Pass with Suzanne

01/06/2026

I am thrilled to share Isobel’s excellent first time pass this afternoon in Wakefield!

After only a few manual lessons and then a bit of automatic driving with Dad (which is not to underestimate the importance and value of private practice beyond formal driving lesson lessons!) Isobel came to me and has worked really hard to develop confidence as well as skills to form the fantastic driver that she is today. The country roads she used to hate became a passport through to full driving licence at just the first attempt (and with only three minor faults!) and words don’t convey how proud I am.

22/05/2026

Now that the DVSA changes are in force to eliminate the unfair profiteering in test booking and reselling via bots and apps, learners now need to know:
• to only ever book, change or cancel their test through GOV.UK
• to only ever pay the official DVSA fee - £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings, weekends and bank holidays
• not to use any app, website or social media account offering to find or secure an earlier test slot as any illegal activity is now being clamped down on with such tests cancelled by the DVSA themselves.

If a learner would like an earlier appointment, the only legitimate ways to arrange this are:
• using the GOV.UK service to change their driving test appointment
• swap their driving test with another learner driver directly with DVSA

All this should help reduce test waiting times, including allowing the DVSA to see which areas need greater test provision and especially remove the appalling expense that many have experienced in the recent past whereby they were charged hundreds of pounds for a test that only cost £65, with the rest going into the pocket of the person reselling the test.

21/05/2026

A MESSAGE TO PARENTS, GUARDIANS AND PARTNERS OF LEARNERS

When it comes to your teenager learning to drive, I think one thing is often forgotten: you are not simply helping them pass a driving test. You are helping them learn a skill that carries responsibility every single time they sit behind the wheel for the rest of their lives.

Driving is one of the few things we do where a decision that takes a split second can have consequences that last forever. We hand young people the keys to something capable of travelling at high speeds and ask them to judge danger; read roads; manage distractions; cope with pressure; and make good decisions whilst still building their confidence and experience.

Many serious incidents involving young drivers are not caused because they are bad people or because they intentionally want to take risks. Very often they are caused by inexperience: misjudging speed; following the behaviour of others; feeling pressure from passengers; overestimating ability; or simply not recognising danger early enough.

Passing a driving test does not suddenly give someone years of experience. It means they have demonstrated the minimum standard required to drive independently. The real learning continues long after the L plates come off; long after the pass certificate is put away in a drawer; long after the excitement of owning a pink driving licence has faded and it just becomes a form of ID.

I understand that driving lessons are expensive and I understand why people sometimes look for ways to speed the process up or reduce costs: life is expensive for everyone! At the time it can feel like just another bill to pay. The problem is that quality instruction is not simply teaching someone how to move a car or pass a test route. It is helping build habits, judgement and awareness that may one day protect them and others around them.

Please encourage practice, including private practise. Encourage patience when they make mistakes and remind them that mistakes are part of learning. Commend the driver for calmly driving a different way to the route planned rather than panicky, under-observed lane changing because your lane didn’t go the way you wanted them to go originally - we’ve all seen accidents that come from those poor choices and yet both satnav and signed don’t always give you comprehensive enough information in multi-lane complicated environments. Local knowledge takes time to acquire. Encourage them to respect driving rather than fear it, because confidence without experience can become dangerous.

The driving licence arrives in a moment; experience does not.

20/05/2026

20/05/2026

The finance watchdog warns bogus brokers are selling fake car insurance through social media.

17/05/2026

Firms do not offer cover for some models, or charge more than for equivalent petrol cars, research finds

15/05/2026

Feeling enormously spoilt…!

15/05/2026

I am enormously proud of the magnificent Zineb! This was her first test as my student but her fifth overall so she came to the test with a lot of nerves and memories of the past but her decision to try automatic driving has liberated her. It was a superb drive with just three minor faults. After five years and just a few lessons together, Zineb had earned her driving freedom!

12/05/2026

From 12 May, only learner drivers can book their own tests, not instructors.

10/05/2026

Local councils will be given the power to crack down on problem pavement parking.