Driving Schools Directory Blog

Intensive Driving Courses – What You Need to Know

Published June 9, 2013 | By admin

An intensive driving course or crash course normally consists of a number of lessons taken over a short period with a driving test booked at the end of the intensive driving course. These are often taken by people who wish to learn to drive quickly.

Intensive driving courses are typically taken over a one or two week period. Some intensive driving courses are on a residential basis.

These courses are particularly useful if you need to pass your driving test quickly because of a new job or before going to university.

You need to have passed your theory test before booking a practical driving test so it is advisable to prepare and take the theory test at an early stage.

You will need to bear in mind that driving lessons can be a stressful and tiring experience for some people and intensive driving courses/crash courses may not therefore be appropriate for everyone.

To make an inquiry about an intensive course, click here.

Is It Really Possible To Afford Young Drivers Insurance?

Published June 8, 2013 | By admin

Having passed your driving test is a great feeling and an achievement to be proud of. Unfortunately, then comes the expense! Buying a car is one thing but the cost of young drivers insurance these days is exorbitant.

As a result of this, young people try and save money by buying an older cheaper car. The problem here is that these cars, apart from being less reliable, are not as safe as a modern cars and often lack safety features such as Anti Lock Brakes, high NCAP safety ratings, Airbags etc. Also, modern cars are more fuel efficient and this alone will drain your wallet.

To try and reduce costs and in the absence of cheap car insurance for young drivers, parents will sometimes insure the car using their own no-claims bonus. You are under an obligation to inform the insurance company of the identity of the main driver when you insure a car, it is wrong to assume that because you own the car it is acceptable not to tell the insurance company of the real details.

Insurance companies are getting tough and stamping down!

If the car is solely or even predominantly used by the young driver the policy must be insured in the main driver’s name. If the insurer finds out they are very likely to cancel the policy or worse still, in the event of an accident, refuse to pay out or demand a substantial contribution from you.

It is great for you once you have passed your test as freedom and the open road is bestowed on you. It is a worrying time for parents though. These worries are eased if they know that every precaution has been taken to ensure your safety in case of an accident – a modern car fulfills this.

This is all very well but isn’t the cost of a new car and young drivers car insurance going to be way beyond my means? Normally, probably yes. An innovative company has managed to put together a package whereby you can own a new car, full insured, for the same amount it would cot you to run an old banger! A no-brainer really.

Visit the the Marmalade website and obtain an instant and free quote for a car and young drivers insurance. You will be very surprised! Once you have done that, make sure you show your Mum & Dad your findings and the website. They will be happy to know that their cherished ‘young person’ is driving around in a reliable, safe and economical car and with effective new driver insurance (learner driver insurance also provided). You will learn that cheap car insurance for young drivers is possible.

Choosing a Driving Instructor Training organisation

Published June 7, 2013 | By admin

Big companies who spend large amounts on TV advertising, head offices and other overheads are not always ORDIT registered and charge over-the-top fees. ORDIT (Official Register of Driving Instructor Training) is a scheme where a trainer’s premises, business contracts, training material and (most important) training skills are assessed by a DSA Assistant Chief Examiner to ensure high standards are met. So, when choosing an ADI trainer look for the ORDIT accreditation.

The smaller organisation with lower overheads will give much better value for money and will turn out good ADI’s NOT just sell a training course.
More information: http://www.wrightdriving.co.uk

Reasons for Taking a Residential Intensive Driving Course

Published June 7, 2013 | By admin

For many people, learning to drive is a long term strategy. Weekly lessons, perhaps two per week initially, to build up a thorough understanding of how to drive, not to mention the time it takes to learn the material needed to pass the theory test. For some people this is not the most practical method. According to Department of Transport figures, it takes the average learner, taking lessons once a week, an average of fourteen months to get to the point where they can take a test. If you have never driven a car before it can be quite difficult familiarising yourself with car controls, and then you have to wait another week before you can go through the process again. Without practice in between, this can be quite a daunting process. there may be occasions where you need to pass much more quickly. Perhaps that job comes up you always wanted, which may require you to have a driving licence. Or, you may have some time booked of that you can use to maximum effect to get as much learned as possible. There is also the possibility that learning on a weekly basis is just not the best way for you to learn, personally.

One option is to get the whole learning to drive experience out of the way in an intensive residential driving course. These courses offer you the chance to learn the complete theory and practical course within the space of a week. This culminates in a taking a test at the end of the weeks training. If you have already passed part of the course, you can tailor the course to suit your requirements. Pas rates for residential courses are int he region of 70%, as opposed to 43% for all types of driver training Obviously, this does mean that you pay for the course of lessons in a shorter space of time also, so bear in mind that there may be a substantial pay out involved, but this also needs to be seen within the context of how much you would actually pay out within the space of a fourteen month period for individual lessons.

Residential courses also different methods of learning. Some courses offer training methods used by the police and armed forces. They use both one to one and shared learning. The theory is that using smaller thirty or sixty minutes with rests in between allow the learner to absorb material more quickly. Also, watching other people in the group is often a quicker method of learning than being taught individually. The added advantage of an intense training course is that you can reinforce you learning much more quickly by repeating the learning much sooner with practical training. Waiting a week to try out the skills you learnt the previous week, also often involves re learning your previous weeks training. Prices for residential courses can vary depending on what your needs are. Courses can vary between two and seven days. It will usually include training on motorway driving. One to one training as supposed to shared training can increase the price. A full seven day course of one to one training can cost in the region of £1100 – £1200, whilst you can pay approximately £750 for shared training. You can reduce the cost of the intense training if you do not require accommodation. It is worth bearing in mind that the test fee may not be included in the price.

I’ve had to join the rest!

Published May 28, 2013 | By admin

A while back I wrote ‘why are instructors selling ourselves cheap?’ I’m afraid to say I’ve had to join them after not having even inquiries from my website which I’m told is good. Tried everything I could think of, pupil reviews as headline, not one phone call. So eventually I joined the rest offering 10 hrs. (disgusting) for £99 and the phone starts to ring. Others are now doing 11hrs. for £99. I can’t afford to go any cheaper, but where is it going to stop? Lots of instructors who haven’t enough pupils are now offering Instructor Training. Don’t they realise that there are already almost more instructors than pupils and by putting more instructors on the road is only going to make matters worse and where do we go from here?

I have had over 80 lessons and 3 driving instructors who have said I can drive but not test standard? How long will it take?

Published May 11, 2013 | By admin

Answer 1

My name is Jane and I am a driving instructor and read your question, which is quite difficult to answer, but i’ll try. If you have been learning for a year and had 80 lessons then i am assuming you started with two a week and have dropped to one? This will take you longer as you will find with a whole week passing between lessons it is easy to forget what you learnt the week before and may have to re-cap on it. Each time you change instructor you are loosing time already spent on each subject as the instructor has to cover the syllabus and make sure you have been taught correctly…..so try not to change as that will help you get there quicker..as long as you like and get on well with your instructor!

After 80 lessons you should not be too far off from a test but each individual is different. Basically to be test standard you should be able to drive your instructor round for the hour lesson with an OCCASIONAL prompt …. you should be able to do all the exercises on your own.When you can do this consistently ( i.e every lesson ) and safely then you should be ready for your test. Hope this helps Jane M & M Driving School

Answer 2

There is a big difference between driving and driving to test standard. What your instructor is saying is that you are able to move a car about, but not to what the DSA regard as a safe standard.

Typical ‘failings’ include simply not looking (over 51% of test fails according to the DSA), speeding, mounting the kerb (on manoeuvres normally).

The sad fact is that many people who do have a licence fail to adhere to the safe system they have been taught – hence we still kill around 3,000 people a year in the roads in the UK alone.

Driving is the 3rd most dangerous (likely to kill you) job in the UK. Only Deep sea fishing and mining kill more each year.

Answer 3

What you need to find out is exactly what it is that you are not up to test standard on. Is it junctions, i.e. roundabouts or anticipation and planning, when you find out exactly what it is that you are not up to test standard on then you can start working towards a goal, it can take longer for some then others, but ask what is keeping you back.
karen
aa driving school
More information: http://www.lrnsafe.co.uk

Answer 4

Unfortunately it is not possible to say how long any individual will take to reach test standard. However, a good driving instructor will be able to provide you with two mechanisms to monitor your own progress.
1) They will maintain a record card or list. This is a list of skills and topics that you need to master in order to be able to pass your test. For each skill or topic, there will be a rating skill, the one I use is the AA’s 5 point scale from 1 Introduced to 5 Independent. When you have reached 5 in all skills and topics, you are ready to sit your test. If you find you are not making progress with your record card, you need to have a serious chat with your instructor as to how to get out of the rut. The DSA is talking about making record cards compulsory. It is good practice for the pupil to keep a copy of the record card so that if they change instructor for any reason, the new instructor knows where to start from.
2) Get the instructor to give you a mock test. The instructor will play the part of the examiner and mark you on a lesson that simulates the test as accurately as possible. This often gives both the pupil and the instructor an idea of strengths and weaknesses and going over issues that come up in a mock test often helps both pupil and instructor know what is required to move forward.

David Cruickshank, www.daves-driving.com

6 Points on a Provisional Licence

Published May 10, 2013 | By admin

If I have 6 points or more on my provisional licence, can I take my test, and would I be able to drive after passing my test.
Yes, but if you get 1 point on your licence within the first 2 years, you will have to retake the theory and practical test.

If a pupil who passed their “B” test post 1997 wants to take the B+E test do they need “L” plates and are they allowed on motorways?

Published May 8, 2013 | By admin

They do need L plates on the vehicle yes and have to be accompanied by a full licence holder with B+E entitlement. Will check on the Motorway question.
More information:

Why do some instructors charge a more than others?

Published May 7, 2013 | By admin

Answer 1

The Question should be, Why are some Instructors so cheap? Do not be fooled to think you are “necessarily” saving money by choosing the cheapest!Instructors that are charging more for lessons are often giving better value for money and do not give big discounts as they are giving better quality lessons which save you money in the long term as you will generally need fewer lessons.Do you’re homework before committing yourself ask people who have had or are taking lessons their opinion, Ask when making inquiries what you are will be learning/doing on your first few lessons or you might find you spend most of the time sat in a car going nowhere!

Answer 2

Either :-

a) Because they genuinely feel that they provide a service of a quality that merits it – a good instructor will minimise the number of lessons you need whilst at the same time maximising your safety – even after passing your test.

b) They work for a company that has a fixed pricing structure

c) the market in their area is such that they can ask for a higher rate. An example of this being automatics – the scarcity of automatic instructors allows them to charge a premium.

Answer 3

Most instructors will charge what they think their expertize is worth. To find the best for you ask other pupils of the instructors, if there are none walk away.

Answer 4

Some instructors charge more due to different factors

The amount going out from the business to pay for advertising. The bigger the company the more the cost
The amount of instructors in the company (More wages to pay out)
Whether the company is VAT registered or not
Some company’s will have a franchise deal where they will provide an instructor with a car and they obviously have to cover the costs rather than the instructor himself. This will reflect in the franchise price package to the instructor. If an instructor supplies his own car, he will have a smaller franchise fee.
Smaller one man company’s can run on lower costs as they operate on “word of mouth ” or recommendations from previous successful pupils.

I hope this will helps.
More information: http://www.the-instructor.com

Answer 5

Some are private instructors who have there own business and some work for national schools. I would recommend that providing they have green ADI badge on display in there windscreen, then provided your happy with your instructor and the car for tuition the this would be the best deal for you.
More information: http://www.excelaratedrivingschoolcoleshill.co.uk

My son is 16 this week. When can he apply for his driving licence and start learning for his theory test?

Published May 7, 2013 | By admin

Your son can apply for his licence up to 3 months before his 17th birthday, but it only becomes valid ON his 17th birthday.

So the earliest he could take his theory test is his 17th birthday. However, he can start studying for his theory test as soon as he likes.

He can also start driving lessons under 17 on private roads. We offer practical driving lessons from age 15 on our private road system.

These lessons follow the DSA syllabus and are given in dual controlled cars, by approved driving instructors (ADIs) fully insured for off road training. They are also supported by lesson handouts to review, reinforce and revise the lesson content.

Having practical lessons at age 16 would help your son with understanding the theory as well as allowing him to gain confidence an competence in car control and procedures before venturing out onto public roads for the first time.
More information: http://DriveAt15.com

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