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.

You may have only just passed your driving test but already beginning to become an enthusiastic car owner or driver, keen on all things motoring. Why not harness your enthusiasm and combine this with a wonderful day out in the lake district of England?

A feast, on an action-fuelled day out, takes place on Saturday, August 30, as the West Cumbrian town of Workington lays on the inaugural Paint the Town Red event. The event will be kicked off by the actor comedian Ricky Tomlinson at 10.15 with the action being based in the town centre, Curwen Park and Vulcan Park. Lots of famous cars will be displayed including Herbie from the Love Bug, Postman Pat’s van, a range of vintage vehicles as well as a Go Cart display. There will be stunt driving, marching bands, made in Cumbria stalls, barbecues, a magic act, cookery demonstrations, a Jennings beer tent will be in attendance, with food stalls and daytime fireworks at around 4pm. Vulcan Park has all day performances from the Band of the King’s Division, junior activities and hot roast.

By the time we reach our sixties and seventies, most of us have been driving for at least forty years.  We will have built up a lifetime of driving experience which will give us the honour of being able to say that we get into fewer accidents.  Unfortunately, most people at this stage of life are also experiencing a variety of effects, both physical and mental, that are caused by aging.  The question then becomes, “is age an issue when driving?”

People in their sixties and seventies will notice that their senses are not as sharp as they used to be.  They fade gradually and most people won’t even notice it until someone points it out to them.  Drivers must be able to read a license plate number at 67 feet, the length of a cricket pitch.  If corrective lenses are needed to accomplish this, then they should be worn when driving.  Some eye problems, like cataracts or glaucoma, may end a driving career completely.

Arthritis and general stiffness of the body restricts your range of motion, making it difficult for a person to move, see over their shoulder, shift gears or even just turn the steering wheel.  Some older drivers may need special devices and accessories from their doctor to help them.  Also, older drivers should always check with their doctors about the prescription medicine they take to ensure it won’t effect their driving.

Older drivers who wish to continue driving after the age of seventy will need to renew their driving license every three years.

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 more and more people are taking to the roads, driving practices and principles have had to change to keep up with the times.  Over the last ten years alone everything from the speed limit, to the volume of traffic, to road signs, has had to change to keep up to date.  The classroom and driving instruction people take in order to get their driver’s license has even changed to incorporate the increased flow of traffic and what could be perceived as potentially hazardous driving conditions.

Any citizen wanting to get their driver’s license should make sure the driving school they are interested in using follows an approved syllabus and tests what the student has learned.  This instruction should cover eighteen different areas of learning that are required and will show that learners can handle themselves in each area before being allowed to take the practical test.

Today student drivers need to pass not only the written test and practical driving test, but they also have to pass what is known as a video-clip hazard perception test.  The student sits at a computer screen as if they were actually driving the automobile.  They are presented with fifteen hazards that they must identify, one per clip, with the exception of one clip which will have two hazards.  If the student passes all three of their tests, they will be rewarded with the issuance of a driver’s license and afforded the privileges of being able to drive an automobile without needing to be accompanied by another adult.

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.

New proposals flagged by the Government recently, are suggesting that passing a Driving Test in the future is to become much more difficult. Basically the proposals include; that learner drivers will have to complete four separate stages, including two practical tests, to gain that all important licence. In the biggest shake up of the Driving Test, it is being proposed to split the on-road exam into two which will represent the biggest overhaul of the driving test in more than 50 years.

Candidates will be expected to present a “readiness certificate” before taking the test itself, making a total of four stages with a tougher theory test and two practical exams. According to road safety experts, around 300 drivers and passengers are killed annually by motorists who have passed their test within the previous two years. For this reason alone, we at Bill Plant always encourage newly qualified drivers to continue with their driving education, starting with our Pass Plus course which will make for a safer driver as well as reducing insurance premiums.