Newslink August 2025

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Newslink

The Voice of MSA GB

Issue 391 • August 2025

Happy Birthday... to us!

MSA GB marks its 90th year in style

Helping our

pupils see

the upside

of failure

We work for all Driver Trainers. Want to join? SAVE £30 – see pg 39 for special offer

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

A fabulous occasion,

and a great chance to

salute our forefathers

Colin Lilly

Editor,

Newslink

TOWARDS the end of July members of MSA

GB gathered in Coventry to celebrate 90

years since the creation of the Motor Schools

Association.

What motivated those early founder

members to unite? We may never know the

answer. The compulsory driving test was

about to be introduced but there was no

suggestion of a register for driving

instructors. Perhaps they just had an inkling

that a representative body would be required.

Perhaps it was an attempt to present the

public with assurance of quality as the

importance of good training was necessary

before taking a driving test. At that time, the

driver training industry was in the form of

driving schools with few, if any, independent

trainers. The public were unsure where to go

for training. 1935 was definitely a year of

change.

At the event in Coventry attendees were

shown the Pathe news video showing the

Motor Schools Association training school in

the 1930s. There the instructors of the day

could receive a certificate of completion of a

course to prove they had achieved a certain

level of ability. Now the public rely on the

DVSA approval system.

Perhaps a motivation for those ‘ADIs’ of

the 1930s was raising the level of road safety,

something which goes behind the

introduction of the driving test. In 1930 there

were 7,305 fatalities on our roads, and 6,522

in 1935, the year the Motor Schools

Association was founded. Last year the figure

was 1,700, despite the population being

two-and-a-half times greater today than it

was back in the 1930s – and with countless

more cars on the roads, and miles driven.

For any organisation 90 years is an

achievement. The driver training industry is

vastly different to that of the 1930s. Since

that time the Motor Schools Association has

has transitioned, sometimes following

changes and occasionally instigating them.

The organisation was the only members

association when the ADI register –

previously voluntary – was made

compulsory in 1970. The other instructor

organisations were founded later in the

1970s.

As the association developed the

emphasis for membership changed from

driving schools to individuals, along with a

few minor changes of name, to MSA GB, the

Motor Schools Association of Great Britain

Limited.

I consider I have been a driver trainer for a

long time, but I have only been a member of

MSA GB for 39 years, less than half of its

existence.

There is little doubt that during that period

there have been good times and some dire

times. Time will tell how the current era will be

judged. MSA GB has survived through it all.

Whether you need information or support

MSA GB will continue to be there, and

hopefully I will be around to celebrate the

centenary.

CONTACT THE EDITOR:

To comment on any of the articles in

Newslink, or to submit your own,

contact Colin Lilly, Editor, Newslink, at

editor@msagb.com

“During that period there have been good times and some dire

times. Time will tell how the current era will be judged.

MSA GB has survived through it all. Whether you need

information or support, MSA GB will continue to be there...”

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

When an L-test

doesn’t end in a

pass, is it always

just a failure?

Plus, celebrating

the MSA GB

Page 26, and Pg 6

Follow the link

MSA GB sends

you to access

Newslink,

and then just

click Download

(circled above)

to save a copy

on your device

NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2025 03

Contents

34

31

12

20

06

Conference 2025

DVSA officials, business advice, road

safety campaigns and new ways to

develop your skills... where else could we

be but at the MS GB national conference?

– reports from pg 6

DVSA Annual Report

Another year of fighting the L-test

backlog – and it’s starting to look like a

losing battle. But some think we’re ‘making

progress’ . Do you agree?

Full review, from p 12

Close passes on the increase

A Freedom of Information request has

revealed how often cyclists report

dangerous close passes from cars and

vans... but some police aren’t sure it’s an

illegal manoeuvre? – p20

Road safety news

Drivers get the message as speeding falls

- and even better news from Wales as the

20mph sees a drop in road casualties while

journey times have not been increased –

and nor has pollution – p 19 & 21

Get to grips with the TIP

Steve Garrod unpicks some of the mystery

behind your test results in his review of the

DVSA’s TIP report, and highights why the

data it contains is gold dust for an ADI

looking to improve – p 22

Driving in the Stans

The adventurous Janet Stewart doesn’t do

traditional holidays... she’s come back from

a tour of the Stans – those Central Asian

countries that look like you’re cheating at

Scrabble. What’s the driving like? – p 34

Newslink

The Voice of MSA GB

The Motor Schools Association

of Great Britain Ltd

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Newslink is published monthly on behalf of the MSA GB

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qualified ADIs throughout Great Britain by:

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Cheshire SK7 3AG

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Views expressed in Newslink are not necessarily those

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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.

©2025 The Motor Schools

Association of Great Britain

Ltd. Reproducing in whole

or part is forbidden without

express permission of the

editor.

04 NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2025


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: 07989 852274

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


MSA GB Conference 2025

A great way to mark 90 years!

Members of the MSA GB from across the country gathered in Coventry

from July 25-26 to celebrate the assocation’s 90th birthday with a

special training day and party night. It was a great occasion and a fitting

way to commemorate all the hard work of the association’s officers and

members since it was first launched in 1935. Over the next few pages

we’ll give you a brief flavour of what went on...

Pauline Reeves OBE, DVSA director of driver services, with Amanda Lane,

the Director of Driver Testing and Training Policy at the training seminar

THE highlight of the MSA GB training seminar was a presentation

by Pauline Reeves OBE, director of driver services at the DVSA.

Pauline delivered a comprehensive driver training and testing

industry update that may well have left many delegates frustrated

with the details, but pleased to have at least heard the views from

the agency’s senior staff.

Pauline admitted the agency was operating in challenging times.

The DSVA’s priority remained to make the country’s road safer, but

it was not a task it could complete alone: it relied on ADIs to keep up

their standards.

DVSA is working to map the end-to-end journey someone takes

when they learn to drive.

The national average waiting time for a car driving tests was 22.3

weeks at the end of June, Pauline said, acknowledging that this was

not news anyone wanted to hear. At that level it is just 1.7 weeks

short of the possible maximum.

However, she did point out that according to the National Audit

Office that figure was marginally down, which was the first time

the waiting list had fallen since July 2024.

As has been extensively covered in previous issues of Newslink,

the DVSA is taking measures to address this, including recruiting

more examiners, increasing the number of tests performed a day

where possible by examiners/test centres, and allocating all

possible resources to alleviate the problem.

But it was a hard task, and the backlog was taking longer than

hoped and expected to clear, she said.

Pauline reiterated that the DVSA would wholeheartedly back any

ADI who advised their pupils they were not ready for their test.

“That’s what our Ready to Pass? Campaign is all about, making

learners aware of the standards required to pass.”

In the meantime the Ready to Pass? Campaign continues to

prove highly effective. Awareness of the campaign among

Key supporters



“The national average waiting time for a car

driving tests was 22.3 weeks at the end of

June ... at that level it is just 1.7 weeks short of

the possible maximum.”

first-attempt test takers was now at 44.4%, up from 33.5% in June

2024. 85.6% of learners who were aware of the campaign said it

was right that people should only take their L-test when their

instructor agreed they are ready.

There were a number of interesting takeaways from the Ready to

Pass? data. Campaign-aware learners are 1.8-times more likely to

use a driver’s record to track their progress as they learn; 1.9-times

more likely to have a supervising driver overseeing private practice

who has read the DVSA’s guidance on how to properly supervise

learners; and they were 1.4-times more likely to have read the

Highway Code while preparing for their driving test - that’s after

they have passed their theory.

The consultation on L-test booking rules closed on July 23 and

received a huge response: over 102,224 people or organisations

commented on it. The DVSA was working its way through the

mountain of comments in order to develop its recommendations,

which would be announced in due course.

Moving away from the L-test availability issue, work is still

ongoing over reforming the ADI qualification process. Parts 1 and 2

were both being looked at. On the Part 1 theory test, officials were

looking at accessibility and the question bank, while on Part 2, the

focus was on commentary driving, situational awareness and

developing a more holistic assessment approach.

A lively Q&A rounded off the DVSA presentation, and this saw

Pauline and her colleague Amanda Lane field a number of questions

from the floor. Inevitably the L-test booking issue dominated, with

a number of questions also focused on the standard of the new

driving examiners being recruited.

On the booking of L-tests, comparisons were made with the

woeful computers linked to the Post Office scandal, and whether

ADIs and PDIs were being afforded protection.

There was an on-going frustration over the DVSA’s inability to

tackle the BOTs that were hoovering up so many L-tests.

More reports, photos overleaf

Top left, the senior

officers of MSA GB - from

left, Peter Harvey, Steven

Porter, Arthur Mynott,

Tom Kwok and Mike

Yeomans – cut a cake in

recognition of the

association’s 90th

birthday.

Above, Alan and John on

the FBTC stand

Left, Conference sponsor

Andy Appleby, He-Man

Dual Controls, and his

wife, Wendy

Below, Olly Tayler QPM,

The Honest Truth...



Seminar supporters:

Right, Gemma and Paul McArdle

from the Learner Driver Centre;

far right, Charles Morton manned

the IMTD stand

Below, a warning from FBTC

about the oncoming Making Tax

Digital deadlines

Bottom, the top 10 ‘Honest Truths’

we need to convey to our young

learners

Training seminar: from tax to

road safety, a perfect ADI MoT

THE MSA GB Conference weekend opened

with a convivial Friday night social gathering

for those delegates who had travelled up the

day before, before MSA GB chairman Mike

Yeomans opened proceedings on the

Saturday morning with a video to mark the

history of the association.

During the film, and afterwards, Mike made

reference to the important role that the MSA

played in the very early days of driver training

when it was the first national body geared up

to represent the interests of instructors.

The first presentation of the day was

highly topical, as FBTC’s Alan Gott gave

delegates the run-down on Making Tax

Digital. As many are aware, HMRC has been

talking about this for some time, and now the

deadlines are fast approaching.

The presentation was very thorough and

well put together, with Alan creating a great

deal of awareness of the steps that

instructors will have to complete and the

potential fines and penalties they would face

for late and inaccurate returns.

It certainly grabbed a lot of people’s

attention and he had to field a lot of questions

afterwards.

The Honest Truth is an organisation that

has regularly presented to MSA GB events in

the past, and it’s message is no less

necessary today. The Honest Truth is led by

Olly Tayler, an ex-policeman with 30 years’

service in the force, mainly as a First

Responder to road traffic incidents.

As anyone who has seen the Honest Truth

presentation before will testify, Olly is a

passionate and articulate presenter who

delivers a professional presentation on road

safety and the vital role that ADIs can play in

making their pupils aware of its importance.

His talk focused on the need to make

people aware of their role in road safety and

keeping themselves, and others, safe. He

stressed the need to be straight with young

people about the risks they would encounter

on the roads, and the behaviours that would

put them in harm’s way: drug/drink use,

distraction, speeding, showing off, etc.

“FBTC’s Alan Gott gave a

run-down on Making Tax

Digital... with the deadlines

fast approaching he created

awareness of the steps ADIs

will have to go through...”



New strategies

and great advice

As the name Confident Drivers suggests, Tracey and Kevin Field

delivered a well-rehearsed and professional presentation on how ADIs

with the right training can help their pupils who struggle with stress

and anxiety issues.

We all know that for some learners, the pressure and stress of the

L-test can derail the most able of candidates, but with Tracey and Kev’s

help you can bring your more stressed pupils back down to earth, using

simple techniques to banish anxiety and raise confidence levels which

will enable their true driving ability to shine on the big day.

Gemma McArdle from LDC presented on the subject of business

management. It was very interesting and relevant to the vast majority

of ADIs, with Gemma describing her talk as something of an “MoT for

ADIs’ businesses”.

She ran through a series of measures to help your business operate

more efficiently and professionally. Chief among them was careful

diary management (her advice was to make comprehensive notes

about new pupils such as days they are available for lessons); the

need for defined cancellation policies; and getting pricing of lessons

right (don’t under-sell yourselves, was the advice).

Gemma also highlighted the need to monitor expenses carefully;

don’t be afraid of shopping around for the best deals on things like

insurance, new car deals (in particular extended warranties) and car

maintenance packages. Gemma also pointed out the benefits of pupils

pre-paying for lessons; it benefits cashflow and confirms

commitment on the pupil’s behalf.

As you may have read in previous issues of Newslink, Kev Field and

Neil Wightman have launched IDEA Trainers to develop a new

qualification tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of ADIs.

Their Diploma for Teaching the Introduction to Driving Education

Award is set at a Level 8 academic qualification (equivalent to a

Masters degree) and is accredited by the Scottish Credit and

Qualifications Framework and the Scottish Qualifications Authority

(SQA). It aims to provide a comprehensive and structured training

qualification for ADIs, equipping them with all the necessary skills,

knowledge and understanding to teach PDIs.

Neil explained how ADIs who complete this qualification will be able

to deliver the Introduction to Driving Education Award, with the goal

that the better insights you receive into road safety and driver

education, the better driving teacher you will become.

Kev and Tracey Field

Neil Wightman from IDEA

With thanks....

Events like this are impossible without the support of partners, and

the MSA GB training seminar and 90th Birthday Celebration was

made possible thanks to our main sponsors FBTC, the Learner

Driving Centre and He-Man Dual Controls. In addition to other

support LDC and He-Man provided sweet treats and drinks on

delegates’ tables, while FBTC kindly sponsored the delegate folders.

We were also grateful to IDEA Training who kindly supplied prizes for

the raffle. This raised a fabulous £215 and was donated to our

nominated charity, the Children’s Air Ambulance.

We were also supported by a number of exhibitors and speakers.

The Honest Truth and Confident Drivers addressed the seminar (see

next pages), and we were delighted to welcome Charles Morton

from the Institute of Master Tutors of Driving who supplied a prize

for the ‘business card’ draw.



An informative and interactive

all-in weekend to remember

Brian Thomson

of MSA GB Scotland

offers his own

reflections on the

conference

THE attendees at this year’s MSA GB

national conference, as in other years,

received a wealth of industry information

from course providers, professional experts,

franchise groups and the DVSA, along with

the opportunity to talk to exhibitors present.

But there was one thing about this year

that made it a little different, and it wasn’t

because I attended it: no, it was MSA GB’s

90th birthday.

National chairman Mike Yeomans opened

the day with a welcome to all. The agenda

was in everyone’s welcome pack listing the

speakers: FBTC, accountants; The Honest

Truth, hard-hitting road safety information;

Confident Drivers, course providers;

Innovative Driving Education Academy, more

course providers; and LDC, a well-known

franchise group. Finally we also had the DVSA

officials: the director of driver services and its

policy chief.

Like every other MSA GB training event,

you don’t just sit ‘n’ listen, it’s an interactive

experience. There’s always an ‘any questions’

bit at the end and sometimes even during the

presentation, and it was mentioned by more

than one presenter that receiving such ‘raw’

feedback or questions from ‘the coal face’ is

really beneficial, because if there are no

The cake cutting crew

issues raised, it’s assumed that everything is

perfect. It’s another good reason for actual

attendance in person, as the power of

emphasis is lost in an email, report or survey.

I was once at a course where the presenter

wrote on the board “My dog doesn’t bite little

boys”, and if you read that sentence and

emphasise a different word every time, it can

mean something different, so being there at

the time and being able to question the

presenters makes for a great training day.

During a break in the presentations a ‘test’

was set up to see if people in the room could

read the maker’s brand name on a whisky

bottle from 19.35 metres (lettering is smaller

than the reg plates). (anyone notice the

subtle reference there ?). Obviously this was

not gambling but those that could not read

the brand donated £1 to the Children’s Air

An eyetest, with a difference

Ambulance. Over £80 was donated, and

multiple guide dogs requested.

Now I mentioned at the start that this

event was mainly to mark the MSA GB’s 90th

birthday, so on Saturday night after the

training day had finished, everyone was

invited to join the existing board members for

a celebration meal and entertaining evening.

Peter had made a collage of members’ pics

through the years, some unfortunately no

longer with us, but it was good to see and

remember the people who have helped, and

are still helping, make the MSA GB what it is

today. It was a quiet reminder it’s not just the

MSA GB that has a birthday every year and

we should be grateful for the photographic

history.

After the meal a birthday cake was brought

out, and after more photos taken of the cake

MSA GB’s own

‘Neil Diamond’,

Steven Porter,

entertains the

party night


News

than videos available online of a guy power

hosing your gutters clean, the UK chair

members collectively cut into the cake to a

celebratory roar from the onlookers.

The room, who were already being

entertained by Mark the DJ, got their very

own ‘Stars in Your Eyes’ performance as Neil

Diamond, aka Scotland’s Steven Porter,

smashed a rendition of Sweet Caroline to get

the whole room swaying

Now I read that, in 2008, 40,148 people

went into the Guinness Book of Records by

dancing to YMCA by The Village People. We

almost broke that record in 2025 with people

dancing in the Village Hotel to Loch Lomond,

again sung by our very own SP.

Massive thanks has to go to all our

Newslink readers and MSA members as

without you, none of this could go on.

Receiving information about changes or

proposed changes within our industry helps

to keep us one step ahead and improve our

commitment to helping road safety – and in

turn, our pupils.

Above, Peter Harvey enlists the help of

Louise Williams to perform the ‘lanyard draw’

for the raffle prizes

Above left, MSA GB stalwarts, from left to

right, Bill Davies, Rod Tipple, Peter Harvey,

Colin Lilly, Mike Yeomans, Graham Clayton

and Cos Antoniou

11

News

DVSA hits its target for L-tests*

*but goal of seven-week wait for a test ‘not on track’ for December

THE DVSA has published its Annual Report

and Accounts for 2024/25.

In a statement announcing the report’s

release the DVSA said: “Each year we publish

our annual report and accounts. This allows

the public, our customers and anyone who is

interested, to see how we performed. It

includes details on how we manage public

money and whether we met our objectives

for the financial year 2024-25.”

It puts the key issue front and centre: On

car driving tests, “we did achieve our

objective on the amount of car driving tests

we provided, which was 1.96 million. This

figure is significantly above pre-pandemic

levels.

“However, we are not on track to meet our

target of bringing waiting times down to

seven weeks by December 2025.

“We realise the impact this has on the

driver training industry and learners. We are

working hard to achieve this alongside the

Department for Transport, and have a plan in

place for this. ”

In addition to the L-tests, “We provided

around 40,000 lorry and bus driving tests in

2024-25. Our partners in the training,

haulage and bus industries also provided an

additional 20,000 tests on our behalf. On

average lorry candidates waited around two

weeks for a test, while bike candidates waited

around five and a half weeks for one. ”

The report can be read in full HERE, and

MSA GB offers its own reflection on the

report on these pages.

Things can only

get better ...

ANYONE who has read Newslink in the past two-three

years will know MSA GB has been largely sympathetic to

the DVSA during its battle with longer L-test waiting

times, though we have been more critical of its message

delivery and communications to the driving instructor profession.

Why sympathetic? To repeat a well-worn argument, in the wake

of the pandemic it was always going to be challenging to make up

the number of tests lost over the course of two years of

lockdowns. Demand for tests was never going to decrease – people

still want an L-test. If you take hundreds of thousands of tests out

of supply, because of lockdowns, you can only satisfy the pent-up

demand caused by two years of effective stagnation by putting the

lost tests back into the system at a later date. And doing that was

always going to be very, very tough without really decisive action.

The numbers of tests lost was huge. Before 2020 there were

between 1.6-1.8 million tests a year. If you assume that from March

2020 - May 2021 nearly 1.2 million tests were lost, adding 100,000

extra tests a year doesn’t really touch the sides. Roughly – and

what we’ve been saying for a few years – it’s going to take several

years for the L-test picture to return to 2019 levels even if action is

taken.

Add in a slight population bubble, with more 17-21-aged people

working their way into the driving tuition picture who were born

from 2004-2010, and the way the booking system has been

compromised by the advance of the bots, which have created the

equivalent of a run on the banks, and you can make a case for the

profession having to wait over a decade to see average L-tests fall

to a level that is sub-10 weeks.

In other words the DVSA always had a tough gig post-Covid.

What we’ve been critical of, however, is the often poor



Average waiting times

14.8 15.7 16.8 17.8

as at 05/02/2024 as at 04/03/2024 as at 01/04/2024 as at 06/05/2024

Think this is up-to-date? Sorry, this table above is from July 2024’s Newslink...

messaging that has followed the rise in test

waiting times, with unachievable goals that

smacked of tilting at windmills. How often

have we read about sub-10-week waiting

times as a goal by [insert month here]? The

more recent ‘seven-point plan’ makes much

of consultations and tweaks around the

margins but will always fail to make a big

difference unless dramatic action is taken on

who can book tests.

And if that bold action isn’t coming, then

give people the full picture. Be transparent

And don’t over promise and under deliver.

But I think our criticism has remained

polite, though some in DVSA have said it felt

unfair. It isn’t; it’s just a fact that the DVSA,

bless them, cannot provide enough L-tests,

and after three years of saying ‘we’re

working hard’ and ‘all our focus is on this

issue’, the ADI profession, and the public it

serves, is understandably frustrated at the

position we are in. Despite all the hard work,

we are at exactly the same place as we were

in 2022; indeed, it is even worse. L-test

waiting times are now, realistically, at 24

weeks, and the system isn’t working.

So why the preamble? Because we

don’t think everyone at the DVSA is

reading the room. In his foreword to

the Annual Report Nick Bitel, DVSA

non-executive chair, says “We’ve responded

decisively to the challenges [of waiting times

for car tests] through enhanced governance,

rigorous performance monitoring and more

frequent reviews of our operations.

“We’re continuously working to find

practical solutions to these challenges,

bringing together expertise from across the

agency to develop innovative approaches

that will improve service delivery.”

Given all this exceptional hard work, it’s no

surprise that “I am encouraged by the

progress we have made.”

Really? Encouraged? We could say more

but we won’t. We will leave it to MSA GB

members to decide whether Nick should be

21.9*

as at 31/03/2025...

* The figure for July 2025 was 22.3 weeks

Waiting times in 2025

encouraged as to where we are at this time.

What we will do is remind you of the facts.

In July 2024 Newslink ran an article on this

subject citing the following numbers: “The

average L-test waiting time on February 5

was 14.8 weeks. This average wait had risen

month by month in the following months, first

to 15.7 weeks, then to 16.8 weeks and topped

out at 17.8 weeks on May 6, 2024.”

I think we’d all agree that those are bad

enough figures, but let’s look at the progress

made. Remember, this Annual Report covers

the period April 1 2024 to March 31, 2025.

At the point this report ended the average

L-test waiting times in Great Britain were 24

weeks in three-quarters of driving test

centres. Only one in 10 driving test centres

had a waiting time that was below 10 weeks.

28 out of 30 London DTCs were at 24 weeks.

At the end of March only 14 DTCs had a

waiting time at the seven-week mark that

the DVSA has as its goal. Overall, the average

waiting time was 21 weeks at the end of

March. By the time we reached the DVSA

Conference in late July is was 22 weeks.

DVSA chief executive Loveday Ryder faces

up to the situation a little more head-on:

“Despite providing 1.96 million car driving

tests this year we are not on track to meet

our business plan target of reducing car

practical test waiting times to seven weeks

or less by December 2025.

“We recognise the impact this has on

learner drivers across the country and on

driving instructors and their businesses.

“We are doing all we can to address this.”

Continued on page 14


News

Spotlight on DVSA Annual Report

Continued from page 13

AS stated earlier, the DVSA’S Annual

Report accepts it has missed its main

target, but celebrates its plan to

provide more L-tests than ever before: “We

missed our key target to reduce car practical

waiting times. However, we provided 1.96

million car driving tests, significantly

exceeding pre-pandemic levels which ranged

between 1.6 and 1.8 million tests annually.

“Despite these efforts, the car practical

driving test average wait time has increased

from 16.1 weeks (as at 31 March 2024) to 21.9

weeks, as at 31 March 2025.

“We have been unable to meet the high

level of demand, owing to there not being

enough DEs in post to service the volume of

demand. We acknowledge, with regret, that

these prolonged waiting times are negatively

impacting our customers. This area of work is

our number one priority.”

The DVSA’s focus “is on recruitment,

training and retention; this is key to increasing

supply, alongside exploration of booking

system reforms, to ensure fairness and

prevent misuse.

“We expect things to improve with

additional tests being made available from

June 2025 and are working to increase test

availability further over the coming year. We

continue to encourage drivers to be better

prepared for their test and improving the

rules for booking a driving test.”

Key performance measures

So let’s look at the report in more detail.

Sorry, but when it comes to key performance

measures as far as ADIs are concerned, it

makes for pretty grim reading for the DVSA.

But let’s start with the good news. Theory

tests are bang on target. Against a goal of a

test within four weeks, the DVSA is making

them available in 3.3, so well ahead. Possibly

as a result of this learners are happy with the

service: 96% said they were satisfied with

the service they receive from the DVSA.

Anyone want to point out that the test is

run by Pearson? Apart from Rod Came, that

is? (see Newslink May and June), No, best

not, it feels like a cheap shot. Move on.

Another target met was the number of

L-tests provided. Against a target of 1.95

million tests they provided 1.96 million – a

great achievement.

A reminder: The DVSA’s

seven-point plan

1. Recruiting and training 450 DEs

2. Reviewing and improving driving test

booking rules

3. Implementing tougher terms and

conditions for driving instructors

booking tests for their pupils

4. Consulting on extending the mandatory

waiting period between tests in specific

circumstances

5. Increasing the notice period required for

test cancellations or changes without

losing the fee

6. Exploring changes to the 24-week

advance booking window

7. Expanding our ‘Ready to Pass?’

campaign to ensure learners are

properly prepared.

But with waiting times so high, it’s no

surprise that the general public isn’t happy

with the DVSA. Only 65% said they were

happy with the DVSA’s service. ADIs were

even less impressed: only 47% said they were

happy with the service they received.

I’m surprised it was as high as 47%!

As the DVSA put it: “We have received

positive feedback related to the service that

ADIs have received, with 85% reporting

satisfaction with their interactions with the

DVSA ADI team. 82% of ADIs agree that the

rules and standards are clear to understand.

Unfortunately, the high waiting times for car

practical tests are impacting our ADIs and

only 28% are satisfied with the test booking

service. This has impacted the average

satisfaction score with a score of 47% for

2024-25.”

The seven-week wait is still the goal.

As of March 31, the DVSA is on track to

recruit 450 DEs, having already recruited and

put into training 241, with 139 completing the

training and going on to deliver tests.

The latest ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign

videos featuring DEs have proven highly

effective, generating over 700,000 views and

10,000 likes. The campaign has seen a 13%

increase in followers since its December

launch, helping to reduce avoidable test

cancellations and improve overall pass rates.

Finance

As a rule of thumb the DVSA should break

even every year. Each Government agency

has some headroom built in so it can report a

small loss or surplus, but within reason it

should spend what it brings in.

The DVSA is breaking this rule, however,

and has been struggling to balance its books

Performance indices

Target Outcome Outcome

2024-5 2023-4



What do the numbers on L-test waiting times mean?

What do the numbers mean, when we say ‘average

waiting times are x weeks?’?

L-tests are made available 24 weeks - almost six

months - in advance. It is not possible to book more

than 24 weeks in advance.

The average waiting time is the number of weeks it will

be at a test centre until 10% of tests are available for a

particular week.

For example, in a test centre with 175 tests available

each week, the average waiting time is the first week

when 18 or more appointments are still available to

book.

for three consecutive years.

In 2023-24 the agency’s income was

£425.3m, but it had expenditure of £476.5m,

so a loss of £51.2m. This became a trend in

the following year: £435.9m v £484.2m, so

another £48.3m lost.

And in 2024/25? The trend continues.

£424.5 in, £481.2 out, a deficit of £56.7m.

Add that lot up and the DVSA has chalked up

a deficit of £150m in three years, or a third of

its annual income. Anyone worried?

Why is this?

The DVSA says: “During the year we

continued to experience high demand for our

main services, in particular the theory test

and practical driving test.

“Whilst income remained high at £424.5m

(2023-24: £425.3m), it was below plan as we

did not have the necessary capacity to fully

service the demand for car practical tests.

This was mainly due to the difficulties in

recruiting and retaining DEs.

“Expenditure increased to £481.2m

(2023-24: £476.5m), which is slightly below

plan with inflationary pressures offset

in-part by an underspend on staff costs

relating to recruitment challenges.

“Non-current asset-related costs of

£47.7m (2023-24: £46.8m) include

depreciation, amortisation and impairments.

The increase over the previous year is mainly

due to adjustments to the values of some

assets now no longer required following

agreements with the EU, following EU Exit.

“Finance costs relate mainly to interest

payments on leased assets.”

If you wondered why, try this: “Fees have

remained largely unchanged for over 14

years. We have an agreed strategy to review

and amend our fees, and we continue to work

with DfT, ministers and HM Treasury to

implement it.”

Other targets

The DVSA missed its target for

sustainability and net zero, but only by a

handful of per cent (a target of 4,763 tonnes

of carbon dioxide equivalent [TCO2e] v 4,845

TCO2e actually produced).

Air travel has fallen a lot, particularly

international travel which is down by nearly

half. Increased car travel has seen carbon

output rise, however.

“The 2024-25 outturn reflects a 45%

reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from

the 2017-18 baseline, demonstrating

significant progress in reducing our carbon

footprint. Total emissions have slightly

increased from last year due to increased

emissions from our buildings. Emissions from

travel are within target due to a reduction in

travel and the increased utilisation of electric

vehicles.”

Recruitment

Plans to increase young people, people

who are disabled, those from ethnic minority

groups and women on the DVSA payroll all

came unstuck; all four targets were missed,

the ones for the disabled community and

young people particularly badly.

Communications

A target of answering 70% of phone calls

within 60 seconds was also missed (64%),

though the DVSA did meet its targets to

answer FOIs, provide response to

Parliamentary questions, ministerial

correspondence and official correspondence.

Finally, waste - a huge success! 439 tonnes

produced against 527 tonnes last year…

though disposing of the waste rose to

£56,000 from £38,000.

So something in the DVSA’s garden is rosy!

“The latest ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign videos featuring DEs have

proven highly effective, generating over 700,000 views and

10,000 likes. The campaign has helped to reduce avoidable test

cancellations and improve overall pass rates...”


News

Over 100,000 respond to DVSA’s

consultation on test bookings

THE DVSA consultation on improving driving

test booking rules has now closed.

The agency was seeking views on a

number of issues, including how to:

n make test booking fairer.

n stop people charging extra fees to book

tests.

n simplify the system for learners and

driving instructors.

The consultation received over 102,000

responses, with the DVSA saying: “This high

level of engagement demonstrates how

important this issue is to you and others.”

DVSA is now analysing all responses to

develop its recommendations. Your input will

help to inform their approach to improving

the driving test booking system and reducing

waiting times across the country.

Its response to the consultation and next

steps will be published in due course, but

keep an eye on the MSA GB website and

GOV.UK for updates.

DVSA issues new call for more examiners

THE DVSA has announced a fresh round of

recruitment for driving examiners, with three

nationwide campaigns scheduled before the

end of September 2025.

The first campaign launched on Tuesday,

July 15, with applications opening for those

interested in supporting road safety through

a critical frontline role.

The conditions include:

n Over the age of 23

n Hold a full manual UK driving licence

(minimum of three years)

n Knowledgeable about the Highway Code

n Calm under pressure and able to focus

clearly on the task at hand

n Observant, objective, and detailoriented

n Strong communicators with good

interpersonal skills

Successful applicants will receive full

training through a seven-week intensive

programme, which must be completed on a

full-time basis.

What’s the work like?

n Full-time examiners work 37 hours per

week across 5 out of 7 days

n Part-time and flexible hours are available

n The role comes with a Civil Service

pension, retail discounts, and other benefits

designed to support work-life balance

With learner drivers continuing to face long

wait times, expanding examiner capacity

remains a high priority, and DVSA is calling for

motivated professionals to step forward and

help shape the next generation of safe

drivers.

Two further recruitment campaigns will

follow later this summer, so those who need

more time to consider the opportunity can

apply then. Driving Examiner vacancies will

be listed on the Civil Service Jobs website –

search for ‘Driving Examiner roles’ to apply.

Warning as phishing email targets ADIs

DVSA has been made aware of a phishing

email currently in circulation which claims

to be from DVSA and requests personal

information from ADIs such as address,

postcode, date of birth, and personal

reference numbers.

DVSA will only request this information

from ADIs when they register a new online

business service account; or when they

request for a suspension on their account

to be lifted. Any genuine request for this

information will come from a @dvsa.gov.uk

email address.

If you receive an email asking for these

details and are unsure of its legitimacy, do

not respond. Instead, please forward the

message to enquiries@dvsa.gov.uk so

they can verify its authenticity.

ADIs asked to

update records

on PVG scheme

DISCLOSURE Scotland has made the

Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme

mandatory for those working in regulated

roles in Scotland, and it includes ADIs and

PDIs.

Since 1 April 2025 it has been a legal

requirement for ADIs and PDIs teaching

either under 18s or protected vulnerable

groups to be PVG scheme members.

DVSA has now updated its registration

system on GOV.UK to allow all instructors in

the UK to update their records and provide

PVG details.

If you are now registered with the PVG

scheme, log into the Driving Instructor

Service as soon as possible to update your

record via the Integrated Register of Driver

Trainers.

Once you have signed in to your account,

follow the instructions below:

n On the Welcome page, select ‘Instructor’

on the left-hand menu

n Select ‘Instructor Home Page’

n Scroll to the bottom of the screen where

PVG details now appear

n Select ‘Yes’ against the question ‘Do you

intend to give instruction in Scotland’

n Add your PVG membership number

n Add the date you registered with the

PVG scheme for the role of a driving

instructor. Select ‘Save Changes’ at the

bottom of the screen

You can find out more about the PVG

scheme on GOV.UK.

Theory booking system

made more accessible

The DVSA has made a number of changes to

how candidates book their theory test, to

make it more accessible.

n Integrating Signly, a BSL translation

service, for the theory test booking system

n Allowing extra time non-standard

bookings to be made online

n Enabling individuals to scan

identification documents online, rather than

manually inputting information

n Letting users upload and save medical

evidence when making their booking

n Issuing upload reminders to prompt

users to provide any supporting

documentation.


News

HMRC offers more help as

ADIs face Making Tax Digital

THE deadline for Making Tax Digital is

creeping ever nearer. If you receive qualifying

income from self-employment and/or

property, you’ll be legally required to use

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax – based on

the level of qualifying income – from the

following dates:

n April 2026, if your qualifying income is

over £50,000 in the 2024 to 2025 tax year


over £30,000 in the 2025 to 2026 tax year


over £20,000 in the 2026 to 2027 tax year.

The government has set out plans to

introduce legislation to lower the qualifying

income threshold to this level.

How to get ready for MTD if you are a

business

HMRC is hosting a series of live webinars

about getting ready for MTD, which will look at:

n the requirements of MTD for Income Tax

n practical steps you can take to prepare

your business

n the rules, who will be affected and when

n making informed software choices

n authorising your agent, if applicable, and

signing up to MTD

n utilising any benefits and opportunities.

You can sign up to a webiner at THIS LINK

Car expenses for the self-employed

If you use your own car for business, HMRC

can help you organise your expenses, for:

n business journeys

n capital allowances

n how to work out simplified and actual

cost expenses

n leasing a car and personal contract

purchases.

Business expenses for the self-employed

Register for a webinar about business

expenses, during which we’ll:

n show you what are allowable business

expenses

n cover the most common business

expenses

n look at simplified expenses

n discuss record keeping

n help you enter accurate figures on your

tax return

There are also short videos on HMRC’s

YouTube channel, including:

n What motoring expenses can I claim for

if I’m self-employed?

n How do I tell HMRC that my details have

changed?

You can also choose videos from our

playlists – such as the ‘Self Assessment’

playlist.

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to HMRC’s

YouTube channel.

You can find out more about the expenses

allowed at THIS LINK.

New grant brings electric vehicles closer to ADIs

As part of its plans to end the sale of wholly

petrol or diesel-engined cars by 2030, the

Government has confirmed a new grant will

knock up to £3,750 off the cost of a new EV

vehicle.

With the phase-out of ICE vehicle sales in

just over four years, many ADIs are now

looking at taking on an electric vehicle in the

next few years, though concerns remain in

ADI circles over whether the Government has

thought through the transition from

ICE-engined vehicles to EVs and hybrids.

While the new cars that ADIs teach in will

be dominated by automatics, the older

vehicle parc that will still be most new drivers

first port of call for their first car post-test,

will still be overwhelmingly manual. This could

cause problems as new drivers realise there

are no ‘sub-£2,000 little run arounds’ they

can buy, as they are all manual, forcing them

to park their ambitions of owning their own

car until their finances allow them to splash

out on a more recent model – or take their

test again in a manual car.

Recent months have seen a surge in

L-tests in automatics, with the AA predicting

that next year will see a quarter of all L-test

in automatics – a huge rise from a decade

ago, when automatics made up fewer than

five per cent of all tests.

It is hoped that the new grant will stimulate

interest in smaller EVs, creating a pool of used

automatics within the next couple of years.

The scheme only applies to new electric

vehicles priced at £37,000 or below. It is the

first attempt to make EVs affordable for

private buyers, after several years of policy

focus on fleet and company cars.

Key details of the grant include:

n Up to £3,750 off for the greenest EVs

(Band 1).

n Up to £1,500 for slightly less sustainable

models (Band 2).

Private buyers are still trailing behind fleet

users when it comes to EV uptake, largely

because of the lack of incentives. The new

grant is a welcome step, but instructors may

still find most models out of reach.

The government wants 28% of new car

sales in 2025 to be zero emission, but it’s

currently tracking at just 21.6%.

More support may still be needed if the

private market is to catch up with fleet EV

uptake.

Auto Express warned that the new grant

won’t shift the dial much for private drivers

unless the government also scraps the

luxury car tax on EVs and improves charging

access, especially for those without off

street parking.



Drivers get message as number

of speedsters starts to fall

THE percentage of car drivers exceeding the

speed limit on motorways and 30mph roads

fell during 2024 – continuing the broadly

downward trend seen since 2018.

Government statistics show that 44% of

car drivers exceeded the speed limits on

motorways, compared to 50% in 2018.

It is a similar picture for 30mph roads,

where 43% of car drivers exceeded the

speed limit in 2024, compared to 51% in 2018.

Meanwhile on National Speed Limit Single

Carriageways, 9% of car drivers were found

to be exceeding the speed limit in 2024,

compared to 11% in 2018.

Looking at more extreme instances of

speeding, 7% of car drivers on motorways

were found to be exceeding the speed limit by

more than 10mph. On 30mph roads, the

equivalent figure was 4%.

The dataset also looks at other vehicle

types and found that some stereotypes on

speeding remain partially true. White van

man was found speeding more than car

drivers (45%), as were motorcyclists (48%).

The research also found that:

n In 2022, 2.52 million drivers were issued

with a fixed penalty notice for speeding

A new website has been launched to bring

clarity, consistency and collaboration to

efforts to reduce young driver risk in the UK.

The Protect Young Drivers website brings

together essential information on the need to

better protect young and novice drivers in

the first months after they pass their test

and drive on their own.

Hosted by the Parliamentary Advisory

Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), the

new site has been developed as a shared

resource for all stakeholders committed to

protecting young drivers – including police

forces, local authorities, safer roads

partnerships, public health teams, charities

and campaigners. Previously such

information was scattered across the

internet and tricky to track down.

The site has already gained the support of

a wide range of national stakeholders,

including MSA GB, Road Safety GB, the NPCC,

NFCC, RAC Foundation, TRL, PACTS, The AA,

Brake, RoadPeace and IAM RoadSmart.

offences, up 6% increase on the previous

year, and an increase of 69% since 2011.

n In 2024, 205,522 people were found

guilty of a speed limit offence, this is an

increase of less than 1% when compared to

the previous year, but an increase of 87%

since 2011

n In 2024, 1.84 million drivers attended a

speed awareness course in the UK, this is a

3% increase when compared to the previous

year, and an increase of 139% since 2011.

New site launched for young drivers

As well as key facts, timelines, and

international comparisons, the site features

research, lived experience from bereaved

families, and links to major reports and

campaigns – all designed to help inform

media, policymakers, MPs, practitioners and

the public.

Rebecca Morris, road safety PR and

marketing specialist, who developed the site

with PACTS, said: “Previously, if you wanted

to understand young driver risk or Graduated

Driving Licensing (GDL) systems, you had to

go looking across multiple sources, often

using different terms or language.

“This site brings everything together in one

place, encourages consistent messaging and

offers a clear, collective platform to support

the call for change. It’s about protecting

young drivers.

“This is not just a website – it’s a united

commitment to working together across

sectors and disciplines to create a safer

future for young drivers.”

THINK! again over

drinking and driving,

young people told

THE THINK! team has relaunched its

‘Drink a Little, Risk a Lot’ campaign to

remind young drivers that even a small

amount of alcohol before driving can have

serious consequences.

Following strong results from the

winter 2024 campaign, and to align with a

summer peak in drink-driving KSIs and

national Police enforcement activity, the

campaign returns with updated creative

and new assets including messaging on

enforcement and targeting festival goers.

Running from 24 July to 18 September,

the campaign targets 17 - 24-year-old

men, who are over-represented in drink

drive casualties. It continues to challenge

perceptions around personal limits by

raising awareness that even a little

alcohol before driving can risk your

licence, your freedom - or even lives.

Paid media will run across social

platforms, online video, radio, digital

audio, and out-of-home placements and

via influencers on TikTok.

This year, the campaign team at THINK!

will also be supporting police

enforcement activity with tailored assets

shared organically via social channels.

To reach audiences in contextually

relevant moments, the campaign will also

geo-target those likely to travel to key

festivals such as Boomtown, Creamfields,

and Reading & Leeds. We’ll also deliver

tailored messaging to 18-year-olds in the

lead-up to A- Level results day.

Part 1 theory upgrade

DVSA has updated the list of source

materials for the theory test (ADI part 1

test). The new list can be found on GOV.

UK.

The new materials will help PDIs gain

the theoretical foundation to be

successful in the ADI qualification

process. The additional source materials

include: national standard for driving cars

and light vans; national standard for driver

and rider training; driving instructor code

of practice; carrying out driving tests:

examiner guidance (DT1).

DVSA has also begun trialling new

questions in the ADI part 1 test. The new

questions will be published in Autumn.


News

Police advice leaves cyclists in

quandry as close passes rise

Colin Lilly

Editor,

Newslink

CLOSE pass overtaking in still a problem for

cyclists, suggests a report by IAM Road

Smart following a number of Freedom of

Information requests.

The organisation requested information

from 43 police forces in England and Wales

regarding how many pieces of video evidence

had been submitted to Operation Snap

showing a close pass of a cyclist by a

motorist. Operation Snap is the police’s way

of encouraging the public to submit dashcam

footage of poor driving behaviour, potentially

leading to prosecutions if the evidence is

deemed sufficient.

Of the 43 forces contacted by IAM

Roadsmart, 20 responded. The information

received showed that a total of 15,739 piece

of video were submitted in 2024 compared

with 7,249 in 2021; evidence has more than

doubled in three years.

Ther force receiving the most submissions

was Avon and Somerset, with 3,501 in 2024.

In addition, the rate at which these

submissions had led to the issue of a Notice

of Intended Prosecution has risen from 38%

in 2021 to 54% in 2024.

In a separate study IAM RoadSmart

surveyed drivers on their understanding of

the rules regarding passing cyclists.

The Highway Code says drivers should

leave at least 1.5 metres of space when

overtaking a cyclist at speeds of up to

30mph, with a larger gap at higher speeds.

A separate survey from IAM RoadSmart

shows that more than half (58%) of 655

motorists polled in the UK were not aware

that the correct distance to give cyclists is at

least 1.5 metres.

In the study almost a fifth (18%) thought

the distance was one metre.

A third of motorists said they often see

other drivers or motorcyclists performing

what they would consider a close pass,

risking the safety of the cyclist.

Photo of a close pass courtesy of the BBC

Almost one fifth reported that they often

see drivers or motorcyclists overtaking a

cyclist on a blind bend.

Harriet Hernando, IAM RoadSmart active

travel spokesperson, said: “It is extremely

concerning that more than half of motorists

don’t know how much space to give a cyclist

when overtaking. Passing too closely to a

cyclist can be intimidating and dangerous,

especially if they need to move out to avoid a

pothole.

“It is small wonder then that record

numbers of cyclists are installing cameras

and submitting footage of dangerous or

careless drivers to the police. While it is

heartening to see that prosecution rates have

increased, it would be better if it didn’t reach

that stage and motorists weren’t doing it in

the first place.

“That’s why we’re launching No More Close

Calls, a campaign to put an end to close

passes. When overtaking a cyclist, always

look beyond them to judge your ability to get

past safely, leaving at least 1.5 metres of

space when overtaking at speeds of up to

30mph and give them more space when

overtaking at higher speeds.

“By hanging back two or three car lengths,

you’ll be able to see further up the road and

look out for oncoming traffic.

“Never overtake on a blind bend, or where

road markings show double white lines. If it

isn’t safe to overtake then don’t try and

squeeze past – shaving seconds off your

journey isn’t worth it if you end up taking

someone’s life.”

I contrast this approach with the confusing

situation which is developing in Wales,

however. Go Safe, the Country’s Casualty

Reduction Partnership, has temporarily

suspended taking action against motorists

who are caught on camera overtaking

cyclists pedestrians and horse riders.

It had earlier been reported that South

Wales Police had stopped issuing warning

letters due to the considerable number

involved. They claim it follows official advice

but the Forensic Science Regulator, which

regulates the application of scientific

principles and methods in legal decisionmaking

in England and Wales, has insisted

that it has not issued any guidance “that

would suggest forces suspend taking action

on evidence submitted to Operation SNAP.

Meanwhile, the confusion has left many

wondering about the future of travel camera

reporting, with the cycling campaigning

website road.cc claiming that it signalled “the

end of protecting cyclists from close passes”,

while a spokesperson for Gloucestershire

Police muddied the waters still further by

saying “A close pass isn’t an offence and a lot

of cyclists don’t realise that”, adding that

“cyclists need education on driving offences”

– comments that the website said provedthe

UK’s current road safety policies were a

“mess”.

editor@msagb.com



Vehicle recalls widen as airbag

failure problems affect 800,000

FRENCH authorities have mandated the

immediate immobilisation — via “stop drive”

orders — of 800,000 vehicles equipped with

potentially deadly Takata airbags.

The move follows the death of a woman in

Reims, believed to have been caused by metal

fragments expelled from a defective airbag.

France has now ordered the immobilisation of

1.7 million vehicles, with 2.5 million subject to

recall notices overall.

As reported in the last issue of Newslink, this

means certain UK vehicles must now not be

taken on L-test unless the defective equipment

has been replaced. This incudes popular Citroen

modes such as older C3s/DS3s.

MSA GB has been informed that in some

cases, owners of affected cars are hitting

considerable hurdles to have the defective

parts replaced. One reported to head office

that they refused to drive their vehicle to the

garage for the repair work, for fear that the

airbag could explode, only to be told that

having the vehicle towed or transported in

was impossible.

Despite the common identification of

defective Takata airbags across EU member

states, responses vary significantly. For

example, Cyprus has reportedly ignored 57

safety alerts issued via the EU’s Safety Gate

rapid alert system since 2019, without

launching national recalls or investigations.

Something to bear in mind if you are

holidaying on that island this summer, and

hire a car.

These discrepancies highlight the EU’s

fragmented approach to safety recalls.

Identical vehicles with the same lifethreatening

fault can remain on the road in

one country while being forcibly off-road in

another. While EU regulation requires

manufacturers to recall unsafe vehicles,

national enforcement and follow-up remain

inconsistent.

Somewhat ironically, it is believed that the

failure of the airbags is highly unlikely to

occur in the UK. It is thought to be caused by

the cars’ interiors being exposed to extreme

heat on very hot summer days (above 40

deg C); all failures appear to have occured on

such days, and it is thought the heat is

triggering a faulty inflation of the airbags.

State cutbacks hit

road safety groups

TWO of the world’s largest economies are

seeing major setbacks for road safety

governance, as populist administrations in

Argentina and the United States take aim at

key transport and safety institutions.

In Argentina, President Javier Milei has

axed the National Road Directorate and the

National Road Safety Agency, as part of a

sweeping decree targeting state bodies. The

affected agencies oversee thousands of

kilometres of Argentina’s national highway

network and have historically played a vital

role in infrastructure development,

maintenance and road safety enforcement.

Critics fear the deterioration of road

networks and a rise in preventable deaths

Meanwhile, in the United States, Reuters

reports that the National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA) — the

country’s chief vehicle safety regulator – is

set to lose more than 25% of its workforce.

The cuts follow similar reductions at other

agencies including the Federal Highway

Administration.

Safety advocates have expressed alarm at

the scale of the losses. The timing is

particularly sensitive, with NHTSA facing

growing demands to regulate emerging

technologies such as autonomous vehicles

and advanced driver assistance systems.

According to Reuters, some of the cuts will

affect departments directly responsible for

overseeing vehicle safety innovations.

Wales starts to see benefits of 20mph speed limits

TRANSPORT for Wales’ July 2025 National

Monitoring Report has offered the first

comprehensive look at outcomes following

the introduction of a 20 mph default speed

limit on residential roads, in September

2023.

The report – tracking data up to March

2025 – assesses eight key performance

indicators across vehicle speeds, journey

times, casualties and air quality.

Vehicle speeds falling and compliance

improving

Vehicle speed data collected from 43 sites

across Wales show that speeds have

decreased and compliance has improved

since the policy came into force. In winter

2024/25, 54% of vehicles were recorded

travelling at or below 24 mph, compared

with 21% before the limit was introduced,

and 53% in summer 2024.

The 85th-percentile speed — the speed

at or below which 85% of vehicles travel —

fell to 29.5 mph, down from 32.9 mph before

the change and 29.8 mph in summer 2024.

The weighted mean speed was 24.9 mph, a

notable drop from 28.7 mph pre-rollout.

Compliance has increased by +33.2

percentage points over baseline levels, and

by +1.3 points compared to summer 2024,

indicating sustained behavioural change

among drivers.

Early signs of fewer casualties

Reported road casualties have declined in

the first year since implementation. Across

all road types, casualties fell by 11.8% in the

12 months following the change. On roads

previously subject to 20 or 30 mph limits

— those now covered by the new default —

casualties decreased by 26.2%. In contrast,

casualties on higher-speed roads (over 40

mph) increased slightly, by 4.2%.

However, the report notes that more time

and data are needed before drawing

conclusions on the policy’s effects on cyclist

and pedestrian casualties. At least three full

years of post-implementation data will be

required to identify meaningful trends, in line

with RoSPA guidance.

These early findings show sustained

reductions in speed and improved

compliance, with no evidence of adverse

impacts on air quality or journey times.


Towards your CPD

Understanding the TIP – and what

it means to you and your teaching

Steve Garrod takes a look

at the TIP report - that

essential data on all our

pupils’ L-test performance

UNDERSTANDING the ADI Driving

Test Data Report, which is available

to all ADIs by clicking on the link at

the end of this article, forms an

essential part of our CPD, but only if it is

understood what is being recorded.

Some headings are clearer to interpret

than others. For example, ‘Use of Mirrors’

followed by its options of ‘before signalling’,

‘changing direction’ and ‘changing speed’ can

be easier to understand than ‘Steering’. It is

important to point out, however, that it is

making effective observation rather than

looking at the mirrors that is marked and

changing speed means accelerating as well

as slowing down.

Changing direction is often marked when

candidates are moving back to the left after

passing a bus or a delivery van which is about

to, or in the process of, moving off as well as

checking to the right before passing them.

The reason for using ‘Steering’ as an

example is because it was the subject that

brought up more questions than any other

headings at a recent Standards Check

workshop. Steering can be quite difficult to

interpret unless present at an end of test

debrief. Steering could mean not steering

correctly at junctions, eg, understeering or

oversteering (not steering enough and

maybe entering a side road on the wrong side

of the road or steering too much and having

problems with straightening up having

turned). Steering can also be mixed up with

‘Meeting Traffic’ or ‘Adequate clearance’. For

example, if a candidate leaves it late to steer

around a parked vehicle having given way to

an oncoming vehicle, then this is marked as a

steering fault. If you are conducting a mock

test, then think about how you would debrief

the fault. “You left it late to steer around the

parked vehicle causing you to steer onto the

other side of the road due the lack of

available space to turn”.

When teaching we like to see our clients

steer on a shallow angle past a parked vehicle

wherever possible to reduce the amount of

space needed on the opposite side of the

road.

Steering can also mean clipping or

mounting the kerb or pavement when

turning left or pulling up by the side of the

road. From a teaching point of view, you could

ask how to avoid this fault, and the answer

would normally be to steer later, when

turning left, or straightening up earlier when

pulling up next to the kerb.

Interestingly, when pulling up, if the

pavement is mounted but the fault is

corrected and the car comes to rest with all

four wheels on the road then this is a steering

fault, but if a wheel is left on the kerb, then

this is marked as ‘Position for normal stops’

Steering can also be marked when

cornering, for example, if a driver is too close

to a kerb or too near the centre of the road. It

can be mistaken for road positioning, but if

the position was correct upon entering the

bend, then you need to ask yourself how the

fault could be corrected. If a solid white line

crossed or straddled, then a fault would be

recorded under ‘Road markings.’

Likewise, when turning right, if a driver

goes past their point of turn, which is often

caused by focusing on oncoming traffic and

steering late, this is marked as a steering

fault.

Sometimes it can be tricky to assess a

steering fault if a candidate approaches a

junction too quickly. If it results in entering

the side road on the wrong side of the road

then it could be marked as steering as the

effect of the fault was to steer onto the

wrong side of the road, even though the

cause of the fault was the speed on approach.



It is one of those situations where if one of

these faults has already been marked as a

serious fault, then the other fault may be

marked.

Contrary to belief, the method of steering

is not marked unless it causes a problem. So

if someone crosses their hands while

steering it is only marked down if there is a

problem. It may not be how we like to see

someone steer and it should be pointed out

the reason why we teach the ‘Pull Push’

method, is it is considered to be a safer and

more efficient method of steering. It’s much

the same way as we teach ‘Handbrake then

neutral’ when coming to rest. It encourages

the driver to stop before selecting neutral,

but so long as we have come to rest,

selecting neutral before applying the

handbrake is not a fault. As for myself, I

always encourage my learners to come to

rest, then take a deep breath before saying

‘Hhhhhhaaaaaandbrake’!

Many cars now have the electric parking

brakes which come off automatically when

moving off, so even if it is applied before

neutral is selected, the car could still lurch

forward if the driver rests their feet before

selecting neutral, therefore it makes no

difference if neutral is selected before the

handbrake is applied.

ANOTHER heading that can cause

confusing is ‘Controlled stop’. It is only

the stop itself that is marked, either

not quick enough or not keeping the vehicle

under control. Failing to check blind spots

correctly after the stop is marked under

‘Move off safely’ and not under the

Controlled stop.

Other control faults are under the heading

Accelerator. This is not often marked but it is

generally for erratic use such as not

accelerating smoothly, of failing to come off

the accelerator when changing gear. If the

candidate has revved the engine at a

pedestrian crossing, then it is marked under

‘Pedestrian crossings’ and if used too harshly

then it could be recorded as a fault under ‘Eco

safe Control’ or use of speed.

This is the same for a ‘Footbrake’ fault. Late

braking is marked in the Eco safe planning’

box then as a footbrake fault after that. Other

Footbrake faults could be stopping too short

of a Give way line meaning the view into the

new road is restricted.

This is where fault analysis is important to

help the learner understand how to fix the

fault. Eg “How could you make that easier

next time?”

Clutch faults are rare because ‘coasting’ is

recorded under ‘gears’ as the gears are not

“A gear fault, particularly changing to a lower gear, is associated

with lack of forward planning, especially when going up a steep

hill. Allowing the engine to labour often leads to a rushed gear

change and subsequent incorrect gear selections, such as 4th gear

instead of 2nd gear.”

properly engaged. Clutch faults are usually

recorded for not pressing it down sufficiently

when stopping and subsequently stalling.

A gear fault, particularly changing to a

lower gear, is associated with lack of forward

planning, especially when going up a steep

hill. Allowing the engine to labour often leads

to a rushed gear change and subsequent

incorrect gear selections, such as 4th gear

instead of 2nd gear.

Changing down gear causes more

problems the changing up, usually because

changing down requires more planning than

changing up. When we change up the road is

often clear, and we can see hear the engine

noise rising. Some change up out of habit, so I

normally suggest that we should be able to

keep building up our speed or at least match

the new gear to the higher speed, where as

changing means we have to anticipate what

gear we need to build up or speed once we

have finished our braking, so there is a time

limit which can cause additional stress.

This requires a greater level of skill as we

need to take into account other factors, such

as the position and speed of other road users

to help us make the correct choice of lower

gear. Driving in too lower gear for too long

with the engine over revving, again could be

an Eco safe fault, and then a gear fault.

The final heading in this section is

‘Handbrake’. And this could be for not

applying it properly when coming to rest and

allowing the car to roll backwards or applying

it when not fully at rest. It can be marked if it

is left on having moved off, although this fault

would initially be recorded under ‘Moving off

control’.

I hope this has helped to demystify how

some of the faults are recorded, but it is no

substitute for either sitting out on test or

listening to the end of test debrief.

Here is the link for your form. It’s worth

requesting this quarterly. I do and it has

helped with some areas that I was not fully

aware that needed additional attention.

To check out your TIP report, CLICK HERE


Towards your CPD

A crash by the road... a tragic tale... just another case

of inattentional blindness. Tom Harrington reports

He came from nowhere...

I never saw him...

THE screech of tyres. The unmistakable

crunch of metal against metal. The

heart-stopping silence that follows.

In the chaotic aftermath of a car

crash, amid the adrenaline and confusion, a

common phrase often escapes the lips of the

at-fault driver: “He came from nowhere. I

never saw him.”

This expression, seemingly innocent and

panicked, carries implications far deeper than

it first appears. It speaks to human

perception, legal responsibility, road safety,

and the cognitive limits of attention.

In exploring this familiar utterance, we gain

insight into how crashes happen, how they

are interpreted, and what they reveal about

the psychology and law of driving.

This picture of a mock-up of a motorcycle crash was used by police in Shropshire in a

promotional campaign to remind all motorists to keep an eye out for bikers, and for

bikers to take care. The campaign came after it was revealed that the county

had the highest motorbike casualty rate in the country.

A common cry: The unseen approach

The moment after a collision often brings

shock and disbelief. Drivers struggle to

process what has happened. The phrase, “He

came from nowhere,” is not always a lie – it

often reflects a genuine perception. Human

senses, particularly vision, play a dominant

role in driving. But vision can be fooled. Our

eyes may be open, but attention can be

elsewhere.

Distraction, both visual and cognitive, is a

leading cause of vehicle collisions. Drivers

often look, but do not see. A vehicle can

easily go unnoticed if the driver is

preoccupied with navigation, conversation, or

internal thoughts. It is possible for a

pedestrian, cyclist, or motorcycle to remain

unseen even when in plain view.

This phenomenon, known as “inattentional

blindness,” helps explain how something as

large as another car can remain effectively

invisible until it is too late.

The science behind not seeing

Driving is a demanding cognitive task. It

requires constant attention to speed,

surroundings, road signs, and the actions of

other drivers. However, the human brain has

limited capacity for processing multiple

stimuli simultaneously. When overloaded, it

prioritises what it deems important. As a

result, other details — even critical ones —

can be filtered out subconsciously. Research

has shown that drivers can stare directly at a

hazard and yet fail to register its presence.

This is particularly true when a road user

appears in an unexpected location.



For instance, if a car is pulling out from a

hidden driveway, merging unexpectedly, or a

motorcyclist is approaching at speed, the

brain might not immediately interpret these

as threats.

When the driver later says, “I never saw

him,” it is often a truthful statement rooted in

the failure of perception, not eyesight.

Legal responsibility: Is “not seeing” a defence?

Legally, failing to see another road user is

seldom an acceptable defence. Road traffic

law places a duty of care on all drivers to

remain alert, observant, and prepared for the

unexpected. A court is unlikely to accept “I

didn’t see him” as an excuse for failing to

yield, turning across traffic, or colliding with a

pedestrian.

In legal proceedings, statements like “he

came from nowhere” are sometimes

interpreted as admissions of guilt. They

suggest that the driver was not paying

adequate attention, or not keeping a proper

lookout. They have failed to anticipate

hazards, or were driving too fast for the

conditions. Insurance companies may also

take such statements as an indication of

fault, which affects liability and

compensation.

From a legal standpoint, a reasonable

driver is expected to anticipate the presence

of others, particularly in high-risk areas like

junctions, pedestrian crossings, and urban

environments. The law often emphasises

what a driver ought to have seen, not merely

what they claim they saw.

The human factor: Attitude and assumptions

Beyond legalities lies the human side of the

crash — the attitudes and assumptions that

shape driver behaviour. Often, drivers make

subconscious decisions about who is ‘likely’

to be present. This can lead to dangerous

assumptions: “There won’t be a cyclist at this

hour,” or “That road is usually empty.” Such

expectations dull vigilance. When something

unexpected occurs — such as a speeding

motorbike or a pedestrian darting out — it

feels like it came “from nowhere.”

Our driving habits can be shaped by

routine, overconfidence, or even fatigue. We

may glance down at the radio, speed through

a familiar street, or assume that the coast is

clear without double-checking. These

moments, small in themselves, can have

catastrophic consequences.

Driver training aims to instil habits of

observation and caution, but even

experienced drivers fall prey to complacency.

This is especially dangerous at intersections,

where most collisions occur. Defensive

driving techniques — such as looking twice,

checking blind spots, and slowing before

junctions — are essential. Still, their

consistent application relies on discipline and

constant attention, both of which can be

undermined by daily stress or distractions.

The other side of the story

It is worth remembering that behind every

crash is another driver or road user —

someone who was seen too late. Their

perspective is often lost in the retelling. They

didn’t ‘come from nowhere.’ They may have

been riding within the speed limit, walking

across the road legally, or proceeding through

a green light. In many fatal or serious injury

cases, victims cannot tell their side. Police

investigations, CCTV, and eyewitnesses help

reconstruct the truth.

Technology now plays a role in correcting

the shortcomings of human perception.

Dashcams, vehicle black boxes, and even

autonomous braking systems can mitigate

some risks and provide objective records of

what occurred. Nonetheless, when someone

says, “I never saw him,” it is crucial to

consider why they didn’t. Was their view

blocked? Were they distracted? Did they

assume no one was coming? Each of these

factors is preventable and speaks to the

broader need for a culture of responsibility on

the road.

Beyond blame: Learning from the crash

Crashes should not only lead to blame

— they should lead to learning. Understanding

The ‘Jerks at

Junctions’ road

safety

campaign

landed in 2024,

to remind bikers

that sometimes,

car and van

drivers may not

have spotted

them

why drivers fail to see hazards is vital for

improving road safety. Better education,

increased awareness of perceptual limits, and

empathy for vulnerable road users can all

play a role.

Campaigns like Think Bike or Look Out

Before You Step Out exist to remind drivers

to check for less visible road users.

Technology such as blind-spot detection

and pedestrian sensors also helps. But

ultimately, the responsibility lies with each

driver to challenge their assumptions, reduce

distractions, and respect the unpredictability

of the road. Training should reinforce that

other road users don’t appear from nowhere.

They are always there; it is we who

sometimes fail to look properly. Emphasising

scanning, head checks, and deliberate

observation can help embed safer habits.

A moment of reflection

The phrase “He came from nowhere; I

never saw him” encapsulates the very

human struggle to make sense of a sudden

catastrophe. It is often a mix of panic, guilt,

and genuine surprise. But it should not be

used as a shield against accountability.

Instead, it should prompt deeper reflection on

how we see, how we drive, and how we take

responsibility.

Whether you are a new learner or a

seasoned driver, the lesson is the same:

vigilance is not optional. The road is shared.

The unexpected should be expected. And if

someone appears “from nowhere,” the

question must be asked: Were you really

looking?


Towards your CPD

It’s every ADI’s nightmare: Test

failure. But what are the legal and

psychological perspectives after a

failed driving test – and is anyone to

blame? Tom Harrington investigates

You failed me!

IN over 55 years of training drivers —

mainly learners — I have shared the road

with people from all walks of life. Each one

arrived with their own fears, habits, and

hopes. Most left not just as competent

drivers, but as changed individuals — more

confident, more capable, and often surprised

at how much they had grown behind the

wheel.

But one encounter, some years ago, has

stayed with me for all the wrong reasons. A

lady I had trained from scratch — from

complete non-driver to test-ready — failed

her driving test. As we stepped away from

the test centre, her frustration boiled over.

She turned to me and declared, “The lessons

were a waste of time and money.”

She did not say it with humour, or even out

of desperation. It was a blunt, dismissive

remark. There was no acknowledgment of

the progress she had made, no recognition

that she had once been terrified to even sit in

the driver’s seat. No thanks for the hours of

patient instruction, careful coaching, or the

moments we celebrated small victories — like

mastering hill starts, or finally nailing that

parallel park or the left reverse.

It would be easy to dwell on the sting of

those words. But over time, I came to realise

something important: teaching someone to

drive is about far more than helping them

pass a test. It is about transformation. It is

about taking someone with zero experience,

and guiding them to a point where they can,

independently and safely, operate a vehicle

on public roads. That alone is a remarkable

achievement — for both the pupil and the

instructor.

Tests can be failed for a hundred reasons.

Nerves. An unlucky moment. A small

misjudgement. But progress? Real learning?

That cannot be undone by a single examiner’s

decision. Her comment reminded me that in

this profession, we do not always get to hear

“thank you.” Sometimes our work goes

unnoticed, especially in moments of

disappointment. But that does not make it

any less valuable. Our true reward lies in the

silent victories — the shy learner who

becomes confident, the hesitant hand that

steadies on the gear lever, the smile of

someone who never thought they could do it,

now driving home on their own.

That one remark, though harsh, only

strengthened my belief in the quiet

importance of what we do. We do not just

teach people to drive. We help them change



“Allegations that the training

was insufficient or misleading

could, in theory, amount to a

breach of that duty if it can be

shown that the instructor acted

negligently ... but in practice, a

single failed test is rarely

sufficient to establish

pupil’s readiness for the test. Maintaining

clear records of lesson content, progress, and

discussions about readiness can protect

against unjustified claims.

Furthermore, driving test outcomes are

determined by independent examiners, not

instructors. The law recognises this

separation of roles, and pupils are ultimately

responsible for their own performance on the

day of the test.

lanes in life.

This was the case with Elsie – a 66-yearold

retired nurse – who sailed through her

test first time. Elsie was very appreciative

and rewarded me with a small amount of

money which I tried unsuccessfully to refuse.

Waste of money

In the world of driver training, instructors

are no strangers to disappointment—

particularly when a pupil fails their practical

driving test. However, the situation becomes

especially delicate when the pupil not only

expresses frustration but also blames the

instructor, claiming the driving lessons were

a waste time and of money. This scenario

raises important questions about

professional conduct, legal accountability,

and the psychological processes at play.

Understanding how to respond in such

moments requires insight not only into

teaching strategies but also into the legal

framework surrounding duty of care and the

psychological mechanisms that influence

human behaviour under stress.

Remain calm, empathetic and constructive.

A failed driving test is often an emotionally

charged event. For many learners,

particularly young people, the test

symbolises independence and competence.

When that expectation is unmet, some

individuals externalise their disappointment

through blame. Instructors may find

themselves accused of poor teaching or even

of being the reason for the failure. While the

instinctive reaction may be to defend one’s

reputation, a professional instructor must

remain calm, empathetic, and constructive.

From a legal standpoint, the relationship

between driving instructor and pupil is

underpinned by a duty of care. This duty

requires the instructor to provide competent,

reasonable instruction in accordance with

current regulations and professional

standards. Allegations that the training was

insufficient or misleading could, in theory,

amount to a breach of that duty if it can be

shown that the instructor acted negligently,

and that this negligence directly caused the

pupil’s failure.

Here’s a quick example: When a pupil asks

her instructor when they will practise the

manoeuvres, and he glibly answers ‘on the

morning of the test’.

In practice, however, a single failed test—

especially in the absence of serious

misconduct — is rarely sufficient to establish

liability. A stout legal defence in such cases

rests on demonstrating that the trainer

provided structured lessons, gave honest

feedback, and reasonably assessed the

Preserve their self-esteem

Yet, while legal frameworks provide one

layer of understanding, the emotional

reaction of a pupil is often more deeply

rooted in psychological processes. According

to Attribution Theory, individuals tend to

explain their successes and failures by

attributing them to internal or external

causes.

When a pupil fails a test, especially if they

believed themselves ready, they may engage

in external attribution by blaming the

instructor. This allows them to preserve their

self-esteem in the face of perceived

inadequacy.

Cognitive dissonance further explains this

reaction. A pupil who believed they were

competent and deserving of a pass

experiences psychological discomfort when

reality contradicts that belief. Shifting the

blame to the instructor reduces this

discomfort and helps the individual maintain

a consistent self-image.

While such responses are not uncommon,

they can place instructors in a difficult

position if not handled with care.

Continued on page 28

“Cognitive dissonance further explains this reaction. A pupil who

believed they were competent and deserving of a pass experiences

psychological discomfort when reality contradicts that belief.

Shifting the blame to the instructor reduces this discomfort and

helps the individual maintain a consistent self-image.”


Towards your CPD

Continued from page 27

Instructor – Dual role

The instructor, therefore, plays a dual role

– not only as a technical guide but also as an

emotional coach.

Recognising the pupil’s emotional state is

essential. Emotional regulation, particularly

among younger drivers, may not be fully

developed, and a failed test can trigger anger,

disappointment, or even embarrassment.

Instructors who can acknowledge the pupil’s

feelings without validating misplaced blame

create space for constructive dialogue. At

this stage, a growth-oriented approach can

be particularly effective.

Drawing on the work of prominent US

psychologist Carol Dweck, instructors can

promote a growth mindset — the belief that

ability can be developed through effort and

learning.

Instead of framing the failure as an

endpoint, instructors should help pupils view

it as an opportunity for reflection and

improvement.

Crucially, by reviewing examiner feedback

and setting focused goals, the pupil can

regain motivation and confidence.

Instructor – Self-reflection

Moreover, by reminding the pupil of their

overall progress — such as the improvements

they have made in handling roundabouts or

managing busy junctions — the instructor

can challenge the notion that the lessons

were wasted.

This reframing process not only protects

the instructor’s professional integrity but

also reinforces the pupil’s developmental

journey toward becoming a safe and

responsible driver.

Finally, the instructor must engage in

private self-reflection. While the blame may

be unfounded, moments of criticism provide

opportunities to review teaching methods,

communication styles, and feedback

mechanisms.

Even experienced instructors benefit from

assessing whether they have been clear,

supportive, and responsive to the needs of

individual learners.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when a pupil blames their

instructor for failing the driving test, the

situation should be handled with

Members interested in

further reading on this

matter may be interested

in getting hold of a copy

of Dr Dweck’s bestseller,

Mindset: How You Can Fulfil

Your Potential, available

through Amazon and other

online book sellers

“Drawing on the work of psychologist

Carol Dweck (left), instructors can

promote a growth mindset — the belief

that ability can be developed through

effort and learning. Instead of

framing the failure as an endpoint,

instructors should help pupils view it

as an opportunity for reflection and

improvement...”

professionalism, legal awareness, and

psychological sensitivity. The legal

framework offers protection for instructors

acting in good faith, while psychological

insight helps explain the pupil’s emotional

response. Through empathy, structured

feedback, and encouragement of a growth

mindset, instructors can turn moments of

blame into moments of growth — both for the

pupil and themselves.

It is important to remember that a failed

test often reflects a complex combination of

nerves, situational factors, and a learner’s

readiness — not simply the quality of

instruction. Instructors should maintain clear

and accurate records of lesson content,

progress, and feedback to protect

themselves and provide evidence of due

diligence.

Moreover, fostering open communication

throughout the learning process can

pre-empt misunderstandings and strengthen

trust.

By setting realistic expectations and

framing failure as part of the journey toward

competence, instructors uphold both their

professional integrity and the pupil’s

long-term success as a safe, independent

driver.

“Through empathy, structured

feedback, and encouragement

of a growth mindset,

instructors can turn moments

of blame into moments of

growth — both for the pupil

and themselves...”


Area News


Roadworks as far as I can see!

Arthur Mynott

West Coast

& Wales

IN MY local county town of Taunton there

seems to be a multitude of roadworks going

on at the moment.

One of the motorway junctions on the M5

(junction 26) that feeds Taunton and the

neighbouring town of Wellington has been

closed since June 15, and will remain shut until

September 16 meaning that there is more

traffic having to travel through Taunton to use

junction 25.

On top of this another major road just on

the outskirts of Taunton has also been closed

one way from June 16 until September 7,

meaning even more traffic has to find its way

through the centre of town.

This is quite worrying as every time the M5

is shut, which happens often, Taunton can

quite quickly become gridlocked as well as

the surrounding villages. This second closure

affects me personally as it is on my way to

the golf course I usually play at and means I

have to travel through the very centre of

town instead. This isn’t too bad as long as I

leave early enough to avoid the morning rush

hour.

Rush hour, now this is a phrase that I find

amusing as you are doing exactly the

opposite, hardly rushing around in the heavy

traffic!

The Somerset traffic news: Congestion, hold-ups and slow going are the norm!

On top of these two sets of roadworks

there are a further two lots of road closures

within about two miles on the other side of

Taunton, and this is causing a lot of hold-ups

every day. It all means a great deal of thought

has to go into each driving lesson so as to

avoid being stuck in traffic queues while

teaching.

To add further insult to injury, as I am

writing this I am house and dog sitting for my

daughter’s family while they are on holiday

and there is even another closure on my way

to Taunton from their house, creating yet

another diversion andforcing me to leave

even earlier in the morning for golf!

It would be really nice if all the different

utility companies and the council could get

together and work out the timings of their

respective road closures so they are not all

happening at the same time.

I know there are other factors to take in to

account but surely some sort of timeframe

could be worked out to reduce congestion

and ease people’s frustration?

Area 4 plans exciting speaker line-up for conference

THIS NOVEMBER, join fellow driving

instructors for a day packed with insights,

inspiration, and updates that matter to your

career.

The MSA GB West Coast & Wales Area

Training Day and Conference is back, and it’s

happening on:

Monday 3rd November

at the

Holiday Inn, Birmingham (M6, Jun 7)

Doors open at 9.00 am, and what follows is

a day you won’t want to miss.

Here’s who you’ll be hearing from on the

day:

n Alan Gott, FBTC Accountancy Services

– Making Tax Digital: what it means for you,

and how to stay prepared

n Mike Newman and John Galloway, Speed

Of Sight – an extraordinary story of

resilience, inclusion, and empowerment

n Colin Stewart DVSA – key updates and

insights from the agency shaping the

industry’s future

n Mike Yeomans, National Chairman, MSA

GB – a look at the Association’s strategic

direction and member support

This is your opportunity to reconnect with

fellow instructors, ask real questions, share

experiences, and take away practical

knowledge you can apply immediately.

A two-course buffet lunch and

refreshments are included, giving you even

more time to network and build valuable

connections.

Book your place before 1st September for

early-bird pricing, £45 for MSA GB members

and £50 for non-members. After that, tickets

are £55.

Contact Arthur Mynott with any queries,

via arthur.mynott@yahoo.com

or 07989 852274

Click here for

details and to book


Area News

The Aberdeen & District Driving Schools Association (ADDSA) is one of the country’s most active local

groups, with regular meetings and campaigns focused on key issues affecting instructors. Derek Young,

secretary of the ADDSA, gives us a quick look at its history, membership and goals

Keeping the Granite City

on the right road

THE Aberdeen & District Driving Schools

Association (ADDSA) was set up to represent

the city and region’s ADIs who are

proprietors of driving schools; it is also a

member of the MSA.

The association’s quarterly meetings are

held at the Aberdeenshire Cricket Club,

Morningside Road, Aberdeen and prior to

each meeting we provide soup and

sandwiches which we feel increases member

attendance. Some meetings are held on

Zoom.

The ADDSA was formed on March 7 1971

after it became apparent that a local

association was required to deal with both

local and national issues. The first meeting

took place with about 18 local ADIs present,

and at that meeting it was agreed that only

owners of local driving schools could join and

no franchise instructors would be allowed.

This remains the policy today as

independent instructors do not benefit from

the support of a franchise.

The ADDSA had various achievements over

the years, such as helping reduce the waiting

list for a driving test down from six months. It

has also worked closely with the local police’s

annual driving competition, at which our

members were responsible for assessing

their driving skills.

Another major achievement for the ADDSA

over the years was the introduction and the

organising of the Schools Driving Ambition

Programme. Eleanor Mennie of Ellon

Academy contacted the police after her son

was involved in a fatal crash during school

lunch break and we had great pleasure

providing instructors to assist with the

practical driving part of this programme.

Over the years ADDSA has come to rely on

some excellent local ADIs to keep it running

smoothly. Prominent among them was Mrs

Elma Wylie who took over the secretary’s

duties in 1973 and stayed in post until her

retirement in 2008. In 1993 she was joined on

the top table by the now late Mr Jack Millar

who became our chairman, a post he retained

until his retirement in 2007.

Today the association has now grown to

121 members including a committee of ten.

Mark Hewison is the current Chairman, Steve

Strachan is Vice Chairman, Derek Young is

the Secretary and Heather Shewan is our

Treasurer. They are ably supported by Jamie

Melvin , John Dawson, Alan Brown, Moira

Craib, Gus Rae and Mike Collie on the

committee.

The committee meet a few weeks before

our members’ meeting to discuss the

agenda, and then each February, May,

August and November we have our quarterly

members’ meeting.

Various subjects are discussed at the

meetings, such as any new applications to

join association, correspondence from the

DVSA, any road conditions concerns and any

related problems for our industry.

All relevant information is sent by email to

all members so they are informed of any

changes immediately.

If there are any problems with the DVSA

locally, ADDSA is always on hand to help. It’s

MSA GB’s Peter

Harvey was

invited to address

an ADDSA

meeting at the

start of the year.

Here he is joined

on the top table

by ADDSA’s by

Mark Hewison

and Derek Young

great that as an association we have an

excellent working relationship with the DVSA,

both locally and nationally. Most months we

hold a ‘surgery’ at both Aberdeen Test

Centres or on Zoom, for all instructors to

attend and to discuss any local issues with

the test centre managers.

One of the areas we are very active in is

reporting pot holes and poor road markings

to the council. We keep on top of this by

taking council road engineers out to the site

of any problems and show them the road

conditions all motorists and our pupils have to

encounter on a daily basis.

Whether it’s this that helps us we’re not

sure but Aberdeen’s ADIs do enjoy a high

level of local support, though it hasn’t always

been the case. A few years ago an ex-Lord

Provost wrote a column in the local

newspaper criticising the teaching standards

of driving instructors. We’re assuming it was

prompted by the standards of local young

people on the road. Whatever caused him to

act as he did, we stepped in and asked if he

would like his own driving skills assessed, and

we showed him the problems we have daily



Make a date for

the Scottish

Training Seminar

“If there are any problems

with the DVSA locally,

ADDSA is always on hand

to help. It’s great that as an

association we have an

excellent working

relationship with the DVSA,

both locally and nationally”

because of other motorists bad driving.

To be fair to him he, following this he wrote

a second column supporting us!

As an association we have long been

committed to providing CPD to our members.

This is facilitated at most meetings by

members who make a presentation on a

particular subject relating to our profession.

Lately we have also had our members

attend various courses. Our association pays

all related fees and then they provide

feedback to the rest of the association at our

next meeting.

Many years ago almost 30 members went

to our local college to gain a qualification in

classroom teaching which shows the team

work we have in our association.

Lately we have helped our members all

become PVG compliant, helping each other

pick our way through this potentially tricky

issue.

During the year we arrange some social

evenings such as having a meal together

along with a few drinks and a Christmas night

out.

As an association we work very closely

together; we have a great mix of instructors,

some with years of experience and some

who have just started their business.

Also even though we are all in competition

for pupils we always share any information

and give advice if required and will help all

members in difficult times such as when

illness strikes, so they can continue with their

business when they are back on their feet.

In 2020 the ADDSA was delighted to win

the GoRoadie Association of the Year award,

and in the last two years we have received

silver place in the national Intelligent

Instructor Awards.

Since 1971 the ADDSA has continued to

grow in strength;we think our 121 members

makes us the largest association of its kind in

the country.

Our future plans for the ADDSA is to

continue growing our association, to continue

improving our teaching skills which will

improve road safety and to support all

members in any situation.

Want to join?

To join the annual membership is only £35

and application forms are available from

Derek Young Tel 07732379396 or visit our

website ADDSA.co.uk

If you are a local proprietor of a driving

school and not a member of any

association we would strongly encourage

you to join now.

IT IS that time again, when MSA GB

Scotland starts to think about your CPD,

and what better way to do this than

attend the Scottish Training Seminar this

autumn.

The event will be held on Sunday, 2nd

November at our traditional venue,

Castlecary Hotel, Castlecary Road,

Castlecary, Glasgow, G68 0HD.

Though more details will be added as

we get closer to the event, we already

have an action-packed schedule with a

few confirmed guest speakers.

Gemma Collier will be discussing health

related matters

Mick Knowles, ORDIT trainer and

co-founder of Knowledgeable Instructor

Training will be delivering a talk

Pauline Reeves from the DVSA will be in

attendance

Peter Harvey MBE will keep us up to

speed with changes within the industry

plus more.

Cost

Early bird cost until 30th September

2025 is only £45; and £55 thereafter.

Included is a two-course hot lunch with

regular tea/coffee breaks, plus all relevant

papers and a CPD certificate.

Make a weekend of it

Fancy making a weekend of it? We have

negotiated great room rates for those

who want to stay: £95 for single

occupancy and £130 for double

occupancy, which also includes breakfast!

To book your room please phone

Castlecary Hotel on 01324 840 233 and

quote booking reference “MSA Scotland/

Northern Ireland” to secure your special

room discount.

You can secure your place now by

clicking HERE.

Click here for

details and to book


Area News

Rambling on again

More magic... this time in Colchester!

John Lomas

West Coast

& Wales

Finger control or voice?

You are all well aware, or at least I trust you

are, that you must not use a handheld

phone or tablet while driving OR

instructing, even if you are stationary at

lights or in a traffic queue.

However, most cars nowadays have

tablet-like displays which control

entertainment systems, Bluetooth phone

connections, Sat Navs, various climate

control functions in some cars. They also

have a variety of fuel consumption and

range functions, and will tell you about

developing faults. I’m fairly sure I have

missed many other items.

The point is, it isn’t an offence to use your

fingers to navigate through that lot while

driving, though you could be prosecuted

for lack of control or driving without due

care and attention if it appears to be

affected by such use.

I have been pondering this and think that

maybe a common AI function, with which

many of you will already be familiar, could

be incorporated into the car: voice control.

It would be similar to that used in your

smart speakers. I envisage a standalone

system to which you give a name specific

for your car. You could then tell the car

what system you want, which function it

should do. Then leaving that setting how

you want it and move to something else.

You would probably set the SatNav

before departure but if travelling a

well-known route and you find a

substantial traffic problem, you could

redirect the SatNav to find another route.

Or if you have the SatNav on in the

background it might move to the front of

the display with an audible notification of a

change of route.

I know it is said that even talking on

handsfree can be distracting because

some of us don’t like to ignore the person

on the other end of the call but at least

talking to the car is probably no more

distracting than talking to a passenger.

Of course, many people have been using

a voice command feature for their phone in

the car already. I remember Steve Johnson,

a past MSA North West Chairman, using

such a thing back in the late 90s or early

Noughties when we were en route to a

meeting in Workington. The system could

also have a feature which prevented it

displaying a text message while the engine

is switched on, but will read the message

out if required.

Are the up market cars already doing

this?

Editor: Sadly, yes, and quite a bit more!

For a quick insight into what is coming

from China, check out this short video in

which Ford CEO Jim Farley outlines the

tech on its way to your car.

LINK HERE

Magic again

Following on from my ramblings about

‘Magic roundabouts’ in the July issue,

apparently there is another in Colchester.

I have looked at it and have selected a few

views, which you can see hear. From

overhead you can see that it is a five-exit

system and the lower left (West of South)

exit is into a supermarket as well as ordinary

road. By the way, the four-exit roundabout is

a standard one. I have also used an example

of the signage seen while doing the contra

rotation which seems quite effective.

That can’t be said of all the signage when

approaching from the North on the A133. The

view from the Google camera clearly shows

that the first roundabout sign has a critical

segment obscured by a sign warning about a

traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing

ahead. That sign could easily have been

positioned higher in order to avoid it masking

part of the direction sign.

Driving licence: Other categories

Looking at the DVLA website recently

A composite image swiped off a Facebook

account makes the same point...



there is a list of ‘other categories’ beyond the

ones we know that DVSA is conducting tests

for. They are:

f Agricultural tractor.

G Road roller.

H Tracked vehicles.

k Mowing machine or

pedestrian-controlled vehicle.

l Electrically propelled vehicle.

M

n

Trolley vehicles.

Exempt from duty.

You do not need a driving licence for:

electric bikes, mobility scooters or powered

wheelchairs.

My own licence, dating from before DVLA,

Swansea took over driver licensing from the

local authorities, shows categories: f k l n p q.

I wonder how many of those categories are

actually tested these days?

Of my categories:

n f Agricultural tractors; used to be tested

when I started instructing. Examiners used to

go out to meet candidates (who could be

under 17) in rural locations to carry out the

test. But nowadays I suspect that the

younger workers merely use L plates until

they are 17 and then apply for Cat B tests and

follow that with a +E, or go down one of the

larger vehicle routes.

(I knew one farming family member who

had to do D1 and +E because the family

vehicle was an LWB Land Rover with too

many seats to be a category B)

n k Mowing machines: Most mowing

machines these days appear to be operated

by people who have brought them on site

using sub-3500kg pick-up or possibly a

sub-7500kg lorry. The Royal Mail delivery

does use, in some areas, pedestrian

controlled wheeled box trucks, but they are

electric powered, so do they come under

category l?

n l Milk floats: Milk deliveries in urban

areas used to be done using electric powered

milk floats, some of them were

conventionally driven but there were also

pedestrian controlled ones.

There have been b/w films showing the

examiner from the Ministry of Transport

carrying out driving tests for those users,

though I can’t find a link to access those films

now.

n M Trolley vehicles. Generally Trolley

buses were electric powered vehicles which

got their power from overhead wires, the

routes they could use were, of course,

confined to where those dedicated wires

were placed.

The only places you can see and ride on

these today are some transport museums

and preservation sites.

One of the best known of these is The

Trolley Bus Museum at Sandtoft. (just off the

M180 – details at https://sandtoft.org/

wp/) Because these are being driven on

private land, albeit with public access, I don’t

know if the drivers have to take category M

test or if it is still included on new drivers

licences as an additional category.

n Category p . This was for a moped, which

back in the days when I passed my car test

was mainly a sub-49cc engine mounted over

the rear wheel of a pedal cycle with a roller

running on the tyre to power it, or a similar

engine mounted inside the rear wheel.

Common types were Power Pack and

CycleMotor.

Now the moped category is the AM

category although Cat p does allow for a

higher maximum speed. Cat q is a slower

limit category and includes the trial

e-scooters. https://www.gov.uk/

driving-licence-categories Shows Mopeds:

P and Q categories immediately under AM.

Using upper case lettering as opposed to the

lower case letters used on licences first

issued much earlier.

I wonder just how many tests are carried out

by DVSA staff, or other approved warrant

holders, specifically for these Other Categories.

Speed limit consultations

Surrey County Council has been consulting

its residents over possible changes to a

variety of speed limits on the local roads.

Reading about this in the Guildford Dragon

on-line newspaper there was one particular

comment, in response to questions, which

fascinated me.

Q) How will any new speed limits be

enforced? Is there an enforcement plan and,

if so, has Surrey Police agreed it?

A) Surrey Police are key partners of the

Surrey RoadSafe Partnership and we have

developed Vision Zero Road Safety Strategy

with them. They have been consulted on the

proposals and have not raised any objections.

The new speed limits are being set at a

level close to what most drivers are already

travelling at, so it is not expected that

additional enforcement will be needed.

Speed surveys will be undertaken

following implementation to check on the

compliance with the new speed limit to see if

any addition measures might be needed to

get the speeds down successfully.

The paragraph underlined above is typical

of Local Government officialese, and it lead to

the Dragon’s cartoonist (below) producing

this, which I thought might amuse you.

Cartoon and quotes with permission

of The Guildford Dragon NEWS

https://guildford-dragon.com/


Area News

Driving in the Stans

Janet Stewart rejected the

traditional holiday spots of the

Med for an adventure in Central

Asia this summer, and she kept

an experienced eye on the local

driving and road conditions as

she travelled around this rarely

explored region. Here’s what

she discovered along the way...

I’VE just returned from travelling in Central

Asia and the experience prompted me to

put digit to keyboard and write something

about the roads and transport in the

countries I visited.

Bishkek, capital of Kyrgystan, is a beautiful

city but sadly, one that is unpleasant to walk

around in. Some time ago the Government

decided that there was much revenue to be

gained from stripping the catalytic

converters out of newly imported vehicles.

Although the practice has now been stopped

the pollution was extremely uncomfortable;

most of us have now got used to much better

air quality since the Clean Air Acts. It really

was a reminder of times past and my group

(10 of us) were glad to get out of it after being

in the centre for a few hours.

It was interesting to note that most of the

new cars are Chinese.

Moving into the countryside the following

day, the poverty of Kyrgystan was apparent.

There are virtually no pavements outside the

capital and pedestrians struggle along rutted

verges as trucks speed past. As to

maintenance of vehicles, I saw a truck with a

totally smashed windscreen which I assumed

was stopped for it to be replaced. But no, he

was just waiting to move off. I can only

assume that there was a chink of clear glass

through which he was able to see.

Further on there was another truck with

the engine covering/bonnet (?) totally

missing. I guess the fan was not working and

this was his way of cooling the engine. Later

in the day, there was a torrential downpour

and I did wonder how either of these drivers

would fare.

As we got closer to China we reached a

superb stretch of road – as wide as a

motorway but with no markings or barriers.

This is being built by the Chinese, ostensibly

to assist the Kyrgs in trading with them. The

Chinese employ Pakistani, Indian and Syrian

labour. The road is not yet complete and the

Kyrgs are set to pay for it over many years to

come.

Into Kazhakstan

A couple of days later we crossed the

border into Kazhakstan. This experience was

like something out of a spy movie. There was

absolutely nothing there apart from a couple

of huts, a lot of men in uniform with big guns

and some dogs. We were told to cross in

silence and there were to be no pictures,

apart from the ones they kept taking of us.

There was desert as far as the eye could

see and we were about 20 miles from China.

We had to leave our bus and walk about 200

metres between the two checkpoints,

scanned and stamped at each end, and then

get on another bus at the end of the “bridge”.

The ridiculous thing is we could have walked

around just a few metres to either side!

Kazhakstan is the size of the whole of

Western Europe but the population is just

21.8 million. It is nearly all desert. Horses are

Kazhakstan: Desert as

far as eye could see



‘Chaos on the streets of Tashkent’... a

succession of white cars wait for their

chance to proceed after winning over the

traffic policeman (centre) with their

bargaining power...

bred for milk, meat and transport. There are

not many cars outside of the city and horses

are, therefore, taxed as ‘vehicles’. Apparently,

most people don’t declare how many horses

they really have.

We drove miles across desert in a nearly

straight line. As we started to overtake

something I gazed idly out of the window

wondering what it was. It was the biggest

low-loader I have ever seen. I eventually

managed to see that it was transporting an

aircraft wing and I do not mean a little one. It

looked as if it had come off an Airbus. There

was no escort, no flashing lights. It was quite

a sight – I regret not being able to take any

photos.

We left Kazhakstan on an overnight

sleeper train to cross the border into

Uzbekistan very early in the morning. We

were stopped for some time. More men with

guns and more Malinois sniffer dogs (my own

dog is a Malinois and this is the first time I

have seen them actually working. I resisted

the temptation to give them a cuddle). I

confirmed that I was not carrying diamonds,

gold or drones and was allowed to repack my

bag which I had had to empty out onto my

bunk. Some of the group were less fortunate

– perhaps they looked more affluent than

me.

Tashkent , the main city in Uzbekistan, is a

city of Chevrolets. Apparently there was a

Beautiful Bishkek, capital of Kyrgystan, but

watch out for the air pollution levels...

deal done with the US in the past. They had a

plant in Tashkent and no other make was

available. That almost remains the case. If it

is not a Chevvy it will be a Chinese BYD (Build

Your Dreams) of which there are large

numbers.

There are lots Zebra crossings in Tashkent,

Samarkand and Bukara but they are white

and yellow. What struck me as a good idea is

that, on the busier roads, speed humps are

put in about 20metres before the crossing to

slow vehicles on approach. At traffic lights

there is a countdown so that drivers know

Copyright: © Jeremy Woodhouse, Wikipedia

how long they will have to wait, and this

corresponds to the countdown given to the

pedestrians.

How sad am I that I stood on a street

corner in the centre of Samarkand for some

time just looking at the traffic! If the

pedestrian crossing light is green,

pedestrians cross and cars stop if the

pedestrian looks sufficiently determined.

Otherwise, the cars will continue against a

red light. This is, apparently, perfectly legal

and acceptable. I watched a policeman

directing traffic in the middle of a junction

that looked busy and dangerous. The officer

had a gun, a whistle and a truncheon. Despite

the fact that the junction was lightcontrolled,

the officer was blowing his whistle

like mad and waving his arms about,

occasionally taking the whistle out of his

mouth and yelling. It seemed to be a

bargaining system. In the heat, all car

windows were open and the drivers were

gesticulating and yelling back at the

policeman. Who shouted loudest won and

was allowed to proceed while the more timid

drivers waited for an opportunity to move.

This chaos worked and was actually quite

entertaining.

Obviously, I have only written here about

driving-related matters. There was, of

course, so much more to my travels and I am

already planning my next trip.

janetslittlecar@btinternet.com


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options available.

Find the special members discount section of our

website by CLICKING HERE

36

NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2025

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

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

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 Roman Park Hall, Sir Henry Lee

Crescent, HP18 0YT. 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

Coatbridge/Hamilton DIA

Chairman: Brian Lonnie

T: 07508011412

E: Brianlonnieadi@icloud.com

Meetings are held in The Coach House, 97

Main Street, Bellshill ML4 3DZ

Membership costs £20 per year.

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

If you want to see your local ADI group listed in this directory,

contact Peter Harvey on peter.harveymbe@msagb.com

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...

NEWSLINK n AUGUST 2025

37

Benefits and discounts

Members’ discounts and benefits

MSA GB has organised a number of exclusive discounts and offers for members. More details can be found on our

website at www.msagb.com and click on the Member Discounts logo. To access these benefits, simply log in and

click on the Member discount logo, then click the link at the bottom of the page to allow you to obtain your special

discounts. Please note, non-members will be required to join the association first. Terms and conditions apply.

Tyresafe and MSA GB: A crucial

partnership for tyre education

TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety charity, partners with the MSA GB, the

longest established trade association for driver trainers in GB, to promote tyre

safety education across the nation. This collaboration is a significant step towards

ensuring that the next generation of drivers understands the critical importance of

tyre maintenance. By leveraging the strengths and resources of both organisations,

TyreSafe and MSA GB are committed to making UK roads safer for all.

See msagb.com for more details.

Ford updates special

members’ offer

To get the full

story of the

discounts

available,

click HERE

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 a Motia

Fuel Card. Motia, the new name for Fuel Card

Services, offers a large choice from leading

brands such as BP, Shell, Esso and UK Fuels, so

you can decide which networks to include on

your business account.

n Save up to 10p per litre

n Increased security - fuel cards are safer

than 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.

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 can offer

up to a 40% discount off the

underwriter’s standard rates.

This is a comprehensive plan which provides

cash benefits for surgery and other charges.



PUPIL INSURANCE

Join the Collingwood

Instructor Programme and

refer your pupils for learner

insurance.

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.

TRAINING COURSES

Gates & Gibson is offering

all members a 10% discount

on two of it most popular workshops, How to

Manage Your Students and British Sign

Language for ADIs and PDIs, and access to a

30-minute Business Discovery Call FREE OF

CHARGE. The content of all three is tailored

precisely to ADIs’ needs.

MSA GB OFFER:: 10% discount to MSA GB

members. Add code: MSA10 at checkout on

the Gates and Gibson website,

https://www.gatesandgibson.com

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, to

manage VAT and income tax.

Plus their package for businesses managing

projects, stock, VAT, and income tax.

The packages are contract-free with no

cancellation fee. Contact our MSA GB

representative at Quickbooks - Ollie Nobes,

on: 07723 507 026 or email: Ollie_Nobes@

intuit.com quoting: **MSAGB**

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 £30

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 August 2025

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