The Driving Standard Agency requires every citizen wishing to get a driver’s license to pass two tests: the theory test and the practical driving exam.  The theory test is based on what is learned during the classroom instruction of a citizen’s driver education course.  It is broken down into two sections, the multiple choice section which is based on book knowledge, and the hazard perception clip test, which requires the student to identify potential driving hazards in fourteen presented scenarios.  Both tests must be passed before the person can move on and take the driving test.

The multiple choice section of the DSA theory test is made up of thirty-five questions.  It is administered on a computer with a touch screen where the student would select their answer.  The student needs to correctly answer thirty of the thirty-five questions in order to pass.  If you need to give more than one answer to a question, the computer will alert you by flashing the text at the upper left hand corner.  Students have forty minutes to complete the test and it will end automatically at the end of that time period.

If the student finishes the test before the end of the forty minutes, they have the opportunity to review their test and to make sure they have submitted thirty-five answers.  The student will then be given a three minute break before starting the other part of the DSA theory examination, the hazard-perception test.  If the student passes both portions of the test, they will be allowed to schedule the driving portion in order to get their drivers license.

Professional bus drivers provide a huge service to the community by providing public transportation to and from the many destinations on their route.  If you are a people-person and enjoy driving – especially on a tour with the chance to see new places – then you may be interested in getting a driver’s license with the professional passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) driver specification. 

Regardless of whether you are driving a tour bus, a taxi cab, or limousine, your customer’s comfort will always come first.  You also have to be very up to date on your vehicle and ensure that it is in the best shape possible to traverse the many roads you will travel on.  You never want to risk the safety or lives of your passengers or yourself.  Before embarking on any trip, always make sure your tires are properly inflated and in good shape, that the engine has all the appropriate level of fluids in it, and that all of the lights, windshield wipers, and horn work.

While you may get a bit of abuse about running late due to traffic if you are a bus driver, remind yourself that traffic conditions are beyond your control and that this is not your fault.  Always smile pleasantly at your customers and have patience.  A lot of elderly people use the bus and they do not move quite as fast as some others.  Always follow your company’s rules and regulations and if a passenger becomes unruly to the point that they could be dangerous, ask them to leave the bus as soon as possible.

You can put it off no longer the time has come when the teenager in you’re family takes thier driving lessons, quite rightly so, they will need to be independent one day and not rely on you to ferry them around. But the way that they are being taught is to come under scrutiny this month as the Government is still rightly concerned about the number of young driver deaths on our roads. So what can you do as a parent when the time comes for them to take to the wheel? Professional bodies believe that there is no substitute for proper professional driving tuition.

You, as a hands on parent, can help by allowing them as much practice as you possibly can, but if you want to help your youngster learn to drive, you may need to go back for a refresher to driving school yourself as you have to realise that your driving style may be an effective one for you as an experienced driver, but not necessarily a direct fit with the syllabus that the ADI will be working to preparing your youngster for the test. Remember that your vehicle has to be suitable for practising in; your large automatic transmission car is entirely different from the friendly manual Vauxhall Corsa they will eventually take their practical driving test in.

Fatigue can affect drivers at any time of the day and it does not have to occur simply at night.  If you are tired you cannot concentrate and your reaction time becomes slower.  Fatigue is blamed for at least twenty percent of all motorway accidents.  More accidents occur between two and six in the morning, and two and four in the afternoon when the body is naturally wanting to rest.  You can be assured that if you are driving and beginning to get tired, you have the potential of falling asleep at the wheel.

If you begin to feel tired on a drive, find a safe place to pull over and park your automobile.  If you can, take a fifteen minute rest.  This will give you enough energy to make it to your destination safely.  If you do not have the time to take a quick rest, stop someplace where you can purchase a couple of cans of an energy drink.  The energy drink will help shake off the fatigue and give you about ninety minutes of usable energy once it has been absorbed into your body.

When you know you are going to be driving for an extended length of time, make sure you get enough sleep before leaving.  Try to avoid leaving in the evening after a full day of work, or in the morning when you have not had enough sleep.  Always make sure you stop at regular intervals for about ten minutes for every two hours of driving to ensure that you have a safe trip.

Learning how to drive can be both exciting and harrowing. Most students take driving lessons from an accredited driving school, like the Bill Plant School of Motoring. It helps if learner-drivers can have some extra practice between lessons with their instructor. In order for them to be able to legally get behind the wheel with only their provisional license, learner-drivers must be accompanied by an adult who has a license.

Anyone wishing to accompany their learner-driver on the road must be 21 years of age or older. They must also have had their own full driving license for at least three years, and special ‘L’ plates on the front and back of the car.

According to the Driving Standards Agency, it takes the average learner driver forty-five hours of driving lessons and twenty-two hours of private practice before they are ready to take their driving test. If you are willing to help your learner-driver, no matter what you do you must always remain calm and patient. Remember, you were a student once too.

In common with the Major Driving Schools in the United Kingdom, the Bill Plant School of Motoring is a business which is run on franchised lines, in other words following full driving instructor training to become a DSA approved driving instructor, individuals can then become a franchisee and work under the umbrella of the Bill Plant organisation. The advantages to those who are taking driving lessons are that they learn to drive at major centres throughout the UK in new vehicles changed at frequent intervals, following laid down procedures, safe in the knowledge that there is a major operation behind them.

Having this back up has proved to be helpful in the recent problem that was brought to the attention of Bill Plant following a complaint that was made to The Birmingham Mail on the 17th April 2008. From the article in The Mail, it appears that a franchised driving instructor made off with money that the pupils had paid for driving lessons. Head office at the Bill Plant School of Motoring immediately reimbursed all affected pupils with their money, in addition offered them a free driving lesson. Further, Bill Plant contacted the Driving Standards Agency to ask them to investigate the complaints and to see if the individual was still registered with the DSA, the Birmingham Trading Standards office was also informed and Bill Plant is taking legal action on behalf of the pupils affected.

The Driving Standards Agency is there to make sure of “Safe Driving for Life” On their website they give guidance on how to book your driving test online, forms and publications with road safety initiatives, and links to other useful driving resources.The agency aims to set driving standards to a high level of safety and make sure education and provision of learning resources is clear. The Driving Standards Agency also register and supervise quality assured instructors.