You’ve passed your driving test and if you are lucky enough to own a car your next challenge is to find insurance.   Traditionally insurance premiums were based loosely on the driver’s age, driving experience, car type, previous claims, location and annual mileage.  Unfortunately young drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents than older drivers.  This reflects on how insurance companies set premiums.  Road Safety Scotland reports young drivers; 17-25 year-olds account for 10% of licence holders, but over 20% of the accidents.  The individual’s premiums are based on how the group is perceived.  Young drivers; both in age and experience, were often penalised with hefty insurance premiums.

Some insurance companies still recognise the benefit of additional training beyond the driving test.  Adrian Flux insurer offer 25% discount for having completed the Driving Standards Agency Pass Plus training or  Advanced driving qualification.

However the way forward seems to be ‘Black box technology’ or Telematics.  This technology is moving into private cars.  It is an in-car tracking equipment to monitor drivers behaviour such as; speed, driving style (cornering, swerving, braking and acceleration) and what time of day the car is driven.   A small devise about the size of a mobile phone records the data which is then used to calculate insurance premiums; the better the driving, the lower the premium.  The device also tracks the car and has helped police recover several stolen cars.

Another change that might affect insurance premiums is the European Court of Justice banning insurers from using gender to calculate premiums from the end of 2012, it’s predicted these devices could become much more commonplace.

A number of insurance companies offer this option.  Installations are commonly free, the insurer and customer have access to travel data.  A mum who put her son on her policy and the price rocketed, she saved £1,500 changing to a telematic scheme.

The Co-operative Insurance has analysed the habits of 10,000 telematics insurance customers 17 to 25 across the UK, finding that they were 20% less likely to have a crash than those with standard insurance.  There results also showed telematic customers have less serious accidents, with a typical claim 30% less than ordinary customers.

Currently telematic insurance policies make up less than 10% of current market.  However a recent Go Compare survey of more than 2,000 drivers found that over half expect to transfer to a telematics-based insurance in the next 5 years or sooner.

The mother of one of DRM’s learner drivers explained how she saved on insurance premiums with ‘smart box’ technology.  Adding her ‘learner’ son to her existing car insurance she was quoted £1300, which would rise to £3,000 when he passed the test.  However by shopping around the wise mum saved, she switched to a ‘smart box’ policy.  Her insurance whilst her son is a learner is £500, once qualified it will rise to £2,000 but within a  year might reduce to £600 if he demonstrated safe driving.  So big savings to be had.

Like this article, we would like you feed back please reply with any comments to team@drmdrivertraining.co.uk  or join us on facebook.

The DSA announced today that driving test candidates in the Glasgow area are set to benefit from a more convenient service as the Driving Standard Agency (DSA) extends a trial exploring a new approach to test delivery.

As well as using conventional driving test centres, the DSA has been looking at whether practical tests can be delivered from other venues such as local authority buildings, hotels or leisure centres.

This new approach is currently being trialled at eight locations, and following positive feedback from candidates and instructors, the DSA now plans to extend the scheme to five more areas across the country, including Glasgow.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said:

“We have to be more flexible and innovative in delivering driving tests to make sure that we are offering people the best service possible wherever they live and I am delighted that these first trials have proved successful.

We are now extending the trial so that more candidates will be able to benefit form a service that is convenient as well as being cost effective.”

In each of the new trials areas DSA will look to identify a number of locations where there is a sufficient demand for driving tests to be provided locally.  In the Glasgow area, these locations could include:

Johnstone

Renfrew

East Kilbride

Cathcart

Bearsden

The DSA will work to identify suitable test routes and premises in these locations.  Any new arrangements will have to provide the right level of service for candidates, as well as maintaining the integrity of the test.

The trials only involve practical car tests; theory tests or other categories of practical test will not be affected.

The DSA is the exective agency of the Department for Transport – its mission is safe driving for life.  The DSA sets standards for pre-driver education, driver trainers, supervising trainers, as well as carrying out theory and practical driving and riding tests.

The DSA introduced the Hazard Perception part of the Theory test in 2002.  It is a test of the drivers road awareness and reaction times.  Candidates watch 14 one minute clips filmed from the perspective of a car driver and have to indicate, usually by clicking a mouse button or touching the screen, when they observe a developing hazard.  All of the clips will include one developing hazard but for one clip which shows two.  The candidates gain points from promptly identifying the developing hazard.  Points are scored from 5 to 1, with no score if the examinee reacts too late – or too early.  The maximum score is 75 and the pass mark 44 for car drivers.

The DSA have just published new samples of computer generated (CGI) style hazard perception clips on their YouTube channel.  Two sample clips have been published for you to view and comment on.  Already viewed nearly 11,000 times, many mixed comments have already been posted and the DSA are quick to respond.

The comments are on the quality of the clips, as well as the contents.  The DSA responded that these clips are being developed for off road situations and / or to allow the DSA to introduce more hazards that would be hard to film safely – particularly those involving vulnerable road users.

These clips are in the development stage for introduction late 2013.  Go to DSA YouTube to view and make your comments on these clips.  You will find other material produced by the DSA to assist with driver training.

We would also like to get your feedback on this, please join us on Facebook and make your comments to us.

The opening hours for DRM Driver Training over the festive season are;

Transport Secretary, Justine Greening, announced today that drivers are to be released from reams of red tape.

As part of the government wide process to get rid of unnecessary, burdensome and overcomplicated regulation the Department of Transport is;

Scrapping the regulation requiring motorists to hold a paper counterpart to their driving licence by 2015.

Improving the regulation surrounding Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN)  so drivers will no longer have the burden of annual SORN renewal after their initial notification.

Only issuing hard-copies of V5C vehicle registration certificates for fleet operators when needed, with the poential to be rolled out to private motorists.

The Department for Transport will work with the insurance industry  on removing the need for an insurance certificate.

Abolishing the requirement for drivers to prove they have insurance when applying for tax, which has been made possible by new checks of existing databases for insurance under new Continuous Enforcement rules.

Justine Greening said;

“Motorists shouldn’t have to keep numerous bits of paper just to prove they can drive and have bought insurance – we live in a digital age and we need to embrace that.”

” Reducing the number of rules and regulations in our life is absolutely vital to removing barriers to economic growth and increasing individual freedoms.”

The Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning, announced yesterday that learner drivers will be allowed to take lessons on motorways from next year.

They will have to be with a qualified Driving Instructor during a driving lesson when they are on the motorway.

The aim is to cut the number of deaths on the nation’s major roads involving young motorists.

The change is not compulsory as some learners live too far away from a motorway for it to be practical to get there in a driving lesson.

IAM Chief Executive, Simon Best, welcomed the move saying “This change will mean that properly supervised young drivers can learn how to drive on a motorway with somebody beside them.”

DRM currently offer a 2 hour motorway lesson for anyone who has passed their test recently.  You will practice joining, exiting, overtakng and lane discipline during your time with the instructor.

Driving examiners MAY be participating in strike action on Wednesday 30th November 2011.  Driving examiners are public sectors workers.  If members of one of the unions participating in the strike, driving test MAY be cancelled.  Fifteen trade unions have elected to join the public sector workers strike.

The government department responsible for delivering the practical test is the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).  The driving tests are likely to face disruption, but learner drivers taking tests have been advised to turn up.

Below is an article previously posted by the DSA giving advice about strike action.  The best advice DRM can give is unless you  hear from the DSA that the test will not go ahead – you must attend.  If the test does not go ahead the DSA will give a new test date.  Unfortunately the average waiting time for test is not particularly quick; between 4 and 8 weeks.

The public sector strike will disrupt many services; schools, doctors and hospitals, courts, libraries, museums and social care.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/news/press-releases/dsa-press-20110628a

Road Safety Week 2011 is nearly upon us – 21^st to 27^th November.  Set up in 1997 by the Road Safety charity Brake.  Brake is a road safety charity its motto ‘stopping the carnage caring for the victims”.  Brake founded Road Safety Week as an annual event to heighten awareness of the extent of serious accidents on our roads, and the steps everyone can take to stop these needless deaths and injuries year-round.

There theme for Road Safety Week 2011 is “2young2die”. Many of those affected by road accidents are young – road crashes are the biggest killer of young people – and these casualties send shock waves through families and communities. Yet these casualties are preventable, often for reasons like driving too fast or overtaking dangerously, driving while using a mobile, driving on drink, drugs or while tired, or failing to belt up.

During the Week, Brake will be appealing to young people, drivers of all ages, parents, the wider community, and policy makers to work together and act now to put a stop to this needless loss of young lives on our roads. Appealing to young people to look out for themselves and their friends as drivers and passengers, and speak out against dangerous behaviour. They will be appealing to all drivers to always put safety first and make Brake’s ‘Pledge to Drive Safely’.

To help raise awareness, Brake will be releasing research findings into the views and behaviour of young people on roads, working with families who have been affected by road death and injury to speak out for road safety, and promoting community road safety activities throughout the UK.  They have launched a course to train Road Safety Volunteers.  Our DRM instructor Ian Taggart attended the course in October 2011.  We hope shortly to announce a workshop for young people, learners and newly qualified drivers.  To find out more email us at team@drmdrivertraining.co.uk or call 0141 632 6326.

Please always drive responsibly there is a reason behind the training, skills and knowledge DRM instrutors pass on to pupils.  Keep driving safely and sensibly.

Theory test booking website investigation announced by the OFT

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to start investigating websites that offer government services at inflated prices, such as theory test fees.

The OFT will examine if the websites are deceptively presenting themselves as official government portals, which is considered an unfair commercial practice. If it is decided this is the case the owners of the websites could face fines and be forced to remove the website.

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) charge £31 for a Theory test fee and £62 for a driving test fee (weekday, daytime).

Some websites offer driving test booking services and charge extra administrative fees on top of the test fee. The candidate is not always aware that there is an additional fee as it is not clearly stated.

The investigation by the OFT has been prompted by complaints from a number of government departments, including the DSA.

A DSA spokesman said the agency welcomed the investigation: “It’s important that candidates don’t unwittingly pay extra to book a theory test or practical driving test when they can get the same service for free using the official booking page on Directgov.”

The official govenment website is www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest.

DRM Driver Training provide a test fee booking service for our pupils and charge a small up front fee of £2, for providing this service.

A survey by Which? Car magazine scored SKODA as top ranked in satisfaction rating. The rating of 88.4 % put SKODA ahead of every other car including Lexus and Porche. Also 4 SKODA models made it into the survey’s top 10 products. A large number of DRM instructors teach in Skoda Fabias, both automatic and manual. We have found them extremely reliable.