I have been accompanying quite a few of my students to their driving test and to the subsequent examiner de-briefs (East London area), and decided to compile a top 8 common mistakes list that make even the best driving students fail their driving test;
1. Lack of observation when moving off - remember you are supposed to check all mirrors, AND all blind spots, signal, and move off safely - sometimes it is about the examiner really seeing you doing it, which means you really need to move your head around and make an effort
2. Rolling backwards (poor clutch control) - remember to use your clutch the way you did when taking your driving lessons and make sure you don't roll backwards off the hill, it can be considered a major fault if you put someone at risk when it happens
3. Incorrect road positioning - most often when you are trying to turn into a side/main street. For example, many students position themselves to the left or in the centre when planning to turn right on a one-way street
4. Undue hesitation - not a major fault, but repeat occurrences do add up! I do realise that it is difficult to find the right balance between performing a manoeuvre in a safe way that makes you feel comfortable and that your best intentions are sometimes interpreted as hesitation by an examiner, yet your hesitation shows to the examiner that you are not a confident driver in general, and that you may cause traffic frustration and possibly accidents within this particular context
5. Touching the curb - in a number of situations, for example, when asked to stop in a safe place, when parking, when moving off. Keep in mind that you can park/stop as far as 15cm from the curb, and therefore there is no need to come too close - relax, take your time, and mind that curb!
6. Engine stalling (mechanic transmissions) - especially when moving off, or at various traffic lights. This is not a problem in itself, of course, but should you be unlucky enough to stall ten times during your exam, it will make you fail in conjunction with other minor faults you will accumulate over the course of your test. Also, the examiner will reasonably assume that you lack sufficient experience to manage you car and will present a hazard on the road. If you can't manage it, may be try driving a car equipped with an automatic transmission (I hate to admit it, that's what my wife decided to do).
7. Forgetting about the MSM routing (mirror - signal - manoeuvre) - especially when accelerating as this is not perceived by many as a "manoeuvre". Before you do ANYTHING new - a turn, slowing down, speeding up, changing you position, ANYTHING - check the mirror. Never signal before checking your mirrors first
8. Harsh braking - obviously, harsh braking will physically not be enjoyed by your examiner LOL, but beyond that, it poses a risk on the road, especially to those cars following you, as well as to yourself. Harsh braking signals to the examiner your lack of planning ahead and lack of anticipating emerging hazards etc, even through it may just be your natural preference to brake like The Fast and The Furious. If you are so found of it, wait until you get your full licence, but keep in mind it may get you into hospital one day!
I wish you the best of luck with your test! Email me should you have any questions, I am always happy to help!
www.borntodriveschool.com
Kirill
Tuesday 14 August 2012
Wednesday 8 August 2012
Independent driving explained
Since 4 October 2010 your practical driving test includes a section of ‘independent driving’. In the independent driving section of your test, you will drive for about 10 minutes without step-by-step direction from your examiner.
During the independent driving section of the
test, the examiner will ask you to drive by either following a series of
directions, following traffic signs, or a combination of both.
To help you understand where you’re going, the examiner may show you a diagram. It doesn't matter if you don't remember every direction, or if you go the wrong way - that can happen to the most experienced drivers. Independent driving is not a test of your orientation and navigation skills. If you ask for a reminder of the directions, the examiner will confirm them to you. If you go off the independent driving route it won’t affect the result of your test unless you commit a driving fault. If you go off the route or take a wrong turning, the examiner will help you to get back on the route and continue with the independent driving. If there are poor or obscured traffic signs, the examiner will give you directions until you can see the next traffic sign - you won’t need to have a detailed knowledge of the area.
You can’t use a satnav for independent driving as
it gives you turn-by-turn prompt.
The Driving Standards Agency has published a short video on YouTube explaining more about independent driving. www.borntodriveschool.com |
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Friday 3 August 2012
the new driving licences from January 2013
Many of my students are stressed about the
new driving licences that DVLA just announced will come into effect from 19 January 2013. From that date, all driving licences issued by the DVLA
will be in a new format. However, no panic - all old format licences will still
be valid and you will not be asked to replace your current licence, - they will
be updated gradually as they are renewed and replaced.
The new driving licence card will look different to the current licence. It will show all the entitlements to drive (meaning, which types of vehicle you are entitled to drive), on the back of the card. For each category of vehicle you are eligible to drive, the card will show valid from and valid to dates. Categories the holder cannot drive will be crossed out. For more information please take a look at the official DVLA website.
Thus, no reason for panic! Keep smiling and driving!
www.borntodriveschool.com
The new driving licence card will look different to the current licence. It will show all the entitlements to drive (meaning, which types of vehicle you are entitled to drive), on the back of the card. For each category of vehicle you are eligible to drive, the card will show valid from and valid to dates. Categories the holder cannot drive will be crossed out. For more information please take a look at the official DVLA website.
Thus, no reason for panic! Keep smiling and driving!
www.borntodriveschool.com
Sunday 29 July 2012
how to apply for your provisional licence
In order to
apply for your provisional licence you must be:
• A UK resident
• Not prevented from driving for any reason
• At least 16 years and 10 months old (there are some exceptions to this rule for disabled applicants)
• Able to meet the minimum eyesight requirement
• Not prevented from driving for any reason
• At least 16 years and 10 months old (there are some exceptions to this rule for disabled applicants)
• Able to meet the minimum eyesight requirement
Your can apply
for your provisional licence online, please follow this link to find out more.
Alternatively, you can just
visit your local post office branch and fill out the D1 application form
available in every branch.
Keep in mind that there is a section in the form
that requests that a person who knows you well confirms your identity by
leaving their contact details and signing your photo, therefore they must
either accompany you to the post office, or fill out these details for you later.
You will also be required to enclose your passport or another form of photo ID,
a payment of £50 (admin fee, can be either a check or a money order issued to
DSA, you can arrange for it at the same post office), and three proofs of
address confirming your place of residence in the last three years (can be a
bill with your address or your bank statement).
It usually takes DSA approximately two weeks to issue and send you your
provisional licence; therefore remember to send your application early if you
wish to start learning to drive as soon as possible.
www.borntodriveschool.com
www.borntodriveschool.com
P.S. I would really strongly recommend that you use the special delivery envelope available at each post office to send your documents, and enclose a special delivery return envelope with your address for when DSA send your documents back, just to be on the safe side of things. The cost is about £9 for two.
provisional licence explained
To start taking your driving lessons, or event to apply for your
theoretical and practical driving tests, you first need to apply for a
provisional driving licence. The provisional licence allows you to drive on the
UK roads (excluding motorways) whilst under the supervision of your driving
instructor or another driver (must be over 21 years old and have held a full valid
drivers licence for a minimum of three years).
Your driving instructor will ask you to show them your provisional
licence before you start your first driving lesson.
Once you have passed your
theoretical, and then your driving test, your licence will be exchanged for a
full drivers licence free of charge.
Call me if you need more information on provisional licence: 07595 428382 (Kirill, Born To Drive - East London Driving School)
www.borntodriveschool.com
www.borntodriveschool.com
Tuesday 24 July 2012
how to find a good driving instructor
I am often asked about what are the things students are ought to be looking out for when selecting a driving instructor. I'd say that the most important things are:
1. That you instructor is fully ADI qualified, with a full, valid instructor's licence - this means that s/he is aware of, and meeting the DSA standards and therefore is able to teach you all you need to know to pass your driving test. Ask the instructor to give you their licence number or check their licence when you first meet them - it should be displayed on their windscreen.
2. Ensure that your driving instructor is a full licence holder - there are a lot of instructors who work with a trainee licence, meaning they have not passed all their tests yet, are still in training and lack experience. A trainee instructor will have a red triangle badge displayed on their windscreen, while a fully qualified instructor has a green badge.
3. Try to aim for an instructor who works in your local area - learning in familiar surroundings is reassuring, and will help you pass your test. Check the DSA website for registered instructors who work in your local area (postcode search):
http://finddrivinginstructor.direct.gov.uk/DSAFindNearestWebApp/findNearest.form?lang=en
4. Do your research - a reliable, established instructor will have a neat website, a phone number (can be either a mobile phone number or a landline number), and will be able to provide references on request.
5. Ask the instructor what car they are driving, as you should put your safety first. Ideally, they will have a relatively new car (0-2 years old), that is fully insured for the purposes of student instruction. Plus, a good driving instructor will have a liability insurance that will cover various eventualities. It may sound petty asking about these things, however, you don't want to end up with a huge debt should you be unlucky enough to have an accident.
6. Don't aim for the cheapest driving instructor possible - you get what you pay for. The average price for a driving lesson in London is £20-£25 per hour. When someone charges less, from ym experience, there is often something wrong with them - either they don't have enough students because they get no referrals and have to charge less, or they cut corners on insurance and their ongoing training and therefore are not able to keep their knowledge up to date, or for some other reason that doesn't agree with me. Very often, their students fail their driving tests repeatedly because they are not adequately prepared, and subsequently change the instructor. Keep in mind that it is easier to learn from a good instructor from the very beginning than to correct the ingrained mistakes once they become habit.
7. Ask your family and friends for advice, they may know a good instructor they are able to recommend.
I hope this helps!
Kirill
www.borntodriveschool.com
1. That you instructor is fully ADI qualified, with a full, valid instructor's licence - this means that s/he is aware of, and meeting the DSA standards and therefore is able to teach you all you need to know to pass your driving test. Ask the instructor to give you their licence number or check their licence when you first meet them - it should be displayed on their windscreen.
2. Ensure that your driving instructor is a full licence holder - there are a lot of instructors who work with a trainee licence, meaning they have not passed all their tests yet, are still in training and lack experience. A trainee instructor will have a red triangle badge displayed on their windscreen, while a fully qualified instructor has a green badge.
3. Try to aim for an instructor who works in your local area - learning in familiar surroundings is reassuring, and will help you pass your test. Check the DSA website for registered instructors who work in your local area (postcode search):
http://finddrivinginstructor.direct.gov.uk/DSAFindNearestWebApp/findNearest.form?lang=en
4. Do your research - a reliable, established instructor will have a neat website, a phone number (can be either a mobile phone number or a landline number), and will be able to provide references on request.
5. Ask the instructor what car they are driving, as you should put your safety first. Ideally, they will have a relatively new car (0-2 years old), that is fully insured for the purposes of student instruction. Plus, a good driving instructor will have a liability insurance that will cover various eventualities. It may sound petty asking about these things, however, you don't want to end up with a huge debt should you be unlucky enough to have an accident.
6. Don't aim for the cheapest driving instructor possible - you get what you pay for. The average price for a driving lesson in London is £20-£25 per hour. When someone charges less, from ym experience, there is often something wrong with them - either they don't have enough students because they get no referrals and have to charge less, or they cut corners on insurance and their ongoing training and therefore are not able to keep their knowledge up to date, or for some other reason that doesn't agree with me. Very often, their students fail their driving tests repeatedly because they are not adequately prepared, and subsequently change the instructor. Keep in mind that it is easier to learn from a good instructor from the very beginning than to correct the ingrained mistakes once they become habit.
7. Ask your family and friends for advice, they may know a good instructor they are able to recommend.
I hope this helps!
Kirill
www.borntodriveschool.com
Monday 23 July 2012
best test centres for your driving test in East London
My students often ask me what is the "easiest" test centre to take their test at. The honest answer is, it depends, and the best policy is to book your exam in the same area you are practicing with your driving instructor - the area will be familiar to you, which helps with your nerves during your driving test, and also your instructor will show you the tricky areas and signs before the test.
If I had to select one test centre where the everyone is friendly, traffic is reasonable and there are not that many pitfalls, I'd say go for Loughton, but after 9am (post school time). If you struggle with bay parking, I recommend that you take your test there after 11am (the parking lot is pretty full and it is highly unlikely you will be asked to do this maneuverer).
Keep in mind that the waiting time to book your driving exams for most test centres in East London is currently about 2 months, therefore you may want to start taking your lessons while you are studying for your theory test, and not wait until after you pass the test.
Every week starts with a Monday, and it's been a very busy day today, and still two lessons to go - a little bit of a torture in this heat I must admit. but at least I got to walk my dogs in the Epping Forest this afternoon, which was great. I have a cute yorkie and a laid-back cocker spaniel (both are girls - Chanel and Maxi), I will post some pictures of them later this week when I get a chance!
www.borntodriveschool.com
If I had to select one test centre where the everyone is friendly, traffic is reasonable and there are not that many pitfalls, I'd say go for Loughton, but after 9am (post school time). If you struggle with bay parking, I recommend that you take your test there after 11am (the parking lot is pretty full and it is highly unlikely you will be asked to do this maneuverer).
Keep in mind that the waiting time to book your driving exams for most test centres in East London is currently about 2 months, therefore you may want to start taking your lessons while you are studying for your theory test, and not wait until after you pass the test.
Every week starts with a Monday, and it's been a very busy day today, and still two lessons to go - a little bit of a torture in this heat I must admit. but at least I got to walk my dogs in the Epping Forest this afternoon, which was great. I have a cute yorkie and a laid-back cocker spaniel (both are girls - Chanel and Maxi), I will post some pictures of them later this week when I get a chance!
www.borntodriveschool.com
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