Driving test changes: 4 December 2017

Those of you who use an instructor will already know this, for those that don't, these are the changes for tests taken from 4 December 2017.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-test-changes-4-december-2017

Am I right that there is still nothing about motorways?  I thought they were going to change the law so that a learner driver could go on the motorway with an instructor.

Am I right that there is still nothing about motorways?  I thought they were going to change the law so that a learner driver could go on the motorway with an instructor.

Looking over Sirius's link, you appear to be right. That's a shame.  I really thought motorway driving was something that should be taught.  Entering and leaving, merging safely, overtaking, staying in the slower lanes except to overtake... these are life skills that people aren't demonstrating.

It's stupid that the whole time one is learning, it's too dangerous to be on the motorway, even while supervised by an instructor, but they test you off the motorway and it's suddenly free reign!  How does that make sense?

Looking over Sirius's link, you appear to be right. That's a shame.  I really thought motorway driving was something that should be taught.  Entering and leaving, merging safely, overtaking, staying in the slower lanes except to overtake... these are life skills that people aren't demonstrating.

It's stupid that the whole time one is learning, it's too dangerous to be on the motorway, even while supervised by an instructor, but they test you off the motorway and it's suddenly free reign!  How does that make sense?

You can still take the Pass Plus course after you have passed your test though, which teaches you how to drive on motorways (as well as covering night driving, bad weather, dual-carriageways etc.), and having taken it can help reduce your car insurance premiums.

Oh, drat. It looks like I really should be able to drive. For some reason, after reading the link, it unnerves me that I'll be tested on a sat-nav. I'd never own one, but.... they give me the willies. 

So, hmmm. How does one find a good driving instructor? Does the driving school have insurance to cover the learner and the car during the lessons, or do you have to get your own insurance?  What should a driving school charge?

Oh, drat. It looks like I really should be able to drive. For some reason, after reading the link, it unnerves me that I'll be tested on a sat-nav. I'd never own one, but.... they give me the willies. 

So, hmmm. How does one find a good driving instructor? Does the driving school have insurance to cover the learner and the car during the lessons, or do you have to get your own insurance?  What should a driving school charge?

I Googled and found a few instructors. I just tried them out until I found one that suited my needs. The first was terrible with the US/UK switch and obviously didn't know what I needed help on. The second was perfect. He knew I didn't need to be taught to drive, just taught to pass the test and get used to UK roads and driving styles.

The instructor should have insurance covering you in their car.

The sat nav will only be a small part of the exam and I'm sure instructors will start teaching it in lessons, especially if you're uncomfortable with it.

I'd suggested either taking the test before the changes (although that's be really rushed) or a few months after it rolls out. That way you wouldn't be the guinea pig.

I'd also try to avoid winter for the driving test. Snow, ice and short days are just one more thing to make a test more stressful.

You can still take the Pass Plus course after you have passed your test though, which teaches you how to drive on motorways (as well as covering night driving, bad weather, dual-carriageways etc.), and having taken it can help reduce your car insurance premiums.

I wanted to do this but it just was so costly.

For the record I loved my instructor he was fantastic! But for like three hundreds quid he would do a trip after you passed from my town to Huntingdon round trip to get you used to motorway driving. I forget what pass plus was but I couldn't even imagine spending the money.

He said it was an eight hour journey, where he made you plan a trip to anywhere you wanted. Plan your rest stops and all that.

Especially after lessons were £25 and hour and I started taking them in October/November and passed in February. 

I wanted to do this but it just was so costly.

Yeah, I never bothered - just asked my parents to teach me motorway driving. That was 16 years ago though, so I don't know how much Pass Plus was then.

Especially after lessons were £25 and hour and I started taking them in October/November and passed in February.

When I learned from scratch it was only £14 an hour, but I was a nervous driver so I had 2 hours a week for over a year . I also failed the test twice and had to wait 2+ months for each one, so although I did the theory in December and my first test in April, I didn't actually pass until August!



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Yeah, I never bothered - just asked my parents to teach me motorway driving. That was 16 years ago though, so I don't know how much Pass Plus was then.

When I learned from scratch it was only £14 an hour, but I was a nervous driver so I had 2 hours a week for over a year . I also failed the test twice and had to wait 2+ months for each one, so although I did the theory in December and my first test in April, I didn't actually pass until August!



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My dad taught me in America. People here think it's strange I was taught to drive by a parent.

My husband may make me drive to Heathrow next weekend to learn motorway driving. God help our marriage

I'm a two timer as well (well three but that one was a mechanical fault).  I'm not sure in other cities but in Peterborough it took me a minimum of a month to get a new test.

I had a driver's ed class in high school when I was 15. From that I was able to go take the test. The only problem I had (and still have) is parallel parking. If I'm lucky on the new driver's test it says no more reversing around a corner (why on earth would you do that anyway?) and no more turning in a street (is that doing a U-turn?). But either parallel parking (nooooo!) or going into a parking bay and reversing out, or backing up a couple of car lengths.

Sigh.

If I'm lucky on the new driver's test it says no more reversing around a corner (why on earth would you do that anyway?) and no more turning in a street (is that doing a U-turn?).

Reversing around a corner is actually really useful - I had to do it everyday when I lived at home... because my parents' driveway is at the end of a cul-de-sac and every time I left the house I had to reverse the car out of the drive and round into the little turning area next door. Also, it's useful if you're on a bigger road and need to turn around - you can reverse around a corner into a smaller road then turn back the other way onto the main road.

The turning in the street is the 'three point turn' - making the turn by driving forward across the road, reversing back and then going forward again until you've turned around in the road. Also useful if you're going the wrong way and need to turn around in a small road.

Those two were the easier manoeuvres on the test - parallel parking was the worst (I failed that on my first test)... took me 4 years after passing the test to be confident enough to parallel park again. I never had to reverse into a parking space though.



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huh. Well, that's interesting.  I am thinking I may try to take the test for "automatic" as I've been driving one for the last 25 years. My first cars were manual transmission but it's been a long time.  I think it'd be best to have the automatic certification, and then at least I'd be able to drive something, should I need to buy a car. And later go back and do the manual test when I've been on the road for a while here and more comfortable with how traffic works.

PS Whoever told me about Morrison's, THANK YOU!  We stopped in yesterday - nice, nice store!

PS Whoever told me about Morrison's, THANK YOU!  We stopped in yesterday - nice, nice store!

Anniesland?  That was possibly me... I thought you might like it!

My dad taught me in America. People here think it's strange I was taught to drive by a parent.

I taught my children, but when they reached age 17 they needed an instructor to teach them how to pass the test as they had all my bad habits and some of their own too by then.

Some of A roads are like driving on motorways eg A14, A62

I taught my children, but when they reached age 17 they needed an instructor to teach them how to pass the test as they had all my bad habits and some of their own too by then.

Same here! My dad taught me and I drove any time I could with someone in the passenger seat. I then had around 6 lessons I think before sitting my test.