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News Big fall in pass rates when no duals involved During Conference a delegate put the following question to the DVSA: ‘Do candidates fare better or worse on their L-test if they take it in their own car, without dual controls being present?’ The suggestion back was to “put an FOI in, and find out.” So Newslink did... read on for the answer! In recent months there has been a lot of debate around candidates taking their L-test in their own cars, and as a consequence, taking it without dual controls being present. In particular ADIs have wondered whether taking a test in a non-ADI car impacts on the pass rate. Are examiners less inclined to pass a candidate without duals being present, or is the act of taking a test without your instructor being involved likely to lend itself to a greater chance of a fail – or a pass? This has become an increasingly important question as more and more learners, desperate to obtain an L-test slot, have booked tests without first checking with their ADI that they are available on the day and at the time in question – or whether they are ready to take their test. In addition, some ADIs have refused to accompany their pupils on tests when they think they are clearly not ready, particularly if they feel a bad fail could impact on their TIP score. So, do candidates fare better in their own cars, without duals, or does it make no difference to overall pass rates? We asked the DVSA, and the answer is, yes, it does make a difference – and a quite sizeable one at that. We asked the DVSA ‘How many candidates took their driving test (L-test) in a car which did not have dual controls fitted, from September 2023-February 2024.’ The answer may surprise you, as it is a lot; in fact during that period 165,403 people took tests in cars without dual controls. We estimate that that period saw around 900,000 L-tests being conducted, so ‘own car tests’ amounted to just under 20 per cent of the vehicles used. That is a far higher proportion than previously; in many years ‘own car’ tests made up far fewer than 10 per cent of the whole. And now the $64m question: how did they do? The answer is... pretty badly! At present the pass rate for the L-test as a whole is reasonably high, at around 48.6%. But for those taking a test in a vehicle without dual controls, the pass rate is 42.6% – that’s a drop of just over 12 per cent. Impact on L-test waiting times To put that in context, if candidates could take their test only in an ADI’s car with duals fitted, and the pass rates stayed the same, based on 1.8 million tests a year, 10,000 more people would pass the L-test every six months. That would reduce the number of candidates on the L-test waiting list by a minimum of 20,000 a year. Why a minimum? Because we are assuming that every failure only takes one more test; but as we all know, some candidates will take multiple goes before leaving the L-test scene with a pass. So there we have it: if the DVSA stopped all tests without dual controls, logic tells us we would immediately reduce the waiting list by at least 20,000 in a year. Over to you, DVSA. For more on the DVSA at the MSA GB Conference, see page 14 Peggy Hutchins: A titan of the Taunton ADI scene Colin Lilly Editor, Newslink As this issue of Newslink was being prepared for publication, I heard the sad news of the passing of a former MSA GB Member of the Year, Peggy Hutchins. Peggy was a formidable character who was Chairman of the local Taunton Association of Driving Instructors. She was respected by her fellow instructors, the then Driving Standards Agency and local authority road safety officers. She set up many young driver courses in local schools supporting local trainers. One of her proteges was Arthur Mynott, himself a past MSA GB Member of the Year and currently West Coast and Wales Chairman. She always promoted the MSA GB to every instructor she met, and highlighted the value of being a member. It was in recognition of her work for the association and driver training in Somerset that she was named as our Member of the Year in 2000. In recent years she had been affected by the conditions of old age and had been living quietly in a nursing home where she passed away on 30th March. I am sure that many established driver trainers in the Taunton area, her countless former pupils and past and present members of the MSA GB regional committee, of which she was once the Deputy Chairman, will have many fond memories of Peggy. A celebration of her life will be held at Taunton Deane Crematorium on Friday, 19th April at 11.20am. A true stalwart of the profession and of this association: thank you, Peggy. Rest in peace 14 NEWSLINK n APRIL 2024
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com New report lifts lid on impact of driver fatigue MSA GB was recently made aware of a report on driver fatigue which is a worthwhile training aid and discussion document. One of the principle factors behind traffic collisions is driver fatigue. Research by ROSPA has found that 20% of crashes have driver fatigue as a factor, as do a quarter of killed and seriously injured collisions. A report summarising the information available on the topic has been published by Hendy Car Store (Driver Fatigue: An Essential Guide to Road Safety (hendycarstore.co.uk). The report has sections outlining the factors involved. n Driver fatigue statistics n Causes of driver fatigue n Advice on staying awake while driving n Driving fatigue and the law n Secondary sources of information The statistics highlight some interesting details. The counties where fatigue-related crashes are more prevalent are Kent and Devon, and perhaps unsurprisingly, young drivers are more likely to continue to drive when tired, and do not accept that it affects their driving. This is seen to be due to over-confidence in their abilities. Again no surprise but this is more likely to be seen in males rather than females. Reviewing the causes of driver fatigue it deals with medical conditions and psychological conditions. It also deals with lifestyle choices such as sleep patterns, diet and exercise. Looking at the work and other commitments drivers have, many may be unavoidable, but drivers need to be aware of the effects on their performance. The effects of shift patterns, workload and driving hours are discussed, alongside family commitments. The advice on staying awake does not deal with battling against fatigue after its onset but rather preparation for a long trip; foods to assist and those to avoid, getting enough rest, managing long journeys to avoid fatigue and knowing when not to drive. The legal aspects of driving fatigued are outlined, included the penalties for falling asleep at the wheel, which could be considered as dangerous driving and can lead to 14 years imprisonment, through to lesser offences which still have legal repercussions. It also covers the legal aspects of sleeping in cars and driving hours. There are links to other sources of information on the subject. Overall, it is a valuable teaching aid on the subject of driver fatigue, which all our clients will be affected by this at some time. Click here for the full report NEWSLINK n APRIL 2024 15
Page 1 and 2: Newslink The Voice of MSA GB Issue
Page 3 and 4: For all the latest news, see www.ms
Page 5: For all the latest news, see www.ms
Page 8 and 9: Contents CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS Youn
Page 10 and 11: News Young bikers targeted as forum
Page 12 and 13: News ADIs urged to make heartbreaki
Page 16 and 17: News Learner harrassment getting wo
Page 18 and 19: Conference 2024 Telford: Full repor
Page 30 and 31: Members’ section NASP: The Nation
Page 32 and 33: Members’ section Get 10p off ever
Page 34 and 35: Towards your CPD Talking of driving
Page 36 and 37: Towards your CPD Evaluating road sa
Page 38 and 39: Area News The NHS desperately needs
Page 40 and 41: Area News An ADI on holiday... is s
Page 42 and 43: Life as an ADI A cautionary tale of
Page 44 and 45: Members’ discounts Members’ dis

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