THE DRIVING INSTRUCTORS PODCAST Show Number Thirty Two

Feedback - 2-4

Articles 6 - MP Changes 6 - Dangerous Drivers To Get Longer Jail Sentences

7 - Changes to MOT certificate Foreign language Driving Test Banned (see also page 9)

8 - John_DSA (twitter) Know your signs free download & Login to ADI services video OAP road crash prompt driving assessment course

9 - Foreign language driving test banned (see also page 7!)

10- Child Car Seats – Common Mistakes

CPD - Instruction Delivery ○ Demonstration Of Driving Skills and Methods ○ Coaching of Driving Skills and Methods

(Next Time - Driving Knowledge + Driving Skills)

How would you teach that?

DSA News

GOVERNMENT REVIEW DRIVING INSTRUCTOR LAWS http :// www . bbc . co . uk / newsbeat /14249696

1 Hi Peter,

The SN man I talked about on the Podcast passed his Theory yesterday (3/10/11).

First exam ever as he went to Special School and had Theory Phobia.

It was his 2nd time. The first he was exhausted by the activity of getting there.

What a success! 43 on MCQ and 44 on HP

You don't need better than that !!!

As one ADI said he will have learnt more than many of those who got a clean sheet.

Now to get him driving again.

I checked the man's results today who I mentioned in the Podcast.

He actually got MCQ 45 and HPT 59.

Isn't that typical of those with SN?

He read the minimum rather than what he actually got.

Like some of the theory questions, the result form is quite complicated for poor readers.

Best wishes, John Brown. hi guys, congratulations on sponsership.

As per usual great show, however you have been misinformed regarding AA cars, the AA Focus supplied are the focus Zetec, and titanium to instructors with 10 years service, NOT the titanium X which is the car with the auto park facility etc, and is NOT an option to get it. also i am not awar of the sensors that will stop the car if your getting too close, i know as you said in the show that volvo have it, but there is nothing in the user manual for the focus. the £15 surcharge is to all AA instructors who are to use the focus from 1st Feb 2012. have fun guys, keep up the good work - Mark Walsh

Hi Guys On one of the shows one of you stated the anyone claiming a pass rate of 80% was a liar. Over my first 25 test this year I had 21 passes. =84% Then the wheels came off with a run of 3 fails. Back on track now with 3 passes. This years stats so far: 24 passes from 31 tests=77.5%

The show is a great listen BTW tend to listen Sunday am while washing the car.

Sophie Scott.

2 Dear All, Well done another excellent podcast. John's presentation made a lot of sense. Hope it was sent to the DSA otherwise it will waste. Was it?

Turning to the pupil that had difficulty with parking on test. I tell my pupils to never ask an examiner a question when on a test, like can I have another go. Just do it. The usual stock answer to any questions to examiners by pupils is usually, " Drive as you would normally do" so perhaps he was having an off day.

Thanks once again.

Kind regards. Peter Hill

Hi what's the legal procedure if a dog/cat is run over while on a lesson or a test, who do you report it to/are there any penalties if you don't report it good show really enjoy it find it very informative at times

Harold Ellis, Sheffield

Hi all,

What an excellent show so much to think about.

I had already contacted John about the books he had written and actually bought all 3.

John brown’s books are proving excellent reading material and gives you plenty of insight into those with different needs.

As for me as an instructor the books challenged my thoughts as to how could I help a couple of my pupils with those extra needs they require in order to pass both the theory and practical test.

I feel that as a good instructor I should have at least been aware of these students with special needs years ago but was totally blind to them (no pun intended).

It was only recently that I really got to understand the issues and problems that could affect these pupils, and how I have to re-educate myself so as to be able to teach them effectively so I am now of this quest of knowledge.

There is so much more to learn and the podcasts are helping me to get more material to this end and is also great information on a range of other topics so keep up the good work.

Regards

Frank Ward ADI (car)

3 Hi Peter

You were talking about training for the theory test I use Theory Test Pro - If you visit my website & join my Theory Test Pro website you will be able to prepare for the theory test. It let's me see what questions you have answered & how you replied I can then use my smart phone to see your results, see what you think.

I would like to hear you ideas of a local issue we have had I enclose a link from a local paper http :// www . peterboroughtoday . co . uk / news / local / driving _ instructor _ had _ failed _ exam _1_3115301

You will see that the High Court had accepted a lesser charge of giving paid driving instruction by an unregistered and unlicensed person. This is like a slap in the face with a wet fish to those like me who know what was happening.

Back in the beginning of 2009 she was trading on a pink but had decals stating she was Blue Angle which is wrong because she was on a pink. Eventually after many discussions between the DSA & her she took the decals down. She failed her Part 3 I believe at least 5 times ( yes she had her pink renewed ) She advertised her self all that time as a qualified instructor which the DSA tried to stop her but she did not comply.

Eventually she had her pink revoked & a private investigator was employed & recovered her license & 8 other student Licenses she was looking after? She continued to trade without a license for another 6 - 9 months before being taken to court & the police started stopping her car.

As she had her case referred from local court to Crown Court the DSA must have spent thousands of pounds of our money investigating it & employing a private investigator for 9 months. She gets a slap on the wrist with 4 counts of taking money for teaching unlicensed persons she was not even found guilty of fraud.

If you want more information I can refer you to her Original ADI who started to instruct her as a favour to help her find work in this country. It is a long & complicated story Ewa traded in both the North & South regions of the DSA that is Boston & Peterborough. I was involved in the Boston Test Centre part of the investigation.

I look forward to seeing you register on my website & then I'll give you full access to the site. Also I wonder what can be done with this case of illegal instruction it seems to make our department of Fraud & Integrity less than showing Integrity. I have taken this up with the DIA & am looking at involving the ADINJC so they can comment to the DSA in their Bi-monthly meeting with the DSA as to how they can justify the expense involved inn this case.

Thanking you for your time & consideration

Tony Lane

4 Driving instructor had failed exam

Published on Tuesday 4 October 2011 10:05 A WOMAN who gave driving lessons despite not being licensed and having no insurance has been told she put the public at risk.

Ewa Petelska (46) of Ayres Drive, Stanground, Peterborough, gave four Polish learner drivers lessons over a five- month period after she failed the final part of her instructors exam in November 2009. But after her fellow instructors and examiners became suspicious they reported her to the authorities. The mother-of-four appeared at Peterborough Crown Court yesterday, where she pleaded guilty to one count of giving paid driving instruction by an unregistered and unlicensed person. Petelska, who works as a waitress, sobbed as Judge Nic Madge ordered her to pay back part of the money claimed by her customers during the period she worked as compensation. Judge Madge said: “Rules relating to driving instructors exist for a purpose – namely to protect the public. “It is important they are complied with and the public can have confidence in driving instructors.” Hugh Vass, prosecuting, told the court: “The Driving Standards Agency is responsible for driver training and testing. “To become a driving instructor you have to take three different tests. “The first is a theory and hazard perception test, which is similar to one taken by all learner drivers. “The second is an advanced driving ability test and the third is a more extensive test. “People who pass the first two tests can get a provisional licence to take money as a driving instructor, but the provisional licence lasts for six months. “If you do not pass the third part of the test, or fail the third part three times, you have to take the test from scratch. “Petelska had obtained a provisional licence to teach, but failed the third part. “None of her customers knew she had not qualified. “There is no charge to say she had no insurance, but she would have had to put all her customers as a named driver on her insurance.” Renata Jurenko, defending, said Petelska had provided a vital service to Polish learners. She said: “She has not been convicted of any offences in the past and she is not likely to appear before the court again. “She accepts she made an error, but there is no suggestion she posed a risk on the roads. “She has four children, aged between seven and 25, who live in Poland and she sends money to them. “She wants to work as a driving instructor in the future, but may not be able to because of this conviction.” Judge Madge gave Petelska an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered her to pay two of her customers £500 compensation each, one customer £250 and one customer £68, to reflect the amount of lessons each had taken. She was also ordered to pay £85 costs. Today a spokesman for the Driving Standards Agency said they take cases of fraud very seriously. He said: “The Driving Standards Agency’s fraud and integrity team investigates every allegation of illegal driving instruction reported to them. “Only a Driving Standards Agency approved driving instructor or trainee licence holder can accept payment for teaching learners to drive. “The Driving Standards Agency advises learners to check that their instructor displays a current green registration or pink certificate in their car windscreen.”

5 Following the resignation from Government of the Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP, The Queen has been pleased to approve the following appointments:

the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, currently Secretary of State for Transport, to become Secretary of State for Defence;

Justine Greening MP, currently Economic Secretary at HM Treasury, to become Secretary of State for Transport;

Biography

The Prime Minister has announced the appointment of Justine Greening, MP Putney, Roehampton and Southfields to be Secretary of State for Transport.

Born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Justine Greening MP attended her local comprehensive school before studying economics at Southampton University. She has an MBA from the London Business School and was a Finance Manager at Centrica plc before being elected as the Member of Parliament in May 2005.

Following her election Justine was appointed as a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for youth. As well as previously being a member of the Work and Pensions Select Committee, in 2007 Justine became a Shadow Treasury Minister and in January 2009 became the Shadow Minister for London.

Justine was appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury in May 2010.

Justine is also a school governor at Hotham Primary School in Putney.

Dangerous drivers to face longer jail terms

The Driving Standards Agency sent this bulletin at 07-10-2011 05:00 PM BST

Dangerous drivers who seriously injure others could spend longer in jail thanks to a new criminal offence, Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke announced today.

The new offence of 'causing serious injury by dangerous driving' will carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and allow the courts to impose tougher punishments on dangerous drivers who devastate the lives of others.

The changes will be taken forward as part of the Government's Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

For the vast majority of other dangerous driving cases, the maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment provides the courts with sufficient and proportionate powers to punish offenders.

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said: "Dangerous driving can destroy lives and have a devastating effect on victims and their families and friends.

6 "We have listened to the victims of dangerous drivers, their families, MPs, judges and road safety groups and their experiences have directly informed these changes.

"Making our roads safer is a priority - five people died on our roads each day last year, so we need to do everything we can to further improve safety."

Ellen Booth, Brake senior campaigns officer said: "Brake wholeheartedly welcomes this new offence which will help to provide justice to families whose lives have been ripped apart by dangerous drivers.

"As a charity that supports bereaved and seriously injured victims of road crashes, we repeatedly see victims' families being grossly let down by the justice system, which only adds to the terrible trauma they must endure.

"This new offence finally means that serious injury is recognised within the title of the offence, and this recognition is vitally important to victims and their families. It also means that dangerous drivers who inflict serious injuries can expect to see higher sentences to better reflect the terrible trauma and injuries they have caused."

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: "The vast majority of motorists are safe and responsible but the wilfully reckless minority who put lives in danger must face serious penalties.

"We are taking action to help the police tackle drink and drug driving, as well as to crack down on uninsured and dangerous drivers, and this new offence will mean the courts can properly punish those who inflict serious injuries.

"These measures - together with improved educational courses for drivers who need to improve their skills - will help ensure Britain's roads remain among the safest in the world."

Andrew Howard, Head of Road Safety at the AA said: "Dangerous drivers who do so wilfully choose to take risks and should face the consequences of their actions.

"These law changes should make sentences more proportionate to the devastation dangerous driving causes and should also deter people from driving badly."

Changes to the MOT certificate

Where your vehicle is tested on or after the 16 October 2011 you will receive a new style of MOT certificate. This will be printed on plain paper in a landscape format instead of a pre-printed coloured form. Changes to the certificates are part of an ongoing drive to reduce costs and wastage.

Foreign language driving tests to be banned (Telegraph) Ministers are to bar people from taking the driving test in a foreign language after uncovering figures showing about 90,000 tests are taken in other languages every year.

There are growing fears that tens of thousands of people may have been granted British driving licences despite not being able to read road signs in English.

The rules currently allow the theory test to be sat in 19 foreign languages. People are also permitted to attend the practical test with a translator.

In total, 93,407 car driving theory tests were sat in a foreign language last year. There were 18,927 Urdu tests last year, 12,905 in Polish and 298 in Albanian.

Last night, Mike Penning, a transport minister, said that the Government was studying how to change the rules to ban the “politically correct” foreign language tests.

7 “I find it incredible that Labour thought it was a good idea to let people without a basic grasp of English loose on our roads,” he said. “Road safety should be our priority, not political correctness.

“Instead of spending taxpayers’ money on costly translation services and interpreters we want to explore whether that money would be better spent on actually helping people to learn enough English to be able to drive safely.”

Figures released by the Department for Transport also disclosed that foreigners were regularly arriving for practical driving tests with translators. For example, last year, 230 Russians took the test with a translator, 452 Romanians and 21 Bulgarians.

More than 1,500 people also took the theory tests to be qualified to drive a bus in a foreign language.

The taxpayer meets the cost of translating the various driving theory tests into foreign languages – although people must meet the cost of paying for their own translator during the practical test. In total, about seven percent of all theory tests are not conducted in English.

Transport officials believe that other European countries do not routinely allow people to sit driving tests in foreign languages.

Ministers have decided to act amid fears that foreign drivers may have higher accident rates on British roads. Sources close to Mr Penning pointed to a “spate” of recent accidents involving Polish-speaking drivers in Britain.

The exact details of how the English-only test regime will be introduced is still being worked out to avoid it falling foul of European and anti-discrimination laws but ministers are determined to change the system.

The Coalition has already announced plans to tighten up the driving theory test. The Driving Standards Agency previously published the multiple choice questions and answers that people would face in the tests. However, from January 2012, learner drivers will have to answer unpublished questions.

There are growing concerns throughout the public sector over the costs of translating official documents into foreign languages.

Last year, it emerged that councils were spending almost £20 million a year translating documents into more than 70 different languages. Many GPs surgeries and hospitals have also been forced to employ translators because of the large numbers of non-English speaking patients.

David Cameron has unveiled plans to tighten immigration rules to try and ensure that only those with high standards of English are able to settle in this country.

John _ DSA John @DSAgovuk With traffic signs in the news, it's worth knowing that 'Know your traffic signs' is available as a free download: http :// bit . ly / oZGoQQ

Struggling to log in to online ADI services? Check out our video to find out how to do it: youtu . be / Pqwc 0_ MMXAs

OAPs' road crashes prompt new driver assessment course

Motorists aged over 60 are being offered driver assessment courses in a bid to cut the number of road crashes in north Wales.

There were 233 collisions involving drivers over 65 in 2010 and 150 so far this year which police say is a "cause of concern".

North Wales Road Safety Group will run the course with the region's councils.

It is a two hour door-to-door assessment with an instructor. Drivers can use their own vehicle.

The assessment focuses on participants' driving habits and will suggest ways of improving their driving.

"This is about education and not enforcement," said Gareth Jones, North Wales Police's road safety manager. 'Bad habits' Continue reading the main story “Start Quote

Traffic conditions today are a world apart from what many drivers have been trained to deal with when they first learned to drive”

Gareth Jones Police's road safety manager

"Traffic conditions today are a world apart from what many drivers have been trained to deal with when they first learned to drive."

People aged over 65s were involved in 13.1% of all collisions in north Wales in 2010, and 16.2% this year.

"Nobody's driving licence will be threatened as a result of attending this particular assessment," he said.

8 "To many older drivers, the ability to drive represents their independence."

Peter Davies, 71 from Rhuallt, Denbighshire, completed the assessment which he described as helpful.

He has been driving for more than 50 years and in many different countries, including Dubai, Cario, USA, Europe and South Africa,.

"After 53 years of driving you can pick up bad habits," he said.

"Since first passing my driving test there has been no professional advice given about the standard of my driving, until I sat this driving assessment and I can now say I am more confident about driving."

North Wales' six main councils' road safety departments hold application forms for assessments.

Completed forms are then sent to Flintshire County Council which is dealing with the administration.

Foreign Theory and Driving Tests to be banned

Could this be the end of taking a Theory Test or Practical Driving Test in another language? Ministers have confirmed that non-speaking learner drivers could soon be banned from taking the driving test in a foreign language after figures revealed that there are about 90,000 tests taken each year in other languages.

Under the current rules, a learner has the option to sit the Theory Test in 19 foreign languages and take a translator with them on their Practical Test.

However, after growing fears that tens of thousands of people may have been granted British driving licences even though they are unable to read British road signs. The facts speak for themselves

Last year there were 93,407 car Theory Tests taken in a foreign language including

The facts speak for themselves

Last year there were 93,407 car Theory Tests taken in a foreign language including

18,927 tests taken in Urdu 12,905 in Polish 298 in Albanian

Last night, Mike Penning, a transport minister, said that the Government was studying how to change the rules to ban the “politically correct” foreign language tests.

“I find it incredible that Labour thought it was a good idea to let people without a basic grasp of English loose on our roads,” he said. “Road safety should be our priority, not political correctness. Instead of spending taxpayers’ money on costly translation services and interpreters we want to explore whether that money would be better spent on actually helping people to learn enough English to be able to drive safely.”

Figures released by the Department for Transport also disclosed that foreigners were regularly arriving for practical driving tests with translators. For example last year:

230 Russians sat a Practical Driving Test with a translator 452 Romanians sat a Practical Driving Test with a translator 21 Bulgarians sat a Practical Driving Test with a translator

There were also more than 1,500 people also took the Theory Tests to be qualified to drive a bus in a foreign language.

Unfortunately under the current system, the taxpayer has to pay for the cost of translating the various Theory Tests into foreign languages, equating to around 7% of all Theory Tests taken. Learners who wish to take a translator with them on their Practical Test must meet the cost of paying for this themselves. Higher Accidents

9 Child car seats: the common mistakes with shocking outcomes

As the car seat swings back and then forwards, the child sitting in it is flung out of his harness and his head hits the seat in front. The accident is one that would make any parent sick with fear.

Luckily, this is not a real accident, but a mock crash staged by the Transport Research Laboratory for The Observer. Using a dummy, it shows – all too graphically – the shocking results of strapping a child into a badly fitted car seat.

In this test, the seat belt fixing the seat in place has been mis-routed, the headrest has been removed and the harness is slightly too slack – all common errors parents make when fitting the seats.

The impacts could result in serious head injuries, as well as damage to limbs, according to TRL's head of child safety, Marianne Hynd.

As part of our campaign to stop children being put at risk of unnecessary injuries, we wanted to find out what impact common fitting mistakes could have in the event of a crash.

Accident investigators do not collect data on whether child seats are correctly fitted, and crash tests usually focus on those that are, so our tests give a rare insight into what can happen if a misused seat is involved in an accident.

The results are harrowing. In a video of the tests, a dummy in a badly fitted rear-facing group 0+ seat is thrown backwards after a front impact, and in one test even comes free of the harness before being thrown against the backseat.

"For children travelling in rearward facing infant carriers, the most frequent injury is to the head. These typically happen in front impacts when either the child or the child seat hits the vehicle dashboard and if the child rebounds on to the vehicle structure," says Hynd.

"In the test where the adult belt was attached incorrectly around the seat, the seat travelled much further forward ... if this seat had been in a car, it is likely that it would have hit the dashboard or the vehicle structure."

TRL has carried out child safety research for the Department for Transport for more than 30 years, and analysed accidents which have resulted in fatalities and serious injuries.

10 It ran our tests using the same equipment, and to the same standards, as those used by manufacturers hoping to meet United Nations ECE regulation 44 – the standard legally required to sell car seats within the UK.

As in those tests, a sled fixed to a track was used, and a front impact crash at 48kph (c30mph) simulated.