17+ Gloucester Driving School of Motoring for Learners and Pass Plus Lessons: I Couldn't Be Happier

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17+ Gloucester Driving School

Hello! Welcome to the blog of 17+ Gloucester Driving School. My name is Mike Morris and I am an experienced and fully qualified Approved Driving Instructor. The driving school operates within a five mile radius of the city of Gloucester. All are welcome whether still at school (the school specialises in 17th Birthday driving lessons!), or more mature. Nervous drivers are also very welcome. The school also offers the Pass Plus programme.

For more information please email: gloucester17plus@yahoo.co.uk

Thank you

once again for all your help with helping me pass my driving test - I couldn't be happier ! Your patience and detailed instructions really helped me grasp the concept of driving well, where I found this hard in the past with other instructors. Thank yo u once again, Hope you have a lovely summer, and wish you every success with the drivi ng school for the future.

Best wishes,

Laura Thompson

Observer on Test

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.

Here’s the procedure that will be used from 6 April 2010:

In the waiting room:

The examiner will ask, ‘Would you like your instructor/accompanying driver to accompany you on the test and be there for the result and end of test feedback?’.

If the customer says ‘no’, the examiner will ask, ‘Would you like your instructor/accompanying driver to be there at the end of test for the feedback?

‘Thank you, will you lead the way to your car please.’

End of test - pass and fail

The examiner will say, ‘Please switch off the engine and give me a moment to complete my paperwork.’

If the test was not accompanied and the instructor/accompanying driver comes over to the vehicle to listen to the conclusion of the test, the examiner will confirm with the customer that they want their instructor/accompanying driver present.

Gloucester driving instructor in test warning

ADVICE: driving Instructor Mike Morris is warning learner drivers not to pay out extra cash for no reason

A driving instructor in Gloucestershire is urging learners to save money and avoid paying a booking fee when arranging a theory test online.

Mike Morris, who runs 17+ Driving School, says people are paying charges of up to £18 to book, which is more than 50 per cent of the £31 charge for the test.

A theory test can be booked without any extra charges by visiting the Driving Standards Agency website.

Mr Morris, from Barnwood, said: "I found out about the problem when one of my pupils told me they had booked their theory test, and that it had cost them £49.

"I thought that it was a bit strange and that the cost should have been just £31.

"It appears there are sites that look just like the official DSA site, but are actually agencies who charge a fee for booking the test.

"However, if you go on the official site, you can book the test yourself and specify what time you want to take it as well.

"It seems as though someone has looked at this and seen it as an easy way to make themselves some money.

"It is expensive enough to learn to drive anyway, without having to pay extra cash out for no reason."

Martin Bruton, customer advice manager with the county's Trading Standards department, said there was nothing illegal about the sites.

He said: "This is not necessarily illegal or wrong.

"A company is entitled to charge for a service they have provided, and the fact that you can actually carry out the booking process yourself does not make it unreasonable.

"Our advice would always be to make sure you check just how much you are going to have to pay before committing yourself.

"The sites will always give you a chance to confirm if you want to pay.

"It is just a case of shopping around to fine the best deal for yourself."

Mike added; "If people want to be safe, they can find a direct link to the DSA site by visiting my website at www.17plus gloucester.blogspot.com."

Major road safety milestone as driving test clocks up 75 years of success

The British driving test marks three-quarters of a century of helping keep people safe on the road when it turns 75 on Tuesday 1 June 2010.

The first car and driving licences were introduced in Britain in 1903. But it was not until 1 June 1935 - amid rising numbers of deaths as the popularity of the car increased - that a compulsory driving test was introduced.

The first driver to pass was Mr J Beene and within a year, the number of deaths on the road had fallen by 1,000.

In 1934, 7,343 people were killed on the roads and there were 1.5 million cars. The latest figures show there were 2,538 deaths on the roads in 2008 when there were around 34 million cars.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: “The driving test is not just a rite of passage, it has helped save thousands of lives on our roads.

“The test and the learning needed to pass it are a vital part of giving drivers the skills they need to drive efficiently and safely.

"High standards of driver training and assessment are an essential contribution to helping Britain's roads remain among the safest in the world."

Trevor Wedge, Chief Driving Examiner at the Driving Standards Agency, said: “The driving test still retains some of the original elements included in 1935, such as turning in the road and reversing, but it is updated regularly. We continue to make sure that the test properly prepares drivers for the demands of modern roads.

"This year will see the introduction of independent driving into the test, to help candidates demonstrate their ability to drive without step-by-step instruction. We believe that this added element will lead to better and safer drivers."

Facts and figures:

the test became compulsory on 1 June 1935, after being introduced on a voluntary basis on 16 March the same year
the test was suspended during World War II and the Suez Crisis – examiners were put in charge of fuel rationing instead
until 1975, candidates still had to demonstrate hand signals
the theory test was introduced in July 1996

17+ Gloucester Driving School of Motoring for Learners and Pass Plus Lessons

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GLOUCESTER 17+ SCHOOL OF MOTORING