Update

For the new driver potholes add a new dimension to driving – as if there isn’t enough to do already!

A longer following distance will certainly allow more time to see the pothole appear from beneath the vehicle in front of you and give you more time to adjust your position. Remember to check your mirrors first.

If you cannot avoid a pothole in your path then slow down to reduce the impact on the tyres and suspension.

Examiners on strike

Civil servants are striking 8/9 March over public sector redundancy terms. This includes driving examiners.

Normal procedure is to attend the test centre if you have a test booked, as there may be an examiner available. If your test does not go ahead due to strike action, the test candidate will be able to claim limited compensation and a new test date will be advised as soon as possible.

6th April change to test

Observer on test

The first change to the driving test following the consultation over the last couple of years is due from 6th April 2010. The initial change is the invitation for your instructor (trainer) to sit in on the test and observe.

An observer has been accepted previously and in some 81,000 tests in 2009 the instructor sat in the back during the course of the test. This was by request from the nervous test candidate who may have felt having the addition of a friendly face may help to quell any anxiety.

The emphasis will now be a positive invitation from the examiner for the instructor to sit in and view the test. The advantage to the candidate is a second opinion and thorough feedback, which can be lost during the short debriefing at the end of a test, successful or otherwise. It can help the instructor monitor weaknesses on test and plan for future lessons for post test instruction, whether it is passplus or another driving test.

The decision rests with the test candidate. If they prefer no observer, that will be accepted without bias. This will not affect the status of an interpreter though the instructor can now be both. This will not affect a second examiner observing the examiner on test.

The additional weight of three or four people in the car should be considered during training with regard to the performance of the test car regarding acceleration, road holding, braking and stopping distances.

There are more changes to come in the next few months.