Posted by Will Dracott on Wednesday, March 31, 2010,
This only effects one test route and it would be towards the end of the test. After going around the tower blocks of Easton and heading over the fly-over by St.Phillips causeway you'll see signs warning you that you can't go onto the A4. After you exit the last giant roundabout (see here on how to deal with those roundabouts) almost straight away you'll see a lot of cones pushing you very wide to the right here. Mirror and signal if you think you need to let the car behind you know what is... Continue reading ...
Posted by Will Dracott on Tuesday, March 30, 2010,
Approved
driving instructor (ADI) check tests in English or Welsh
From 1 October 2010 the
Driving Standards Agency will align the languages in which check tests
are conducted with those used for ADI practical tests.
The part 2 (driving ability)
and part 3 (instructional ability) tests are conducted in English or
Welsh only. Most ADIs who have qualified in Great Britain then continue
to have their check tests conducted in these languages.
Posted by Will Dracott on Tuesday, March 30, 2010,
Road works on the A37 have it down to one lane heading up the hill. Forward planning is a must here, get on the mirrors and signal nice and early. Leave it too late and you'll have no chance in getting out. You need to let people know nice and early that you want to change lane.
The road works and temporary traffics have vanished after the resurfacing, however, no road markings have been laid down yet, so be careful of your position.
Found a great place for cheap tyres today. F1 Autos on St.Phillips Causeway. Only £40 with labour for a new 15" rim tyre for my A-Class. Hi-Q are £50 and Kwik Fit (if anyone ever gets round to seving you) would be £53.
The road works at the crossroads on Shirehampton Road and Sylvan Way have been cleared up, however, no road marking have been laid down yet, so be careful of your position.
West Town Lane is due to be closed in the next few days. For how long? No one knows. Why? You got me, I've no idea. A few test routes will need to be diverted, so if asked to turn left at the lights onto Callington Road, get into the right hand lane as you'll have to go down the hill and stay on Callington Road.
At last the resurfacing crews have come to Brislington and are in the middle of fixing one of the busiest and bumpiest roads in town. This will only effect those coming back to the test centre after taking the route through Broom Hill. The cones arent that distruptive, just be on the look out for men at work.
Posted by Will Dracott on Saturday, March 27, 2010,
Last one, I swear! If you get this test route in either direction at the moment, you'll need to be really on your toes! The one way system has a load of bollards and cones in the left lane as you come around the corner, without much notice. You'll be wanting to get into the right lane anyway, but just make sure you use your mirrors and signal to change lane and position. Also worth noting to take the signal off as just a little way down the street is a hidden right hand turn, that you are... Continue reading ...
Posted by Will Dracott on Saturday, March 27, 2010,
It's all go in Sea Mills. Not more than 100 meters down the hill from the major resurfacing is more resurfacing! Temporary traffic lights in all directions and they are on a 4 way slip. Meaning you could be waiting here a while. Handbrake when waiting is a must, if you are coming up the hill, treat it as a massive hill start, so plenty of gas.
Have a read of how you should be taking this set of traffic lights and why several people have failed here before in the past!
Posted by Will Dracott on Saturday, March 27, 2010,
Shirehampton road, heading up the hill towards Kings Western Road and Blaize is being resurfaced (at last), and due to the nature of the road, being on a step incline and having a blind turn on the sumit, they have decided to put in some temporary traffic lights.
This is all very close to the crossroads on Sylvan Way, make sure you know what is troublesome about this set of taffic lights. Have a read here.
It gives advice to ADIs about how to report suspected illegal driving
instruction.
If you suspect that your instructor isn't qualified, make sure you act. He/she may not be CRB checked and could pose a real serious danger to peoples safety. If they do not have this green badge in their window, they arent qualified.
Posted by Will Dracott on Saturday, March 27, 2010,
The roadworks no longer push you onto the wrong side of the road. An island of bollards and now sit in the middle of the road. Make sure no work men spring out of the centre at the last second, be careful.
Henleaze High Street has some massive digging works going on at the moment. As you head towards the test centre, going down the hill the road is blocked off by some high fencing protecting what looks like a port-a-loo ... make of it what you will, you'll have to go around it. It's just at the start of the busy section, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for cars coming towards you as you move around the digging, making sure you check your mirrors first.
Low carbon buses and fuel generated from everyday
waste are at the centre of a £30 million government fund to help reduce
emissions from transport.
The plans form part of the Department for Transport’s wider strategy
to encourage a radical shift to low carbon transport and improve air
quality in our cities.
As part of the funding, local authorities and bus operators will have
the opportunity to bid for...
Posted by Will Dracott on Tuesday, March 23, 2010,
Great idea for instructors and drivers alike.
As you'll be well aware, tailgating drivers are one of the biggest
concerns
for learner drivers and impact of their ability to relax and learn from
you
during lessons. Most drivers don't know what the correct distance is to
follow
at 30mph and, even if they do, wouldn't be able to gauge it on the road.
TailGuardian is a unique new system that warns following drivers when
they are
too close - allowing your client to learn with less stress,...
Posted by Will Dracott on Tuesday, March 23, 2010,
Chief
driving examiner welcomes the publication of scientific study
Chief driving examiner and
director for safer driving Trevor Wedge has welcomed the publication of a
new scientific study into how driving instructors can develop their
coaching skills.
The EU-funded ‘High Impact approach for Enhancing Road safety
through More Effective communication Skills for driving instructors’ (HERMES) project began in March 2007 and was
completed in February 2010.
'Are you ready?' is the official step-by-step explanation of the
driving test. It's been updated so you know what the examiner will ask
about taking someone with you on you driving test.
DSA encourages you to take someone with you on your driving
test. This will usually be the person who has taught you ...
Posted by Will Dracott on Saturday, March 20, 2010,
Online booking system is moving
The online booking system for practical driving tests
is moving to Directgov. That means from 9.00 am on Monday 21 March from
you’ll need to visit direct.gov.uk/drivingtest to book,
check, change or cancel your practical driving test.
The move means our existing system will be unavailable from 2.00
pm on Sunday 21 March. We’re sorry for any
inconvenience.
You can find out more about the practical driving test at d...
Observer on test for category B (car) practical tests will be
implemented on 6 April 2010. This will need changes to how the examiner
administers part of the test.
The DT1 - the standard operating procedure that examiners follow -
has been updated to reflect these changes.
Consumers are paying an average of £425 each to fix
faults with second-hand cars that are the dealer's responsibility to
correct. A study by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) also found that
many dealers are using illegal disclaimers like 'No Refund'. Make sure
you know your rights when buying a second-hand car.
Posted by Will Dracott on Wednesday, March 17, 2010,
Driving examiner strike on Wednesday 24 March
The PCS union is asking its members to take strike action on
Wednesday 24 March.
If you have a driving test booked for that day, we ask you to
attend as scheduled.
We won’t know the effects of the strikes until the day as not all
of our examiners and staff are members of the union. We don’t know at
this stage who will attend for work, which is why we ask that you arrive
for your test regardless.
Chandag road is being dug up at present. The cones are right on the corner by the school where everyone parks on either side of the road on approach just to make things even worse. You should be approaching with caution here anyway, holding your postion is vital, don't over commit to the corner or take the racing line, otherwise you could come unstuck.
At the top of school road, pretty close to the test centre (out fothe centre, turn left and down the hill towards town, then first right across the bath road) we have some major digging going on. On approach you are probably going to be concentrating on keeping your speed constant with the huge incline up the hill. Just as soon as the road bends around you'll see some signs for road works and just before the top of the hill you have the "please wait here when red lights show" sign. Mirrors... Continue reading ...
Posted by Will Dracott on Saturday, March 13, 2010,
Some serious digging is taking place on East Hill in Westbury Village. Temporary traffic lights have been put up and the traffic is backing up in both directions a fair bit. Due to the East Hill being so up and down, handbrake and neutral is required here. Make sure you use those mirrors for big changes in direction as you move around the cones when the lights turn greeen.
If you have torubles in Westbury Village, have a read of the guide - Westbury Village
Posted by Will Dracott on Saturday, March 6, 2010,
Bridge Valley Road (the horrid 180 degree turn off The Portway into Clifton) will be closed on the 8th March, so all those who are taking their test on that day breath a small sigh of relief. That's one less thing to have to worry about.
Posted by Will Dracott on Thursday, March 4, 2010,
If you have a passenger suffering from car sickness, open a window. Stuffy conditions may contribute to feeling ill. If this doesn't work, try driving a little smoother. Gentle steering, early braking would all help in making your passenger feel better.
The DSA is really trying to push learners into taking their instructor with them in the back on the test. Watch the video and see if it would suit you.
This March, if you recommend A-Class Driving School to a friend, you'll both receive a free lesson. If you have passed already, then an assesment lesson or perhaps one of the pass plus modules (motorway, dual carriageway, rural, city, night, all weather).
This one is just for the learners. Make sure you know what is going to happen for the exam, so nothing catches you out. The DSA have just released this new YouTube video, watch it!
Temporary traffioc lights are currently on Albert Road in Keynsham. The street usually is a hot bed for meeting situations, so perhaps the road works here are a bit of a blessing in disguise. Your mirrors should be checked on approach, when moving out and around, back in and make sure if you do need to stop, you stay in your lane with plenty of room to drive through in a straight line.
This blog is for everyone and anyone who has an interest in driving. We have all the latest from the DSA, High Way Code news, Motoring Headlines and Car Reviews. If you're a learner, motorist or driving instructor, we welcome your input in the topics we bring you.
