School's over for thousands of teenagers this week but the long summer break will see many begin new lessons learning to drive, says David Miles. So I thought I would put Citroen’s best selling C3 five-door ‘supermini’ range to test after it won ‘Driving Instructor Car of the Year’ title in the 2018 FirstCar Awards. FirstCar is the dedicated resource for learner and newly qualified … [Read more...]
Newslines 4 June
Learners can drive on motorways from today. The law change only allows them to drive with qualified instructors, not family or friends who are unqualified. North Wales Police are planning a summer crack down on motorcyclists after a dramatic escalation in fatalities. By the end of last month the number killed on local roads exceeded the total for 2017. Amazon delivery drivers are the … [Read more...]
DVSA raking in money from failed driving tests
Many learner drivers fail their practical test first time around – making the on-line assessment a surprisingly lucrative system for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Statistics show that over £68 million was paid by drivers that ultimately went on to fail their test during 2016/17. Over the course of 12 months, hundreds of thousands of motorists took their test, with a pass rate of … [Read more...]
L-Drivers on motorways from 4 June
Learner drivers will be allowed on motorways from 4 June, says the Government . Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has welcomed this as ‘common sense’ and says it could save countless lives. An announcement from the DVSA yesterday said learners will need to be accompanied by an approved driving instructor in a car fitted with dual controls. Motorways lessons will be voluntary and it will … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 January
There were 30,500 traffic jams on Welsh roads in 2017 which cost drivers and the Welsh economy almost £278m, traffic analysts at Inrix reported. Wales' longest sustained traffic jam of 2017 was a seven-hour, 10-mile queue on the M4 motorway on 27 October and the westbound M4 before Brynglass Tunnel is the worst costing £14m in lost time. When it comes to the UK’s motorists setting their New … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 December
If you are stuck without a clue of what to buy your car or bike loving relative or friend, wonder no further because IAM RoadSmart’s Advanced Driver Course and Advanced Rider Course is available to buy at a 10% discount until Christmas. The advanced courses are administered by the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity and vouchers don’t have to be redeemed for 12 months. With the special … [Read more...]
Successful students face learning to drive test
While learning to drive is an exciting rite of passage for many teenagers, it’s often an equally fraught time for their parents. And with only 13% of parents convinced they themselves could pass the current driving test without lessons, it’s easy to see why they’ve transferred their fears to their nearest and dearest. The research from AA Cars, which asked parents how they feel about their … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 July
A staggering 57 per cent of British motorists think they are a worse driver now than when they passed the test. Research from Young Driver, the UK’s largest provider of pre-17 driving lessons, revealed that only 43 per cent felt they were better behind the wheel now than when they first ripped up the L plates and well over a third (39 per cent) of drivers thought they’d struggle to pass their … [Read more...]
Learners need motorway lessons
An overwhelming majority of motorists believe learner drivers should be allowed to take driving lessons on the motorway with an approved instructor in a dual-controlled car, according to the RAC. Eight in 10 (79%) of the 2,000-plus motorists questioned were in favour of the Government’s proposal to let learners gain experience on the UK’s fastest roads before they pass their tests. The … [Read more...]