Steve Challoner Driving Instructor

01/11/2022

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supervise-a-learner-driver

Check if you can supervise friends or family learning to drive a car, what the rules are, how to prepare the car, and how to plan your practice sessions.

18/07/2022

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-a-record-of-your-pupils-driving-lessons/how-to-record-your-pupils-driving-lessons-and-a-summary-of-the-skills-they-need

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

18/07/2022

https://readytopass.campaign.gov.uk/

Get ready to pass first time, find out why people fail, practise ‘show me, tell me’ questions and learn how to deal with nerves.

05/05/2022

Reverse parking manoeuvre in non DVSA car parks on driving tests
From 9 May DVSA can use non-DVSA car parks for the reverse park into a parking bay manoeuvre if it is assessed on a driving test.

This change is being introduced across all driving test centres following a successful trial in February and March 2022.

The change gives the option for reverse parking to be assessed on all driving tests, not just those taken at driving tests centres with a car park.

Following on from a successful trial
The trial took place at 15 driving test centres earlier in the year for car driving tests and ADI part 2 tests.

The feedback was positive from driving examiners, approved driving instructors and candidates who’s tests were included as part of the trial.

Examiners will use car parks that are currently used for testing the forward park.

You need to let your pupils know about the change and we will contact all of your pupils who have a test booked in the first four weeks of the change coming in to place.

28/03/2022

Driver testing services in Wales – lifting of COVID-19 driving test restrictions
We are lifting COVID-19 restrictions affecting driving tests in Wales from 28 March in line with the announcement that the some of the remaining Welsh restrictions are ending from this date.

The changes in Wales include:

face coverings are no longer a legal requirement for your pupils to wear on driving test but the Welsh Government strongly advises that they continue to do so
your pupils will no longer be asked to let us know in advance of their driving test if they cannot wear a face covering.
instructors and accompanying drivers are able to sit in on driving tests
your pupils no longer have to self-isolate if they have COVID-19, but we encourage them to rearrange their test if they feel unwell for any reason
DVSA will no longer ask your pupils to consider doing a lateral flow test on the day of their test
The Welsh Government strongly advises learner drivers and driving instructors to continue to wear face coverings on driving lessons in Wales.

You need to make your pupils aware of these forthcoming changes, especially if you have made their test booking for them.

DVSA guidance on GOV.UK will be updated shortly.

Face coverings
From 28 March your pupils will not have to wear a face covering on a driving test but they are strongly advised to continue to do so by the Welsh Government.

Your pupils will no longer have to let us know if they cannot wear a face covering in advance of their driving test from 28 March. This also applies to bookings you make on behalf of your pupils.

Our driving examiners can make a personal choice to wear a face covering if they wish.

The Welsh Government strongly advises that you and your pupils continue to wear face coverings on driving lessons in Wales.

ADIs sitting in on tests
We are lifting the restriction on ADIs and accompanying drivers to sit in on a driving test in Wales from 28 March.

This means that driving examiners will ask your pupil if they want someone to:

sit in the back of the car during the test
be with them for the result and feedback
ADI standards checks and ADI part 2 and 3 tests
In line with the changes to car sharing guidance in Wales, we are lifting the restriction on ADIs and accompanying drivers to sit in on a driving test from 28 March.

Standards checks and part 3 tests will continue to last for 45 minutes and will continue to ask that pupils used in the test must be at least partly trained.

Pupils testing positive for COVID-19
We encourage candidates testing positive for COVID-19 up to 5 days before their driving test not to attend their test to reduce the spread of the virus.

You or your pupil should email us at [email protected] with the subject title ‘COVID-19 short notice cancellation’ to rearrange their test.

You or your pupil will need to include the following information in the email:

their driving license number
their driving test booking reference number
We will then contact you or your pupil to help rearrange the test. Your pupil will not have to pay again.

Taking rapid lateral flow tests
From 28 March DVSA will no longer ask your pupils to consider doing a lateral flow test on the day of their testif they do not have COVID-19 symptoms.

Thank you for your support
We know this has been a very challenging period for the driver and rider training industry.

The changes we have made to our services have had an impact across the industry, but you have shown resilience, supported our colleagues and responded positively to our engagement.

We want to thank you for taking the necessary action to help reduce the spread of COVID and protect our colleagues.

08/03/2022

2 passes today from Tom in Wrexham and molly in Whitchurch. Well done both of you!!!

04/03/2022

Let us know your thoughts

4 days left to give your views
DVSA is consulting on proposed new measures to encourage your pupils to be better prepared for their driving test. We believe these measures will help reduce the driving test waiting time and give us greater flexibility to provide more tests.

Time is running out to give your views. The consultation will end in 4 days, on 8 March at 11:59pm.

Our proposed changes
The measures we are consulting on are:

extending the period that a cancelled test will result in a lost test fee
extending the period unsuccessful learners will have to wait before they can apply for another test
changes to the eyesight test
introducing digital pass certificates for theory and practical tests and asking your pupils what they use their theory and practical certificates for
requiring instructors to display their badges on all car tests so that DVSA can better identify those who need support
finding out what information you would find useful when choosing a driving instructor.
How to get involved
You can read the consultation document and have your say on the GOV.UK consultation pages.

We understand how busy you are now, but we really value your views and hope you’ll take the time to respond. Also, please feel free to share this consultation with your friends and family.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Keeping you up to date
We’ll contact you when we’ve shared the results of the consultation on GOV.UK. And we’ll explain any next steps DVSA will take as a result.

03/03/2022

Update on COVID restrictions for vocational testing in Wales


Face coverings are still a legal requirement during vocational training and driving tests in Wales in line the Welsh Government announcement that some restrictions will continue from 28 February.

From Monday 7 March, face coverings will no longer be a legal requirement for candidates taking their theory test in Wales.

You need to make your pupils aware of this forthcoming change, especially if you have made their vocational or theory test booking for them.

The current vocational driving and theory tests safety measures in Scotland remain in place and we will let you know of any changes.

COVID-19 restrictions affecting driving and theory tests in England ended on 1 March

Face coverings for theory tests in Wales

Face coverings will no longer a legal requirement for candidates taking their theory test in Wales from 7 March.

Candidates will no longer have to let us know if they cannot wear a face covering in advance of their theory test from 7 March. This also applies to bookings you make on behalf of your pupils.

The Welsh Government strongly recommends that your pupils still wear face coverings even where they do not have to. COVID-19 is still a risk, and we must continue to do what we can to limit the spread.

However, face coverings continue to be a legal requirement on vocational training and practical tests.

You or your pupil must continue to tell us if they are exempt from wearing a face covering when the practical test booking is made.

Your pupil’s practical test will not take place without a face covering if you or they do not tell us they are exempt ahead of their test.

We will be contacting everyone with a vocational test booking in Wales to confirm this. If you booked a test for your pupils, you need to let them know about these changes.

Candidates testing positive for COVID-19 in Wales

Any of your pupils who are self-isolating must not attend their vocational test and should follow the latest guidance from the Welsh Government.

You or your pupil should email us at [email protected] with the subject title ‘COVID-19 short notice cancellation’ to rearrange their driving test.

You or your pupil will need to include at least 2 of these in the email:

• their driving licence number
• their driving test booking reference

We will then contact you or your pupil to help rearrange the vocational test. Your pupil will not have to pay again.

Taking rapid lateral flow tests in Wales

We encourage your pupils to take a rapid lateral flow test before their driving test if they do not have COVID-19 symptoms.

We are asking that they do this on the day of their driving test, before they leave home.

Find out more about taking a rapid lateral flow test before taking a driving test.

Thank you for your support

We know this has been a very challenging period for the driver and rider training industry.

The changes we have made to our services have had an impact across the industry, but you have shown resilience, supported our colleagues and responded positively to our engagement.

We want to thank you for taking the necessary action to help reduce the spread of COVID and protect our colleagues.

26/01/2022

Changes to The Highway Code: hierarchy of road users
From 29 January rules for all types of road users will be updated in The Highway Code to improve the safety of people walking, cycling and riding horses.

As a professional trainer or instructor, you know how important it is to stay up to date with the Highway Code.

We are asking for your support to remind your pupils to “check the Code” regularly, even after they finish their professional training or instruction with you.

New hierarchy of road users
The changes being made by the Government on 29 January introduce a new ‘hierarchy of road users’.

The new hierarchy explains that those in charge of vehicles that can cause the greatest harm in the event of a collision bear the greatest responsibility to take care and reduce the danger they pose to others.

This principle applies most strongly to drivers of large goods and passenger vehicles, cars and motorcycles.

Other more vulnerable road users have a responsibility to reduce danger to people walking. None of this detracts from the responsibility of ALL road users, including people walking, cycling or riding a horse, to have regard for their own and other road users’ safety

You can read more about these changes on GOV.UK.

Changes at a glance
The latest changes to The Highway Code include:

Giving people walking across and people cycling going straight ahead priority when turning in and out of junctions
Leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds.
Passing people riding a horse or driving a horse-drawn vehicle at speeds under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres of space
Allowing at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a person who is walking in the road
Encouraging people driving vehicles to open their doors with the hand furthest from the door, to help them look over their shoulder behind them to see people cycling or walking nearby
People cycling may ride in the centre of the road or two abreast for their own safety, whilst allowing others to overtake when it is safe for them to do so
Changes to how the practical test is assessed
Most of the changes reinforce existing good driving behaviour and do not alter how we assess driving tests. But some of the changes will result in a change in assessment.

The new rule H2 results in a change of assessment during a driving test. This says: “At a junction you should give way to people crossing or waiting to cross a road into which or from which you are turning”.

People driving or riding a motorcycle will need to take this new requirement to give way to people walking into account as they plan their approach to the junction.

We are reminding our driving examiners that it will take time for everyone, including people driving, riding, cycling, walking and horse riding to adapt to the changes. Our examiners will take all of these factors into account as some people may not be aware of the changes and may react differently to the way novice drivers might be expecting.

You can read more about this in Chief Driving Examiner Mark Winn’s blog.

How to stay updated
It’s easy to keep up to date with The Highway Code, and any other future changes, online.

GOV.UK includes a list of the latest updates that have been made, so it’s quick and easy to see what has changed. You can also sign up for email alerts whenever the Highway Code is updated.

The Highway Code on GOV.UK allows you to:

search for key words and phrases within The Highway Code
quickly move between related rules
follow links to the original laws that the rules are based on
print sections more easily
There’s also an official Highway Code app.

Help spread the word
Now’s a great time to remind your pupils about the importance of staying up to date with The Highway Code throughout their lifetime of driving.

We’ll post on social media about the most recent changes to the code. Follow The Official Highway Code on Facebook to see our latest posts and share them with your pupils.

Future changes and print editions
Over the coming months we anticipate some further changes to The Highway Code; we will keep you informed of these by email, on GOV.UK and on social media.

We will write to you again with further details about the next, new printed edition of The Official Highway Code later in 2022.

24/01/2022

Trialling reverse parking manoeuvre in non DVSA car parks for practical car tests
DVSA is to launch a reverse parking trial at 15 driving test centres across Great Britain. This will enable the reverse parking manoeuvres on the car driving test and ADI part 2 test to be carried out in non-DVSA car parks.

The trial will start on 1 February 2022 and run for around 6 weeks. This will give our driving examiners greater flexibility to conduct reverse parking manoeuvres at the selected locations.

Driving test centres set to take part in the trial are:

Stafford, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Barnsley, Wakefield, Chester, Northwich, Upton, Wallasey, St Helens, Wolverhampton, Gillingham, Bishopbriggs, Gateshead, Durham and Abergavenny.

We will write to you with the next steps in the trial and provide any updates as they become available.

19/01/2022

Struggle with test day nerves have you thought about this to relax and beat stress?

This ~ish~ certainly is bananas.