Mesay R.

Michelle D.

Paddy P.

Careless driving will be made a fixed penalty offence to allow the police more effectively to tackle reckless driving that puts other road users in danger, while disqualified drivers face having to take a new test before regaining their licence.

There will also be more educational courses that can be offered in place of a fixed penalty and points in appropriate cases as well as a new post-test qualification for novice drivers, under plans set out in the new Strategic Framework for Road Safety.

The new Strategic Framework for Road Safety sets out the government’s plans to:

• Make careless driving a fixed penalty offence to allow the police more effectively to tackle the wilfully reckless driving that puts other road users in danger. Guidance will ensure that that the circumstances in which a fixed penalty notice is appropriate are clearly defined.
• Require offenders to pass a test before they regain their licence after a serious disqualification.
• Make greater use of powers to seize vehicles to keep the most dangerous drivers off the roads.
• Increase the level of fixed penalty notices for traffic offences from £60 to between £80 and £100 and penalty points. Levels have fallen behind those for other fixed penalty offences, which risks trivialising the offences.
• Improve enforcement against drink and drug driving, as announced in the response to the North Report in March.
  Increase the use of police-approved educational courses that can be offered in place of fixed penalty notices to encourage safer driving behaviour.
• Launch a new post-test qualification for new drivers, including an assessment process to give insurers confidence that it will create safer drivers who can expect to pay lower insurance costs. This will replace the current Pass Plus scheme.
• Continue to improve the driving and motorcycling training processes, including introducing film clips into theory test.
• Create a new website to allow local people to easily compare the road safety performance of their local area against similar areas, as well as a new portal to help road safety professionals share information. The framework published today also includes maps which show the recent road safety records and improvements of local authorities.
• Launch an annual road safety day.

The framework also sets out the roles and responsibilities of local authorities, road safety professionals and other stakeholders in improving road safety and the increased freedom that is being given to local authorities in assessing and acting on their own priorities.

The government’s long term vision is to ensure that Britain remains a world leader on road safety and the department will monitor its performance against indicators in a new road safety outcomes framework.

The DSA is alerting people to only book their practical driving test through their official DSA website.

Directgov is the only official driving test booking website.

Other websites offer driving test booking services, but might charge extra administrative fees on top of the Driving Standards Agency’s (DSA) fee. Those websites are not run by or connected to DSA or Directgov.

DSA recommends that all learner drivers book their driving test through the official booking service on Directgov by visiting direct.gov.uk/drivingtest.

If you have used an unofficial website

DSA gets complaints from customers who have used unofficial booking websites. In most cases these websites are doing nothing illegal. This means that DSA’s powers to respond may be limited.

If you have used an unofficial booking website, you might have seven working days to cancel your order and get all your money back. However, this will depend on the terms and conditions of the website you used.

You can find more information about your consumer rights on Directgov. You can also use template letters to complain to businesses. Each letter includes details of the law that you want the trader to follow.

I would like to congratulate Stefan who passed his driving test first time and with no driving faults! This result goes to show that if you work hard and focus on the right things when driving then this is could be the result for you.

Well, for any of you out there who are concerned or worried about the ‘Independant Driving’ part of the practical test then click on the link below and watch the video. 

Independant Driving Video

I’ve had two pupils pass their driving test first time!

But the best of all was Stef from Ealing who passed with ZERO driving faults.

Great driving Stef. Keep it up!