Bill Plant is a national driving school; in fact it is in the top five in the country recognised as being in the forefront of innovation with an ultra modern approach to driving lessons, and progressing to the important driving test, including the theory section of the two part driving test.

Although one of the most successful driving schools in Britain, the approach taken by Bill Plant is that every locality should be treated as though it is a local area, whether this is in a major conurbation such as Birmingham or Sheffield or a smaller city such as Ripon for example. Your qualified driving instructor at the Bill Plant driving school wherever you live, will carefully and with consideration guide you through your driving lessons right through until you are ready to take your two part test and become a fully qualified driver.

By most standards, Ireland’s system for new drivers has been a bit peculiar. New drivers entering the system got a provisional license, which allowed them to drive with an accompanying licensed driver.  What then made this unusual, and delightfully Irish, was if they took their driving test and failed it, they could apply for, and get, a second provisional license, and happily drive without a fully licensed driver!

Uniquely the learner driver did not have to take a driving test and subsequently fail this to get a new two year provisional licence; they could simply not turn up for the driving test and use the appointment letter to renew their provisional licence. However from the 30th June 2008 provisional licence holders must have a fully qualified driver with them at all times, or face a fine of up to €1000, or imprisonment if they fail to pay this. We know at Bill Plant that after years of driving you can build up bad habits and it’s really difficult to get rid of them without training. As they say it can only happen in Ireland!

Advanced driver training is the next step for some people after getting their driver’s license.  It is designed to help students become smoother, more conscientious drivers.  The idea to offer more advanced instruction was conceived at the National Road Safety Congress that was held back in November 1954, and the idea was so well received that the members of the many different road and traffic organizations began to offer classes. 

These classes have been shown to reduce accidents. The Pass Plus test can be booked through the Bill Plant School of Motoring and is open to anyone of legal age with the correct driver’s license.  The test is about ninety-minutes long and can cover thirty-five to forty minutes worth of driving on varied road surfaces, numerous road conditions, and possibly varied weather.

Most people are afraid to take the test because they don’t want the person grading them to see the bad habits that have developed over the years in their daily driving routines.  As long as a candidate remains relaxed and calm they will pass the test and become rated as an advanced driver.  They will come out of it all with better awareness and better preparation for any driving eventuality that may come their way.

One of the most important documents a person can possess is their driver’s license.  It not only serves as a representation of your authority to operate a motor vehicle, it also serves as a photo identification to prove that you are who you say you are.  Photocard driver licenses include your photograph, which is updated every ten years, what type of vehicle you are licensed to drive, your name and address, and a number that has been assigned specifically to you.  An additional paper counterpart to the photocard license lists any endorsements or penalties you may have.

If you are interested in obtaining your provisional driver’s license and you have never had one, you can apply for it at your local post office.  The cost is £45. 00 and if you are from overseas, you will need to present your passport to the clerk so that they can verify your identity.  If you are a current resident of the country and are applying for your license, you will be required to attend and pass both classroom and practical driving classes before you will be issued your full license after passing a test.

Some people may need to renew their driver’s license even before the ten-year mark because of medical conditions.  Once you reach the age of seventy, you are required to renew it every three years.  Commercial drivers may need to renew their licenses at more frequent intervals because of the special nature of the vehicles they operate.  If you have a change of address, there is a way to notify the licensing bureau and having it updated by mailing in the information.  Your post office carries all of the booklets and forms necessary for you to get and obtain your driver’s license.

Before a driver can take to the road behind the wheel on their own, they must pass the Department of Transport driving test. This is now in two parts, the practical driving test and the theoretical driving test. Your qualified Bill Plant Driving School Instructor will take you through a routine designed to bring you to the standard to pass both parts of driving test.

Driving on the roads will make passing the practical test a reality. The theoretical test can be practised at any time through the FREE online theory test at the web pages of Bill Plant. This is a great way of gaining valuable experience as to what the real theory test will be like, with over 900 different questions to test your driving knowledge. Bill Plant students can log on with the password given by their instructor, but if you are not a student yet, just login with your name and email address, it’s that easy!

As one of the most successful driving schools in the UK the Bill Plant Driving School is well established throughout the major conurbations in the country. Unlike some other Driving Schools, Bill Plant’s ethos is that every part of a major city has to be treated as a local area.

An example of what is meant by this is when taking driving lessons in Bradford, which is a major conurbation with two major test centres at Eccleshill and at Heaton, because of Bill Plant’s reputation for excellence in driving tuition, it does not have to be daunting. For someone who wants to learn to drive in Bradford to be concerned that they will be pitched into the city centre straight away you need not worry, if you live in Shipley on the one hand or say or Laisterdyke of Wibsey for instance you will be collected in your area and your driving lessons in Bradford will be pitched at the right level for you, supporting you and bringing you to the standard needed to pass your two part driving test.

Roundabouts are probably the biggest challenge for any learner driver in the United Kingdom.  If you do not know how to properly navigate one, you may find yourself literally driving in circles!  For anyone who is learning how to drive for the first time on a provisional licence, roundabouts can be very daunting.  More and more driving schools are taking the time to make sure that their students are properly trained in mastering the art of roundabouts.

The biggest problem with roundabouts is the way that the roads are marked.  They also have multiple lanes of fast moving traffic and this is the most likely time that a student driver will make a mistake on their test.  Their skills have yet to be tested and being able to make a judgement call about when to merge and exit the roundabout has not been fully developed. 

Other issues on the practical test that have been identified as problematic include junctions, parallel parking, and reversing around a corner.  These four items are the ones a student driver should attempt to practice when driving with their practice partner in between formal lessons.  With the special learners plates on the vehicle other drivers will be aware that there is a student driver in the car who is possibly hesitant on the roundabout, some might be a little more willing to let the learner merge in and out as necessary.  If the new driver can master all of these skills – especially the roundabouts – they will pass their test with flying colours.

Summer time is when the number of cyclist increase due to road events and we all prefer to use a cycle when it is not raining! Also due to the rise in petrol costs we are seeing more cyclists on the road with very differing levels of skill and experience. Due to this drivers of motor vehicles need to take extra care to judge their speed, as well as the road and weather conditions, from the new cyclist’s point of view. Some cyclists, particularly younger ones, have never driven a car, and so don’t recognise the problems that they can cause car drivers.

Cyclist do not have a steel cage around them like the motorist, passing too close can be disconcerting. In traffic, make sure that you don’t cut up a cyclist who is about to pass you on the near side, try not to cut across a cyclist when you need to turn left at a junction and wait behind the cyclist until the cyclist has either turned left or passed the junction. All of this and much more may seem to be common sense, which it is, and you will find reference to safe driving and cyclist in the Online Highway Code at the site of the Bill Plant Driving School.

When you are about to take driving lessons there are many things to be considered, foremost is the need for the security of a major national company. Equally though, what is required also is that the Driving School should be local to your particular area so that you can be collected near to your home or work. Fortunately for the ever increasing numbers of people who are now taking driving lessons, the Bill Plant Driving School fit these requirements.

An example of this has to be the Bill Plant operation for those who wish to learn to drive in Birmingham, which is one of the most comprehensive in this vast conurbation. Even if you have never sat behind the wheel of a car before, the Bill Plant fully qualified driving instructor will put you at your ease and collect you from your chosen locality, whether this is from diverse points such as Aston to Cradley Heath or eastwards to Chelmsley Wood. Relax; learning to drive in Birmingham and taking the two part driving test at one of the six Birmingham Driving Test Centres is taken care of through sympathetic and understanding coaching by the Bill Plant Birmingham Driving School, you will soon be a qualified driver.

The Hazard Perception test is part of the theory portion of your written driver’s exam.  This exam will test how well you can identify potential hazards and reaction time.  You must score at least 44 on the test in order to pass it.  Your score is based on how quickly you identify the hazard in the short video clip that you will be shown.  There are fifteen hazards to find over fourteen clips.  Yes, that means one clip has two hazards that must be properly identified.

During this test, you will sit down at a computer screen that will play a short tutorial telling you how to take the test.  You are allowed to repeat the tutorial if necessary.  When you start the test you will be presented with a freeze frame of the ‘road’ you will be travelling.  Examine the road carefully and when it starts to move, click on your mouse when you identify a developing hazard.  A red flag will appear across the bottom of the screen to alert you that your choice was registered.  Be forewarned that a clip could contain more than one potential hazard.  You want to identify and click on the hazard that will materialize into something dangerous involving other drivers.

The score on this test is based on how quickly you recognize the developing hazard and click on the mouse.  The time frame for selection is from the earliest point the hazard could be recognized through the time your ‘vehicle’ arrives at it and takes evasive action.  This time frame is divided into five equal sections and the sooner you identify the hazard, the higher you score.