Learner Driver News from Hazels Motorschool of Wirral
Changes to Practical Driving Tests Including Independent Driving - Effective 4th October 2010
The first thing you need to know is: THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! At Hazels Motorschool, you will have been trained to the highest standards and will be ready to take and pass your driving test. In fact, you will already have had independent driving sessions with your instructor as it has always been a part of our syllabus.
Until now, the examiner has always given directions throughout the test. However, during the independent drive; you will be asked to follow traffic signs or a short series of verbal directions, or a combination of both. You can also ask your examiner for a reminder as you drive.
The independent driving session will last for approximately ten minutes and has been pre-defined by the Driving Standards Agency. They will not be made up by the examiner en route. Should you encounter any hold ups, the session may run to 11 or 12 minutes, similarly, light traffic may mean it will only be 8 or 9 minutes.
The current duration of practical driving test time will not change.
Before the session begins, the examiner will pull you into the kerb and tell you what is about to happen.
If you are to be given verbal direciions, the examiner will give you three directions at a time and to help you uinderstand where you are going, will show you a diagram like below:-
After that, if you are to continue being given verbal directions, you will be asked to pull in and be given a further 3 verbal directions, and so on.
If you are to be given both verbal directions and to follow traffic signs, there may be no need to be asked to pull in to switch from verbal to traffic signs.
Please be assured that:
If you do go off route during the independent driving session, the examminer will step in and get you back on track to continue with the independent driving session. If you do take the wrong turn, the examiner will control the situation as they do now and preferably step in before it happens, if that's not possible the examiner will help you back on track as soon as possible by duiding you with normal directions.
This is not a test of your orientation skills! Should you go off route and do not commit a fault then there is nothing to worry about and, just as it is now, if a fault is committed, it will be assessed given the circumstances ad theat time.
Manoeuvers:
From 4th October 2010 you will have to complete one reversing manouevre rather than two (And No! - You can't choose it!). It will be selected at random by the examiner from:
- Turning in the road
- Reversing around a corner
- Reverse parking (either on the road or into a bay)
An emergency stop exercise will still be conducted in one of three tests.
Further Reading:
To read more detailed information about the changes to the practical driving test, download an example of an independent driving route diagram, watch independent driving in action, and find out what adjustments can be made if you have special needs. Go to http://direct.gov.uk/practicaltest
Warmest regards,
The Hazels Motorschool Team
Thea, John, Jude, Alan and Debbie
