The Driving Standards Agency have been working with the Identity and Passport Service so they are able to accept the new UK Identity Cards as a means of confirming their identity for their Driving Tests.
Drivers are required to confirm their identity and evidence of their entitlement to drive the relevant vehicle for Driving Tests and Periodic Training before the test or Driver Training can commence.
The Drivers can do this by means of a photographic Driving Licence, however if the Driving Licence does not include a Photograph the candidate can produce a passport along with the Licence to prove their identity.
With effect from 27th April 2010 drivers who do not have a Licence with a photograph will still have to produce their Licence to prove their entitlement to drive the relevant vehicle but can also use the new UK Identity Cards instead of a passpport.
Any candidate who is unable to satisfy the examiner of their driving entitlement or identity will have their test cancelled and may lose their fee.
For further information regarding the new changes you can visit the Driving Standards Agency website from here.
Chevron Driving School is one of the largest and fastest growing driving schools in the South East, with our head office in Merstham, Redhill, we cover Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex and offer Driving Lessons in much of London. As well as driving lessons Chevron Driving School also offer more skilled driving tuition, such as trailer towing training and courses.
With effect from 1st May 2010 new rules are introduced making it illegal for anyone to act as an accompanying driver in a category C1, C1+E, D1 or D1+E vehicle unless they have passed a driving test for the particular category of vehicle concerned. From 1 May, the supervising driver in category C1 or D1 Vehicles (including vehicle plus trailer combinations) must:
hold a full (post 1997) licence for the same category of vehicle as that being driven by the learner
have held that entitlement for the relevant period of time - usually three years
The intention was that drivers holding category C1, C1+E, D1 and D1+E entitlements obtained before 1997 (on other words, implied rights), and who passed a driving test in one of those categories before 6 April 2010, would be given credit for the time they had held the implied rights entitlement for the category concerned. The effect being that they would, from the date that the clarifying amendments to the regulations were implemented, already meet the requirements at (a) and (b) above. However, the deadline for passing the test(s) and gaining access to the concession has been extended and is now 1 May 2010.
Drivers who pass the relevant driving test(s) after 1 May will have to wait until they have held their new entitlement for the relevant period, usually three years, before they can act as an accompanying driver in a category of vehicle covered by that entitlement.
These new arrangements do not affect a person’s existing entitlement to drive a medium sized lorry or minibus.
Chevron Driving School is one of the largest and fastest growing driving schools in the South East, with our head office in Merstham, Redhill, we cover Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, Croydon and give Driving Lessons in much of London.
Chevron Driving School will be posting videos trailer training exercises performed on the DSA B+E driving tests.
The first is unhitching a trailer and will soon be followed with follow-up videos to cover all aspects of the off-road requirements of the practical B+E test.
Chevron Driving School covers Croydon, Redhill, Sutton, London, Guildford and all of Surrey have an off-road area to practice all aspects of the test.
Don’t forget that Chevron Driving School also now offer Trailer Towing Lessons and courses as well as Driving Lessons!
All motorists that passed their driving test after January 1997 are required by law to take a ‘trailer towing’ test if they want to be able to tow a trailer on the back of their vehicle.
Chevron strongly recommends these courses for your own peace of mind, even if you have a pre 1997 driving licence, as towing a trailer of any description is very different to just driving a standard vehicle and there are many more safety considerations that drivers should be aware of. At Chevron Driving School we believe that safety is paramount, especially if you are about to tow a trailer, and anything that can be done to improve this is of utmost importance.
If you are interested in a trailer towing course or any other driving lessons that Chevron Driving School offer then please contact us for further information, we cover the London Area as well as most of the South East area i.e Surrey, Hampshire, West Sussex and Croydon.
MORE than five million British motorists are currently breaking the law by driving unsafe vehicles, according to new research.
As many as 850,000 motorists could be driving with bald tyres under the legal tread limit, while up to 768,000 have broken lights and around 654,000 have brake problems.
The most common fault identified among these cars was worn tyres, with 12 per cent of motorists driving with tyres that have a tread depth of less than 1.6mm.
As many as 22% of these drivers have known about the dangerous fault on their vehicle for more than six months.
A total of 31% claimed they could not afford to fix the problem, while 11% said they had not had time to get their car repaired.
180,000 of the five million un-roadworthy cars being driven on UK roads are still being used because their owners are holding out until they are eligible for the government’s scrappage scheme.
Chevron Driving School is one of the largest and fastest growing driving schools in the South East, with our head office in Merstham, Redhill, we cover Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex and give Driving Lessons in much of London.
Press release from the DSA regarding the recent recall for Toyota and Peugeot Citroen vehicles:
Toyota and Peugeot Citroen car recall
Following vehicle recall notices issued by Toyota and Peugeot Citroen, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has announced conditions for allowing affected vehicles on the driving test. Recall notices affect the following vehicles with the specified build dates:
Toyota AYGO (Feb 2005 – Aug 2009) iQ (Nov 2008 – Nov 2009) The iQ is already considered unsuitable for test Yaris (Nov 2005 – Sep 2009) Auris (Oct 2006 – 5 Jan 2010) Corolla (Oct 2006 – Dec 2009) Verso (Feb 2009 – 5 Jan 2010) Avensis (Nov 2008 – Dec 2009) RAV4 (Nov 2005 – Nov 2009)
Peugeot 107 (Feb 2005 – Aug 2009)
Citroen C1 (Feb 2005 – Aug 2009)
In total, Toyota and Peugeot Citroen are recalling around 320,000 UK-based vehicles. As yet, VIN number ranges have not been released.
Using these cars on the driving test
If one of the vehicles affected is presented for test, it will only be conducted if either:
the vehicle has a manual transmission gearbox and is fitted with dual controls to help the examiner control the car in the unlikely event of a failure
documentation is supplied to show that the remedial work has been carried out – this will usually be in the form of the Toyota or Peugeot Citroen recall letter stamped by the respective dealer and containing written confirmation
Candidates who cannot proceed with their test should contact DSA customer services to arrange for their test to be rebooked once the remedial work has been done.
As there has been no prior warning of this action, if the test is not conducted the fee will be refunded or a free retest given on the first occasion that a specific vehicle is presented for test. Customers can ring DSA customer services on 0300 200 1122.
Proposals to simplify motorway speed limits for buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) were published today by the Department for Transport.
The changes are needed because of differences that have arisen between new vehicles, which are fitted with speed limiters, and older vehicles which are not. This means that while newer HGVs are limited to 56mph older vehicles are able to drive at up to 70 mph on the motorway. Similarly, new passenger vehicles with over eight seats are limited to 62.5 mph on the motorway but older vehicles are able to drive at 70 mph.
This can cause confusion for other drivers and creates a disincentive for companies to invest in safer and more fuel efficient vehicles. In addition, vehicles with speed limiters are not allowed to use the right hand lane of three lane motorways but those without speed limiters currently are.
The proposals put forward in today’s consultation include:
setting a 65 mph limit for all buses, minibuses and coaches with more than eight passenger seats regardless of whether or not they are fitted with a speed limiting device
setting the motorway speed limit at 60 mph for all HGVs over 3.5 tonnes regardless of whether or not they are fitted with a speed limiting device
prohibiting all HGVs between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes and all buses, minibuses and coaches with more than eight passenger seats from using the right hand lane of motorways with three or more lanes
Road Safety Minister Paul Clark said:
“We want to provide clarity for everybody - drivers, operators, other motorists and the police - as well as making sure that there is a level playing field for those operating in the bus, coach and road haulage industry.
“These proposals simplify motorway speed limits for buses, coaches and lorries so that everyone has to abide by the same rules regardless of the age of their vehicle.”
Honda has announced the recall of 646,000 cars globally to fix a switch defect that could cause a fire. Toyota Announces Comprehensive Plan to Fix Accelerator Pedals on Recalled Vehicles and Ensure Customer Safety and Peugeot Citroen, Europe’s second-biggest carmaker, is recalling some cars made with Toyota in Europe.
The recall includes Jazz models, built in Japan, China, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia and India, Honda said. Three cases of fires due to the defect have so far been reported - two in the US and one in South Africa. In September, two-year-old Vanilla Nurse was killed in Cape Town when the car she was sleeping in caught fire. Just over 171,000 Jazz cars in Britain will be recalled in March.
‘Toyota Motor Europe announced the recall of 8 Toyota models in Europe, to solve a potential accelerator pedal issue. The involved models and production periods are as follows:
- AYGO (Feb 2005 – Aug 2009)
- iQ (Nov 2008 – Nov 2009)
- Yaris (Nov 2005 – Sep 2009)
- Auris (Oct 2006 – 5 Jan 2010)
- Corolla (Oct 2006 – Dec 2009)
- Verso (Feb 2009 – 5 Jan 2010)
- Avensis (Nov 2008 – Dec 2009)
- RAV4 (Nov 2005 – Nov 2009)
The precise number of involved units is still under investigation, but may reach up to 1.8 million vehicles. No Lexus models and no other Toyota models are affected. “For Peugeot 107s and Citroen C1s, we are going to carry out an identical campaign as Toyota,” a spokesman said. The Japanese car giant has now recalled millions of cars worldwide with faulty pedals. Both models are made in a Czech plant, a joint venture with Toyota that assembles around 200,000 Peugeot and Citroen cars every year. Peugeot said “under 100,000″ cars will be recalled. It did not say when the recall would begin.
The DSA today released a statement saying: “The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will continue to take Toyota and Peugeot Citroen vehicles out on tests until formal risk assessments have taken place and, if necessary, vehicle recall notices have been issued.”
Chevron Driving School instructors who offer driving lessons in any of the affected vehicles will be kept informed of further developments and how to have their vehicle inspected.
From today, UK drivers disqualified for serious motoring offences in Ireland will no longer escape punishment when they return home, under a new law. The ban also extends to Irish drivers disqualified while in the UK, who will find the ban enforced when they return to Ireland.
International action on disqualified drivers
The new law means that if you are banned from driving in the UK, you will be banned in Ireland, and vice versa.
The measures are the result of a deal agreed between British, Irish and Northern Ireland ministers.
The new law is the first practical step to recognise driving disqualifications in Europe under the terms of the 1998 European Convention on driving disqualifications.
Road Safety Minister Paul Clark said: “We’ve cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 40 per cent since the mid-1990s – that’s more than 19,000 fewer deaths or serious injuries in a year. This means we now have some of the safest roads in the world.
“But we need to continue to work to make our roads even safer and if a UK driver commits a serious offence while in Ireland it is right that their ban should still apply when they return home.
“From today this new law will ensure that disqualified drivers are not able to escape their punishment and so keep dangerous drivers off the roads.”
Chevron Driving School Based In Croydon, welcomes this new legislation and believes that preventive driver training, both in the corportate and private sectors can further improve the road safety statistics.
