Buying a used car can be a bit of a minefield, even more so when it is your first time. If you are looking to buy your first used car, these 10 must ask questions will help you to make the right decisions.
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Research conducted by the DVSA has indicated that more than half the drivers that currently use the road make use of satellite navigation devices. Consequently, the decision has been announced to integrate sat nav skills into the driving test. From the 4th December 2017, learner drivers being examined for a licence will have to show that they have sufficient skills to use a sat nav.Read more
Highway Code rule 146 seems to be one of basic common sense. But is it really? Because this rule covers a broad range of possibilities and the interpretation of adapting the way you are driving under certain road conditions can be different for everyone, this rule is open to interpretation. In fact, the way two different drivers interpret this rule at the same time may well depend on whether the road conditions produce an outcome that results in an accident.Read more
For many drivers it’s all too easy to be blasé about mobile phone use when in charge of a vehicle. It seems that our 24/7 attachment to our smartphones today has at least something to do with it, while drivers getting away with mobile use may also lull them into a false sense a security.Read more
As a business, we take the protection of our pupils’ information incredibly seriously, but we also understand that there is plenty of confusing information out there in relation to data protection, and how it applies to businesses such as ours. Because of this, we thought that we’d share with fellow driving schools the long, short and the basics of data protection in plain English.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the public body responsible for ensuring businesses meet their obligations in terms of data protection. They enforce the Data Protection Act 1998, which applies to living individuals’ data which is stored either digitally or physically on paper.
There are eight core principals to the Data Protection Act, which state that personal data must be:
“1. Fairly and lawfully processed;
2. Processed for specified purposes;
3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive;
4. Accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date;
5. Not kept for longer than is necessary;
6. Processed in line with the rights of the individual;
7. Kept secure; and
8. Not transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area unless the information is adequately protected”.
1. You must let your pupils know what information you’re holding and what it will be used for.
2. You must hold the data securely (see our section on this further down).
3. The data you hold must be kept up to date.
4. Once you no longer have any need for the data, it must be destroyed (such as when a pupil passes).
5. You must ensure access to the information is only given to those who need it.
6. Where CCTV is in use, it must not record any details (e.g. it must be faced towards your desk, rather than behind it).
7. You must train your staff on their data protection responsibilities.
You may have heard that some small businesses need to notify the ICO about their data processing. Driving instructors do not fall into this category, and you don’t need to register.
Should a pupil request to see their information, you are legally obliged to provide them with a copy.
Breaches of data protection are taken seriously and can be deemed a criminal offence, the punishments for which ranges up to a £5,000 fine.
Cloud storage offers just about the most robust protection you could find – over and above storing files on your hard drive (which could, in all likelihood, be stolen should your premises by burgled). But you must choose a premium provider (free providers simply won’t offer the same level of security as the paid options). You must also ensure that any cloud provider is going to store your data in the UK (as outlined in the Data Protection Act).
Alternatively, you should follow good data practice when storing it in-house namely:
– Keeping all paper files locked away in a robust filing cabinet when not in use
– Using anti-virus on your computers
– Installing a firewall for your IT system
– Ensuring that staff change their passwords regularly, that they do not share passwords, and that passwords contain at least one capitalised letter, a number and a non-alphabetically character, to a minimum of eight characters long.
Our pupils are safe in the knowledge that our data management skills are as good as our driving tuition. To book a driving lesson in Kent, call the team at Lanes School of Driving, Kent – phone on 020 8166 5678 or pop us a message via our contact page.
Now that winter is truly upon us, drivers need to make sure that their vehicle will be able to operate effectively regardless of what the weather is like.
Coping with winter mornings and travelling long distances in poor and dark driving conditions is bad enough. But if you have not made adequate preparations then there are a range of problems that can arise that can prevent you from arriving at your destination.
We believe that prevention is better than cure, so here are 10 important preventative measures that any driver can take to minimise problems when driving during the winter months.
We all know that making a telephone call or sending a text when holding a mobile phone can be distracting and dangerous, but what about listening to music? Could it be that listening to music might be distracting too?
So, the short answer to that question is “It depends”.
That is because, drivers can experience one or more of the following distractions while driving:
Mental – requiring the driver to concentrate on something other than their driving;
Physical – requiring the driver to actually remove their hand(s) from the steering wheel;
Visual – requiring the driver to take their eyes off the road;
So how does music affect drivers, mentally, physically and visually?
Mood – there is no doubt that music can change the way you feel. Indeed the attraction of listening to music is that it provides a mood changing experience. Furthermore, the quality of a piece of music is often decided based purely on its ability to affect our emotions. So, few would deny that music has the potential to affect the way we think and feel, and can stimulate memories and feelings from the past. This close relationship between music and moods is a potential danger. Especially when the driver is experiencing challenging driving conditions due to poor weather conditions, perhaps. It is perfectly possible that playing certain types of music, whilst driving can engender moods and memories that divert the drivers attention, increasing the risk of road accidents;
Concentration – a loud, syncopated beat characterises so much of our contemporary music. There is an enormous amount of research that shows how fast paced music, played at a loud volume can lead to erratic and unpredictable driving. It’s not the act of playing of music in the car which is the problem. It is the fact that music with certain characteristics such as music which has a rapid tempo and music played at high volume, can reduce their concentration levels and delay some people’s reaction times. The key takeaway from this is simply that if you play fast paced music loudly while driving you may well the exposing yourself, your passengers and other road users to excessively high levels of danger;
Relaxation – Now, while music with a fast tempo played at high volumes must be avoided while driving, there is nothing to stop a driver playing music with a low tempo, at a reasonable volume. Furthermore, there may be benefits for drivers who listen to this form of music. The psychological benefits of listening to classical music include creating a feeling of relaxation and well being. These benefits can also be found in some types of contemporary music with a slow tempo;
Operating in car music systems – There is no doubt that as motor vehicles become more sophisticated so have their music systems. These music systems can do more than ever before, but can also be more distracting. Any activity that requires a driver to concentrate on something other than driving, from changing the channel on the radio, to choosing which music to play, is a potentially dangerous distraction, and is something that should be avoided;
So, in brief, it does not matter whether you listen to opera, hip hop or classical music while driving. It is the tempo, and volume, of the music which matters most. The greater the tempo, and the volume, the more distracting and dangerous the music can be.
There are many reasons why learner drivers fail their driving test in this country.
Often the reason for failing is simply down to the nervousness of the learner. After all, a driving examination can be fairly stressful.
Government records show that many people fail due to the same handful of avoidable mistakes and we outline 5 of them below.
Inappropriate use of signals – this is a really common reason for failing this test and it is often because of failing to signal soon enough to alert other road users of their intentions, signals could be confusing or missed out altogether. All of our students learn the mirror-signal-manoeuvre procedure thoroughly, to keep errors of this nature to a minimum
Poor steering control – examiners need to be sure that a driver is in control of their car at all times. If you are not fully in control of your vehicle not only are you a danger to yourself you are a danger to other road users, including pedestrians. It is for this reason that steering control is such an important element of the test. Examiners will want to see the learner manoeuvring the vehicle into the correct position in the road at all times while travelling at speeds that are appropriate. Similarly when turning the manoeuvre should be carried out with great care and certainly without hitting the kerb or other vehicles.
Problems at junctions – junctions are, potentially, the most dangerous driving situation you are likely to encounter on a regular basis. Performing turns at junctions safely requires a combination of observation skills and confident car control. It also involves watching, and obeying, signals from traffic lights, watching the behaviour of other drivers closely and manoeuvring appropriately at all times. Even drivers with substantial experience can fail to deal with junctions correctly, occasionally with quite disastrous results.
Failing to checking mirrors – using your mirrors to understand your position with regard to other vehicles is an essential part of driving proficiently. It tends to be something that experienced driver and do automatically. Your examiner will be looking for clear evidence that you are not only checking your mirrors but you’re acting on what you have seen when performing a wide range of manoeuvres, such as decelerating, changing lanes and turning left or right.
The three point turn – In the test, your examiner will ask you to turn your vehicle around safely in the road, so that it is pointing in the opposite direction. Often referred to as the 3 point turn, it can cause a number of challenges for learner drivers due to the fact that it requires excellent car control and handling the vehicle safely while it is moving in reverse.
All of these common driving errors can be overcome with perseverance and patience. Mastering these common faults will not just help you pass your test sooner, it will make you a safer driver, too.
No matter how comfortable you are driving in the UK, driving abroad is a completely different kettle of fish. In many countries – for example – they drive on the right, and they have different rules, regulations, road signs and expectations of how you should behave when you’re behind the wheel.
Even the most competent driver can come unstuck on the road overseas if they are not fully prepared. Here are ten easy-to-follow tips you can take on board so you’re well prepared to drive while abroad.
[1] Take your driving licence – and your insurance documentation and vehicle registration document. Make sure you’re insured while driving abroad, and check to see if you need an IDP (International driving permit). Also, make sure you’ve valid breakdown cover and travel insurance. It always helps if you carry your passport with you at all times.
[2] Know where you’re going – getting lost abroad can lead to nightmares, especially if you can’t communicate with the locals. Take plenty of maps and if you have a satnav, make sure it’s loaded with the correct local information.
[3] Check what you need – some countries require you to carry various items, such as a first aid kit, spare lamp bulbs or a warning triangle. Check what you’re expected to carry before you travel.
[4] Get snickered – you may need a GB sticker if your number plate does not include the GB euro-symbol. If you need a GB sticker abroad and you don’t have one, then you could be fined.
[5] Are you old enough? – anyone driving a vehicle with over nine seats must be over twenty-one years old and must have had a valid full driving’s licence for over a year.
[6] Are you LPG? – if you are taking an LPG-fuelled car, then you will need to check you’re carrying the correct fuel pump adapter. Remember that LPG cars are not allowed in the Channel Tunnel.
[7] Get the card – if you are camping abroad, then get yourself a Camping Card International from – for example – the RAC. Such cards give you discounts and plenty of liability insurance cover.
[8] Get the card II – make sure you have an EHIC card, and one for every member of your travelling party. This indicates that you are entitled to emergency medical care in the EU should it be required.
[9] There’s no need for speed – observe the speed limit at all times. Pleading ignorance to an overseas-based policeman will not cut any mustard, French or otherwise. Discussing speeding offences when you cannot speak the lingo also comes with great difficulty.
[10] Get on the right side – a bit of a no-brainier, but before you go check which side of the road you will be driving on. The UK is in a minority when it comes to countries that drive on the left, but many countries do, including Australia, India and South Africa. Most of mainland Europe, the USA, Canada, China, South America and Africa drive on the right.
To put it simply, if someone advertises their services as a professional driving instructor, then they must be registered with and approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. This prevents ‘just anyone’ from saying they are an approved driving instructor.
Specifically, section 123 of the Road Traffic Act of 1988 states that drivers are prohibited from receiving payment for providing driving instruction, unless the instructor is qualified and registered by the DVSA. This is does not include a situation where a driver on a provisional licence gains experience by driving a vehicle while in the company of a qualified driver, such as a friend or family member – as long as that ‘experience’ is not paid for.
If you wish to learn to drive, then it’s best for you to receive tuition from a qualified instructor. By qualifying as an instructor, such a person has proven that they have to skills necessary to be able to teach someone to drive. If someone says they are a driving instructor when they are not, then that means you are likely to receive sub-standard tuition. It will also take you longer to learn how to drive, and you are more likely to fail your driving test – perhaps repeatedly. All this will of course cost you money.
The DVSA have specialist teams that check out driving instructors whose licences have lapsed and about whom they receive evidence that they are still giving driving instruction. They also review complaints from pupils who have taken lessons from a ‘qualified’ instructor whom they subsequently learned was not qualified at all. Often such ‘instructors’ refuse to return the money paid to them by duped pupils, which is especially painful if a number of lessons have been booked and paid for in advance.
The main challenge that members of this specialist DVSA team face is obtaining witness statements from pupils – a necessity when it comes to the prosecution process. There is often a reluctance for pupils to involve themselves – they are typically young people and the person they will be providing evidence against usually knows where they live, as that is where they were picked up from for their lessons. Sometimes it’s not the pupils who are reluctant to become involved – their parents advise them not to.
The penalties for offering illegal driving instruction can be quite severe, as the crime is fraud – an illegal driving instructor is defrauding their pupils by offering services that they are not legally entitled to offer.
If you are learning to drive, ask your instructor for evidence that they are registered with the DVSA as a qualified person deemed fit to offer paid driving instruction. If you think that someone is charging money for driving lessons when they are not legally entitled to, then you can contact the DVSA, by phone on 0191 201 8120, or via email at .
27 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent, BR2 9EA
