... with the DVSA
plans to reduce L-test backlog at
the heart of latest dispute
Mark Serwotka: The
strike is to protect
examiners’ working
terms and conditions
2024 looks to be off to a rocky start already
as far as relations between driving examiners
and the DVSA are concerned, after the PCS
union said new strike days would be
announced shortly.
The number of days to be lost, and
whether it will via a national strike or
targeted local action, is yet to be decided.
The latest threat of strikes comes after a
ballot held by the PCS in December, in which
1,900 examiners voted for industrial action by
a margin of 90.5%, on a turn out of 59.21%.
The ballot was triggered by ongoing
discontent among examiners over the DVSA’s
‘driver services recovery programme’, which
is the agency’s latest attempt to cut L-test
waiting times. It involves increasing the
number of tests some examiners will cover,
as well as bringing back to testing all DVSA
staff who hold a ‘warrant card’ to conduct
L-tests, including senior management.
But as far as the PCS is concerned, the
programme is over-riding examiners’
working terms and conditions.
The plan to cut waiting times is “driven by
the political ambitions of Mark Harper,
Secretary of State for Transport”, the PCS
said. As a result “significant safety risks to
test candidates and examiners” are being
overlooked, as well as an erosion of staff’s
terms and conditions.
The programme also completely fails to
address the root causes of the backlog and
requires staff to cover 150,000 tests above
capacity, it claims.
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary,
said: “To recover a backlog of tests that was
their own making, Mark Harper and the DVSA
management have demonstrated that they
are willing not only to jeopardise our
members’ safety and attack their terms and
conditions; they are also showing scant
regard for safety standards for driving test
candidates.
“But this huge ballot result for PCS
members at the DVSA indicates that that
they are prepared to take highly disruptive
strike action across England, Wales and
Scotland to protect the integrity of the
driving test and their existing terms and
conditions.
“Although they desperately want to see a
reduction in waiting times, our members will
not tolerate paying the price for political stunts
and managerial failings that threaten to further
undermine this vital public service.”
It may not come as a surprise to learn that
the DVSA has rejected this interpretation of
events. In a statement sent out to all ADIs the
agency said: “The Public and Commercial
Services (PCS) Union has confirmed that
members working at DVSA have voted for
industrial action.
“It is disappointing that the PCS ballot
supports industrial action. DVSA remain open
to talks with PCS to find a resolution.
“DVSA colleagues do an outstanding job in
helping to keep our roads safe.
“They are working hard to reduce waiting
times, which includes employing new driving
examiners on flexible contracts with
weekend hours and asking more eligible
managers and administrative colleagues to
carry out driving tests full-time.
“In November 2023, 196,481 practical car
driving tests were carried out as a result of
examiners’ hard work and effort.
“This is the highest since April 2007 and
helped to reduce the monthly average
national driving test waiting time to 18.3
weeks in November.”
Peter Harvey, on behalf of MSA GB, said
the news just before Christmas was the last
thing ADIs wanted to hear. “Like all our
members, the L-test waiting times fiasco is
causing severe problems. Too many learners
are chasing too few tests, and as a result
many are engaging in risky practices to grab
any that come available.”
“The announcement in the autumn that
the DVSA would add as many as 150,000
additional tests to the roster, in addition to
those created by other means such as
recruiting new examiners, was a chink of light
that suggested 2024 could see a return to
waiting times at a manageable level.
However, any hopes that it will work look
likely to be tempered by this news of possible
strike action.”
Peter rejected the PCS claim that test
waiting times were of the DVSA’s making.
“We all know that this problem comes in the
wake of Covid – when it has to be noted, PCS
members were quick to reject any swift
return to work after the disruptions of
lockdown. I am surprised they should make
such a transparently false claim.
“But this strike is not entirely the PCS’s
fault either; it seems hardly believable that
the DVSA should put in place its recovery
programme without first bringing the
examiners’ union on side.”
He added: “This latest row does make you
wonder what’s going on in both sides’ heads.
All I know for sure is that there are two
innocent parties hit by this: ADIs, and our
learners.
“It seems pretty clear that neither party is
high on the list of importance for those
negotiating on behalf of either the examiners
or the DVSA.”
08 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
The question of the missing candidate:
Are L-test slots going to waste, or is
the system working efficiently?
In December’s Newslink, one of our regular
contributors made what to many was a point
that chimed with them: that often they were
seeing evidence of L-test ‘no shows’ in their
local driving test centres, with examiners sat
patiently waiting for candidates to arrive,
only for them to fail to turn up for their test.
“I’ve been in my test centre, where there
are seven examiners, and seen only five go
out on test,” was the comment. “Was their
inactivity as a result of no shows?”
Given the current state of the L-test
waiting times, any unused L-tests would be a
crying shame.
The finger of blame for this – if it were a
major problem – was pointed at the modern
culture of learners grabbing L-tests via
booking websites and bots, without checking
with their ADI first, and simply not turning up
on the day when they discovered that they
were nowhere near test ready, or that their
instructor was not available on that day.
Therefore, the question was asked, was
this really a widespread problem, and if so,
was it something the DVSA could do more to
tackle, perhaps with a promotional campaign
highlighting the need to book tests only
when ready – and to make sure if they have a
test, they attend.
Fundamentally, was this a problem
indicative of how the testing system was
working at present, with lots of missed and
wasted tests, or was it a rare occurrence?
To get to the bottom of whether our
contributor had experienced an isolated case
of examiner idleness or administration time,
or whether there was a problem of unused
test slots across the country which was
exacerbating the L-test waiting times, we
decided to challenge the DVSA. An FOI
request was clearly needed to answer the
question, so at the end of November
Newslink asked the following of the DVSA:
Could you tell me how many L-test slots
were not taken up in the past four weeks? In
other words, for clarity, how much spare/
wasted capacity was there in the L-test
system this month?
Unfortunately, as anyone who has ever
attempted an FOI will know, the devil lies in
getting your terminology correct and being
very precise with the question so you extract
the data you are looking for. From the reply
received it was clear our question didn’t hit
the nail on the head this time - as can be seen
by the answer. However, it did reveal an
interesting statistic.
The DVSA replied:
There were only 2,879 L-test slots NOT
taken up in the period from 06-11-2023 to
03-12-2023.
Note, L-test slots. In other words, every
test was booked apart from 2,879. But it does
not tell us what we wanted to know: how
many test slots were not used - whether
because they were never booked (the 2,879
mentioned here) or because the examiner
was absent, or the candidate failed to show.
Therefore, a new request has gone in:
Sir/Madam
Many thanks for your reply to my FOI
request, as referenced above.
However, the answer received didn’t quite
deliver the information I required.
I was looking for the total spare capacity in
the L-test booking system, ie, the number of
car driving test slots not booked which are
available, plus the number of L-test slots
that were not used (but had been booked).
Therefore, can I ask you to tell me how
many L-test slots were not used, including all
which were not booked in the first place, plus
all those that, for whatever reason (including
examiner sickness, industrial action, internal
problems causing the need to cancel a test
and candidates’ failure to attend), were
unused for the period 06/11/2023 -
03/12/2023.
So I am after the total number of ‘lost’
tests for the period in question.
Do you think we’ll get to the bottom of how
many tests weren’t taken up?
Hopefully - and if we do, we’ll definitely let
you know.
However, the answer does tell us one thing:
the L-test system is pretty efficient, in that
virtually every test slot is allocated. After all,
on a total testing regime of around 1.7 million
tests, 2,879 equates to just two per cent of
‘unused’ capacity.
Even the harshest critic would accept that
a booking system that allocates 98 per cent
of its available slots is doing well, particularly
when those slots are scattered over a wide
geographical area.
So that’s one good point - even if it wasn’t
quite the one we were looking for!
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 09

News
Low L-test increase highlights need
for DVSA’s staffing nuclear option
Test data, July-September 2023
n 663,000 car theory tests
were conducted, up 10%
n the car theory test pass rate
was 46.1%, up 1.4 %
n 432,000 car practical tests
were conducted, up 5%
n the car practical test pass rate
was 48.9%, up 0.2%
Hopes at the DVSA that recruiting new
examiners and adding more capacity to the
L-test system would help reduce waiting
times appear to have been dashed, after new
figures showed only a marginal increase in
the number of tests conducted.
Between July-September 2023, just five
per cent more tests were completed,
compared with the same period in 2022.
432,174 L-tests were conducted from
July-September 2023, compared with
412,735 for the same quarter in 2022 - an
increase of just shy of five per cent. In this
period the DVSA had placed its faith on
tactics such as buying back examiner leave,
asking recently retired examiners to return to
work and recruiting up to 250 new
examiners, in a bid to reduce test waiting
times. But clearly these plans have not
delivered the hoped-for improvements.
A number of examiner walk-outs over a
long running pay and terms and conditions
dispute have clearly not helped matters.
The period covered does not, however,
include the more radical changes to working
practices brought in in October, when DVSA
chief executive Loveday Ryder announced
that all ‘warrant card’ holding staff would be
switched to cover L-tests. This has seen
Standards Checks and Part 3 tests
drastically cut back, and senior
figures who traditionally work
on DVSA policy, strategy and
management return to the
ranks as examiners.
MSA national vice
chairman Peter Harvey said the news of only
a small increase in L-tests possibly explains
why Ms Ryder took such bold steps in
October. “I think this five per cent increase in
tests, while welcome, was nowhere near the
increase the DVSA hoped for when it
announced its strategy at the back end of
2021.
“Recruiting additional examiners was
always a long-term solution, as it takes
several months to select and train suitable
candidates. However, we do know that the
take-up and timescales have not been what
the DVSA expected, so possibly these new
examiners have not delivered the number of
extra tests predicted.
“Buying back examiner leave, adding in
extra tests and recalling recently retired
examiners were always marginal strategies.”
He added that the news that just five per
cent more tests were conducted “does bring
into sharp focus the question why the
moves announced in October
were not made earlier.”
He said: “NASP has been
told consistently that the
DVSA was doing all it could
to reduce test waiting
times... only for this somewhat nuclear
option to be announced in October, when
even the most senior officials were asked to
take examining duties. Perhaps a prior sight
of these disappointing results for July-
September prompted drastic action.”
“As ADIs, we can hope only that the next
quarter’s figures, for October-December,
sees some of the benefits of that strategy
coming into play, and that by the time we are
reviewing the figures for tests from January-
March 2024, we will see all the DVSA’s
measures taking effect.”
Peter did highlight one statistic that is to
be welcomed: the slight increase in overall
pass rate. “It is encouraging to see that the
pass rate is rising and that we are
tantalisingly close to a 50 per cent pass rate.
“If we could see a further uplift in the pass
rate, taking it to above 50 per cent at last,
that alone would have a real impact on
waiting times.
“The thing we all know from driver training
is few pupils give up if they fail; every test
failure becomes a new test candidate, thus
increasing the waiting times still further. A
pass rate above 50 per cent would change
the overall picture completely.”
DVSA chief executive Loveday
Ryder has, it appears, fired all the
weapons in the DVSA’s armoury
in a bid to reduce waiting times
To see the entire set of
test figures, click here
10 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
CAR PRACTICAL TESTS
In July to September 2023 (Quarter 2), 432,000 car practical tests were
conducted in Great Britain, an increase of 5% on July to September 2022
(Quarter 2).
The total pass rate was 48.9%, with 47.7% of females passing compared to
49.9% of males.
The total pass rate for July to September 2023 (Quarter 2) was up 0.2
percentage points from the same quarter of the previous year.
July to September 2023 Total Female Male
Tests conducted 432,174 198,054 234,058
Tests Passed 211,294 94,526 116,744
Pass Rate (%) 48.9% 47.7% 49.9%
July to September 2022
Tests conducted 412,735 197,559 215,078
Tests Passed 200,969 92,327 108,607
Pass Rate (%) 48.7% 46.7% 50.5%
Year-on-year change
Tests Conducted +5% 0% +9%
Tests Passed +5% +2% +7%
Pass Rate +0.2% +1.0% -0.6%
THEORY TESTS
In July to September 2023 (Quarter 2), 663,000 car theory
tests were conducted in Great Britain, an increase of 10% on
July to September 2022 (Quarter 2).
The total pass rate was 46.1%, with 48.0% of females passing
compared to 44.6% of males. The total pass rate for July to
September 2023 (Quarter 2) was up 1.4 percentage points
from the same quarter of the previous year.
July-September 2023 Total Female Male
Tests Conducted 663,103 293,394 369,692
Tests Passed: 305,832 140,914 164,907
Pass Rate (%): 46.1% 48.0% 44.6%
July- September 2022
Tests conducted 602,677 271,322 331,293
Tests Passed 269,362 125,493 143,827
Pass Rate (%): 44.7% 46.3% 43.4%
Year-on-year change
Tests conducted +10% +8% +12%
Tests Passed +14% +12% +15%
Pass Rate +1.4% +1.8% +1.2%
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 11

News
Too heavy, too wide: Modern cars are safety
risk and causing problems for parking – NCAP
The consumer crash testing organisation
Euro NCAP has warned of what it described
as a “concerning” trend towards heavier,
more powerful and taller cars which “put
other drivers at risk”, as it announced its
latest group of test results.
Of the 11 cars rated in Euro NCAP’s final
tests of the year, only three weighed less
than two tonnes, and only one, the smart #3,
is classified as a ‘small family car’.
Dr Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General
Euro NCAP commented: “For years, Euro
NCAP was accused of pushing up the weight
of cars. It was thought that additional safety
features meant extra mass.
“That was never really the case and the
increase in vehicle weight we see nowadays
is certainly not safety-related – it is down to
consumer preference for larger vehicles and
to electrification, with ever bigger batteries
being used to quell consumers’ range anxiety.
“But this is a trend that helps neither safety
nor the environment: big, heavy cars are
generally less energy efficient than small, light
ones, and there is a safety concern when
those two types of vehicles collide or, worse,
when vulnerable road users are involved.”
A report published by VIAS Institute in
Belgium in September warned that the trend
towards heavier, higher, more powerful cars
and pick-ups has serious consequences for
drivers of smaller vehicles as well as
pedestrians, cyclists and bike riders.
It comes as a parking champion said the
UK’s car parks were struggling to cope with
the trend towards larger cars.
According to the British Parking
Association, the standard size of a car
parking space in the UK should be
approximately 4.8 metres in length by 2.4
metres in width, but this is a standard set in
1976, and it has not changed since, despite
the trend for wider cars.
This is is not just a problem created by
chunky 4x4s either. Taking one of Europe’s
most popular small cars, the VW Polo, as an
example, the latest version of the hatchback
is 12 per cent larger than its 1970s
counterpart.
In the 1970s, the original measured 3.81
metres long and 1.63 metres wide; today,
those measurements have jumped to 4.28
metres and 1.78 metres respectively.
This trend for larger ‘small’ cars, plus the
switch to SUVs and 4x4s, means many
drivers struggle to park correctly in car parks,
effectively forcing other motorists to avoid
some parking slots.
Almost two-thirds (65%) of motorists say
that modern cars are too big for multi-storey
car parks, while more than one-in-four (28%)
have dented the car in the next space when
opening their door.
The research, conducted by the Startline
Motor Finance Used Car Tracker, also found
that 45% of respondents had been ‘stuck’ in
their car because there is not enough room to
open the door, and a similar number have
abandoned an empty car parking space
because they thought they could get stuck
or damage their car in parking.
The Startline survey was prompted by
research from Which? that revealed more
than 150 car models are now too big to fit in
average car parking spaces.
It found that 161 car models it tested were
longer than a standard car parking bay, with
12 exceeding the limit by more than 30cm.
This was an increase from 2019, when only
The latest Land
Rover Defender
weighs in at a
colossal 2,970g...
is the fashion for
larger and
heavier cars
putting other
road users at
risk?
129 did not fit the standard bay.
The research also revealed that 27 models
are too wide for drivers to comfortably open
their doors when parked between two other
cars. Which? categorised a car as being “too
wide” if its width leaves less than 22cm
between the car and the bay.
A spokesman for one national car parking
group admitted that because its car parks
were built and designed around car standards
from the 1970s and 80s, modern cars were
causing considerable problems.
“The fact is, too many modern cars will
only just fit into a standard car parking space
at a pinch; it takes the driver to be only a few
centimetres off perfect parking to leave a
driver trying to access the adjoining space
struggling to park, or unable to open doors
properly.
“We know that in some cases, drivers are
being forced to abandon a free space because
the drivers on either side are in wider cars
and have parked just off centre, making the
spare space unusable.”
12 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
CPD: have you recorded all yours for 2023?
There are two key things to do in January: fill
in your self-assessment tax form, if you
haven’t already done so, and make sure your
continuing professional development (CPD)
records are up to date.
MSA GB approved supplier FBTC can help
with the self-assessment and the move
towards making tax digital, but the CPD
recording is down to you!
What is CPD?
CPD is any development activity that has
helped you:
n learn something new
n refresh your existing knowledge
n improve your skills
n keep up-to-date with the latest
developments
You might have:
n been to meetings, events or webinars
n taken training courses - either online or
in person
n had help to improve your driver training
skills from a registered trainer
n watched videos, listened to podcasts or
read blog posts, magazines and books.
Reading Newslink counts as CPD!
You can download a template to record any
CPD you have done.
Have you got these on your list?
Some things you might have forgotten to
record include:
n attending DVSA’s mock test webinar in
June 2023, or watching the recording after
n attending DVSA’s top 10 faults made
during the driving test webinar in August
2023, or watching the recording after
n requesting your ADI driving test data
report and analysing which areas your pupils
have made faults in
n ordering and reading Practical Teaching
Skills for Driving Instructors
As you’re reflecting on what you’ve done
in 2023, think about topics you’d like to focus
on in 2024. You might want to explore:
n driving laws, rules and techniques
n driving and vehicle technology
n digital and technology skills
n personal growth and wellbeing
n finance and business management
n disabilities, learning difficulties and
neurodiversity
n data protection
n health and safety
n safeguarding
When you’re considering what
development to do, think about:
n existing skills that you want to improve
n new skills that will help you in your
current role
n new skills that will help you develop and
specialise in particular areas you’re interested
in
n And if you reading this and you are not an
MSA GB member... joining a local or national
ADI association!
n Want to know how to
get a full day of CPD
at a bargain price?
Then why not
join us at the
MSA GB
Annual
Conference
2024? See pg
20 for full
details of what’s
in store.
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 13

News
Road safety group vents anger as EU transport
committee backs 17-year-olds to drive LGVs
‘Just one more delivery to do... then I
can go home to a glass of milk, a
bedtime story and a nice nap...’
16-year-olds to be allowed
to learn to drive cars after
proposal from Finland accepted
Road safety groups in the EU have accused
politicians across the bloc of ignoring the
evidence after the European Parliament’s
transport committee formally agreed to
reform driving licence rules in the European
Union to allow drivers as young as 17 to
handle LGVs.
The same committee also backed a
proposal from Finland to allow 16-year-olds
to learn to drive.
The European Transport Safety Council
(ETSC) said the decision would have
“devastating consequences for road safety”
if the decision makes it into legislation.
MEPs voted in favour of a European
Commission proposal that in future, all EU
Member States must issue driving licences to
17-year-olds to drive heavy goods vehicles
under an accompanied driving scheme.
The vote was carried by a majority of one.
The decision has the potential to massively
expand the number of teenagers driving
lorries. Today, only five countries allow
teenagers as young as 18 to drive a lorry:
Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Spain.
But recently compiled data from Finland,
Germany and Poland clearly show that the
youngest lorry drivers (18-19 years) are
much more likely to cause a crash.
In a nod to the contentious nature of the
decision, EU transport ministers responded
by stating that Member States should not be
forced into allowing such young drivers to get
behind the wheel. However, such proposals,
once accepted in one member state, usually
end up being accepted practice across others,
despite initial reticence.
As one MEP pointed out, “such is the
cross-border nature of much of the EU’s LGV
traffic, it is difficult to see how, for example,
police in the Netherlands could refuse to
allow an 18-year-old German with a full LGV
licence from driving on the country’s roads.”
ETSC says that from a road safety
perspective, the minimum age in the EU for
lorry drivers should be 21. The safety
advocates see no justification for
encouraging teenagers as young as 17 to
drive lorries.
In a letter to MEPs before the decision was
taken the ETSC said: “Research by the
German Insurance Association (GDV) shows
that HGV drivers aged 18-20 caused a much
higher number of collisions resulting in
personal injury, in relation to the number of
licences registered for that age group, when
compared to all other HGV age groups.
“That proportion decreases considerably
up to 24 years and remains stable in older age
groups.
“Similarly, data from Statistics Finland
(2014 to 2020), show that the involvement in
collisions of truck and bus drivers aged 18-19
in proportion to the number of driving
licences for that age group, is considerably
higher with respect to other age groups and
it decreases with increasing age of the driver.
In Poland, data provided by the Motor
Transport Institute (ITS) show the same
trend.
“That is why we urge you to reject this
proposal.”
In another surprising move, the EU
Transport Committee also supported the idea
of allowing children aged 16 to drive speedlimited
cars.
This controversial idea originated in Finland.
and prompted the Commission’s own impact
assessment to state : “The measure may
pose an additional road safety risk, notably
for vulnerable road users”.
Ellen Townsend, policy director at ETSC
commented: “This legislation was introduced
under the banner of a ‘road safety package’
– but frankly if we end up encouraging large
numbers of teenagers to drive lorries, the
consequences will be devastating.”
She added that there was a glimmer of
hope the transport committee’s decision will
be shelved. “This decision will need to be
ratified by a plenary vote in the European
Parliament in January. We hope policymakers
will take a step back and reconsider the
consequences of these changes, before
voting on plans that will make our roads more
dangerous for everyone. “
In a complex vote, covering an array of
proposed changes to licensing rules, there
was one silver lining for safety. MEPs backed
the concept of an EU-wide zero-tolerance
limit for alcohol for novice drivers.
This would see newly-qualified drivers
subject to a low 0.2 g/l blood alcohol
concentration limit across the EU.
However, this change would only affect
Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark and Finland,
because all other EU Member States already
set a limit of 0 or 0.2 for novice drivers.
Spain’s limit for this group is 0.3.
The measures are all part of a revised EU
Driving Licence Directive, which will need to
be negotiated by MEPs, together with EU
Transport Ministers and the European
Commission.
14 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

News
Public calls time on England and Wales’s
high drink-driving limit amid rise in deaths
More than four-in-five motorists think the
Government should bring in tougher
penalties for drink driving, to stop people
getting behind the wheel while under the
influence.
In a new survey, over half of respondents
(56%) were ‘strongly’ in favour and 27%
agreed ‘somewhat’. Only 5% disagreed.
Road safety professionals believe the drink
drive limit in England and Wales – the highest
in Europe - should be lowered, while the
Government says it wants better
enforcement of the existing law.
Over half the motorists polled (57%) think
both measures should be introduced, with a
further 23% favouring better enforcement
and another 11% saying lower the limit.
“Adding those responses together, more
than 90% want the Government to take
action on tackling drink driving,” comments
Hunter Abbott, MD of breathalyser firm
AlcoSense, who commissioned the poll.
“Only 4% said drink driving doesn’t need to
be addressed.
“In 2021, there were 260 deaths on
Britain’s roads where a motorist was over the
legal limit – the highest since 2009. Drunk
drivers account for nearly a fifth of all road
fatalities”.
Research shows that if you drive with an
alcohol level of 80mg per 100mL of blood
(the English/Welsh limit) you are 13 times
more likely to be involved in a fatal accident
than when sober. At 50mg (the Scottish
limit) this decreases to five times more likely.
When given this information, 69% of
motorists called for a reduction in the
English/Welsh limit. Over a quarter (27%)
said it should be reduced to the Scottish level,
with another quarter (26%) thinking it should
be cut to zero. A further sixth (16%) thought
it should be somewhere in between.
In countries such as Poland, Sweden and
Norway the legal limit is just 20mg.
Only 15% said England and Wales should
remain at 80mg.
“Drink drive campaigns including
advertising are not effective on their own.
Over half of motorists told us they make no
difference to their attitude towards drinking
and driving,” adds Mr Abbott, who is a
member of the Parliamentary Advisory
Council for Transport Safety (PACTS).
“The AlcoSense survey makes clear that
people want tougher legislation and robust
enforcement to drive down the number of
alcohol-related accidents”.
n An estimated two million motorists drove
home after a Christmas party despite
thinking they were at the drink drive limit or
just over.
A study of 2,000 drivers before Christmas,
asking about their driving and drinking habits,
found that 5% would get behind the wheel
after a few drinks, even though they knew
they would have reached the limit or
exceeded it.
With 41.2 million licensed vehicles on the
roads, that’s a potential two million drivers.
Over one in ten (11%) said they would drive
if they thought they were close to the legal
limit but ‘just about OK’.
And nearly one in five (18%) reckoned they
would drive after drinks with friends or family
after celebrating Christmas, knowing they
had alcohol in their system but feeling ‘sure’
they were under the limit.
The problem is, “even small amounts of
alcohol slow your reaction time, inhibit
judgement, reduce concentration and affect
eye, foot and hand co-ordination,” said
Hunter Abbott.
“This increases the likelihood of a crash. At
just one-eighth of the current limit for
England and Wales you are still 37% more
likely to be involved in a fatal road accident
than when sober”.
Of those who said they would drive despite
being close to or over the limit, the most
popular excuse was ‘I feel sober enough’ –
cited by 56% of respondents – while 43%
justified it by saying they ‘only have a short
distance to drive’.
One in four (26%) claimed that one of the
reasons they were happy to risk driving after
drinking at Christmas was because ‘the roads
will be quiet’, and 22% thought they’d
‘probably get away with it’ as there were
fewer police around.
The survey also found that the ‘next day’
effect is also still not fully understood. One in
five said they would drive at 7am the morning
after a party, despite feeling worse for wear.
If you consume four pints of mediumstrong
beer or four large glasses of wine, it
can take as long as 14 hours for the alcohol to
clear your system.
That means if you’re drinking between
9pm and 11pm, you may not be completely
sober until 11am the following day.
That probably explains why almost a fifth
of drink drive convictions are ‘the morning
after the night before’.
The survey did suggest that attitudes
towards drink driving have noticeably
hardened in society, with it being seen as an
unpopular habit, “but there’s still an
irresponsible minority who are prepared to
put their lives at risk, as well as those of
other road users,” added Mr Abbott.
16 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Get 10p off every litre of fuel
with special MSA GB deal
The cost-of-living crisis is putting many
ADIs under considerable financial pressure,
and nowhere is it felt more than through
the rising cost of fuel.
So to help alleviate some of the burden
on our members, we’re thrilled to
announce a brand-new partnership with
Fuel Card Services.
A fuel card from MSA GB partner, Fuel
Card Services can provide huge benefits to
businesses that use vehicles on a daily
basis:
n Cutting fuel costs - save up to 10p per
litre and get a consistent price.
n Increased security - fuel cards are a
safer alternative to carrying cash and
eliminate fraud.
n Streamline admin - HMRC compliant
invoices, no receipts, one neat invoice and
a dedicated account manager.
n Tighter control of business expenses
- view transactions and reports online 24/7.
n Increased flexibility for refuelling
across a huge network.
n Fleet convenience - a quick and
convenient way for fleets to refuel.
There are a range of fuel cards available
on the market and for your business to
truly benefit from investing in fuel cards,
you need to choose the right one for your
businesses’ requirements.
FUEL CARD SERVICES offers a large
choice of networks from leading brands,
such as BP, Shell, Esso and UK Fuels, so
you can decide which networks you wish
to include on your business account.
Fuel Card Services and MSA GB are
helping to deliver cost savings to
members throughout the country.
For more details and to obtain a fuel
card through MSA GB, go to our website at
https://msagb.com/members/
member-discounts/
What are the latest UK petrol prices and diesel prices?
The prices right are the latest available unleaded petrol and diesel averages across
supermarket, motorway and independent forecourts in the UK, according to data compiled
by the RAC. Prices correct at the start of January, with more fuel price falls possible.
However, as tensions continue to escalate in the Red Sea where Houthi rebels are harrassing
shipping, analysts believe prices could rise sharply in the coming months if the situation
does not ease.
UNLEADED
UK average 140.29p
Supermarket 137.45p
Motorway 164.39p
DIESEL
UK average 148.17p
Supermarket 145.81p
Motorway 174.53p
AlcoSense: Every ADI should have one handy
MSA GB has teamed up with leading supplier
of personal breathalyser kits AlcoSense to
bring our members a very special offer.
They’ve agreed to discount their entire
range of products (excluding single-use
disposables) by 10 per cent for members if
bought through the MSA GB website – from
the entry-level Lite 2 (£44.99) to the
top-of-the-range Ultra (£249.00), with other
options available.
The kits give an instant and accurate
snapshot of whether you – or your pupil
– has alcohol in your/their system, and are
particularly useful ‘the morning after.’
Peter Harvey, MSA GB national vice
chairman, commented: “These are a quality
product. They arrive well packaged,
with the required batteries, five
mouthpieces and full instructions.
“The Excel version is very easy
to use, with a simple menu, and can
be adjusted to suit the country you
are in depending on the legal limit
there.
“Once set up, the breathalyser
gives a very clear reading in traffic light
colours, making it easy to follow.
“Green, as you would expect, tells you you
are okay to drive.
“Amber advises you that alcohol is present
but you are below the limit you entered at set
up – though it is so important to check what
the limit is in the country you use it.
“Red is pretty self-explanatory –
Don’t drive.
“The set is very compact, about
the same size as a mobile phone but
a little deeper. It is ideal for
eliminating any concerns you may
have the morning after – or for your
pupils.
The Excel model costs around £100 and can
be viewed: https://alcosense.co.uk/
alcosense/alcosense-excel.html ”
Go through the MSA GB website at https://
msagb.com/members/member-discounts/
to secure your member discount.
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 17

Towards your CPD
And we’re off!
Identifying faults on the move
Steve Garrod takes a look
at the challenges involved in
identifying driving faults on the
move, and how to communicate
them to your pupil without
disrupting the driving process
Identifying driving faults still plays a major
part in teaching people to drive, but to do this
effectively it is important to have your pupil’s
full attention while discussing them.
If we are not able to engage with pupils to
discuss faults, the risk of them being
repeated increases, with the risk that the
faults becoming potentially dangerous.
There is nothing wrong with pulling up
somewhere suitable to analyse what went
wrong and what action needs to be put in
place to prevent the fault being repeated.
That is not to say we need to pull up for every
driving fault made; if we did the car would
spend more time parked by the kerbside than
on the move! The skill of a good instructor is
to be able to prioritise faults and to be aware
of the prevailing road and traffic conditions,
and then determine the correct action to take
for the particular pupil.
For example; if you can deal with the fault
by asking a question then it may be
appropriate to keep on the move (such as a
‘driving fault’), but if something specific
needs to be highlighted it may necessary to
pull up (such as a serious or dangerous fault).
The reason for this is there is a real danger of
what is commonly referred to as ‘teaching
out of the rear window’ and distracting our
pupil’s attention while we try to discuss what
happened, subsequently building up more
faults, which is known as instructor-induced
faults.
Questions beginning with ‘What’, ‘Where’
and ‘When’ are often answered with a quick
response or a recall of a fact, which do not
require much thinking, such as:
n “What is the danger of not checking
your mirrors?”
n “Where should you look before emerging?”
n “When will you signal?”
Questions beginning with ‘Which’, ‘Why’,
‘Who’ and ‘How’ require a little more thought,
such as making choices, reasoning and
understanding meaning, such as:
n “Which mirrors should you check before
overtaking?”
n “Why is it important to return to the left
hand lane after overtaking?
n “Who has priority?”
n “How could you have made that
situation easier?”
Which question we ask will depend on the
amount of time there is for it to be answered.
If pupils are asked too deep a question, their
performance may drop while they take time
to consider their response (known as an
instructor induced fault).
Questions on the move, therefore, should
be in the present or future tense to help
pupils focus on what they are doing or what
they are going to do; eg:
n “What is the next hazard?”
n “How will you deal with this?”
n “Where will you stop?”
n “When will it be safe to go?”
Questions while stationary should be more
thought provoking or in the past tense, or
refer to a question that was asked on the
move, such as:
n “What could have happened had I not
There is nothing wrong with
pulling up to analyse what
went wrong... but we don’t
need to pull up for every
driving fault made; if we
did the car would spend
more time parked by the
kerbside than on the move!
asked you to slow down?”
n “Who had priority?”
n “What should you do if someone is
overtaking you before you enter a higher
speed limit?”
n “Where should you have waited at that
junction?”
n “Why do you think I asked you which
mirrors should you check?”
Read the last five questions again and think
about what could happen if you asked them
on the move. How might they affect your
pupil’s concentration? The chances are you
will still be discussing them by the time you
reach the next hazard, which could prevent
your pupil from dealing with it safely (another
instructor induced fault).
18 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
If your pupil positions incorrectly before
emerging, and there is no following traffic,
just ask them to stop and secure the car
before asking:
n “Where are you positioned?”
n “How could this affect other traffic?”
n “What could you have done to make this
situation easier?”
If your questions are likely to cause a
hazard because of other traffic, just ask your
pupil to look at how they have positioned the
car before asking them to pull up as soon as it
is convenient to discuss what has happened.
You can then ask suitable questions to find
out why the fault occurred (analyse) and
correct the fault (remedy). This way the fault
remains fresh in both yours and your pupil’s
mind. The next time you approach a similar
junction you could then ask, “Where will you
wait?” (prompt).
Contrary to what we are sometimes led to
believe, asking questions is not the only way
to teach. Good instructors know when to
keep quiet! For example; if you keep asking
questions, how will you know if your pupil
really does understand what to do?
Imagine you keep asking “Which mirrors
will you check?”, “What is the next speed
limit?” “What could that cyclist do?” How do
you know if your pupil is going to check his
mirrors, has recognised the next speed limit
or seen the cyclist?
There comes a point when we need to
allow pupils to drive for themselves. One of
the biggest reasons I saw for failed driving
tests when I worked as an examiner was
pupils not being able to work things out for
themselves. Many pupils come to rely on
“One of the main weaknesses
under the heading ‘Make
effective use of mirrors’ is before
changing speed, because there is
no prompt from the examiner
before slowing down or
accelerating... so ask your pupil
before they set off ‘When should
you check your mirrors’?”
their instructor using questions as prompts.
For example, the last three questions can
also be used as prompts. This is one of the
reasons independent driving was introduced.
One of the main weaknesses under the
heading ‘Make effective use of mirrors’ is
before changing speed, because there is no
prompt from the examiner before slowing
down or accelerating. So, the next time you
are dealing with use of mirrors ask your pupil
before they set off that you will be assessing
their use of mirrors and ask your questions
before they move off, eg “When should you
check your mirrors”?, “Why is it important to
check the mirrors before slowing down or
speeding up? or “What could be the danger
of not checking your mirrors before slowing
down and increasing speed?” (risk assessment).
To increase the level of thought required
you could develop these questions to…
“What could you do if someone is following
too closely?” or “What would you do if
someone is about to overtake you before
entering a higher speed limit?”
Adding the words ‘could’ or ‘would’ after
‘what’ means you are introducing probability
to the question, which gives options to the
answers and requires more thought,
therefore not generally not advised for
questions on the move.
Once you have discussed these questions
you can then allow your pupil to drive for a
few minutes while you assess their use of
mirrors without any questions on the move.
If you find that mirror checks have been
missed you could could ask a quick question
or ask if they might prefer a prompt as a
reminder. As a general rule, once you have
been given the correct answer to your
question followed by the correct response,
pupils should be encouraged to carry out a
task independently, eg “Well done, you now
have responsibility to check your mirrors
from now on’.
This technique can be used for all tasks, such
as road positioning, “Where will you position
before turning right?”… “Well done, I’ll leave you
to do that on your own from now on”.
Asking questions is a skill and you do need
to have a stable stretch of road in front of you
to ask them. When you have quiet moments
during the day it is worth thinking about how
to formulate thought provoking questions to
stretch your learners thinking.
At the end of each session, and not
necessarily the end of the lesson, you could
ask you pupil what they felt went well and
what would have made the session even
better. Encouraging pupils to analyse their
performance and focus on positives rather
than negatives is encouraging rather than
de-motivating. It also helps you agree the
goals for the next session.
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 19

Members’ section
MSA GB Annual Conference 2024
It’s a case of all roads lead to Telford as we head to Shropshire
for the MSA GB Annual Conference 2024.
To be held from March 22-23 at the stunning Telford Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort
in Shropshire, it promises to be the ideal mix of information, debate, advice,
education, networking and fun, as the MSA GB membership comes
together to learn more about, and discuss, the big issues of the day.
Get in quick:
Early Bird
Prices
running out
soon!
We are in the middle of confirming our keynote presenters, but we can
guarantee an exciting and knowledgeable roster of high-profile names from
the DVSA and driver training and road safety communities.
Bookings are open now. Just click on the link below to book. See the price list
below, with day, day/night and full weekend packages available.
We have endeavoured to keep our prices as low as possible while providing a high-quality
weekend, and the Telford Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort has more than enough to keep nondelegate
partners happy, with a superb swimming pool and spa, golf and other attractions
on site, as well as having the beautiful Severn Valley and iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site
of Ironbridge Gorge on its doorstep. Even better, we have arranged a special MSA GB
Conference discount on all spa treatments and golf fees!
Please note: All prices below are EARLY BIRD prices, and will be held until January 20.
After that date, some prices may rise.
https://msagb.com/msa-gb-national-conference/
Full Conference packages
Two nights’ accommodation and breakfast, Friday & Saturday
evening meals, Saturday lunch, Conference delegate ticket
Single booking:
£275
Couple sharing (with non-delegate ticket):
£385
* Non delegates receive lunch
on the Saturday
Telford Hotel,
Spa & Golf
Resort
One-day Conference packages
One night’s accommodation and breakfast, Friday OR Saturday
evening meals, Saturday lunch; Conference delegate ticket
Single booking:
£165
Couple sharing (with non-delegate ticket):
£235
Conference day delegate
* Non delegates receive lunch
on the Saturday
Conference delegate ticket for Saturday Booked after January 20
If booked before
£49
January 20 ...
£59
Thinking of bringing
the family?
There are other options available during
Saturday should you wish to make this a
family weekend and bring the children.
You can find full details at:
https://msagb.com/msa-gb-nationalconference/
20 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Conference speakers
The conference will comprise of a number of speakers and workshops, with
speakers drawn to create the most comprehensive and diverse ptrogramme
possible.
Just some of the confirmed speakers and topics we will cover are :
SPEAKERS TO INCLUDE (pictured right, from top)
n G Sabina – Roberts
n Graham Feest
n Manuel Picardi
n Dr Julia Malkin MBE
n Representatives from FBTC
PLUS representatives from the DVSA and MSA GB, with a comprehensive
update on the latest from the driver training and testing sector
Topics to include
Teaching with
and for
disabilities
Your tax – going
digital and what you
can claim for
MSA GB
update and
future plans
Update on the next
European driving
licence directive
LGBTQ+ business
awareness -
Gender diversity
Safer roads, vehicles,
and road users:
using a safe systems
approach
DVSA changes:
how they will effect
driver trainers
BOOK NOW:
Early Bird discount
ends on January 20
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 21

Members’ section
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 policy-holder 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
post-event, 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.
How it
works...
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
22 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
FAQs on the new membership service
Q: How do I use the service?
A: You just call AIIS’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.
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.
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
More MSA GB membership offers
and discounts - see pg 38-39
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 23

Members’ section
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
24 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

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.’
In every issue of 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, so if you would
like to see your details here, please contact Peter Harvey at
peter.harveymbe@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)
Contact: 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 Rd, 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’
Wirral Association of Professional Driving
Instructors (APDI)
Chairman: Brian Murray
T: 07810 094332
Secretary: Richard Gillmore
T: 07790 193138
E: wirral-apdi@hotmail.co.uk
W: wirralinstructors.co.uk
Meet monthly on the first Thursday of the
month (except January and August)
at Heswall FC, Brimstage Road, Heswall,
Wirral CH60 1XG
Further information and to join, please visit
the website.
Why join a local association?
Local news, local input – a local voice...
If you want to see your local ADI group listed in this index,
contact Peter Harvey on peterharveymbe@msagb.com
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 25

Towards your CPD
Who’s to blame... and
do I have a claim?
Tom Harrington considers the
Duty of Care & Obligations
expected of motorists and
asks, are you liable for a
prosecution over a careless slip
of concentration or a mistake?
What is Duty of Care?
Duty of care constitutes the first of the
three primary elements of tort (duty of care,
breach and causation). While there are many
situations in which an individual might have
acted carelessly, unless they have a duty of
care to the person harmed by their
carelessness, then no claim will arise.
This is a key point - while a case might
present the clearest existence of breach and
causation possible, it will fail if duty of care is
not present at the time of the breach.
Although the term ‘duty of care’ can seem
a little alien at first, it can roughly be thought
of a responsibility of an individual to not harm
others through their carelessness.
In the case of motoring, for example, a
driver on the road has a responsibility to
other road users to not cause an accident
through driving carelessly. In other words,
they have a duty of care to other road users.
Because of its ability to make or break a
given case, duty of care is often thought of as
a ‘control mechanism’ within the law -
essentially, a way for the courts to make a
distinction between cases which are legally
significant, and therefore worth pursuing, and
those cases which do not merit legal attention.
Therefore, in essence, a duty of care is a
legal obligation imposed on an individual
requiring that they adhere to a reasonable
standard of care while performing acts that
could foreseeably harm others.
On the road
Road accidents have given rise to a very
small proportion of reported cases of
negligence in recent years. There are,
however, a significant number of unreported
cases. The application of general negligence
principles to most road accidents is
unproblematic and so does not give rise to
many novel points of principle on matters
such as causation, contributory negligence,
the quantification of damages and the like,
rather than duty and standard of care.
The duty of care owed by road users is to
exercise reasonable care towards those
sufficiently proximate to be foreseeably
affected by their actions. This will principally
mean other road users in their vicinity, but to
a lesser extent it will include others, such as
the owners of property adjacent to the
highway and relatives of accident victims, or
rescuers who suffer psychological harm. The
duty in respect of psychological harm is one
of the few examples of road users’ duty to
give rise to significant disputes.
The concepts of ‘duty’ and ‘liability’ should
not be confused, as duty is only one of the
requisite elements for establishing liability. A
simple example will serve to demonstrate
this distinction.
Example
Three drivers (D1, D2 and D3) were
approaching a zebra crossing at which a
pedestrian (P) was attempting to cross.
D1 and D2 were approaching from the
same direction at 100 km/h, while D3 was
approaching from the opposite direction at
50km/h. D3 stopped before reaching the
crossing and P safely crossed the lane that
D3 was travelling on.
However, from the opposite carriageway,
D1 drove through the crossing without
attempting to stop, but did not injure P. D2
attempted to stop, but lost control of the
vehicle and collided with both P and D3’s
vehicle, causing severe personal injuries to P
and D3, and destroying D3’s vehicle.
In this case all three drivers owe a duty to
P and to other motorists to drive in a manner
that does not put them at risk of injury. D3
has discharged his duty by driving with the
appropriate degree of care. D1 failed to
discharge his duty, as he put P (at least) at
26 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
serious risk; however, D1 is not liable for any
of the injuries / damage outlined as he did not
cause any injury or damage.
The focus falls on D2: he has breached his
duty and caused damage and will be liable,
provided the appropriate steps are taken by
the injured parties to recover their losses.
Thus all three motorists carry a legal duty;
two of them breached that duty, but only one
is liable for the injuries sustained. It should be
noted that the driving of D1 and D2 could also
give rise to criminal prosecution, but that is a
separate issue from tortuous liability.
‘Nervous Shock’
The facts in the Bourhill v Young case
concerned an Edinburgh fishwife (that’s Mrs
Euphemia Bourhill ... no seriously, this was in
1943... Ed) getting off a tram to pick up her
fish basket. John Young was a motorcyclist
who passed the tram on the near side, and
some 50 feet further on crashed into a car
and was killed.
After his body was removed, Mrs. Bourhill
approached the site and saw the blood on the
road. She alleged that she suffered ‘nervous
shock’ as a result of the accident and gave
birth to a stillborn child about a month later.
Lord Russell held that Mr Young was
negligent in the incident that led to his
demise as he was travelling too fast.
However, he dismissed the plaintiff’s appeal
for damages against him on the basis that
Mrs Bourhill was not within John Young’s
vision, but standing behind the solid barrier of
the tramcar and his speed in no way
endangered her.
The determination of the level of
precautions that a road user should exercise in
any given circumstances is largely dependent
on factual matters. In most instances the
Rules of the Road or Highway Code and a
modicum of common sense will give a
sufficient indication of what is reasonable.
The application of general negligence
principles to road accidents provides little in
the way of extra legal principles, specifically
adapted to the context of road use. The cases
mainly demonstrate straightforward
applications of the various factors in respect
of the standard of care.
Thus, for example, situations of increased
risk of harm demand a corresponding
increase in the degree of caution a motorist
must exercise. Motorists approaching buses
with disembarking passengers will be
expected to anticipate the risk of children
running out suddenly from behind the bus.
Reasonable care demands that the driver
reduces his speed to that where the car can
be brought to a stop and, perhaps, sound the
“D2 attempted to stop, but
lost control of the vehicle and
collided with both P on the
pedestrian crossing and D3’s
vehicle, causing severe
injuries to P and D3, and
destroying D3’s vehicle...”
audible warning device in order to warn
children to the car’s presence.
Other situations of increased risk will also
give rise to a duty to take appropriate extra
precautions. The social utility of a driver’s
purpose, such as an emergency vehicle in a
rescue or a police officer in pursuit of an
escaping offender, will afford the driver a
greater degree of latitude than ordinary
driving situations. In such instances the
driver is not immune from liability in
negligence, but the social utility of the
driver’s actions will permit the creation of a
greater level of risk to others than would
normally be tolerated or allowed.
Strick v Tracey provides an excellent
example of the limits of this proposition. A
police car was escorting a Civil Defence fire
tender to a school fire. The police vehicle
entered a busy intersection, controlled by
traffic lights against the lights (red) and
stopped in the middle of the junction. The fire
tender, which had been a considerable
distance behind the police car, did likewise.
Both emergency vehicles were using flashing
lights and sirens. Mrs Tracey entered the
intersection with the traffic lights in her
favour. She saw the police car break the
lights and noticed the yellow vehicle
approaching from her left but, believing the
danger had passed, drove into the junction
and collided with the fire tender.
Although emergency vehicles are entitled
a degree of latitude, in determining
negligence, O’Hanlon J. held that all three
drivers had been negligent to some extent.
The burden of prevention on motorists is
usually slight, as they will often merely be
required to slow down or keep greater look
out, thereby slightly increasing the length of
their journey. Vehicle owners’ will also be
expected to maintain their vehicles in a
roadworthy condition and the cost of making
it safe cannot be avoided.
The need to incorporate new safety
devices is more problematic, but it is possible
that the owner could be held negligent for
failing to incur a modest expense installing a
safety device which would significantly
reduce the magnitude of risk.
The case law demonstrates that the courts
are quite demanding in the behaviour
required of drivers to meet the legal standard,
though they are sometimes satisfied that
serious accidents can occur despite the
exercise of reasonable care.
‘Neighbour Principle’
Marshall v Osmond also provides a useful
example of the relevance of the utility of the
defendant’s conduct in determining the
appropriate standard of care. In this case the
English Court of Appeal held that where a
police officer caused an injury through his
driving, the fact that he was in pursuit of
joyriders was relevant in determining the
level of behaviour required.
Continued on page 28
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 27

Towards your CPD
Continued from page 27
In this case the police officer’s driving was
held not to be negligent, though similar
driving by a civilian for his own pleasure
would be classed as negligent.
In the case of O’ Brien v Parker, Lavan J.
accepted in principle that a driver will not be
in breach of duty if he loses control of the
vehicle due to a sudden and unforeseeable
onset of a disabling medical condition. In the
instant case, though, the driver was found to
have had sufficient advance warning and
ought to have stopped driving.
The establishment of the general principle
of duty of care had to wait until the House of
Lords decision in Donoghue v Stevenson.
Lord Atkins’ formulation of the ‘neighbour
principle’ is probably the most famous and
respected formulation of the general concept
of the duty of care.
That states: “You must take reasonable
care to avoid acts or omissions which you
can reasonably foresee would be likely to
injure your neighbour.
“Who then, in law, is my neighbour? The
answer seems to be persons who are so
closely and directly affected by my act that I
ought reasonably to have them in
contemplation as being so affected when I
am directing my mind to the acts or
omissions which are called in question”.
So where does this leave us? With
self-responsibility, where one has been
partly responsible for causing one’s own
injuries, in addition to breach of duty by
another person. It is the responsibility of
every road user to take reasonable care not
to cause injury or damage to other road
users. Whether there is a breach of this duty
“The driver of a vehicle is
expected to meet the same
standards of care and skill as
‘the average motorist’. There is
no need to display driving skills
comparable to an F1 racing
driver or first-responder”
will depend on all the circumstances, such as
the time, place, weather, the light, the road,
speed, manner of driving other traffic and
state and condition of the driver.
In conclusion, coping with the everincreasing
volume of traffic, inadequate road
infrastructure, poor driving standards and
the unacceptable casualty rate, it’s essential
to recognise and emphasise the importance
of the driver’s duty of care/obligations and
“A learner driver who takes
control of a car for the very
first time is still expected to
meet the ‘average’ standard.
If they cause an accident,
even if it was through their
inexperience, they will be
held just as liable...”
responsibility to himself, his passengers and
all those he encounters whilst traversing the
public highway.
Conclusion
Every time you go out in your car, you put
yourself under certain legal obligations. This
happens whether you are aware of these
duties or not, so it is best to know what your
obligations are, and how you must behave to
meet them. Knowing this information can
also be helpful to recognise when other road
users have failed in their duties towards you
– something which could lead to a personal
injury claim.
As a road user, you owe a legal ‘duty of
care’ to all other road users. This means you
are obliged to take reasonable care to ensure
any action you take, or any action you fail to
take, does not cause injury to another road
user, or damage to property.
But what counts as someone failing in their
duty of care? No road user can be expected
to behave perfectly in every situation. But
some minimum standards are required of
road users by law. The driver of a vehicle is
expected to meet the same standards of care
and skill as ‘the average motorist’. There is no
need to display driving skills comparable to an
F1 racing driver or ambulance first-responder
– only the skill and attention of the average
motorist. This is what’s called an ‘objective
standard’. The standard of care is set and
every motorist must meet it. No
consideration is given to the individual
circumstances or abilities of each motorist.
But herre’s the crux: A learner driver who
takes control of a car for the very first time is
still expected to meet this same standard. If
they cause an accident, even if it was through
their inexperience, they will be held just as
liable for their conduct as someone who had
been driving for ten years. As such, a bad
driver cannot avoid liability by arguing that
they were taking all the care of which they
were capable. Hopelessness is no excuse!
If you have suffered a personal injury or
other harm due to another driver failing to
meet the necessary standards of care, you
may be able to claim compensation. Liability
could result from a wide range of behaviour
– from acts of negligence that were nothing
more than momentary lapse of attention, to
reckless or dangerous driving. If the standard
of driving is so poor that there is a criminal
prosecution (including a driver being ordered
onto a driver improvement course or even a
custodial sentence), making a compensation
claim against them will be a great deal easier.
This is because the ‘burden of proof’ is
higher in criminal matters than it is for civil
claims – so if evidence of their sub-standard
driving is enough to convict them for a
criminal offence, it will automatically be
sufficient proof to establish their liability for
negligence (which is a civil matter).
If you are injured in a car accident because
of another road user’s poor driving, then it is
recommended you contact the police
immediately. They may not investigate but, if
they do, then you or your solicitors should be
able to obtain a copy of the police’s report
once it is completed.
A damning report from the police should
assist you in any personal injury claim. Even
when fault for an accident is not at issue, you
should instruct specialist personal injury
solicitors when making a compensation claim.
28 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

Area News
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Signal your frustration to me!
Arthur Mynott
MSA GB
West Coast & Wales
Hello everyone. I trust you all had good
Christmas and not too sober New Year. I’m
writing this before Christmas because of the
deadlines, so I’m still looking forward to the
festive season!
As in previous years, Marie and I are off to
our daughter’s, along with her in-laws, for a
traditional Christmas Day. We have been
doing this for many years now, although last
year we had planned to be cruising the
Bahamas on Christmas Day.
When we told our daughter of her plans,
she originally told us off as we weren’t going
to be there on Christmas Day! Unfortunately,
we had to reschedule the cruise due to
Marie’s impending operation so we ended up
at our daughter’s anyway. One day, I may
persuade Marie to drive back so I can enjoy a
few drinks but I’m still working on that,
although I do make up for it over the festive
period with a few ciders, sherries and the odd
port and lemon.
Signal failure
As we are starting a New Year, I would like
to begin with something that really annoys
me on the roads, and that is the lack of
signals from other drivers. Why do some
think they don’t need to use them when on
the road? Have they forgotten the “mirror,
signal, manoeuvre” routine they were taught
when learning to drive and when doing their
test? If it was necessary then, surely it’s
necessary whenever your driving? I bet they
would signal if the police were following them
so if it’s necessary then, why not do it every
time? It is not as though it requires a great
deal of effort to move the indicator arm, just a
flick of a finger and I doubt it uses up one
calorie! Perhaps there should be some
adverts on the television from the
government reminding people to use their
indicators when necessary?
There used to be a myth that it was BMW
drivers who never signalled, and there were
many jokes to this effect, but now it seems to
apply to many other makes – and lots of van
drivers, too.
Many times I have been waiting to enter a
roundabout and waiting for drivers coming
from the road on the right who are not
signalling but then turn left instead, meaning I
have missed an opportunity to enter the
roundabout!
You can never second guess other road
users, though. On one occasion, when
teaching, a car approaching from the right
was signalling its intention to turn left before
us, so my pupil moved to set off. However, I
stopped him as the other car’s speed, road
position and direction of its wheels made me
think that despite the indicator, he wasn’t
planning on taking the first exit at all.
Sure enough, he barrelled straight on,
across the roundabout in front of us!
Afterwards I explained to the pupil the
reasons why I didn’t think he was turning left;
a lesson well learned.
That’s the end of this rant so I will finish by
wishing you all a Happy New Year and look
forward to seeing as many of you as possible
at the National Conference in March, and at
the many other events we are planning
throughout the coming year.
Webinar to tackle key safeguarding issues for ADIs
Arthur Mynott
I have organised a webinar for MSA GB
members across the country, on
Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults
Awareness. It will be on Sunday, February 25,
and held online, starting at 9.30am and
running for three hours.
The cost to attend will be £50.
As we are working with vulnerable adults
every day this course will help you to know
what to do if you suspect any of our students
may be having problems.
As we teach our pupils, we get to know
them quite well and they very often talk to us
about their concerns. Sometimes we find it
hard to give a considered reply or know how
to respond, particularly if there are concerns.
This course will help you deal with these
sort of situations when they arise.
There will be a CPD certificate for all
attendees.
If you would like to participate, then please
reply asap using my contact details below.
CONTACT
Arthur Mynott, Chairman West Coast &
Wales MSA GB
Tel 07989852274
arthur.mynott@msagb.com
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 29

Area News
DVSA sets out its Vision 2030
at the British Motor Museum
Janet
Stewart
London & the
South East
I was at a conference at the end of November
at which Loveday Ryder was speaking. She
was talking about keeping Britain moving
“Safely and Sustainably”.
Some of the facts and figures were very
interesting, and others rather disturbing. In
2023 there were 850,000 electric cars on the
roads, as we move collectively towards
sustainability. However, 24 per cent of
greenhouse gases are still coming from
transport.
The DVSA’s remit is to set standards,
assess, test, accredit, regulate, inform,
educate and advise. This looks at first sight
like a rather impressive list until you realise
that there is a lot of overlap and some of the
terms are synonyms.
The figure of 7 per cent was quoted as the
increase in demand for driving tests which
was attributed to the economy, strike action
and changes in consumer behaviour.
However, waiting times for tests are coming
down in some places, but certainly not in the
London area. To help reduce the problem, 240
staff who held the appropriate warrant will be
conducting tests until the end of March 2024.
In view of the size of the problem this does
seem to be a mere drop in the ocean but
there is an on-going recruitment drive for
new examiners. Staff who were working on
new ways of delivering services having been
re-assigned to conduct driving tests, the new
initiatives have been kicked into the long
grass.
On November 20, 93,000 tests were
available across the country but there were
still 113 test centres with wait times at 24
weeks. The pass rate is currently standing at
48 per cent. In October 169,910 tests were
conducted resulting in 81,595 passes.
Naturally, there were many questions put
to Loveday about the rise in the use of bots
to secure L-tests. 76% of learners say that
they booked their test using one of the
cancellation sites rather than the official
DVSA booking system. She said that they
were doing the best they could to stop these
BMW or Thunderbirds...?
sites, and many accounts had been banned or
closed down.
The problem is, as has been pointed out
before, it is not an offence to re-sell a driving
test.
Standard checks have been curtailed until
April but test performances are being
monitored to pick up sub-standard
instruction.
Loveday took questions for much longer
than the time that had originally been allotted
and was refreshingly honest in her answers.
There were quite a number of disgruntled
ADIs in the room and they did not let her off
lightly. One suggestion to help reduce
waiting times and stop learners from just
having a go was to raise the cost of the
“Loveday joined the queue
behind me and we were
chatting generally when
another instructor started
haranguing her really
aggressively, jabbing his
finger in her face... ”
driving test. However, this would be a very
lengthy process and is something for which
the Government would not currently have
much appetite.
Increasing to 28 days the time before a
test can be sat following a failure is awaiting
approval.
More examiners are now wearing bodycams
as aggression against them is
increasingly concerning. If someone is noted
to be aggressive at the theory test stage, a
marker goes on them and there will be an
extra person in the car for the driving test.
Following an incident on test, the next test
will have to be at a different test centre.
To avoid aggressive behaviour on taxi
tests, the result is sent out 24 hours later so
that the examiner is not in confrontation with
the candidate.
We are all suffering as a result of the
waiting times and resultant pressure on
learners. There has been an increase in
malicious complaints against ADIs. Every
complaint must be investigated and while the
ADI might be wholly exonerated, the pupil is
not penalised in any way. There is no
satisfactory way round this issue.
It was suggested that a learner should not
30 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
BMW or Thunderbirds...?
be permitted more than three attempts at
the theory test to prevent multiple attempts
and the test being used as a learning method.
When the Q and A came to an end we went
for lunch. Loveday joined the queue behind
me and we were chatting generally and not
about driving when another instructor
approached and started haranguing Loveday
really aggressively, jabbing his finger in her
face.
I found this unacceptable after the level of
interrogation she had already been subjected
to. We all have reasons to be aggrieved at the
moment but there also has to be mutual
respect.
It was a very cold day and for part of it I
was outside with a Green Flag chap who was
changing my tyre (fortunately I carry a full
size spare). My husband asked me why I had
not changed the tyre myself. Yes, I know how
to do it and have done so in the past, but I was
not appropriately dressed! This very nice
man took photos of everything that he was
doing, including my locking wheel nut. I asked
him why. It is because of the abuse these
people get and accusations of them not
doing the job properly.
I suppose I should not have been surprised
in our current blame culture.
On a lighter note, I also had time to look at
some of the cars in the museum. There was a
1931 BMW and the Thunderbirds car, among
many others. My New Year quiz question is
this: looking at the photos can you work out
which is the BMW and which the
Thunderbirds car?
Wishing everyone an optimistic start to
2024.
Wales to get tough on enforcing 20mph limit
Enforcement of the new 20mph default
speed limit in built-up areas across Wales
kicks-in this month after what the
Government described as a “grace period.”
The £34 million law has been in
operation since last September, but police
have enforced it with roadside
interventions and a light touch. However, it
will now be enforced – though not all
drivers exceeding the 20mph limit will face
prosecution. Police say the initial focus will
be on penalising the most hazardous
offenders, which road safety groups
believe will be those driving at over 26mph.
A spokesperson for the Welsh
Government stated, “we’ve given a grace
period but we will now start to enforce”.
If speeding persists on specific 20mph
stretches, authorities plan to escalate
preventive actions such as enhanced
roadside engagement, speed calming
methods, or additional speed cameras.
The 20mph speed limit reduction affects
35% of Welsh roads with lamp-posts
situated no more than 200 yards apart.
Drivers are assured they won’t be
penalised for incorrect road signs
displaying the old speed limit.
Doing The Strand
In the December issue John Lomas
asked the following poser:
1) In the UK, on a two-way road, where
is it a legal requirement to drive on the
right?
2) Do you know of anywhere, on a
two-way road, where it is advisable to
keep to the right?
The answer is the Savoy Hotel, in
London – the place which dictates the
tight turning circle of a black cab. The
curious answer lies in the fact that The
Strand, off which The Savoy stands, is
a one -way street running from right to
left in front of the entrance approach
The full answer to question 1 is:
Starkie Street Garage entrance, Savoy
Court, off The Strand, London
https://maps.app.goo.gl/
gYG1BDuZ2oecsRvY7
The full answer to question 2 is:
The entrance to Starkie St roof top
parking is entered by turning right from
a one way street, obviously vehicles
emerging are also turning right. So
staying right on the access road avoids
the need for vehicles to cross in front
of another in the opposite direction..
https://maps.app.goo.gl/
GbH1ejBD4ZCdpojB7
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 31

Area News
Crossing the rubicon, US-style
John Lomas
MSA GB
West Coast
& Wales
Over the years I have noticed that in films
and other programmes about America, you
often see people crossing diagonally at
crossroads as well as crossing the
individual roads, when they get their ‘Cross
Now’ instruction.
I have recently noticed that there is a
traffic light controlled crossroads near me
which is marked and controlled for the
same movements (see above right). Are
there many of these in the UK? I certainly
haven’t noticed any others, and of course
when driving it doesn’t really make a
difference to the way it is dealt with.
Incidently, reading a discussion about
the different experiences for Americans
visiting the UK, I have seen comments
about them being surprised that
pedestrians can cross our roads at places
other than controlled crossings. Someone
posted that in New York, they have
even used a cab to get to the other side
of the road because it is too far to walk
to the next junction, cross over
and then walk back.
Can someone who has
been to the States tell
me, do their ‘jaywalking’
laws apply everywhere,
even outside cities and
towns?
I do sometimes
wonder about the
existence of common
sense in America when I see
examples of some roadside signs
over there. Would it really be necessary
to have a sign like this one anywhere
else in the world (above)?
Having written the above I have
remembered the number of cars which
appear to have been driven into flood
waters, or even fords, and have then had to
be abandoned; but those drivers generally
knew the water was there without having
to be told, they just chose to ignore proper
precautions.
Talking of fords, do many of you actually
teach your pupils the best way to deal with
them either in theory, or if you have one
near enough, as a practical leson? I was
wondering if hybrids and EVs require a
different approach because they may be
more, or possibly less, susceptible to
trouble driving through water?
Someone, somewhere is
watching for YOU.
You may have come across one of the
many ‘Stupid Parking Places’ pages on
FaceBook. Sadly, I spotted an ADI included
What is a driving instructor?
I thought you might be amused by this hoodie/
fleece I have seen on Facebook. It would appear
to come from an American vendor (as the price
was in dollar $).
If you can’t read it clearly it reads
Driving Instructor (noun)... An individual who
does precision guess-work based on unreliable
data provided by those with questionable
knowledge... see also Wizard, magician
in its ranks the other day (below). I have
anonymised it... It is parked with the
offside wheels on a pavement and partially,
at least, parked over a double yellow line.
The photo only showed the rear of the car
so I don’t know if the yellow lines’ terminal
marking was under the car or if the lines
extended in front of the car.
Now, obviously, I hope that it wasn’t one
of our members BUT I did feel that it ought
to be brought to your attention as a
cautionary tale and to remind you that
virtually everybody out there has a camera
these days, and your signed-up driving
school car makes you an obvious target for
any real or assumed slippage from correct
standards.
I have also seen, on the same site, another
FB photo featuring the seemingly now
obligatory ‘I Passed with ‘X’ Driving School’
board and the car was clearly parked on a
corner over double yellow lines.
Whoever posted it on that site obscured
the pupil’s face but left the school’s identity
clear for all to see.
See pg 31 for answers
to John’s questions in
the December issue, on
whether any roads in
the UK demand you use
the right lane for
progress
Contact John via:
20 Snowdon Place,
Upper Stratton, Swindon.
SN2 7LR
T: 0779 609 1767
E: johnstardriving@
hotmail.com
32 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
Brian Thomson
The Angus Driving Instructors Association
(ADIA) has gone from strength to strength in
its first year under a new chairperson, with a
solid growth in members. We finished off
2023 with 24 members and hopefully most/
all/more will join in the coming year.
The ‘meeting’ part of the story started off
with chair Lynn Newton giving a report on
how she felt the year had gone. She outlined
what plans ADIA had for next year,
particularly in regards to meeting frequency
in different locations, fundraising and training.
She also told the meeting about the results
of an online survey that was put out to the
members, asking for their views on costs,
training, expectations, and various other
topics.
We had an approximately a 50% feedback
response (can’t win them all) from the
members, but there were some good
suggestions contained within them.
The ADIA treasurer, Claire Robertson, gave
the year end breakdown of the finances and
the year’s closing balance, saying she felt the
association was in a good position to put
money towards training throughout next
year.
Vice chair Brian Thomson gave a
presentation on the benefits of being an MSA
Four days after the AGM (below) came the official
ADIA ‘works night out’. This saw 15+ of us (some
partners came along too) met up at a Montrose
Chinese restaurant where a Secret Santa draw and
Christmas jumpers were the order of the day.
Left, Frances noticed the paparazzi were close...
while above, Lynn takes a selfie and accidently gets
some of the group in.
Meetings and meals as ADIA goes from
strength to strength in Angus
GB member, with slides showing some of the
offers and discounts available.
In the attending group, only one local
member was not an MSA GB member too,
but his words must have had some effect on
the outlier as by the end of the meeting they
too had signed up. Full house!
The evening continued with the AGM, with
the existing committee positions remaining
as last year:
n Chair: Lynn Newton
n Deputy chair/secretary: Frances
Matthews
n Treasurer: Claire Robertson
n Social organiser: Ailsa Vickrage (not
present),
n Vice chair: Brian Thomson
Pictured left are some of the group revelling
in some nostalgia at an “end of evening” slide
show.
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 33

Area News
Great food and even better company as
GDDIA marks Christmas in style
Glasgow & District Driving
Instructors Association had a
grand Christmas Night Out, as
Alex Buist reports
The call came in October from Bryan Phillips
and it went something like this:
Bryan: “Mr Buist, seeing as you are now
retired, could you sort out the Christmas
night out.
Me: Certainly Mr Phillips, would you like it to
be the same venue as last year?
Bryan: Aye, don’t see that being a problem,
can you fix it?
Me: Now I’m Bob, of course I can”.
Other bits of chat went on but the
foundation was laid.
So I phoned my friend Ravi, who owns a
lovely Indian eestaurant in Bishopbriggs
called The Swaran. It has a back room which
accommodates us all perfectly.
Can we book this for our Christmas night
out Ravi? No worries ... when for, that’s when
the dilemma starts. Being retired I can go
anytime but what about the other guys, they
are very busy, like everyone else run of their
feet. Not sure says I, get back to you soon/
Back to Bryan we go, with the 16th
December agreed on... only Ravi can’t fit us in.
What about the 9th? “Yep, the 9th is fine, do
you want it booked?” “Ideal.”
December 9 it was. Then the Whatsapp
messages started, to let all members know
that the date was confirmed and the venue
was booked. As I said, with everyone being
rushed of their feet it took a while for all to
reply, eventually we had the required number
of members.
The next step was to let them know that
the Secret Santa was going to be in force
again. The criteria is very simple: cost should
be no more than £15 and the gift should be
completely inappropriate and absolutely
useless.
Even on a Whatsapp page you could sense
the wickedness of some of the members
thinking what they could purchase.
I then went through everyone and sorted
out the victims ... er recipients... of the gifts,
then it was a matter of letting the individuals
know who they had. Again, when passing the
names over you could sense evil in some of
the replies. I may add that although evil may
have been present there was never any
malice, it was all in very good humour.
Bryan then phones me again to tell me that
he intends to incorporate John Archer’s
retirement presentation into the night’s fun.
December 9 duly arrives and the members
duly arrive resplendent in their Christmas
jumpers and shirts, ready for a good night.
First on the agenda was the presentation
to a very emotional John Archer. John has
been an ADI for 32 years and felt it was time
to rip up the L-plates.
Bryan made a terrific speech and it was
very poignant for him as John had been the
ADI that had taught him to drive and had
planted the seed for him to train as an ADI.
John was extremely surprised and
delighted and informed everyone that he
would still be around and attending meetings.
(There’s a short piece on this from Bryan
34 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
on the facing page)
Then the festivities started Ravi and his
staff were excellent and soon the drink (soft
drinks only, honest, if you believe that, well ...)
started to flow.
The food was absolutely first class and
there was more than enough of it, but it didn’t
stop them all from talking, telling stories
about the learners they had taught in the
past year, and the dodgy phone calls they’d
received from prospective clients.
I know that this is something that is
repeated all over the country whenever
instructors get together. It’s amazing how
many instructors have received calls going
along the lines of: “I’ve a test booked next
week and my instructor has let me down, can
I borrow your car. I can drive mate, no
problem, just need your car”, and the other
classic, “Maybe if you could give me a lesson
everyday so I get used to car.”
We have all had them but I think that some
of the responses would make excellent
reading.
This went on through the meal, then it was
time for Santa to dish out the presents.
Decked in their festive jumpers, the
group must have been an arresting
sight for other diners...
Honestly I’m sure some of those attending
slipped back to their childhood at that time.
Some of the gifts were absolutely hilarious,
some quite near the bone, but every one of
them created a great amount of laughter and
a great amount of camaraderie.
The end of the night came all too soon and
we began saying our ‘cheerios’ and looking
forward to the next night out.
Having been involved with this group for
nearly 28 years it never fails to amaze me
how we all gel and have such a ball together.
Every year we do this it gets better and
seeing the changes to the members is
something that makes it all the better.
So to all instructors who are reading this,
from all at Glasgow and District Driving
Instructors Association, we hope you had a
fantastic Christmas and that 2024 brings you
all you hope for.
To join the GDDIA, contact
Bryan Phillips T: 07989 339 646
E: bryan.phillips@hotmail.co.uk
“Some of the gifts were absolutely hilarious, some quite near the
bone, but they created a great amount of laughter and a great
amount of camaraderie. Having been involved with this group
for nearly 28 years it never fails to amaze me how we all gel
and have such a ball together...”
John’s hanging
up his L-plates
Bryan Phillips
Editor, Area 1 Scotland
John Archer, MSA GB member from
Glasgow has decided that after 32 years
of teaching learners within Glasgow’s
North and East ends, it’s time to finally
remove his driving school roof box from
his Peugeot 3008 and banish it to the
garden shed and retire!
Over the many years John has played
an active role in the driver training
community, and we couldn’t let him
retire without some kind of recognition.
At the Glasgow and District Driving
Instructors Association Christmas Night
Out, I said a few words to congratulate
him on his career and wished him well on
his retirement on behalf of the GDDIA.
I also presented John with a card
signed by all the association members
and some gifts to as a token of their
appreciation for all his hard work.
It was in many ways appropriate for
me to be paying tribute as John taught
me to drive 25 years ago, and also put
me on the track to being an ADI.
I ended by saying that John was
always welcome and not to be a stranger
to the GDDIA. Therre was also an offer: if
John should decide retirement isn’t for
him, he is welcome to a franchise with
me!
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 35

The ADIs’ view...
A look back... and a look forward
Happy new year!
In January it’s always a good idea to reflect on
the past 12 months, and look forward to the
year ahead. We asked a few of Newslink’s
regular contributors some questions on how
they saw 2023, and what they were hoping
2024 would bring.
Here’s what they came up with...
What was your personal highlight of 2023?
Arthur Mynott: Playing the Golf Tour in
October with DIGA (the Driving Instructors
Golf Association) on The Wirral. A great few
days away. Also hosting a successful MSA GB
West Coast & Wales Area Conference in
November.
Janet Stewart: Riding along a beach in
Morocco on a quality horse.
Colin Lilly: Taking more short breaks in
parts of the country I have not visited before,
and growing fresh vegetables in our garden.
John Lomas: Managing to get to a regional
meeting!
Steven Porter: I got to go to a Superbikes
meeting at Donnington racetrack for the first
time to see a friend of mine’s son-in-law
whose career I’ve been following for last
couple of years.
My youngest got invited into the pits to
meet John McPhee and the team with his
bike. Oh, and my twin’s 21st birthday
celebrations.
Rob Beswick: My twin daughters’ A level
results, which were stunning and got them in
to the universities they wanted, and my
eldest daughter getting a 2:1 in her degree,
which landed her a job with Balfour Beatty.
I’m the first person in my family since the
1800s not to be an engineer, so for my
daughter to start a career as a geological
engineer was a proud moment.
What’s your biggest regret from the year?
AM: Attending the funeral of my last
surviving uncle.
JS: Not galloping said horse in Morocco
faster and longer!
CL: Not retiring from learner driver training
at the end of 2022. This year the pupils’
objectives seem to have changed, and the
quest for an early test is more important than
learning to drive safely. Sadly, probably the
least enjoyable of a 45-year career.
JL: Unfortunately, it looks like my eyes
aren’t going to allow much more driving. I can
still pass the optician’s chart test, but
Highlight? Riding a quality
horse along a beach in
Morocco... Regret? Not
galloping it for much longer!
daylight runners on oncoming cars are
causing flaring, so it may be time to hang up
the keys.
SP: Not getting to go on holiday this year,
instead bowing down to my good lady and
getting a kitchen!
RB: I could say Stockport County losing in a
play-off final on penalties... but I’ll try to stay
highbrow and say my continued inability to
submit an FOI request to the DVSA which
gets me the information I want first time.
How would you mark the year out of 10
- and why?
AM: 7. Lovely, long hot summer but very
wet autumn!
JS: 8/10, because I did not allow myself to
be pushed by desperate pupils.
CL: 7. Driver training became less
enjoyable. I realise I made a mistake returning
to learner drivers after the Covid lockdown.
JL: 8 or 9 – because I am still waking up in
the morning, so that’s a good start!
SP: Probably 8.5 out of 10. Business wise
it’s been as good as I want it to be, personally
I’ve done some things I haven’t done before
and spending this time with my family was an
added bonus.
RB: 8. Daughters’ successes and a great,
possibly last, big family holiday in Crete, plus
the completion of some major house
renovations, could have pushed it higher, but
the sad death of my brother-in-law after a
brave fight with dementia put a dampener on
the year.
What was your biggest disappointment -
from an ADI’s point of view …?
JS: The performance of the DVSA.
CL: The change of focus among the pupils
to the constant search for a cancellation test,
rather than focus on improving their driving
to reach test standard.
SP: This never ending waiting list and trying
to change your business to suit it by booking
tests as soon as pupils have passed their
theory, trying to look six months down the
line, then having to swap tests about when
they haven’t got up to test standard.
RB: The DVSA’s lack of critically aware
thinking on waiting times. Setting a goal of
8-12 weeks by December 2022 was
laughable as it was clearly unachievable, and
continuing to claim that was the aim in 2023
simply built up false hopes. They should have
been braver with both the Government in
demanding more help, and with ADIs in telling
the story as it is.
How would you mark the DVSA’s
performance in 2023 - and why?
AM: I would have to give them a poor mark
because of their continued failure to reduce
test waiting times.
JS: I would give the DVSA 5/10 because
they are trying – but they are also very
trying.
CL: 8 for effort, 4 for results. There’s no
doubt they have made a lot of effort trying to
reduce the waiting list. Bringing all warrant
card holders back to testing felt like their last
gasp, but it’s still not enough.
SP: This is going to sound like I’m sticking
up for them, but I do feel for them (in a way)
that Covid and the strikes have made it
extremely difficult to make progress on
reducing waiting times. However, if they paid
their examiners a decent wage (the
Government, that is), more people would
become examiners and we wouldn’t have
such a lengthy waiting list, I think. The DVSA’s
mark? Could do better.
RB. 4. You can’t knock the effort but it’s felt
like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic
at times.
If you were forcing the DVSA to make a New
Year’s Resolution, what would it be?
AM: Interact better with ADIs and listen to
The DVSA must.... Interact better with ADIs and listen to them...
upgrade their systems properly and not on the cheap... achieve
some autonomy from Government.... pay its examiners more...
and trust only ADIs to book L-tests...
36 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
them when they have good points to make,
and advice to offer.
JS: Upgrade their systems properly and
not on the cheap.
CL: Go to your government paymasters
and hopefully achieve some autonomy. This
could allow them to charge more for their
service to improve pay and conditions for
their examiners and develop a driving test fit
for purpose. It would also give them some
freedom from the constraints of Government
policy. We can all dream.
SP: Pay your examiners more!
RB: Solve the examiner dispute with a solid
pay offer and an acceptance that they need
examiners inside the tent, not outside.
I think it also needs a new strategy that
blocks out the bots on test bookings.
Perhaps change the rules so that only ADIs
can book tests by first putting in their ADI
number and a unique password they create.
As a stick to go with the carrot, make it clear
that abusing the new system – which would
after all give ADIs real power – would be seen
as a reason to be removed from the Register.
What are you most looking forward to in
2024?
JS: More holidays and less work.
JL: December 31st; another year ticked off!
CL: Building on the leisure time activities
created in 2023.
SP: I’m going to do more travelling next
year following John McPhee on his superbikes
career with my youngest and friend.
I’m also going to do some travelling with
my sons and, if she’s behaving, maybe my
good lady, ... maybe.
RB: I’m a sports nut, so the football Euros in
Germany followed by the Olympics in Paris
sounds like Heaven.
What is the big change that’s coming in the
next 12 months - either personally, or for
ADIs in general?
CL: Very difficult to predict with a General
Election possible. What will new government
policies on the environmental issues? Will
transport policy become an issue?
JL: Probably another 12 sessions of a
fortnightly course of chemo.
SP: Im going to retire at 52 or DVSA are
going to pay examiners a decent wage and
bring this waiting list down to 4-6 weeks.
Looks like early retirement for me then .
RB: On a motoring front, the continued
push to EVs is going to challenge a lot of ADIs.
At some point you’ll have to jump... is 2024
the year you do?
It will also be interesting to see how the
General Election turns out.
DIGA diary for 2024
Challenging courses, stunning views
and always a warm welcome
Fancy a round of golf with like-minded
driver trainers and ADIs? Then why not join
the DRIVING INSTRUCTORS GOLF
ASSOCIATION
Now in its 34th year, 2024 sees another
exciting line-up of competitions at some of
the most challenging and picturesque golf
courses across the country
Here’s the diary as it stands:
March at The Wrekin
If you’re going to the MSA GB conference
we’re playing The Wrekin Golf Club,
Shropshire on Friday, 22nd March. It’s just
20 minutes away from the Telford Hotel,
Spa and Golf Resort where the conference
is being held.
This is a wonderful, scenic golf course
surrounded by woodland that benefits
from spectacular and inspiring views. It
presents a fair test for all levels of all
golfers.
May - Beeston
Friday, May 3 sees DIGA’s next event at
Beeston Fields Golf Club in Nottinghamshire.
The course celebrated its centenary
last year and is set amongst beautiful
parkland. It is renowned for its superb
condition and facilities.
July - Redditch
On July 5 we visit Redditch Golf Club
which is a mix of parkland and tree-lined
holes with outstanding greens which
provides an interesting test for all levels of
golfer.
September - Saddleworth
It’s been a while since we’ve played the
stunning course at Saddleworth Golf Club
in the foothills of the Pennines. Last visited
by DIGA back in June 1995, we will be
making up for lost time when we return on
September 6.
This is a real treat: fantastic views all the
way round but look out for the view from
the 14th tee – described by Peter Alliss no
less as “one of the best in golf”.
November - nearly Christmas...
Friday, November 15 is when DIGA holds
its Christmas event, this time at Broadway
Golf Club. It’s not the first time we’ve
played this great course, which is one of
the best in the Cotswolds with superb
views over the Malvern and the Black
Mountains.
Tour of Wales
Before we wrap up the year we will be
hosting our three-day tour. This year it is in
Wales, from October 20-22, when we will
be playing Porthmadog, Neyyn & Royal St
David courses respectively.
If you want to get on this, act quickly as
places are limited and it is nearly sold out.
Hopefully, there is something for all
golfing fans here. All DIGA events follow a
similar pattern, with welcome
refreshments before we head off on to the
course. A challenging round of golf is
followed by a convivial meal and prizegiving.
Want to know more?
If you would like to join us at any of the
events, please check out our website
diga.org.uk or contact Richard Tookey
at r2key19@gmail.com
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 37

Members’ discounts
Members’ discounts and benefits
MSA GB has organised a number of exclusive discounts and offers for members. More details can be found on our website at www.msagb.com
and click on the Member Discounts logo. To access these benefits, simply log in and click on the Member discount logo, then click the link at the
bottom of the page to allow you to obtain your special discounts.
Please note, non-members will be required to join the association first. Terms and conditions apply
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 members with a
replacement dual controlled car when things don’t quite go to plan.
If you lose your dual-controlled tuition car in a crash, MSA GB’s new partnership with AI
Insurance Solutions Ltd will have you back on the road and teaching in no time.
Our exclusive agreement with AI Solutions Ltd will supply a replacement vehicle to you
should the need arise – at no cost. Contact The AI Insurance Solutions Emergency (AIIS)
assistance line on 01945 425211 for more details, or see pg 26.
Ford updates special
members’ offer
Ford has partnered with MSA GB to offer exclusive
discounts on all car and commercial Ford vehicles.
Take a look at the Ford website www.ford.co.uk
for vehicle and specification information. See the
Members’ Benefits page on the MSA GB website
and follow the Ford link for more details..
Please note these discounts are only available to
MSA GB members and their immediate family if they
are members who pay annually.
ACCOUNTANCY
MSA GB’s Recommended
Accountancy Service, FBTC
offers a specialist service for
ADIs. It has been established
over 20 years ago and covers the
whole of the UK. The team takes pride in
providing unlimited advice and support to ensure
the completion of your tax return is hassle free,
giving you peace of mind.
MSA GB OFFER:: FBTC will prepare you for
Making Tax Digital and will be providing HMRC
compliant software to all clients very soon.
Join now to receive three months free.
ADVANCE DRIVING
AND RIDING
As the UK’s largest road safety
charity, IAM RoadSmart is
proud to partner with the
Motor Schools Association
GB. Working together to promote and
enhance motorists skills on our roads.
MSA GB OFFER:: Get 10% off Advanced courses;
visit www.iamroadsmart.com/course and
use the code MSA10 at the checkout or call
0300 303 1134 to book.
BREATHALYSER KITS
Protect yourself and your pupils with a
personal breathalyser. We’ve teamed up with
AlcoSense, the award-winning range of
personal breathalysers, to offer an exclusive
discount to all MSA GB members. A personal
breathalyser takes the guesswork out of
whether there’s residual alcohol in your
system (or that of your learner driver pupil)
the morning after the night before.
MSA GB OFFER:: 10% off any AlcoSense product
(excluding single-use disposables) – from the
entry-level Lite 2 (£44.99) to the top-ofthe-range
Ultra (£249.00).
CAR AIR FRESHENERS / CANDLES
Mandles’ handmade scented collections use
quality ingredients to ensure superior scent
throw from all its candles and
diffusers. Check our our website
for further details.
MSA GB OFFER:: Special discount
of 20% on all car air fresheners
and refills.
CARD PAYMENTS
MSA GB and SumUp believe
in supporting motor vehicle
trainers of all shapes and sizes.
Together we are on a mission to
ease the operational workload of
our members by providing them with the ability
to take card payments on-the-go or in their
respective training centres. SumUp readers
are durable and user-friendly. Their paperless
onboarding is quick and efficient. Moreover,
their offer comes with no monthly subscription,
no contractual agreement, no support fees,
no hidden fees – just the one-off cost for the
reader coupled with lowest on the market
transaction fee.
DISABILITY AIDS
Driving shouldn’t just be a
privilege for people without
disabilities; it should be
accessible for all and there’s never been an easier
time to make this the case! MSA GB members
can take advantage of BAS’s Driving Instructor
Packages which include a range of adaptations at
a discounted price, suitable for teaching disabled
learner drivers.
MSA GB OFFER:: Special Driving Instructor
Packages for MSA GB members.
FUEL CARDS
Save up to 10p per litre of fuel with Fuel Card
Services. Fuel Card Services offers a large
choice of networks from leading brands, such
as BP, Shell, Esso and UK Fuels so you can
decide which networks you wish to include on
your business account.
MSA GB OFFER:: An MSA GB fuel card will save
you up to 10p per litre.
HEALTH / FINANCE COVER
The Motor Schools Association of Great
Britain has agreed with HMCA to
offer discounted rates for medical
plans, dental plan, hospital cash
plans, personal accident plan,
travel plan, income protection
and vehicle breakdown products.
MSA GB OFFER:: HMCA only offer
medical plans to membership groups
and can offer up to a 40% discount off the
underwriter’s standard rates. This is a
comprehensive plan which provides generous
cash benefits for surgery and other charges.
To get the full story of the
discounts available, see
www.msagb.com
38 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com
PUPIL INSURANCE
Join the Collingwood
Instructor Programme and
refer your pupils for learner
insurance.
MSA GB OFFER:: MSA GB OFFER:: £50 for
your first referral and £20 for all additional
referrals.
PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING
Confident Drivers has the only
website created especially for
drivers offering eight different
psychological techniques
commonly used to reduce stress and nerves.
MSA GB OFFER:: One month free on a monthly
subscription plan using coupon code.
PUPIL SOURCING
Go Roadie provides students
when they need them, with all
the details you need before you
accept. Control your own pricing,
discounts and set your availability
to suit you. Full diary? No cost!
MSA GB OFFER:: Introductory offer of 50% off
the first three students they accept.
QUICKBOOKS
50% Discount on two
packages for MSA GB
members
Quickbooks is offering an online
50% discount for MSA GB members on two of
their premium accounting packages.
Essentials Package For small businesses
working with suppliers. Manage VAT and
Income Tax with up to three users.
Plus For businesses managing projects,
stock, VAT, and Income Tax. Up to five users.
The packages are contract-free throughout
with no cancellation fee. This exclusive
member offer can only be secured by
contacting our MSA GB representative at
Quickbooks - Ollie Nobes, on: 07723 507 026
or email: Ollie_Nobes@intuit.com quoting:
**MSAGB**
To get the full story of the
discounts available, see
www.msagb.com
Membership offer
Welcome, new ADIs
We’ve a special introductory offer for you!
Congratulations on passing your
Part 3 and becoming an ADI.
There’s an exciting career
open to you from today,
one that’s alive with
possibilities as you build
your skills, your client base
and your income.
But for all the excitement,
it can also be challenging;
who can you turn to if you’re
struggling to get over key driver
training issues to a pupil? Where can
you go to soak up advice from more
experienced ADIs? Who will help you if you
are caught up in a dispute with the DVSA? If
the worst happens, who can you turn to for
help, advice and to fight your corner?
The answer is the Motor Schools
Association of Great Britain – MSA GB for
short.
We are the most senior association
representing driving instructors in Great
Britain. Establised in 1935 when the first
driving test was introduced, MSA GB has
been working tirelessly ever since on
behalf of ordinary rank and file ADIs.
We represent your interests and your
views in the corridors of power, holding
regular meetings with senior officials
from the DVSA and the Department for
Transport to make sure the ADIs’ voice is
heard.
SPECIAL OFFER
Join MSA GB today!
SPECIAL OFFER: Join for just £60 with your
PI & PL insurance included immediately!
No joining fee - saving you £25
Call 01787 221020 quoting discount code
Newslink, or join online at www.msagb.com
We’d like you to
join us
We’re there to support you
every step of the way.
Our office-based staff are
there, five days a week,
from 9am-5pm, ready to
answer your call and help
you in any way.
In addition our network of
experienced office holders and
regional officers can offer advice over
the phone or by email.
But membership of the MSA GB doesn’t
just mean we’re there for you if you’re
in trouble. We also offer a nationwide
network of regular meetings, seminars and
training events, an Annual Conference, and
a chance to participate in MSA GB affairs
through our democratic structure
In addition, you’ll get a free link to our
membership magazine Newslink every
month, with all the latest news, views,
comment and advice you’ll need to become
a successful driving instructor.
You’ll also automatically receive
professional indemnity insurance worth up
to £5m and £10m public liability insurance
free of charge.
This is essential legal protection covering
you against legal claims ariving from your
tuition.
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2024 39