Newslink January 2022

msagb.com 

Newslink 

The Voice of MSA GB 

Issue 348 • January 2022 

New kings of 

the road? 

ADIs urged to lead in 

educating public after 

biggest update to the 

Highway Code in years 

We work for all Driver Trainers. Want to join? See pg 35 for a special introductory offer

For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com 

Prepare for a decade of 

momentous changes 

Colin Lilly 

Editor, MSA GB Newslink 

To start, MSA GB would like to wish you 

all a very Happy and Healthy New Year. 

This year has the potential to be a 

prosperous one, with the continuing 

driving test backlog and waiting list of 

frustrated learner drivers. We hope we 

can reach the end of 2022 with no 

further restrictions due to Covid variants. 

So here we are, another year into what 

could well be a defining decade for 

motoring and driver training. After 2030, 

sales of petrol and diesel engine cars will 

be banned so there will be a wind-down 

in their sales towards that date. Some 

hybrids may remain available until 2035, 

but certainly the trend will be towards 

automatic gearboxes. 

A number of driving schools are already 

opting to offer training in hybrid or 

electric vehicles which will restrict 

successful learners to a manual licence 

once they pass their test. In fact, there 

has been some promotion of the idea of 

learning in an electric car as being an 

easy option. Some drivers select learning 

in an automatic for a number of reasons 

but to make the choice as the ‘easy 

option’ does not seem a good route to a 

safe driving career. 

Selecting the easy option on any topic 

in life does not always produce the best 

result. Learning to drive competently 

requires quite an effort. 

The driving test pass rate in 2020/21 

for automatic cars was 41.5 per cent 

compared with an overall pass rate of 

50.5 per cent. This suggests it may not 

be the most efficient route to take. 

The majority of new drivers opt for an 

older second-hand car which in the main 

will have a manual gearbox. Many would 

find the price of a new electric vehicle 

costing at least £20,000 beyond their 

reach, while second-hand prices, 

beginning at around £10,000, will be too 

steep for many. 

We operate at the entry level of car 

ownership. To suggest that young drivers 

will opt for the electric route is a bit 

futuristic, but they realise that at some 

point in their driving career they will have 

to make the change to an electric car. 

Some of my learners already have a 

much-loved family car that’s less than 

five years old waiting for them for when 

they pass their driving test. In most cases 

these are manual vehicles. 

We must continue to offer manual 

lessons for those that need the freedom 

to choose. It is reasonable to suggest that 

manual driver training will still be needed 

after 2030 until an equilibrium is 

reached. 

CONTACT 

To comment on this article or any other 

issue surrounding driver training and 

testing, contact Colin via editor@msagb.com 

If you want to contribute to the February issue of Newslink, send 

your article to Colin Lilly at editor@msagb.com by 21st January. 

MSA GB Annual Conference 2022 

MARCH 18-19 

at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Coventry 

• DVSA officials 

• Trade stands 

• Networking events 

• Road safety speakers 

• Business advice 

• MSA GB AGM 

Prices start from just 

£50 for the 

Conference day. 

See pg 18-19 for 

more details 

Welcome to your 

digital, interactive 


See a pale blue box in any article 

or on an advert? It it contains a 

web address or email, it’s 

interactive. Just click and it will 

take you to the appropriate web 

page or email so you can find 

more details easier. 

You’ll also find these panels across 

the magazine: just click for more 

information on any given subject. 

To get the 

full story, 

click here 

How to access this 

magazine 

You can read Newslink in three 

ways: 

Go online and read the interactive 

magazine on the Yumpu website; 

or, if you would like to read it 

when you don’t have a mobile 

signal or WiFi, you can download 

the magazine to your tablet, PC or 

phone to read at your leisure. 

Alternatively, a pdf can be found 

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Follow the 

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COVER STORY 

Major overhaul of the 

Highway Code gives the 

most vulnerable road 

users priority – but will 

the public embrace the 

changes? 

See pg 8 

NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2022 

03

08 

Priority: 

protecting 

the 

vulnerable 

News 

New year, new worries 

Here’s hoping that 2022 will pass by 

without lockdowns or more restrictions... 

– Pg 6 

Highway Code hierarchy 

A major overhaul of the rules of the road 

have made pedestrians and cyclists the 

priority – but will drivers agree? – Pg 8 

E-scooter dangers 

‘Terrifying’ rise in casualties caused by 

e-scooter riders – Pg 11 

11 

DTCs in temporary closures 

A major refurbishment programme for 

test centres will see a raft of DTCs switch 

to ad hoc premises in the first few 

months of 2022 – Pg 14 

20 

Dear Sir Humphrey 

Getting blood out a stone... a penalty if 

you’re the away team at Anfield or Old 

Trafford... a gazelle off a hungry lion... or 

a straight answer out of the civil service: 

Which is tougher...? – Pg 16 

Last reminder 

Self-employed ADIs have been warned 

not leave it until the last minute to have 

their tax forms in with the HMRC, as 

they’ll be complicated this time around 

... – Pg 20 


The Voice of MSA GB 

The Motor Schools Association 

of Great Britain Ltd 

Head Office: 

4 Victoria Square 

St Albans 

Hertfordshire 

AL1 3TF 

T: 01625 664501 

E: info@msagb.com 

Newslink is published monthly on behalf of the MSA 

GB and distributed to members and selected 

recently qualified ADIs throughout Great Britain by: 

Chamber Media Services, 

4 Hilton Road, Bramhall, Stockport, 

Cheshire SK7 3AG 

Editorial/Production: Rob Beswick 

e: rob@chambermediaservices.co.uk 

t: 0161 426 7957 

Advertising sales: Colin Regan 

e: colinregan001@yahoo.co.uk 

t: 01942 537959 / 07871 444922 

Views expressed in Newslink are not necessarily 

those of the MSA GB or the publishers. 

Although every effort is 

made to ensure the 

accuracy of material 

contained within this 

publication, neither MSA 

GB nor the publishers can 

accept any responsibility 

for the veracity of claims 

made by contributors in 

either advertising or 

editorial content. 

©2022 The Motor Schools 

Association of Great 

Britain Ltd. Reprinting in 

whole or part is forbidden 

without express 

permission of the editor. 

04 NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2022


Area News/Views 

Do roof top boxes drive 

customers your way? 

Rod Came isn’t so sure – Pg 25 

Theory woes for the ill-prepared 

“I try not to say ‘I told you so’” – Pg 30 

Ping x three 

East Midlands editor is getting hassled – Pg 31 

Features 

Theory X and Y instructional styles 

Phil Burman looks at the two types of teaching 

techniques and asks which fits best with the ADI’s 

duties – Pg 22 

Customers love their electrics... 

After a slow start it looks like the UK motoring 

public is finally learning to love e-vehicles – Pg 24 

... but it may put some off driving 

Rod Came is concerned the high cost of e-vehicles 

could be the deathknell of some people’s driving 

aspirations – Pg 26 

Keep in 

touch 1 

If you have updated your 

address, telephone 

numbers or changed your email 

address recently, please let us 

know at head office by emailing 

us with your new details and 

membership number to 

info@msagb.com. 

If you can’t find your 

membership number, give us a 

ring on 01625 664501. 

18 

MSA Conference 2022 

First details and prices 

Q&A with...Bryan Phillips 

It’s time for the public to dial 

down the animosity towards 

learner drivers – pg 32 

24 

Keep in 

contact with 

the MSA 

MSA GB area contacts are 

here to answer your 

queries and offer any 

assistance you need. 

Get in touch if you have 

any opinions on how MSA 

GB is run, or wish to 

comment on any issue 

affecting the driver 

training and testing 

regime. 

n National Chairman: 

Peter Harvey MBE 

natchair@msagb.com 

n Deputy National 

Chairman: Geoff Little 

info@msagb.com 

n Scotland: 

Steven Porter 

chair.os@msagb.com 

n North East: 

Mike Yeomans 

chair.ne@msagb.com 

n North West: 

Graham Clayton 

chair.nw@msagb.com 

n East Midlands: 

Kate Fennelly 

chair.em@msagb.com 

n West Midlands: 

Geoff Little 


n Western: 

Arthur Mynott 

chair.ow@msagb.com 

n Eastern: 

Paul Harmes 

chair.oe@msagb.com 

n Greater London: 

Tom Kwok 

chair.gl@msagb.com 

n South East: 

Terry Cummins 

chair.se@msagb.com 

n South Wales: 

All enquiries to 


Keep in touch: 

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to go through to the 

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2 

Follow MSA GB on social media 

n Newslink: 

All enquiries to 

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rob@chambermedia 

services.co.uk 


05

News 

Wales brings back some restrictions 

amid continued concern over Covid-19 

A reminder to all members in Wales that 

the Welsh Government has introduced 

2m social distancing measures in public 

spaces to stop the spread of COVID-19. 

All practical driving and riding tests 

and lessons with a professional instructor 

will continue. Learner drivers can 

continue practising driving, but should be 

mindful of limiting their social contact 

with people outside of their household. 

Theory tests in Wales can continue to 

take place with 1m-plus distancing 

accompanied by robust COVID-safe 

measures to protect customers and 

theory test centre colleagues. 

However, some theory tests at Bala, 

Carmarthen, Cardigan and Dolgellau 

mobile theory test centres will need to be 

cancelled as DVSA is unable to test 

customers safely within the mobile test 

vehicle due to ventilation constraints. 

Candidates will need to maintain a 2m 

distance within the test centre before 

taking their test. 

Other safety measures that will be in 

place include: 

• protective transparent screens at 

reception desks 

• barriers between each of the work 

station which means all candidates are 

social distanced by 1m-plus during their 

test 

• providing hand sanitiser to use on 

arrival, during the tests and when 

candidates leave the test centre 

• cleaning workstations (including 

computers and headphones) before every 

test 

• colleagues will wear a face covering 

(unless there’s a medical reason that it’s 

not recommended for them) and gloves 

• candidates will have to wear a face 

covering too, unless they have notified us 

in advance that they cannot 

• candidates must come into the test 

centre alone to help with social 

distancing 

Driving test centre waiting rooms 

The new social distancing measures 

mean the number of people who can use 

driving test waiting rooms in Wales is 

now limited, with the maximum number 

of people who can use the waiting room 

will be displayed inside and outside of 

the test centre waiting room. 

People using these rooms will need to 

keep a 2m distance from others and use 

the hand sanitiser as provided. 

Examiners will meet candidates at 

their vehicle before their test. 

Scotland & England 

The rules around driving tests and 

centres remain unchanged from before 

Christmas. Just a reminder that face 

coverings need to be worn in all 

circumstances – during lessons, while in 

test centres, on tests and while taking 

the theory test. ADIs are still not allowed 

to accompany pupils on tests. 

The Omicron variant has clearly 

caused a huge amount of disruption but 

for the time being, that disruption does 

not appear enough to demand tighter 

restrictions. As ever, we will keep 

members informed as to when rules 

change. 

New rules: Keep an eye on: 

https://n-a-s-p.co.uk/coronavirus-advice/ 

https://www.gov.scot/coronaviruscovid-19/ 

https://gov.wales/coronavirus 

Welcome to 2022; let’s hope it’s smoother sailing 

Peter Harvey mbe 

National Chairman 

MSA GB 

I would like to open this issue of 

Newslink by wishing you all a very 

happy and healthy New Year. 

I am hoping that this year is going to 

be a bit more stable than the last two 

have been. I’m sure most of your 

thoughts, as we get back to work after 

the festive break, will be around 

remaining safe from Covid, whichever 

variant may be with us. We will do our 

best at MSA GB to keep you updated as 

and when new changes come in or 

rules are relaxed. Rest assured, our 

main goal this year will be to keep up 

the pressure on the DVSA over the 

L-test waiting list. 

In other news, when you have a few 

minutes to spare, please check out our 

new-look website. It can still be found 

at www.msagb.com. I hope you like the 

new design and find it easier to navigate 

your way around. It contains all the 

latest information on Covid as well as 

other driver training, testing and road 

safety news. There is also details of our 

first national face-to-face event in two 

years, our Annual Conference and AGM, 

which will be held in Coventry on 

March 18-19, and how to book your 

place. 

Finally, I would like to advise you of 

the relocation of the MSA GB head 

office, as part of a reorganisation to 

allow more staff working from home. 

The new address is: 

4 Victoria Square, St Albans 

Hertfordshire AL1 3TF. 

Phone numbers and email addresses 

are unchanged, at: 

T: 01625 664501 

E: info@msagb.com 

06 

NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2022

News 

ADIs have to take a lead in teaching all 

the public the new rules of the road 

Colin Lilly 

Editor, MSA GB Newslink 

After a consultation last year, the 

Department for Transport has brought 

forward major changes to the Highway 

Code. These will be effective from 29th 

January, subject to Parliamentary approval. 

At the core of these changes is the 

establishment of a hierarchy of road 

users and the need for everyone using 

the road to behave responsibly. 

The hierarchy places pedestrians at the 

top, followed by cyclists, horse riders and 

horse-drawn vehicles. Following them 

are motor vehicles, in the order larger 

vehicles from vans and mini-buses to 

lorries and buses/coaches. The 

underlying principle is that the least 

vulnerable protect the most vulnerable. 

I am sure that the vast majority of 

driver trainers set this principle at the 

root of their training. The success of 

these changes relies on the existing 

driver’s acceptance. Many will have to 

change their attitude to other road users. 

During the consultation, 18 per cent 

disagreed on the need for a hierarchy of 

road users to be created, and on giving 

stronger priorities to pedestrians, 21 per 

cent disagreed. When dealing with 

priority to pedestrians waiting at 

junctions, 26.1 per cent disagreed. 

With opposition like that, the DfT may 

need to win over hearts and minds to 

make a success of these changes. 

Hierarchy of Road Users 

The ‘Hierarchy of Road Users’ is a 

concept that places those road users 

most at risk in the event of a collision at 

the top of the hierarchy. The hierarchy 

does not remove the need for everyone to 

behave responsibly. The road users most 

likely to be injured are pedestrians, 

cyclists, horse riders and motorcyclists, 

with children, older adults and disabled 

people being more at risk. The following 

‘H rules’ clarify this concept. 

Rule H1 

It is important that ALL road users are 

aware of The Highway Code, are 

considerate to other road users and 

understand their responsibility for the 

safety of others. 

Everyone suffers when road collisions 

occur, whether they are physically injured 

or not. But those in charge of vehicles 

that can cause the greatest harm in the 

event of a collision bear the greatest 

responsibility to take care and reduce the 

danger they pose to others. This principle 

applies most strongly to drivers of large 

goods and passenger vehicles, vans/ 

minibuses, cars/taxis and motorcycles. 

Cyclists, horse riders and drivers of 

horse-drawn vehicles likewise have a 

responsibility to reduce danger to 

pedestrians. None of this detracts from 

the responsibility of ALL road users, 

including pedestrians, cyclists and horse 

riders, to have regard for their own and 

other road users’ safety. 

Always remember that the people you 

encounter may have impaired sight, 

hearing or mobility and that this may not 

be obvious. 

Rule H2 

Rule for drivers, motorcyclists, horse 

drawn vehicles, horse riders and cyclists 

At a junction you should give way to 

pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a 

road into which or from which you are 

turning. You MUST give way to 

pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to 

pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel 

crossing (Rule 195). 

Pedestrians have priority when on a 

zebra crossing, on a parallel crossing or 

at light-controlled crossings when they 

have a green signal. 

You should give way to pedestrians 

waiting to cross a zebra crossing, and to 

pedestrians and cyclists waiting to cross 

a parallel crossing. 

Horse riders should also give way to 

pedestrians on a zebra crossing, and to 

pedestrians and cyclists on a parallel 

crossing. 

Cyclists should give way to pedestrians 

on shared use cycle tracks and to horse 

riders on bridleways. 

Only pedestrians may use the pavement. 

Pedestrians include wheelchair and 

mobility scooter users. Pedestrians may 

use any part of the road and use cycle 

tracks as well as the pavement, unless 

there are signs prohibiting pedestrians. 

Rule H3 

Rule for drivers and motorcyclists 

You should not cut across cyclists, 

horse riders or horse-drawn vehicles 

going ahead when you are turning into or 

out of a junction or changing direction or 

lane, just as you would not turn across 

the path of another motor vehicle. This 

applies whether they are using a cycle 

lane, a cycle track, or riding ahead on 

the road and you should give way to 

them. 

08 



Do not turn at a junction if to do so 

would cause the cyclist, horse rider or 

horse-drawn vehicle going straight ahead 

to stop or swerve. 

You should stop and wait for a safe 

gap in the flow of cyclists if necessary. 

This includes when cyclists are: 

• approaching, passing or moving off 

from a junction 

• moving past or waiting alongside 

stationary or slow-moving traffic 

• travelling around a roundabout 

The section aimed at cyclists has been 

extensively updated with some new rules 

[New] Rule 63 

Sharing space with pedestrians, horse 

riders and horse-drawn vehicles. 

When riding [cycling] in places where 

sharing with pedestrians, horse riders or 

horse-drawn vehicles is permitted, take 

care when passing pedestrians and horse 

riders, especially children, older adults or 

disabled people. Slow down when 

necessary and let them know you are 

there; for example, by ringing your bell (it 

is recommended that a bell is fitted to 

your bike), or by calling out politely. 

Remember that pedestrians may be 

deaf, blind or partially sighted and that 

this may not be obvious. 

‘‘ 

The underlying principle 

is that the least vulnerable 

protect the most vulnerable... 

I am sure that the vast 

majority of driver trainers set 

this principle at the root of 

their training. 

‘‘ 

Do not pass pedestrians, horse riders 

or horse-drawn vehicles closely or at high 

speed, particularly from behind. You 

should not pass a horse on their left. 

Horses can be startled if passed without 

warning. Always be prepared to slow 

down and stop when necessary. 

Rule 63 does highlight that cyclists 

have responsibilities to others they are 

sharing space with. 

[New] Rule 72 

Road positioning. When riding on the 

roads, there are two basic road positions 

you should adopt, depending on the 

situation. Ride in the centre of your lane, 

to make yourself as clearly visible as 

possible, in the following situations: 

• on quiet roads or streets – if a faster 

vehicle comes up behind you, move to 

the left to enable them to overtake, if you 

can do so safely 

• in slower-moving traffic - when the 

traffic around you starts to flow more 

freely move over to the left if you can do 

so safely so that faster vehicles behind 

you can overtake 

• at the approach to junctions or road 

narrowings where it would be unsafe for 

drivers to overtake you 

When riding on busy roads, with 

vehicles moving faster than you, allow 

them to overtake where it is safe to do so 

whilst keeping at least 0.5 metres away, 

and further where it is safer, from the 

kerb edge. Remember that traffic on 

most dual carriageways moves quickly. 

Take extra care crossing slip roads. 

[New] Rule 73 

Junctions. Some junctions, particularly 

those with traffic lights, have special 

cycle facilities, including small cycle 

traffic lights at eye-level height, which 

may allow you to move or cross 

separately from or ahead of other traffic. 

Use these facilities where they make 

your journey safer and easier. 

Continued on page 10 


09

News 

Highway Code changes 

Continued from page 9 

[New] Rule 73 (continued) 

At junctions with no separate cyclist 

facilities, it is recommended that you 

proceed as if you were driving a motor 

vehicle (see Rules 170 to 190). Position 

yourself in the centre of your chosen lane, 

where you feel able to do this safely, to 

make yourself as visible as possible and to 

avoid being overtaken where this would 

be dangerous. If you do not feel safe to 

proceed in this way, you may prefer to 

dismount and wheel your bike across the 

junction. 

Colin Lilly writes: During the consultation 

some proposed that these new rules be 

made clear to other road users who may 

think that the cyclists are merely hogging 

the road. The advice given to drivers 

relating to cycle lanes and tracks has 

also been updated to, among other 

things, give advice on prioritising cyclists 

when crossing these lanes. 

Rule 140 

Cycle lanes and cycle tracks. Cycle 

lanes are shown by road markings and 

signs. You MUST NOT drive or park in a 

cycle lane marked by a solid white line 

during its times of operation. Do not drive 

or park in a cycle lane marked by a 

broken white line unless it is unavoidable. 

You MUST NOT park in any cycle lane 

while waiting restrictions apply. 

You should give way to any cyclists in 

a cycle lane, including when they are 

approaching from behind you – do not 

cut across them when you are turning or 

when you are changing lane (see Rule 

H3). Be prepared to stop and wait for a 

safe gap in the flow of cyclists before 

crossing the cycle lane. 

Cycle tracks are routes for cyclists that 

are physically protected or located away 

from motor traffic, other than where they 

cross side roads. 

Cycle tracks may be shared with 

pedestrians. 

You should give way to cyclists 

approaching or using the cycle track 

when you are turning into or out of a 

junction (see Rule H3). Be prepared to 

stop and wait for a safe gap in the flow 

of cyclists before crossing the cycle track, 

which may be used by cyclists travelling 

in both directions. 

Bear in mind that cyclists are not 

obliged to use cycle lanes or cycle tracks. 

MSA GB Conclusion: 

This is the most extensive rewrite of 

the Highway Code for some time and an 

idealist may say it is essential reading for 

all road users, but realistically I know 

this is unlikely to happen. 

An AA survey of its members at the 

end of last year found that two out of 

three were unaware that changes to the 

Highway Code were imminent – and 

one-in-five thought it was ‘fake news’. 

Our learners will no doubt face 

opposition from other drivers who are 

unaware of the changes, or not accepting 

of them. 

Those working with qualified drivers 

may need to not only update knowledge 

but adjust some attitudes. 

The underlying message is that the car 

is no longer king and that a republic has 

been declared. 

Concern as public unaware of major changes 

The major changes to the Highway Code 

risk failing to boost safety because they 

have not been promoted widely enough, 

campaigners have warned. 

Charity Cycling UK called for a “longterm 

and well-funded communications 

campaign” to make people aware of the 

update. 

The Department for Transport insisted 

it will ensure “all road users are aware” 

of what is happening. 

There will also be a recommendation 

for car users to reduce the risk of opening 

a door into the path of a cyclist by using 

the hand on the opposite side to the 

door, as this will often lead to them 

looking over their shoulder – known as 

the ‘Dutch Reach’ technique. 

But Cycling UK’s Duncan Dollimore 

said the revisions to the Highway Code 

“are not being communicated”, and “will 

be of limited benefit if the public aren’t 

aware of them”. 

He said: “Many people won’t have 

read the Highway Code for years so it’s 

essential that the key changes are clearly 

explained, with simple, accurate and 

memorable messages. 

“Just as we saw with the introduction of 

other road safety measures like mandatory 

seat belts and stricter drink driving laws, 

the public needs to be accurately 

informed about the new rules. 

“The hierarchy of responsibility and 

changes to junction priority need to be 

explained and communicated properly.” 

Steve Gooding, director of motoring 

research charity the RAC Foundation, 

agreed that a “major communications 

exercise” was needed “to draw attention 

to, and explain, the new system”. 

He warned: “Millions of people who 

have been driving for a long time won’t 

have looked at the existing Highway 

Code for years, if not decades. 

“What are the chances they’ll read an 

updated version? 

“The changed guidance relating to the 

priority to be given at junctions has the 

potential to be confusing. 

“Knowing that you had the right of way 

according to the new code is going to be 

little comfort if you’re the one who ends 

up getting hurt.” 

10 


Opponents against the use of e-scooters 

have been given more ammunition after 

a leading charity launched a campaign 

against their introduction, while figures 

for a major city hospital highlighted the 

extent of their involvement in injuries. 

As revealed in December’s Newslink, 

for the first time in September 2021, the 

DfT published statistics showing the 

number of casualties in collisions 

involving e-scooters. The figures, which 

cover rental and privately-owned 

e-scooters, show that during 2020 there 

were 460 collisions involving e-scooters, 

resulting in 484 casualties. 

But figures are also now available for 

the 12-months to June 2021, and these 

show 931 casualties – a near doubling. 

The DfT acknowledges that it is “not 

yet able to fully assess the quality of the 

e-scooter data captured, in terms of 

consistency of recording practice for 

e-scooters across different police forces, 

so data should be treated with caution.” 

The figures are ‘drastically’ underreported, 

the National Federation of the 

Blind UK (NFBUK) has said. The 

advocacy group has launched a 

vociferous campaign against e-scooters. 

In a new campaign podcast, titled 

‘E-scooters: the dangers they pose for 

visually impaired people’, the NFBUK 

points to statistics published by the 

Parliamentary Advisory Council for 

Transport Safety (PACTS) as part of an 

ongoing research project to assess their 

safety. The project is gathering data of 

casualties involving private e-scooters 

(riders and other road users) collected 

from the media, police forces and at 

least one major trauma centre. 

The figures show that at three A&E 

departments in Bristol there were 

90 e-scooter-related injuries 

in four weeks in May-June 

2021 – equating to 3.2 

patients a day. However, 

DfT data shows that Avon 

and Somerset Police only 

reported 21 e-scooter 

casualties for the sixmonth 

period January-June 

2021. 

Moreover, nearly 20 per cent 


‘Terrifying’ rise in e-scooter crashes 

of those who attended one the Bristol 

A&E departments suffered head injuries 

– with three patients sustaining severe 

traumatic brain injury, intracranial 

haemorrhage or a skull fracture. 

Sarah Gayton, street access campaign 

coordinator at the NFBUK, said: “These 

figures are terrifying. 

“It appears the price for the e-scooter 

trial in Bristol – and allowing the ongoing 

use of illegal e-scooters on the streets 

– is being paid by those who are now 

living with life changing injuries. 

“This has to stop; the accident rate is 

horrific and Bristol Council should take 

immediate action to halt the trial. 

The DfT says in future, 

e-scooter casualties will be 

better captured as part of a 

new ‘powered personal 

transporter’ category – 

being introduced as part 

of a recent STATS19 

review. 

The DfT is also liaising 

with PACTS as part of their 

project. 


11

News 

Assessments offer new way forward as 

driving population becomes older 

Colin Lilly 

Editor, MSA Newslink 

A report by the Road Safety Foundation 

has recommended that more use be 

made of driving assessments as an 

alternative to prosecution of older drivers 

who commit offences on the road such 

as driving through a red light, unnecessarily 

slow driving or poor lane discipline. 

Loveday pens a 

New Year update 

Shortly before Christmas the Chief 

Executive of the DVSA, Loveday Ryder, 

penned an open letter to ADIs in which 

she discussed several key points as we 

look forward to a new year that will 

hopefully be less disrupted 

by Covid-19 

She stressed the 

importance of learners 

taking a lateral flow 

test before their test, 

in a bid to reduce the 

chances of examiners 

being infected. All examiners who test 

positive are forced to self-isolate and 

this can mean as many as 60 tests are 

cancelled, she pointed out. 

In a bid to reduce waiting times 

driving test managers are carrying out 

L-tests for two days a week. In 

addition, 126 of the new cohort of 

examiners have begun testing, with a 

further 23 people going through their 

training and 60 more ready to start 

training this month. DVSA is also 

recruiting more trainers to bring the 

new examiners up to speed. 

Finally, there was a request that 

candidates inform the DVSA if they are 

not going to attend their L-test 

appointment. Over 40,000 learners 

have not turned up for their driving test 

since they restarted in April 2021, with 

more than 6,600 L-test slots wasted in 

November alone. 

These tests could have been used by 

other people, she stressed. 

Click here to read 

the letter in full 

Currently there are 5.7 million holders 

of a full driving licence over the age of 

70 in the UK, and this number will 

increase over the next few years. 

It is also estimated that fatalities on 

the road for 70–79-year-olds over the 

next 20 years will increase by as much 

as 40 per cent. 

The Foundation believes that following 

this advice for more assessments, along 

with compulsory eye tests, will reduce 

Shock as ratio of public charging 

points to electric cars rises sharply 

New analysis by the Society of Motor 

Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has 

revealed that the number of battery 

electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles 

potentially sharing a standard public 

chargepoint rose from 11 vehicles per 

charger to 16 between 2019 and 2020. 

And the situation is going to get a lot 

worse as research revealed that only 

one new public charger is currently 

being installed for every 52 new electric 

vehicles registered, with cars that can 

be plugged-in now accounting for one in 

every six new car registrations. 

these potential fatalities. 

Experience has shown that some 

intervention training can update the 

knowledge and understanding of current 

traffic procedures or identify that a driver 

has reached the end of their driving 

days. 

Assessments alone may check the 

current position but combining some 

training and advice can have a more 

positive outcome. 

The drop in ratio amounts to a fall of 

public charging points of 31 per cent. 

While most people currently 

purchasing an electric vehicle are likely 

to be able to plug in at home, on a 

driveway or designated parking bay 

using their own charger, achieving 

zero emission motoring will require all 

drivers to make the switch to electric, 

including those who depend on onstreet 

parking. 

SMMT said the government needs to 

put in place commensurate targets for a 

charging infrastructure roll-out, 

12 


News 

Test centre refurbishment programme 

sees DTCs shift to temporary premises 

The DVSA has opened 2022 with a 

flurry of changes to its testing estate as 

it embarks on a period of 

refurbishments. In all cases the pupil or 

person who has booked the test should 

have been informed, DVSA says. 

Barking driving test centre 

The Barking driving test centre (on 

Tanner Street) will be temporarily closed 

for refurbishment from Monday, 17th 

January – Thursday, 10th February. 

During this period all testing will 

continue from Goodmayes Baptist 

Church, Kinfauns Road, Goodmayes, 

Essex IG3 9QL. 

Testing will recommence from the 

Barking test centre on 14th February. 

Barnstaple driving test centre 

The Barnstaple driving test centre will 

be temporarily closed for refurbishment 

from Monday, 21st March until Thursday, 

14th April. 


continue from The Barnstaple Hotel, 

Braunton Road, Barnstaple EX31 1LE. 


Barnstaple test centre on 18 April. 

Birmingham Shirley driving test centre 

The Birmingham Shirley driving test 

centre will be temporarily closed for 

refurbishment from Monday, 7th 

February until Friday, 4th March. 


continue from Cocks Moor Leisure 

Centre, Alcester Road South, 

Birmingham B14 6ER. 


continue from Birmingham Shirley test 

centre on 7th March. 

Boston driving test centre 

The Boston driving test centre will be 

temporarily closed for refurbishment from 

Monday, 17th January until Friday, 11th 

February. 


continue from Boston Enterprise Centre 

Venture House, Endeavour Park, Boston, 

Lincolnshire, PE21 7TW. 


Boston test centre on 14th February. 

Dorchester driving test centre 

The Dorchester driving test centre will 


from Monday, 21st March until Friday, 

15th April. 


continue from Redlands Community 

Sports Hub, Cranefield Avenue, 

Weymouth DT3 5AW. 


Dorchester test centre on Tuesday, 19th 

April. 

Knaresborough driving test centre 

The Knaresborough driving test centre 

will be temporarily closed for 

refurbishment from Monday, 7th 

February until Friday, 4th March. 


continue from Walton LGV test centre, 

Wighill Lane, Walton LS23 7DU. 


Knaresborough test centre on 7th March. 

DVLA in push to move more customers online 

Letchworth driving test centre 

The Letchworth driving test centre will 


from Monday, 28th February until Friday, 

25th March. 


continue from Mercure Letchworth Hall 

Hotel, Letchworth Lane, Letchworth 

Garden City SG6 3NP. 


Letchworth test centre on 28th March. 

Sidcup driving test centre 

The Sidcup driving test centre will be 


Monday, 7th February until Friday, 4th 

March. 

All testing will continue from North 

Cray Neighbourhood Centre, 1 Davis 

Way, Sidcup, Foots Cray, Kent DA14 5JR. 

Sidcup test centre will reopen from 

7th March. 

Tilbury driving test centre 

The Tilbury driving test centre will be 


Monday, 7th February until Friday, 4th 

March. 

All practical car driving tests, ADI tests 

and standards checks will still go ahead 

as planned, but instead these will take 

place at the following address: 

Orsett Hall Hotel, Prince Charles 

Avenue, Orsett, Essex RM16 6HS 


Tilbury test centre on 7th March. 

Worcester driving test centre 

The Worcester driving test centre will 


from Monday, 7th February until Friday, 

4th March. During this period all testing 

will continue from The Masonic Hall, 

Rainbow Hill, Worcester WR3 8LX. 


Worcester test centre on 7th March. 

The DVLA has launched a new 

campaign to help move more customers 

online, highlighting the ease, speed and 

security of its online services. 

Millions of customers already use its 

online services every single month, with 

98 per cent of all taxed vehicles in the 

UK taxed via digital services. However, 

many customers continue to post their 

applications when they could be using 

digital services, so DVLA wants to 

encourage those customers to go online 

rather than use the post to ensure it 

operates as efficiently as possible. 

In particular the campaign will focus 

on those renewing their licences at 70, 

those renewing photocard licences and 

those who have bought/sold a vehicle. 

DVLA says using its online services 

instead of applying by paper is quicker, 

more environmentally friendly, secure 

and will save money – indeed, it 

estimates savings could be in excess of 

a million pounds. 

14 



Get your pupils ‘cycle savvy’ 

Are your learner drivers ‘cycle savvy’? 

Whatever mode of transport we 

choose, we all share the road with 

others, including vulnerable road users, 

so the Department for Transport wants 

ADIs to build cycle awareness skills into 

learners as part of their lessons. 

A new ‘Cycle Savvy Driving’ course 

has been launched by the DfT to help 

you and your pupils develop 

understanding and co-operation 

between drivers and cyclists. 

It’s free, takes just two hours and you 

can access it either online or opt for a 

practical training session. 

£100 Amazon vouchers can be won 

by participants. 

Read more about Cycle Savvy Driving 

and register today at 

https://www.cyclesavvydriving.co.uk 

Congestion not caused by cycle lanes 

Cyclists have criticised claims that bike 

lanes are responsible for increased levels 

of congestion in London. 

The average driver in London spent 

148 hours in traffic jams in 2021 

– twice the national average – and 

anti-cycle lane groups claimed that this 

had been caused by an increase in cycle 

lanes. However, cyclists pointed out that 

congestion during 2021 was the same 

as in 2019, before the pandemic. 

They said: “Cycle lanes do – obviously 

– reduce the amount of space available 

for cars but evidence from other cities 

highlights that offering alternative ways 

to move around cities cuts traffic levels 

eventually. The goal of cycle lanes is to 

reduce the share of trips by car. This is 

what has happened in London after a 

major investment in public transport, 

which rose from 27 per cent of all 

journeys in 2000 to 36 per cent in 

2019, while private transport use fell 

from 48 per cent to 37 per cent. 

Investing in cycle lanes is crucial if we 

are reduce our reliance on private cars.” 

Coventry scrappage 

scheme takes diesels 

off the city’s roads 

A revolutionary scrappage scheme in 

Coventry has recruited 71 

participants who, in exchange for 

mobility credits worth £3,000, have 

agreed to let their old polluting cars 

be crushed. More than half of 

participants are scrapping diesel cars. 

The money can only be spent on 

alternative travel arrangements such 

as public transport, taxis, hire cars or 

car club services. 

The trial is part of the West 

Midlands Future Transport Zone, a 

£22m programme that aims to 

investigate how new technologies can 

be used to support people moving 

around the region in a more 

sustainable way – reducing 

congestion, improving air quality and 

tackling climate change. 

Government officials are said to be 

monitoring the success of the 

Coventry scheme closely with a view 

to rolling-out a similar programme 

nationwide. 


15

News 

Holding Sir Humphrey to account through 

the maze that is an FOI request 

Regular readers of Newslink may recall 

that, during a review of the DVSA Annual 

Report for 2020-21 in our August issue, 

a short reference to an out-of-theordinary 

payment by the agency to a 

third party caught our eye. 

Lurking on page 40 of the report it 

read: ‘During the year one special 

payment over £300,000 (2019-20: nil) 

was made. The payment of £1,892,500 

was for an agreed out of court 

settlement of legal costs following a 

failed prosecution led by DVSA. 

‘A provision was made for this in the 

2019-20 accounts but not reported 

within losses and special payments as it 

was uncertain how much would be 

payable at that time.’ 

Now this is a serious amount of 

money, which the DVSA appeared to 

have paid out without any real concern. 

Just how many driving examiners could 

you add to the books on a two-year 

contract for that amount of cash (about 

30 – or just under 100,000 extra L-tests, 

just in case you were wondering). 

We wanted to know more, so we put 

in a Freedom of Information request (an 

FOI) to ascertain why the money had 

been paid out, and to whom. 

The official reply to our FOI wasn’t too 

enlightening. It read: ‘This payment 

relates to a settlement for a failed 

prosecution involving multiple 

government departments. The payment 

was across a number of defendants, 

relating to a single case. 

‘The case was brought, by DVSA, 

because we had evidence of criminal 

wrongdoing and it passed the Public 

Interest Test. 

‘We settled out of court as we were able 

to negotiate a lower settlement than 

going to court to pay the costs of the 

five defendants.’ 

Classic Sir Humphrey. A complete 

answer... just not necessarily to the 

question posed. You see, the original 

question in full was clear: “What charges 

were brought, and against whom? [no 

reply] Which other government 

departments were involved in bringing 

the case? [no reply] How much was the 

total bill for the defendants’ legal 

charges? [no reply] If the total bill was 

£1,892,500, why did the DVSA pick up 

the full amount?” [no reply] 

Anyone reading the official response 

would realise that the question has not 

been answered in full at all. Indeed, 

there is more than hint of smoke and 

mirrors going on. 

Not to be undaunted, we decided to 

launch an appeal against the FOI reply, 

as it clearly hadn’t provided the 

information we requested. 

In our appeal we said: ‘I do not believe 

your response answers my question. I 

clearly asked for details of the case. 

Please supply details of the full list of 

charges brought, against whom, and 

explain why DVSA picked up the full 

‘‘ 

Good news... ‘I can confirm 

that the DVSA holds the other 

information that you have 

requested...’ Hurray, the truth 

will out... we will find out why 

DVSA spent nearly two million 

of your quids... 

‘‘ 

legal bill after the case was dismissed.’ 

Our appeal took a while but finally it 

landed at the end of November, shortly 

after we published the December issue. 

Again, eliciting the facts was rather akin 

to the old ‘blood out of a stone’ maxim. 

The FOI appeal reply read: ‘The 

government department involved in 

bringing the case is the Driving and 

Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA). 

Prior to this both the Vehicle 

Certification Agency (VCA) and the 

DVSA investigated evidence around 

alleged criminal misconduct.’ 

Ah, the VCA. That’s one question 

answered. Makes you wonder why they 

couldn’t say that the first time, but there 

we are. But it’s curious: the VCA handles 

UK type approval for auto products and 

is responsible for certification under UK 

type approval schemes. It also covers 

dangerous goods, Conformity of 

Production (CoP) (evidencing the ability 

to produce a series of products that 

exactly match the specification, 

performance and marking requirements 

outlined in the type approval 

documentation) and vehicle imports, as 

well as Fuel Consumption and CO 2 

... 

No reason for the bold type, there. 

Nothing to see, move along... 

So the chase is on and the pace 

quickens. What else can be gleaned? 

Good news; back to the appeal reply: “I 

can confirm that the DVSA holds the 

other information that you have 

requested...” 

Hurray, the truth will out. We will now 

find out why the DVSA spent nearly two 

million of your quids pursuing a pointless 

court case against people whose 

activities brought them into conflict with 

the VCA... but hang on... 

“This information is exempt from 

disclosure section 32 of the FOIA 

because it is held only by virtue of being 

contained in a court record. 

‘Under section 32(1)(a) information is 

exempt from disclosure if it is held in 

the custody of the court for the purpose 

of proceedings in a particular cause or 

matter. 

‘The information requested was 

originally obtained for the purposes of 

proceedings meaning it is held ‘only by 

virtue’ of being contained in a 

document. An authority may still claim 

16 



section 32 after the relevant court 

proceedings have concluded. 

‘Section 32 serves to preserve the 

courts control over court records. There 

are separate and specific information 

access regimes for disclosing court and 

tribunal records, the section 32 

exemption ensure that those regimes 

are not superseded by the FOIA. 

‘Even if a document may have been 

made public it ceases to be a public 

record after the hearing and then 

becomes protected by section 32. 

Section 32 can apply even if that same 

information is later used for another 

purpose (eg DVSA internal correspondence). 

‘Section 32 is an absolute exemption 

and there is no duty to consider the 

public interest test. Further information 

on section 32 of the FoIA can be 

accessed via the following link: 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ 

ukpga/2000/36/section/32 

So basically, a court case has been 

heard and the details of it are now buried 

under a Section 32 exemption which 

denies the public from knowing what’s 

been going on. It means that we have 

reached a dead-end – ish. There is a way 

round this particular wall but it is 

complex, time consuming and likely to 

result in more than one headache as we 

crash into another obstacle built by civil 

service bureaucracy and obstinence. 

It has to be said that this is scandalous 

and flies in the face of the basic principal 

of the FOI, which is that the public 

deserves to know what governments 

spend their money on. When it is spent 

incorrectly, we deserve to know why. It 

could well be that the case brought by 

DVSA and VCA looked, on paper, to have 

considerable merit; that it deserved its 

day in court. That it failed is one of those 

things... However, it would be nice to 

know why it failed, what the case 

covered and who was responsible. 

Reading between the lines it’s easy to 

assume that it has nothing to do with the 

ADI world; if you like, it’s not the ‘DSA’ 

part of the DVSA. The linkage with VCA 

seems to rule this out. 

That would lead to it possibly being 

linked to something involving vehicle 

imports, parts type approval, illegal parts 

or vehicle emissions. I’ll leave it up to 

you, dear reader, to fill in your own 

blanks. 

As for us, we have one or two more 

routes to follow through the maze that is 

the civil service archives, and we’ll have 

a wander down those on your behalf. 

Whether we’ll find the answers we’re 

looking for is another matter. We’ll make 

sure to let you know, though. 


17

BOOK NOW – at our special Early Bird rates! 

MSA GB Annual 

Conference 2022 

WE’RE BACK with an in-person Conference for 2022 

Join us at our Annual 

Conference 2022 at the 

DoubleTree by Hilton 

Hotel, Coventry 

Weekend of 

Friday & Saturday, 

18th & 19th March 

• DVSA officials 


• Networking events 

• Road safety speakers 

• Business advice 


We are delighted to announce that our Annual Conference 

is returning for 2022 after two years in abeyance. 

In March 2020 we were all set to convene for our annual 

event at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Coventry when the 

Covid-19 pandemic started to get its grip on the UK, and we 

were sadly forced to cancel. 

Earlier this year, in light of continuing restrictions, we ran 

the Annual Conference and AGM as a digital event, where 

we saw many members join us online to hear presentations 

from, among others, Loveday Ryder, Chief Executive of the 

DVSA. 

However, we are delighted to announce that we are 

returning to an in-person event for 2022 on March 18th & 

19th at the Double Tree by Hilton in Coventry. 

As with our previous conferences, the event will include: 

• Keynote presentations from industry experts, 

including officials from the DVSA 

• Time for Q&A with leaders of our profession 

• Presentations from road safety and business 

professionals on topic of interest to ADIs 

• Industry update and CPD sessions 


• Networking opportunities with your fellow ADIs. 


PLUS: TWO SOCIAL EVENTS 

FRIDAY EVENING BUFFET – chance to relax and mix with 

friends before the Conference begins on the Saturday. 

SATURDAY EVENING DINNER AND QUIZ NIGHT – for 

some light entertainment before you head home on the 

Sunday. 

Prices kept low - make a date to join us this year! 

Book your place now at www.msagb.com or / 01625 664501 


LOCATED IN THE HEART OF ENGLAND, just off 

the M6, is where you’ll find our venue, the 

DoubleTree by Hilton Coventry Hotel. 

Newly refurbished and welcoming, it’s just 10 

minutes from Coventry city centre, just off the M6, 

and has modern guestrooms with a 49-inch LCD 

TVs, work desk and upgraded complimentary WiFi 

should you wish to make a weekend of it. There’s plenty of on-site parking, a 

Starbucks and a Living Well-pool, sauna, steam room and gym on site. 

Why not make a weekend of it with your partner? Special MSA GB room rates 

available (see below and panel right) 

Ticket packages 

Day Delegate Early Bird Price 

Accommodation prices 

Please book your accommodation 

direct with the hotel by calling 

02476 603000 and quote the 

MSA GB’s discount code, AMOTB 

to secure our special rate for the 

weekend. 

Single occupancy B&B, per night 

£82 

£50 (£55 After 31 Jan) 

www.msagb.com 

Double occupancy B&B, per night 

Day ticket to conference including morning coffee, lunch, 

afternoon tea and all paperwork 

Delegate Weekend Early Bird Price 

£110 (£115 After 31 Jan) 

Weekend package to include Friday night buffet, Day ticket to 

conference including morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and 

Saturday evening food & entertainment 

Once you 

have chosen the 

package that suits 

you, book on 

01625 664501 or 

Non-Delegate Weekend Early Bird Price 

£85 (£90 After 31 Jan) 

Non-Delegate Weekend package to include Friday night buffet and 

Saturday evening food & entertainment 

£92 

Friday Night Buffet Social 

£30 price remains same after 31 Jan 

Saturday Night Dinner & Quiz 

£30 price remains same after 31 Jan 

Bringing a non-delegate guest? Our host 

hotel has superb leisure facilities for them 

to use, and Coventry is a fascinating city 

with some great attractions, including the 

world-famous cathedral and peace 

museum 

NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2022 19

News 

Last reminder: January 31 

deadline is approaching 

The HMRC self-assessment ritual is on 

us again, and self-employed ADI are 

reminded that they have to get their tax 

affairs sorted by January 31. 

It’s a familiar task we’ve all done many 

times before, but it’s more challenging 

this year because of the various income 

support schemes and bounceback loans 

ADIs may have received during pandemic 

lockdowns and other disruptions, from 

April 2020-March 2021. 

Most ADIs will have received help from 

the Self-Employed Income Support 

Scheme (SEISS). This grant is classed as 

income and is therefore taxable. It must 

be declared on your self-assessment. All 

SEISS grants you received on or before 5‌‌ 

‌April 2021 need to be included in this 

Self Assessment tax return. For most 

people, this will be the first, second and 

third SEISS grants. 

Grants you received on or after 6‌‌ ‌April 

2021 will be included in the 2021-22 

Self Assessment tax return, to be 

submitted by 31‌‌ ‌January 2023. For 

most people, this will be the fourth and 

fifth SEISS grants only. 

It will also be more difficult adjusting 

expense claims to match activity during 

this period, though remember that if you 

run your driving school from your home 

Illustration by Amy Beswick 

you can claim a percentage of household 

expenses to off-set against tax. 

Self-assessment can often be a 

challenging time for instructors and 

particularly at the moment as many of 

you are so busy teaching, and settling 

down to some admin might not sound 

too appealing. That’s why we’d 

recommend using an expert in tax affairs, 

such as FBTC or Capital Accounting (see 

advertisement). 

For advice from the GOV.UK 

website, click here. 

Confusion over SEISS is taxing the self-employed 

COVID-19 support schemes 

You must declare if you received any 

grants or payments from COVID-19 

support schemes up to ‌‌April 5 2021, as 

these are taxable. This includes: 

• Self-Employment Income Support 

Scheme (SEISS) 

• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme 

(CJRS) 

• other COVID-19 grants and support 

payments such as self-isolation 

payments and local authority grants. 

Go to GOV‌‌.UK and search ‘reporting 

coronavirus grants’ to find out which 

COVID-19 grant or support payments to 

include if you’re self-employed, in a 

partnership or a business. 

To find out which SEISS grants you 

claimed, how much you received, and 

when, search ‘return to your claim’ on 

GOV‌‌.UK and press the green ‘Start now’ 

button. You will be able to see details of 

all your SEISS grants. 

Remember too that other coronavirus 

support payments are taxable, as are 

most payments from local authorities 

and Scottish and Welsh Governments. 

Don’t believe the rumours: HMRC is ready to help 

While the taxman doesn’t have the 

best reputation when it comes to being 

sympathetic towards people who don’t 

follow its rules, in reality HMRC 

officials are ready to help wherever 

possible. 

A spokesperson for the HMRC said: 

“We know that the past two years 

have been incredibly challenging for 

many ADIs. Income levels and tax 

rules have changed dramatically and 

this could cause a lot of confusion 

when it comes to filling in selfassessment 

returns this time. 

“In addition, we know people’s 

incomes have been hit hard, which 

has placed pressure on finances. 

“If you are struggling to pay your tax 

bill, speak to us in the first instance. 

We may be able to help by arranging 

an affordable payment plan. If you 

owe less than £30,000, you may be 

able to do this online without speaking 

to us.” 

For advice from the GOV.UK 

website, click here. 

20 



Owning a car is ‘outdated 

thinking’, says minister 

A junior transport minister has suggested 

the British public should prepare for a 

future where owning their own car will be 

a thing of the past. 

Junior transport minister Trudy Harrison 

told a sustainability conference in 

December that private ownership of cars 

was outdated ‘20th-century thinking’ and 

the country should move to ‘shared 

mobility schemes’ to cut carbon emissions. 

Ms Harrison, who is also a former 

parliamentary private secretary to Boris 

Johnson, said the UK was “reaching a 

tipping point where shared mobility in the 

form of car clubs, scooters and bike shares 

will soon be a realistic option for many of 

us to get around.” 

The conference, which was hosted by 

shared transport charity CoMoUK, heard 

the minister also say the UK needed to 

embrace a transport model based on 

“greater flexibility, with personal choice 

and low carbon shared transport.” 

A car sharing 

scheme based at 

Heathrow Airport 

She admitted that this switch in opinion 

would take time, but added that: “Many 

things seem far fetched until they aren’t 

and I believe the same is true for shared 

mobility.” 

Cars are responsible for approximately 

13 per cent of Britain’s greenhouse gas 

emissions and current government policy is 

based around scrapping sales of new petrol 

and diesel cars within eight years while 

promoting electric car use and ‘greener’ 

transport such as walking, cycling and the 

use of E-scooters. 

Portsmouth trial for 

Luminous road signs 

Portsmouth City Council is trialling 

luminous road markings designed to 

enhance visibility for pedestrians and 

cyclists crossing the road. The 

Flowell crosswalks and cycle 

crossings tech has been installed by 

civil engineering and transport 

infrastructure specialists, Colas. 

The new crossing lights up when 

triggered by sensors, in an effort to 

enhance visibility for users. Colas say 

it also ensures better compliance 

with traffic regulations and 

encourages drivers to behave more 

calmly at busy intersections. 

Flowell can also be adapted to give 

priority to certain vehicles during 

specific time times of day or allocate 

space for a dedicated use such as 

temporary outdoor dining spaces. 

The site in Portsmouth will be 

monitored to determine its impact on 

behaviour, to see if its use could 

improve road infrastructure in the 

rest of the UK. 


21

Towards Your CPD / News 

Theory X and Theory Y 

Instructional Styles 

Phil Burman 

In this article I quote 

from the work of 

Douglas Murray 

McGregor, who 

formulated the Theory X 

and Theory Y 

Instructional Styles 

hypothesis. He analysed two areas of 

behaviour in respect of: 

• The instructor’s style of tuition. 

• The way instructors treat pupils. 

Based on hundreds of hours of 

studying instructors in different fields, 

McGregor concluded that instructors tend 

to make one of two assumptions. In my 

view, his conclusions reflect the way 

many ADIs treat their pupils. 

According to McGregor, Theory X 

Instructors believe most pupils lack 

ability, are unintelligent, somewhat lazy, 

and avoid putting effort into learning 

whenever possible. 

He found Theory Y Instructors believe 

it is normal for pupils to work hard at 

their lessons. 

Each assumption leads the instructor 

to approach the task differently. 

Theory X instructors fall into two 

distinct camps. They either adopt a strict 

approach or a much too soft style of 

tuition. The strict approach results in: 

n Instructor-centred teaching. 

n The instructor controlling the lesson 

at all times. 

n Coercing the pupil with threats, for 

example: ‘If you do that, you’ll fail your 

test!’ 

n A poor instructor-pupil relationship. 

n Pupils becoming resistant to 

instruction. 

n Pupils applying the minimum 

amount of effort. 

If the Theory X instructor utilises a soft 

style, his opinion remains the same, but 

he thinks pupils need continuous praise 

to learn. The praise might be insincere, 

but he says it anyway. This instructor is 

likely to be over tolerant of mistakes. But 

it doesn’t matter which approach the 

Theory X instructor takes because: either 

way, their tuition is inadequate 

The Theory Y instructor thinks the 

effort put into learning is natural, and he 

expects it. He uses a variety of tuition 

styles and is prepared to use whichever 

of the following methods bring the best 

results: 

n Consultation and participation. 

n Coaching. 

n Client-centred learning. 

n Instructor-centred teaching. 

n A hard-line approach. 

n A softly-softly approach. 

Theory Y instructor characteristics 

include: 

n Excellent listening skills. 

n A good understanding of body 

language. 

n Applying effort to fulfil a pupil’s 

potential, pushing them when necessary. 

n Believing there is no ‘one best way’ 

that must be adhered to. The 

instructional method depends on the 

pupil and circumstances. 

n A supportive approach to learning. 

Theory Y instructors use different 

techniques and teaching aids and show 

commitment and skill. It seems there is a 

world of difference between the two 

instructor types. 

Yet McGregor states a common factor 

links Theory X and Theory Y instructors. 

He says both approaches have one 

overall effect, which he calls the selffulfilling 

prophecy. 

This common link means pupils 

invariably respond according to how they 

are treated. Think back to your school 

days. The subjects you liked and were 

good at – can you recall those teachers? 

If so, I’m sure they provided 

encouragement and treated you well. 

What about the others who couldn’t 

teach for toffee and blamed you for your 

lack of understanding? And those who 

handed out insults left, right and centre 

when they failed to get their points 

across. Need I say more? 

If we give the impression we think 

pupils are stupid, won’t work hard, have 

a couldn’t-care-less attitude and lack the 

expected level of skill, that’s the way 

they will respond. 

If we treat pupils with respect, show 

we think they are responsible, able and 

committed to working hard to achieve 

the required standard, that’s also the 

way they’ll behave. 

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22 



UK roads getting 

worse, says RAC 

Some 38 per cent of drivers surveyed for 

the RAC’s annual Report on Motoring 

said the condition and maintenance of 

local roads was a concern, up from 33 

per cent in 2019. This puts it ahead of 

other issues such as drivers using 

handheld phones (32 per cent), the poor 

standard of other motorists’ driving (27 

per cent) and the aggressive behaviour of 

other drivers (26 per cent). 

52 per cent of drivers believe the 

condition of local roads have deteriorated 

over the past 12 months – compared to 

just 6 per cent who believe they have 

improved. The RAC says the findings 

correlate with its own data, which shows 

there were 1,871 call outs during the 

third quarter of 2020 for damaged shock 

absorbers, broken suspension springs or 

distorted wheels – breakdowns that are 

‘most likely to have been caused by poor 

road surfaces’. 

This is the highest third-quarter 

percentage of all RAC breakdowns seen 

since 2015. 

Take the 20m test, says DVLA 

DVLA has launched a new campaign to 

encourage all drivers to have their 

eyesight checked. 

The campaign stresses the difficulties 

driving in winter can cause which are 

exacerbated by poor vision, such as bad 

weather, ice on windscreens, low winter 

sun and more likelihood of driving in 

poor light or darkness. 

The campaign calls on all drivers to 

ensure they have their eyesight tested 

every two years as a minimum. If you 

don’t meet the minimum eyesight 

standard, you must stop driving and tell 

the DVLA. 

Before then, why not ask your family 

and friends to take the 20-metre number 

plate test? That’s the distance at which 

you need to be able to read a car number 

plate. But how far away is 20 metres? It 

is around the length of five parked cars, 

or the length of 2 double decker buses. 

Worryingly, a survey by DVLA found 

that fewer than 50 per cent of motorists 

are aware that they must read a number 

plate from 20 metres. 

Going like the wind 

An Irish driver was caught 

speeding at 201km/h (124mph) 

on the M9 near Kilkenny in 

the middle of torrential rain 

and high-speed winds as a 

result of December’s Storm 

Barra. The irony... he was 

stopped just as local police 

were urging all drivers to 

“exercise extreme caution” as a 

result of the appalling weather 

conditions... 


23

News / Comment 

Customers love their electrics! 

New survey finds motorists 

who have switched to electric 

cars are overwhelmingly 

happy with their choice 

and will never go back to 

petrol and diesel 

Zap-Map, one of the UK’s most popular 

electric vehicle (EV) charging apps, has 

released the results of a new survey of 

EV drivers across the country – and they 

show strong evidence of a continuing 

shift in consumer attitudes towards 

electric vehicles. 

Not only do they show that those who 

plump for electric in the New Year won’t 

regret it, but they also suggest that EV 

drivers are increasingly confident about 

driving long distances. 

Indeed, the Zap-Map poll has revealed 

that more than 90 per cent of drivers are 

extremely happy with their EV and 

would not want to replace it with a petrol 

or diesel car. 

The data highlights the positive impact 

of EVs on drivers who have benefited 

from a great driving experience, low 

running costs and low emissions. 

Fewer than one per cent wanted a 

return to a petrol or diesel vehicle. 

Tellingly, the results are remarkably 

similar to those of last year’s Zap-Map 

survey, indicating that this year’s influx of 

new EV drivers are as pleased with their 

decision to make the switch to electric as 

their 2020 counterparts. Many of the 

respondents to the survey were first-time 

EV drivers. More than 48 per cent of 

respondents said that their current 

vehicle was their first EV, with 28 per 

cent making the purchase in 2020. 

In parallel, driver satisfaction was 

notably higher for both battery-electric 

and plug-in hybrid vehicles, with EV 

drivers reporting a satisfaction score of 

91 out of 100 (battery-electric 92, 

plug-in hybrid 84), compared with only 

74 for petrol or diesel vehicle ownership. 

This year, for the first time, drivers 

were also asked about the furthest 

distance they have travelled in an EV in a 

single journey. 

The majority of the respondents (53 

per cent) said they have driven more 

than 200 miles in their EV in a single 

trip. The figure shows that drivers are 

habitually using their EVs on longer trips, 

and should put to bed concerns over the 

range of EVs, at least for the average 

driver, given that the average car journey 

in the UK was just 8.4 miles in 2019. 

Furthermore, almost a quarter of 

respondents (24 per cent) said they have 

driven more than 300 miles in one trip 

– with over seven per cent doing the long 

haul and driving more than 500 miles in 

a single journey. For around 31 per cent, 

between 101 and 200 miles was their 

longest trip in an EV, while for 15 per 

cent it was fewer than 100 miles. 

The results of Zap-Map’s poll come at 

a time of record-breaking sales for the EV 

industry. The latest figures show that 

sales of battery-electric vehicles 

accounted for almost 19 per cent of all 

new car sales in November, a growth of 

110 per cent compared with November 

2020 when the figure was 9 per cent. 

The poll – which was carried out in 

November 2021 and gained more than 

3,000 responses from Zap-Map’s 

engaged community of EV drivers – is 

part of the company’s annual EV 

charging survey, the most established 

and comprehensive survey of EV drivers 

in the UK. 

‘‘ 

Driver satisfaction was high - at 

91 per cent for battery electric 

and plug-in hybrid models, 

compared with 74 per cent for 

those still running petrol or 

diesel vehicles... 

‘‘ 

The survey provides strong evidence of 

a high level of satisfaction for EVs, with 

those making the switch to electric 

clearly not regretting their decision. The 

only question remaining is whether you’ll 

be one of those EV drivers next year. 

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: 

“These survey results show that drivers 

are becoming increasingly confident in 

making the switch to electric vehicles 

and I hope this data encourages others 

to consider going electric as we work 

towards the UK’s net-zero targets. 

“We’ve committed £2.5bn to 

accelerate the rollout of zero emission 

vehicles and charging infrastructure 

across the country, ensuring the 

transition is as simple as possible for 

motorists, as we take steps towards a 

greener transport future.” 

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder & 

COO at Zap-Map, said: “As we move 

from the early adopters into mass EV 

adoption, the evidence in favour of 

electric vehicles grows more compelling 

every year. This poll certainly give 

prospective EV buyers something to think 

about in 2022. For the second year 

running we’ve seen that those who make 

the switch to electric simply don’t look 

back. It’s also clear from the distances 

EV drivers have travelled that concerns 

over range and other historical challenges 

of owning and running an EV are 

increasingly a thing of the past. 

“As the EV market continues to grow, 

alongside the charging infrastructure that 

supports it, Zap-Map’s focus is on 

making the EV charging experience 

simple, by providing the ability to search, 

plan and pay all in one app.” 

24 



Two signs of the times 

Rod Came 

MSA GB South East 

I have always used a roof box on my 

tuition car. It’s a standard size across the 

roof, a non-aerodynamic white plastic 

one with an L-plate on it of the prescribed 

size. It also has our company name and 

a landline telephone number on it. 

I know that it costs a little by way of 

the car using extra fuel – in fact I was 

surprised when I had use of a Nissan 

Micra quite how much drag there was 

from the box, and taking it off was like 

properly releasing the handbrake – but I 

have always thought that it was worth 

having one for the advertising benefit as 

well as from the road safety point of view. 

Currently it’s common knowledge that 

there are not enough ADIs to satisfy the 

demand for driving lessons. All those I 

have spoken to have plenty of work, 

many with a waiting list, but is this 

supported by evidence? 

I have no doubt that those ADIs have 

genuinely reflected their personal situations, 

but to see what demand there is for 

lessons I have conducted a little test. 

Do top boxes 

attract custom? 

For 15 months I have been teaching 

my granddaughters to drive, driving 

around in a Toyota Yaris with my box 

either on the roof or the rear parcel shelf, 

with the company name and telephone 

number prominently displayed. The 

phone has been manned 24/7 in 

anticipation of a flood of calls from 

frustrated learner drivers who are unable 

to have lessons because local ADIs are 

fully booked. Has anybody called? Is my 

diary filled? Have I a waiting list? 

No, not one single call. 

Does this mean that roof boxes are of 

no use? Probably not; they still have the 

additional benefit of showing other 

drivers that it is a tuition car ahead of 

them and it does keep the name of the 

ADI in the public domain, but whether 

the box in itself attracts new business is 

open to question. 

Signs 

There you are, driving down the road, 

with or without a pupil. The digital 

speedometer read-out is spot on 30, 

which is the limit for the road, the 

read-out on your portable satnav reads 

27mph and all is right in your world. 

But the local council is just about to 

shatter the illusion that you are a 

responsible, law abiding, professional 

driving instructor. It is about to announce 

to the world, well to the other people in 

the vicinity, that you are a criminal, not 

just any old criminal but a law breaker 

unworthy of your professional status. 

They will do this by illuminating a 

Should these 

signs be correctly 

calibrated to only 

show Slow Down 

when a vehicle 

does exceed the 

speed limit? 

large red, black and white electronic sign 

showing 30 Slow Down. It has clocked 

your speed and decided you are in need 

of a very visible reprimand from the 

camera in the form of a reminder of what 

the speed limit is. The highway authority 

has acted as judge and jury without even 

reviewing the evidence, you have had no 

opportunity to put forward your defence 

let alone plead mitigating circumstances. 

You have been convicted in the eyes of 

the general public. Justice has not been 

served. You must be speeding as the sign 

has said so 

Not only is this set of circumstances 

embarrassing, but there is the possibility 

that it could affect your business, your 

livelihood, your income, with no recourse 

to your accuser. 

My question is – should all such signs 

be correctly calibrated to only show Slow 

Down when a vehicle actually does 

exceed the posted speed limit? 

The 30 could show as a reminder with 

the admonishment to slow shown only to 

transgressors. 

Could you sue the council for a 

perceived loss? 

Mobile phone rules tightened ‘to keep up with tech’ 

2022 will see the rules on mobile phone 

use while driving finally tightened up to 

penalise persistent offenders. 

Previously it was a criminal offence to 

use a hand-held mobile phone to call or 

text while driving – but a legal loophole 

has ensured drivers escaped punishment 

for other actions such as taking photos 

or scrolling through song playlists. This 

is because such actions aren’t seen as 

‘interactive communication’, and did not 

fit the original definition of the offence. 

However, the Government confirmed 

the law will be ‘brought into the 21st 

century’ – banning drivers from using 

their phones to take photos or videos, 

scroll through playlists or play games. 

The new laws will come into effect in 

2022. Anyone caught using their 

hand-held device while driving will face 

a £200 fixed penalty notice and six 

points on their licence. 

The only exceptions will be for drivers 

making a contactless payment with their 

mobile phone while stationary in areas 

such as a drive-through restaurant or on 

a road toll. 

Drivers will still also be able to 

continue using a device ‘hands-free’ 

while driving, such as a sat-nav, if it’s 

secured in a cradle. 

Grant Shapps, transport secretary, 

said: “We still have too many deaths 

and injuries resulting while drivers use 

mobile phones. By making it easier to 

prosecute people illegally using their 

phone at the wheel, we are ensuring the 

law is brought into the 21st century 

while further protecting all road users. 

“While our roads remain among the 

safest in the world, we will continue 

working tirelessly to make them safer.” 

A public consultation found that 81 

per cent of respondents supported 

proposals to strengthen the law. 

The new law will also be more precise 

about the fact that being stationary in 

traffic counts as driving, making it clear 

that hand-held mobile phone use at 

traffic lights or in motorway jams is illegal 

except in very limited circumstances. 


25

Comment 

Flicking the switch to electric may be a 

move that puts some off driving for life 

Rod Came 

MSA GB South East 

I am writing this just before Christmas, 

and as I have not been blessed with the 

foresight that the DVSA imagines all 

ADIs have when deciding when their 

clients should apply for a practical L-test, 

I have absolutely no idea what the driver 

training industry will be struggling 

against by the time you read this at the 

start of January. 

As a forlorn hope I will wish you all a 

prosperous New Year. Don’t despair, it 

may yet turn out to be so; if it is it will be 

a triumph of hope over expectation. 

Now that it is the new year and any 

resolutions made have been dispatched 

to the rubbish bin it is time to plan 

ahead. For example you could initiate an 

advertising campaign to attract more 

clients. Oh, I forgot, all ADIs are up to 

their neck in work – but perhaps now is 

the time to spend a bit of money on 

promotion, rather than leave it until 

business starts to falter. 

You might start looking ahead to try 

and guess when you will be having to 

invest in an electric tuition vehicle, or 

you could just ignore that approaching 

tsunami and bury your head in the sand. 

At some point in the near future the 

demand for manual tuition will reduce as 

that for electric automatic increases. For 

each ADI the crossover point will be 

different, but almost certainly such a 

change for your clients cannot be 

introduced overnight. 

I speak from experience in that having 

provided manual tuition for many years I 

noticed that there was an increasing 

number of enquiries for automatic 

tuition. There had been an ADI in town 

with an automatic car but he was no 

longer teaching, so I thought I would give 

it a go. I bought an older auto and 

gradually increased the number of clients 

learning in it and eventually phased out 

the manual tuition. 

That worked out OK because my 

investment in the auto was not great. 

The problem is the opposite is now true, 

in that electric cars are very expensive 

and used ones are generally not suitable 

as they have a limited range because of 

reducing battery life. 

The usual change to a new car is 

seamless, be it the end of the lease or 

part-exchanging the old car for a new 

one, but it won’t work like that when 

electric become more popular. It will be 

necessary to have two tuition cars, a 

manual to finish off the training of the 

current clients and a very expensive 

electric car to take on the new ones. 

Some ADIs will continue teaching in a 

manual car as there will still be a 

diminishing demand; manual tuition will 

always be required by some but almost 

certainly it will eventually become a 

niche market, with the majority turning 

to electric automatic tuition. 

There will always be a demand for 

driver training (self-driving cars are a long 

way off) but there will be a lesser 

demand for several reasons. The main 

one is that the price of lessons in an 

electric car will have to be much higher 

than at present because of the cost of 

the vehicle. In addition, the higher cost 

of an electric car will dissuade some 

from ever learning to drive as they will 

think they’ll never be able to afford a car 

themselves due to the same high initial 

cost. 

Those two factors alone will reduce the 

client base before you take into 

consideration such things as pay-permile 

charges, congestion charges, 

parking charges, public electricity 

charges for those with no off-street 

parking, a ban on any form of fossil fuel 

car/van entering city/town centres ... the 

list goes on. 

If you are getting a new car this year 

and intend to keep it for three years, now 

is the time to start planning ahead. 

The Vauxhall Mokka-e: The petrol 

and diesel versions are popular 

with ADIs looking for a practical 

car for family life away from 

driving lessons, but will the 

£31,000+ price tag for the 

electric model – some £10k 

higher than the base petrol model 

– make it a non-starter? 

26 



Several car manufacturers have 

announced that from 2025 they 

intend to stop building petrol/diesel 

cars. If that happens there will be a 

reduced pool of vehicles suitable for 

tuition to choose from. ADIs will be 

left with little choice but to start 

going electric well before 2030, the 

proposed cut-off date at the moment. 

Enterprising ADIs will weather the 

storm, in fact they will probably 

prosper as the switch to electric 

could provide new opportunities to 

create income streams. 

Not everybody who buys an 

automatic (which they all are) electric 

car will just jump in it and drive away 

if they haven’t driven one before. 

I have mentioned in the past that 

the latest of the three VW Tourans 

which we have run seems to require 

the driver to have a degree in 

electronics, while the car we have 

had on order for several months from 

a different manufacturer gave the 

impression on a test drive that a 

degree in cybertronics would be a 

minimum qualification. 

Of course, the salesman said that 

being electric all the various 

functions are very straightforward... 

well, we’ll discover whether this is 

true, or not, if one day it is delivered. 

I drive different types of vehicle 

over the course of a year and this 

gives me an advantage when new 

trends come on stream, but for lots 

of people, especially those of a 

certain age who only drive their own 

car with which they are familiar, 

those first few drives in a new car 

could be an unsettling experience. 

Perhaps they would rather share 

the experience with an ADI by their 

side? You could leave some business 

cards with your local franchised 

dealers. 

Just a thought. That’s free 

advertising and could get you one up 

on your competitors. 

A final thought... 

On New Year’s Eve, Marilyn stood 

up in the local pub and said that 

it was time to get ready. At the 

stroke of midnight, she wanted 

every husband to be standing next 

to the one person who made his 

life worth living. 

Well, it was kind of embarrassing. 

As the clock struck, the bartender 

was almost crushed to death. 

HPT offers way to cut van 

and truck crashes 

Janet Stewart 

MSA GB Greater London 

I attended the ADINJC’s National 

Conference and Expo in Coventry in October 

and had a number of interesting 

conversations – not least with Dr Victoria 

Kroll, chief executive officer of ESITU 

Solutions. 

Three comments made me think: First, 

one-in-three fatal collisions occur while 

driving for work. Second, vans, LGVs and 

HGVs have the highest rate of road user 

deaths per mile travelled. Finally, hazard 

awareness assessment and training has 

been shown to reduce risk. 

Many of us will remember the level of 

disgruntlement expressed by driving 

instructors when they were required to take 

the Hazard Perception Test when it was 

introduced in 2002. ADIs claimed that it 

was a computer game and/or that they 

failed it because they were too good at 

spotting hazards and clicked too soon. I 

saw it as an opportunity to see for myself 

what my learners would be facing (and I 

liked the game element). 

But here’s the point. ADIs had to take 

this test despite being fully qualified 

already. No such requirement was set for 

commercial drivers who had passed their 

test before 2002. 

Estimates suggest that the HPT saves the 

country about £90m per annum through 

collision reduction. It is a difficult figure to 

prove but I don’t think many would doubt 

that the test has been beneficial. 

Apparently, companies are more likely to 

use question-based assessment of their 

drivers’ risk awareness. I don’t teach fleet 

and I am sure a lot of readers know more 

about this than I do, but could companies 

be persuaded to do something rather better 

for their drivers and thus for themselves? 

ESITU is a spin-out from research carried 

out at Nottingham Trent University. They 

use HD video and computer-generated 

imagery to identify which drivers have a 

greater crash risk. The drivers see 15 

hazard clips and then 15 feedback training 

clips with the safety-relevant areas 

highlighted and a voice-over to explain 

where the driver should have been looking 

and why. There are additional benefits from 

the training as well as the safety ones; 

better forward planning and awareness also 

reduce harsh braking and acceleration, thus 

improving fuel consumption and reducing 

vehicle wear and tear. 

As ESITU says “The best way to assess 

and train driver safety is in-situ. When this 

is impractical, try Esitu instead”. 

On an entirely unrelated matter – I have 

not mentioned Christmas. 18 months ago 

my sister rented a house for the whole 

family to celebrate her husband’s 70th 

birthday and their 40th wedding 

anniversary. Because of Covid, this family 

break was delayed repeatedly until we 

finally got there in October. My sister 

decided that since we had, in the 

meantime, also missed Christmas we 

should include that in the mix. Therefore, 

two months before the official big day, we 

had turkey with all the trimmings and 

stuffing, Christmas pudding aflame with 

brandy, Christmas quizzes, holly and party 

hats. 

It was a great success but the 

consequence was that, once we got to 

December, I didn’t feel quite ready to do it 

all again. Anyway, to those who did 

celebrate properly, I hope you had a lovely 

time, and I also hope you have a good and 

optimistic start to the New Year. 

If you would like to comment on this 

article please contact Janet Stewart at 

janetstlittlecar@btinternet.com. 


27

Area focus 

Scotland chair steps down on a high note 

as the STS makes a welcome return 

Ever wondered how much work goes 

into organising an MSA GB event? Alex Buist, 

Vice Chair, MSA GB Scotland, outlines the 

planning for the recent Scotland Training 

Seminar, followed by a full report on the 

event itself 

The decision to hold a Scottish Training 

Seminar (STS) in 2021 was taken at a 

Zoom meeting earlier that year, with the 

provision that we would plan for a 

face-to-face conference but could revert 

to Zoom if we were not allowed. 

Peter Harvey MBE was tasked to find 

us a suitable location and to invite 

members of the DVSA along, with 

Loveday Ryder and John Sheridan our 

first choices. 

I was tasked to see if we could get a 

police speaker to talk about electric 

vehicles, with other suggestions for 

speakers made. 

After price rises ruled out our usual 

venue, the Westerwood Hotel, Peter 

spoke to the Castlecary Hotel, not far 

from the Westerwood. They could 

accommodate us, and Loveday Ryder 

and John Sheridan had also agreed in 

principle to attend. 

I had contacted Chief Superintendent 

Louise Blakelock, Road Policing, Police 

Scotland to see if we could get a speaker 

for the STS, and Peter had managed to 

get some sponsors organised. Things 

28 

were moving nicely towards our first 

face-to-face conference for two years, 

with the only stumbling block whether 

the First Minister would allow it to go 

ahead in light of the situation with the 

pandemic. 

With no official news forthcoming and 

the event still some time off, the 

committee continued to plan the event, 

with raffle prizes purchased, table names 

produced and name badges created for 

those who would be attending. 

Steven Porter and Bryan Phillips made 

great in-roads on our Facebook page to 

advertise the STS, reminding all about 

the event and to book quickly to get the 

early bird discount, and we had our first 

delegates book on – though slowly at 

first. Indeed, such was the pace of 

bookings that committee were concerned 

that many ADIs were still wary about 

Covid and were possibly reluctant to 

come to a large meeting of individuals. 

However, we had a boost to our 

confidence in the summer when the First 

Minister relaxed the rules, and we knew 

that we could go ahead. 

Loveday Ryder, John Sheridan 

and Willie Hamilton 

By this point I had confirmation that 

Chief Inspector Mark Patterson would 

attend on behalf of Police Scotland to 

talk about electric vehicles, Loveday 

Ryder and John Sheridan had also 

confirmed, the venue was now firmly in 

the schedule and rooms booked for those 

who needed an overnight stay. What 

could possibly go wrong? 

On the week leading up to the 

conference I received news that Chief 

Inspector Patterson would be unable to 

attend due to a family bereavement. At 

that point I was a little concerned as to 

how we could fill the space with so little 

time left. I contacted Chief Superintendent 

Blakelock, to first of all pass on the 

Scottish Committee’s condolences to her 

colleague but wondering if she could 

suggest a replacement. She certainly did 

not disappoint us because within a day 

she said that Constable Keith Sutherland 

would be available to deliver the talk. We 

were extremely grateful to her for acting 

so quickly. 

We also managed to obtain another 

speaker who has graced our conferences 

before, Bob Morton, who also agreed last 

minute to attend. 

So, it looked as if everything was now 

heading in the right direction and we 

could looked forward to 20th November 

to arrive. Castlecary Hotel prepared the 

hall by setting up tables and chairs, and 

the committee descended to sort out the 

various handouts and other bits and 

pieces into bags to be handed to 

delegates on arrival. Table names were 

put out and the MSA GB Scotland 

Secretary Brian Thompson placed the 

winning raffle receipts under three 

randomly selected chairs. 

Jean and Peter had prepared all the 

delegate badges and they were placed 

ready to be handed out the following day. 

The raffle prizes that I had purchased 

were also readied for Sunday. Gerry, the 

hotel manager, was excellent in assisting 

us and getting any equipment that we 

required. 

Steven Porter’s friend attended to set 

up the microphones and speaker system. 

He has done this before for us and as 

usual did a splendid job. 

We now stepped back to look at the 

room; everything was in place, and we 



were ready to go, only thing left to do 

now was go for dinner and then ensure 

that nothing had been missed 

Sunday arrived, breakfast was taken, 

then me and the committee proceeded to 

the conference room, delegates had 

started to arrive well before the official 

opening time. It appeared that they were 

as eager as we were to get back into the 

groove. 

Doors were opened, delegates signed 

in, badges given and tables started to fill. 

Tea and coffee were available to all on 

arrival, and we were well looked after by 

Nicole from the hotel who was an 

absolute star throughout the proceedings. 

She looked after our every need, and we 

all felt that she went above and beyond 

to ensure that we had everything we 

needed. 

The Conference starts ... 

At 9.30am I opened the conference by 

welcoming everyone in attendance stating 

that it was terrific to see a lot of well-kent 

faces and a lot of new ones, with a 

special mention to Mike Yeomans, the 

MSA GB North East chair, who had 

travelled up from East Yorkshire to join 

us. There was also a request that went 

with the times, for all to remember to 

wear their facemasks! 

The first speaker was our stand-in from 

Police Scotland, Constable Keith 

Sutherland. He gave an excellent talk on 

electric vehicles, outlining what he saw 

as the advantage that electric vehicles 

will bring as well as some of the 

disadvantages. He told us that during the 

recent COP 26 summit in Glasgow he 

had been seconded to provide security 

cover, as had many officers from around 

the UK. 

A lot of delegates attending COP 26 

MSA GB Chairman 

Peter Harvey presents 

DVSA’s John Sheridan 

with a gift to mark his 

impending retirement 

stayed at Gleneagles and electric vehicles 

were used to transport them to the site in 

Glasgow. However, there weren’t enough 

charging points in Gleneagles so diesel 

generators were brought in to recharge 

them. This did provoke a big laugh in the 

room. 

Harley Davidson had supplied 12 

electric police bikes for escort duty, which 

looked absolutely terrific, but only had a 

range of around 12 miles... ooops! 

On finishing Keith answered a good few 

questions before he had to head back to 

Blairgowrie. 

Our sponsors then got the opportunity 

to talk about their products. First up was 

Michael Carr of Go-Roadie, who was 

known to a lot of the delegates. He 

informed us of the products they had to 

offer which was designed to help and 

assist ADIs in the day-to-day running of 

their business and offered a discount to 

members. 

Bob Morton from Client Centred 

Learning was next. Bob is an old friend of 

the STS, and we were pleased to 

welcome him back. He gave an excellent 

talk relating to the Standards Check and 

Part 3 Training. It was all extremely 

informative and had a good question and 

answer session at the end. 

The Scottish AGM was held next and 

as I gave my report, including informing 

everyone that I would be standing down 

as Chairman. Having been a member of 

the Scottish Committee since 1994 I 

have been extremely lucky to have met 

some terrific people through MSA GB; Ian 

Scoular, John Myers and Don McTaggart 

to name a few. I had also been very 

fortunate to have met and got to know 

Peter Harvey MBE and his wife, Jean, as 

well as all the rest of the current 

committee. They have been wonderful to 

have worked with over the past years and 

I am sure that Steven Porter, Bryan 

Phillips and the rest of the team will do a 

wonderful job going forward. 

I was presented with an extremely nice, 

engraved pewter mug and a bottle of gin 

from the National Chairman on behalf of 

the committee and I was very grateful for 

this presentation. 

At the end of the AGM everyone retired 

for lunch, which I have to say was very 

nice. 

On resuming in the afternoon, it was 

the turn of the DVSA to regale us with 

news from the Citadel in Nottingham. 

Loveday Ryder was first to speak, and 

she came across very well. She put her 

own spin on everything and was not 

afraid to answer questions that were 

thrown at her from the delegates. 

Everyone felt that maybe this CEO has 

listened to ADIs and would respect their 

input. 

Willie Hamilton, senior DVSA official in 

Scotland gave us all an insight into how 

he expects the DVSA to be working in 

Scotland as, hopefully, the pandemic 

subsides. Willie took a good few 

questions from the audience. 

John Sheridan was next. He’s always 

gone down well at our events and did so 

again as he outlined the hopes and 

aspirations of the DVSA, reiterating what 

Loveday had said earlier. He hopes that 

the DVSA could move forward quickly 

from all of the problems it had 

encountered in 2020 and ‘21. He also 

informed the delegates that he would be 

retiring this year. 

Loveday, John and Willie then fielded 

questions from the floor, and I don’t think 

that they deflected any. 

Peter then surprised John with a gift, 

which he had already cleared with his 

boss, on his upcoming retirement. I think 

that in all the times that I have seen John 

this was the first time he was totally 

speechless. He did, however, quickly 

regain his ability to talk and thanked 

Peter, the Scottish committee and 

everyone present for the gift. 

Next, we had the star of the show, 

Peter Harvey MBE, who went on to tell 

everyone what will, what might and what 

should be happening to our industry. 

He went through a complete question 

and answer selection with the delegates 

which as usual was very informative and 

gave everyone food for thought. 

The conference was closed by the new 

chairman for MSA GB Scotland, Steven 

Porter, who wished everyone a safe 

journey home, a very Merry Christmas and 

a happy and prosperous New Year. 


29

Area Focus 

Too many still relying on guesswork 

when it comes to the theory test 

Terry Pearce 

MSA GB West Midlands 

I would like to wish you all a very happy 

new year. 

For myself this is my last year as a 

driving instructor before I retire. My 

concern is that with the extremely long 

waiting lists I may be unable to get all 

my students through before I finish. 

I know the DVSA is against the apps 

that find you an early test, and I do 

understand the reasoning for their 

disapproval, but for all that, my students 

have made use of them, with one 

pre-requisite from me: they must be at 

test standard first 

This recently proved useful for one 

learner who managed to change her test 

from April to December, giving her just 

five days’ notice of the new date. Happily 

she was a very competent driver and 

passed. 

The theory is... 

When I tell my students that the theory 

test is not easy, they all believe me in the 

end. Unfortunately, a lot of them only 

believe me after they have failed. I try 

my hardest to get them to read every 

question, but they get side-tracked by the 

practice tests they can take beforehand 

which they tend to get good results on. 

When they fail they often say “but I did 

well on the practice papers”, at which 

point I politely ask them if they 

remembered my advice to read all the 

questions and not to rely on tests? (But 

all the while secretly wishing I could say 

“I told you so”!) 

I try to explain that they will not see all 

the questions by just doing practice 

papers. I know there are more than 800 

questions the theory test could throw at 

a candidate, but assuming it is 800, they 

would have to do 16 50-question tests 

to have any chance of seeing every 

question, and with some questions being 

repeated from test to test the chances 

are the final figure would be nearer 

double that. The average learner gets 

bored after passing a few trial tests and 

considers themselves invincible. 

At £23 a time it is an expense a lot of 

them cannot afford. 

The other common comment is that 

they only failed by one mark so they will 

pass it next time. Filled with confidence 

they still do not study enough and have 

to pay out yet another £23! 

What I try to instill into them is that 

the actual theory test is well put together 

with a portion of factual questions which 

Tyre questions 

always trip up 

the ill-prepared 

theory test 

candidate 

means that if you do not know the 

answer, you would be unable to guess it. 

One question I have used as an example 

for many years is the thickness of tread 

depth. I ask then to choose from 1mm, 

1.6mm, 2.4mm and 4mm; very few 

guess the answer correctly. 

CONTACT 

To comment on this article, or provide 

updates from your area, contact 

Terry at terry@terrypearce.co.uk 

Saved by an AAngel in the rain 

John Lomas 

Editor, MSA GB North West 

Shortly after penning last month’s item 

for Newslink, I was being chauffeured 

from Darwen to a family friend’s house in 

Shropshire. 

A wet night and we had only just 

passed Leyland on the M6 when the 

driver’s windscreen wipers stopped 

working. 

We managed to get to Charnock 

Richard services safely where the driver 

tried a fix which had previously been 

used. Back on the motorway we nearly 

made it to Haydock Park, the East Lancs 

Rd junction. I know the junction, so was 

30 

able to direct the driver to a garage just 

of the NW corner of the roundabout. 

Having had another go at fixing the 

wipers we noticed that an AA van had 

come onto the forecourt to refuel. 

When the driver returned to his van my 

driver had a word with him and he very 

kindly came over and gave the wiper arm 

a good squeeze onto what appears to be 

a tapered spindle. 

He did this even though he knew my 

driver is an RAC member, and his fix 

lasted us for the whole of the remaining 

journey down into Shropshire. 

We avoided the motorway for the rest 

of the trip on the grounds that we didn’t 

fancy the possibility of getting stuck on a 

‘smart motorway’ if the likely additional 

spray should cause the fix to fail again. 

Smart work by the AA man. Who 

knows, it may well be that his company 

might have gained a new member when 

the RAC renewal is due. 

CONTACT 


updates, contact John at 

johnstardriving@hotmail.com 



A month of ping, ping and ping again 

Russell Jones 

MSA GB East Midlands 

In early December, while proceeding 

through a local market town, my learner 

driver turned left at a crossroads where 

we found ourselves being stopped by a 

police car which was ‘blue lighting’ us. 

One of the police officers informed me 

that my car had ‘pinged’ on their 

computer as showing it was not insured. 

Of course, I knew there was an error in 

the police / MIB records, as just a few 

months previously I had paid an annual 

premium and had the insurance 

certificate in the car to prove it. 

The officer suggested that my monthly 

payments may not be up to date. I 

reminded him that I had already told him 

that I had made full payment for the year 

and in the next two minutes my online 

bank record would be downloading proof 

of payment into my mobile phone, which 

is what happened. We then continued 

our journey. 

Just two days later in another county 

we were ‘pinged’ again. As the police 

officer approached my car, I spoke first, 

saying, “I bet it’s the insurance issue’’, 

and had the insurance documents ready 

to hand. 

He replied: ‘’Yes, and your car ‘pinged’ 

my computer twice last week. I thought 

it was a driving school car by the several 

L-plates on it, but I was too busy to 

chase you’’. 

Before we parted company the officer 

informed me that the MIB records were 

frequently out of date. Coincidently I had 

the same issue twice in the autumn of 

2020. On each occasion I had to contact 

my insurance broker to seek reassurance 

that MIB records were regularly updated. 

Days later a social media site in Derby 

featured an ADIs car being placed on a 

transporter under police supervision. It 

had been seized for having no insurance, 

plus no valid MOT. It should be 

interesting when the miscreant tries 

explaining the problems to a court and 

the ADI Registrar. 

It raises the question, ‘How much 

education about administrative 

proceedings regarding insurance 

protocols is taught to PDIs by their 

trainers?’ 

Having all necessary documentation 


Editor’s note: 

In case Russell’s experience had 

got you worried, remember you can 

check your own vehicle insurance 

status on the Motor Insurance 

Database. 

Visit www.ownvehicle.askmid.com 

Your Car Tax and MOT status can 

be checked by visiting 

www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax 

immediately ready to produce to police 

can save a lot of hassle, especially with a 

less-than-efficient MIB being used by 

authorities to establish facts. 

Highway Code and hierarchy on the 

roads 

I find it very disappointing that many 

ADIs are unhappy about the forthcoming 

new rules regarding pedestrians and 

cyclists. With our country having one of 

the worst records in Europe regarding the 

safety of vulnerable road users, anything 

‘‘ 

‘Your car pinged my computer 

twice last week and I thought it 

was a driving school car by the 

several L-plates on it’ said the 

officer, ‘but I was too busy to 

chase you...’ 

‘‘ 

which can improve their safety should be 

embraced by all, particularly those 

involved in driver training. 

If the detractors can’t hack it, surely 

they should leave the scene and find 

something less onerous to do in life? 

Fitness to supervise 

During the recent festivities I was 

‘pinged’ for a third tie, this time by my 

phone’s Covid-19 ‘track & trace’ app. 

Although I did have some of 

the symptoms, a CPR test proved 

negative, but to be cautious, I have not 

been working since. To be fair, I had an 

utterly shocking winter cold and would 

not have been fit to supervise any learner 

driver doing anything more than a visual 

inspection of a car’s tyres from a 

distance. I’m sure frequent bouts of 

sneezing every 10 minutes would not be 

appreciated by my loyal customers as we 

were motoring through the Vale of Belvoir. 

And trying to do so while being 

‘drugged up’ to the eyeballs with aspirin 

would never do! 

So that ended my year on a sneezing, 

if peaceful, note. My New Year’s 

resolution? Having had a very productive 

latter half of 2021, my goal is to match 

it during the first half of 2022, and 

beyond if I’m lucky. 

Happy days ahead, and a happy New 

Year to you all. 

CONTACT 


updates from your area, contact 

Russell at rjadi@hotmail.com 

31

Q&A with... 

It’s time to dial down the 

hatred towards learners 

Many ADIs stumble into their 

career as a driving instructor 

but for Bryan Phillips, seeing 

his mum learn to drive fired 

a desire to become an ADI 

from an early age. 

When did you become an ADI, and 

what made you enter the profession? 

I qualified in April 2009. Being a 

driving instructor was always the career 

path I wanted to go down since at 

primary school. 

It began when my mum was learning 

to drive; that kick-started my interest in 

cars and driving, and that’s when I knew 

this is what I wanted to do. 

I’ve always had a motoring 

background. When I left school back in 

1997 I got a job in the car parts 

department with Citroen Glasgow, then 

later I moved into car insurance with 

Direct Line in 2005 and now here I am, 

living the childhood dream as an ADI! 

What’s the best bit about the job? 

The obvious best bit is your pupil 

passing their test. However, for me it’s 

also about helping people develop their 

confidence not only as a driver but as a 

person. Anxiety is so high these days that 

many don’t believe they can do it, it’s the 

look on their face when they see that 

they can. 

... And the worst? 

It’s got to be the peer pressure the 

learners have. They are all in competition 

with one another to see who can pass 

first and with the fewest lessons, and 

some parents get in on the act. We live 

in a world where many value ‘likes’ on 

Facebook rather than learning to be safe. 

Everyone learns at different rates, some 

fast, some slow, but the slow ones feel 

rubbish that they are not as far on as 

their peers and it holds them back. 

What’s the best piece of training advice 

you were ever given? 

Never assume your pupil understands 

what you mean. This proved brilliant 

advice when working with a pupil with 

autism. It amazes me how the brain 

works for different people. 

I’m currently teaching a few pupils 

with Asperger syndrome and it’s 

amazing. 

What one piece of kit, other than your 

car and phone, could you not do 

without? 

Dash cams are an amazing teaching 

tool – and they also come in handy on 

the rare occasion that one of the lovely 

members of the public try to get lippy for 

no apparent reason! 

What needs fixing most urgently in 

driving generally? 

The hate for learner drivers. It’s 

unbelievable the lengths some drivers go 

to get in front of the learner driver, only 

to get caught at the next set of traffic 

lights! 

What should the DVSA focus on? 

The DVSA should focus more on their 

staff. There are many highly professional 

people working in the DVSA, however, 

like all workplaces, they have their share 

of ‘bad eggs’ who seem to get away with 

treating others like pieces of dirt. 

No one is above anyone, and these 

individuals need reminding of this. 

It’s stressful enough on a candidate 

going for an L-test but it goes to another 

level when they are presented with an 

examiner with zero people skills. 

What’s the next big thing that’s going to 

transform driver training/testing? 

The talk of digital driving licences 

seems to be one that could be 

interesting. I’m not sure if it’s a 

transformation for the best though, with 

all the technology scamming that goes 

on these days. 

32 



Electric cars – yes, or no? And why? 

I can see the benefits of going electric 

however, it’s a no from me. I’m not 

ready to go automatic and just now the 

cost of electric cars is crazy. 

I was struck at the MSA GB Scottish 

Training Seminar in November by the 

police guest speaker who highlighted 

many issues that no one had considered 

before. These include an electric car 

cannot be towed. In the event of an 

accident emergency services cannot 

approach the car in the event of the car 

being electrified thus taking longer to get 

to any casualty. 

I’m happy to stick with my diesel Audi 

A3 for now! 

How can we improve driver testing/ 

training in one move? 

Compulsory hours with an ADI, ADI 

only allowed to book driving test and no 

private runners 

Who/what inspires you, drives you on? 

My niece Abbie. She has a rare brain 

condition and has undergone nine major 

brain operations and now has brain 

damage as a result of the operations 

going wrong. She inspires me with her 

get-up-and-go attitude. She never fails 

to make me smile and drives me on 

with her never-give-up approach to life. 

Thinking about her got me through my 

own low point two-and-a-half years ago 

when I had a heart attack and here I am 

now, fully recovered and fighting fit! 

What keeps you awake at night? 

The slightest noise wakes me up. It 

can be anything from a can being blown 

down the street by the wind but its 

usually the boy next door playing his 

music at full blast. 

I wouldn’t mind if it was decent 

music! 

No one is the finished article. What do 

you do to keep on top of the game? 

I’ve recently just sat and passed the 

‘‘ 

Paper’s praise 

for Aberdeen 

ADI group 

It’s stressful enough on a candidate 

going for an L-test but it goes 

to another level when they are 

presented with an examiner with 

zero people skills... 

‘‘ 

IAM Road Smart advanced driving 

course and achieved a F1rst grade. I 

also do a lot of training courses on 

teaching ADI Part 3 and Standards 

Check training. 

It’s always great learning new tricks 

which can then be applied to lessons. 

I’m all for personal development and 

trying to be the best I can possibly be. 

What’s the daftest /most dangerous 

thing that’s ever happened to you while 

teaching? 

A few years back I was on my way to 

collect a pupil and I was driving in a 

timed bus lane, at a time that was fine 

for me to do so. I stopped at a set of red 

traffic lights and a senior citizen in the 

car next to me tooted his horn to get my 

attention. 

I put the window down and asked 

how could I help. He shouted over that I 

was breaking the law by driving in a bus 

lane, so I politely pointed out that the 

bus lane wasn’t in operation as per the 

bus lane sign that was next to us. I 

offered him some lessons on reading 

road signs and best practice for road 

positioning. 

Needless to say he wasn’t happy 

about this and when the traffic lights 

changed to green he went to move off 

and stalled. As the windows were still 

down I called across to offer my services 

in helping him to move off while having 

control of his car, too! 

Needless to say, I’ve never heard from 

the guy! 

When or where are you happiest? 

On a sun lounger in the Costa del Sol 

with a cold drink in hand! 

If you had to pick one book/film/album 

that inspires, entertains or moves you, 

what would it be? 

Got to be The Killers – Direct Hits 

album. 

It takes me straight back to the T in 

the Park festival in 2009. 

The Aberdeen Press and Journal has 

paid tribute to its local ADI association 

with a feature-length article on its 

history just before Christmas. 

Aberdeen and District Driving 

Schools Association began life in 1971 

when petrol cost 34p a gallon and a 

typical driving lesson was £1.50*. 18 

ADIs attended the first meeting, 

though it now has around 90 members 

and is believed to be the largest 

association of its kind in the UK. 

Current chairman Graham Bowen 

was given the chance to discuss life as 

a modern ADI and explained how 

much has changed in the motoring 

world since 1971. 

“Modern technology would have 

seemed like magic in 1971 and with 

the introduction of electric cars, will 

continue to revolutionise how we do 

our jobs,” he told the paper. 

“Communication in the past was 

done by post and landlines, while 

payment was by cash, cheques and 

postal orders but now it’s been 

through the internet.” 

The ADDSA meets quarterly at the 

Aberdeenshire Cricket Club, although 

this year’s 50th anniversary 

celebrations were postponed because 

of the global pandemic. 

“The pandemic has had a huge 

impact on every one of us,” said 

Graham, “but we kept in touch via 

Zoom.” 

Secretary Derek Young highlighted 

some of the challenges for today’s 

learners – including Aberdeen’s 

Haudagain roundabout! 

“Many changes have taken place 

with the driving test, such as what 

manoeuvres are required, sat navs or 

following sign directions. Learning to 

drive is a huge challenge. 

When asked what still challenges 

learners Derek said “roundabouts can 

be challenging to start with; 

approaching the Haudagain 

roundabout for the first time is always 

a bit daunting!” 

* Interestingly, comparing those 

figures with today’s prices would see a 

driving lesson costing at least £30. 


33

Membership 

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MSA GB has organised a number of exclusive discounts and offers for members. More details can be found on our website at 

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Please note, non-members will be required to join the association first. Terms and conditions apply 

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We’ve a special introductory offer for you! 

Congratulations on passing your 

Part 3 and becoming an ADI. 

There’s an exciting career 

open to you from today. 

It’s one that is alive with 

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your skills, your client 

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The answer is the Motor Schools 

Association of Great Britain – MSA GB 

for short. 

We are the most senior association 

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has been working tirelessly ever since on 

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NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2022 35

Newslink January 2022

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