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Welcome to the latest 2pass Newsletter
In this months Issue:-
- Confessions of the driving test: Five attacked, hundreds of learners injured
- Free Prize Draw - June 2011
- New Continuous Insurance Enforcement law
- Car MOT text reminder service
- Driving Tip of the Month
- New Software to help Large Vehicles, LGV and PCV Driving Test
- Tackling driving test fraud: BBC Fake Britain
- DSA abolish Goodwill
- Theory test centre closures
- ADI News
DSA May Despatch
1) Confessions of the driving test: Five attacked, hundreds of learners injured
More than 300 learner drivers and examiners were injured during driving tests in Britain last year, figures reveal.
Five examiners suffered physical attacks and 209 reported being verbally abused as stress got the better of candidates, according to Driving Standards Agency statistics obtained by windscreen repair firm Autoglass.
There was even one death recorded, although it was the result of a heart attack which was not attributed to the test.
Read more
2) Free Prize Draw
For the next few months we will be giving you the change to win a free copy of the latest Software from our partners Focus Multimedia.
The June prize draw is:- Driving Test Success All Tests (DVD-Video disc)
(The Draw will take place on Thurs 30th June 2011)
Driving Test Success All Tests (DVD-Video disc)
This is a DVD-Video disc suitable for use on your DVD player, DVD compatible games console or for use on a PC or Mac fitted with a DVD drive.
This interactive DVD set contains ALL the questions and answers from the OFFICIAL DSA Theory Test, valid until September 2011 January 2012
Also included; over 190 unique video clips to help with your Hazard Perception Test and over 60 video lessons that you can use to revise and refresh the essential driving skills taught to you by your Approved Driving Instructor, before and after lessons.
NEW Contains all the recent changes to the DSA driving test including Independent Driving and Observer on Test.
Order Now or More Information
3) New Continuous Insurance Enforcement law
The clock is ticking for more than a million drivers who own a vehicle that is not insured.
From 20th June 2011 it is an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle, rather than just to drive when uninsured.
This advert will be shown on satellite and terrestrial TV channels as part of the campaign.
The Government estimates around 1.4 million people drive uninsured in Britain.
4) Car MOT text reminder service
The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) has set up a new MOT text reminder service for customers. By registering, you'll get text messages telling you when your MOT is due.
How the MOT text reminder service works
To benefit from the MOT text reminder service you will need to register your details with VOSA. Once registered, three text reminders will be sent to your mobile phone to remind you of your MOT date.
They will be sent:
* five weeks before
* two weeks before
* the day before
The text message reminders will include the vehicle registration number and MOT due date.
To use this service there is a one-off charge of £1.50 (including VAT). This charge will be collected through your mobile phone network provider once your registration has been accepted.
If you do subscribe for the MOT text reminder service, you will still be responsible for ensuring your vehicle has its MOT test by the due date. This is regardless of whether you receive the MOT reminder texts.
Find out more about how the service works and how you can register on Directgov.
Read more
5 ) Driving Tip of the Month
Turn in the Road in more than 3 turns.
You may have to do a turn in the road where the road is narrow or your vehicle is difficult to steer.
Remember on your test, you could be asked to do a "turn in the road" so you will not get any faults for doing the manoeuvre in more than 3 turns if the road is narrow.
The video below shows how to do a turn in the road in 5 turns.
Practice makes perfect, so get plenty of practice from a Approved Driving Instructor.
More Video Lessons available from our Video Page Index6) New Software to help Large Vehicles, LGV and PCV Driving Test
Software Available to help you on your Way!The Complete LGV & PCV Theory and Hazard Perception Tests 2011 Edition
Pass your test first time with the most comprehensive software pack available for LGV and PCV drivers. Get the very best practice using every OFFICIAL DSA Theory Test question and hundreds of hazard perception video clips.
Special 2pass Price
Order Now and More Information
More about Learning to drive Large Vehicles - LGV PCV
7) Tackling driving test fraud: BBC Fake Britain
The BBC's 'Fake Britain' follows the Driving Standards Agency while it investigates people who are taking driving tests for others
Back in 2010, the DSA Fraud and Integrity team were involved in the BBC programme Fake Britain.
8) DSA abolish Goodwill
Be warned don't get ill or have a family bereavement within 6 days of your test, you will now lose your FEE and have to pay for another test.
FRom 1st June 2011, DSA will no longer reimburse driving test fees for any candidates who cancel their tests with less than three working days notice.
In the past, DSA has reimbursed fees in certain cases as a gesture of goodwill, but there is no legal obligation to do this and it costs the agency around £1million a year. This cost has to be covered by fees from other driving tests.
But there are no plans to decrease the fee with the removal of Goodwill
No longer reimbursing candidates who don’t give the statutory three working days notice will help to keep the cost of the driving test to a minimum for all candidates.
There’ll be no change to the reimbursement of test fees when DSA cancels a test at short notice. In these cases a new test will be rebooked at no charge or the fee refunded.
DSA will continue to pay out-of-pocket expenses for tests cancel at short notice, other than for those cancelled because of bad weather or poor light.
9) Theory test centre closures
Due to over-capacity within its network of theory test centres, DSA has decided to close 11 theory test centres.
The centres will close on 31 August 2011 and will merge with neighbouring theory test centres which also have over-capacity and which have good transport links.
The test centres that will close are: Basingstoke, Bath, Birkenhead, Clydebank, Colchester, Dunfermline, Durham, Motherwell, Runcorn, Solihull and Workington.
DSA relies for income on the fees it receives from customers and it has a duty to spend that money responsibly. Theory and practical test centres are entirely separate and delivery of the practical test remains unaffected.
Driving test centre closure sparks campaign group anger in Bath
Read more
10) ADI News DSA May issue of the Despatch ezine
In this issue, read about the government’s new strategic framework for road safety. It sets out the government’s plans to reduce deaths and injuries on Britain’s roads as well as the measures and steps that others can take.
We also look at how DSA is working in partnership with the motorcycle industry, and find out what’s being done to make sure that new theory test questions don’t disadvantage autism sufferers.
Elsewhere, we talk to DSA’s Paul Butler about his work with the International Commission for driver testing (CIECA), and we’ve got our usual round up of this month’s news.
There are three ways to read Despatch:
view the interactive Flash version
download the PDF version(916Kb)
view the text-only version - ideal for slower internet connections or reading on mobile devices