Driving Instructor all Portsmouth Gosport Fareham Havant Emsworth and Chichester.

1st TOP GEAR Driving School, from Portsmouth to Petersfield and Havant to Chichester, including Gosport and Fareham Lee on Solent areas, would like to wish all our clients a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
For the many clients that joined our driving school and passed your practical Test this year or still having Manual or Automatic driving lessons our Male and Female Driving Instructors have enjoyed teaching you and wish you all a Happy New Year.

New Powers To Suspend Driving Instructors

New powers to suspend driving instructors

• Legislation receives Royal Assent

• Closes loophole in existing law

• Immediate suspension possible


Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) who pose a significant threat to the safety of the public will face immediate suspension under new legislation which gained Royal Assent today.

The Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Act 2009 will close a loophole in existing law by allowing the Registrar of ADIs to immediately suspend ADIs who pose a threat to learner drivers and other road users while they are removed from the register permanently.

It currently takes 45 days to remove instructors from the register of Approved Driving Instructors, during which time they can continue to give driving instruction.

The new law originated as a Private Member's Bill introduced by Willie Rennie MP and was supported by the Department for Transport and Driving Standards Agency who also provided technical and organisational assistance.

Transport Minister Paul Clark said: “The Government has been pleased to support Mr Rennie’s Bill.

"The overwhelming majority of driving instructors provide tuition in a professional manner but a small number fail to maintain these standards.

"These new suspension powers will allow the Registrar to protect the public in those few instances where there is a need to take immediate action to prevent an instructor from working with learner drivers.”

Willie Rennie MP (Dunfermline and West Fife) said: “I am delighted that this Private Members Bill has reached the statute book, and I would like to offer my thanks to all of those who have supported me throughout this process. It will send a strong message to those driving instructors who are guilty of an offence and present a danger to the public that they will no longer be able to carry on as normal.

"This will improve the safety of learner drivers and will also offer support to the vast majority of instructors who conduct themselves quite properly in carrying out the valuable role of teaching young people to drive.”

It is anticipated that the Registrar will use the suspension power only in exceptional circumstances.

The Driving Standards Agency intends to consult early next year on the detailed arrangements for implementation of the Act.

The new suspension power will also apply to Potential Driving Instructors, who are authorised to provide instruction using a trainee licence.

Driving Lessons and Test Passes

02392 798999

Photo card driving licence holder

Applying at the test centre

If your photo card driving licence was issued after 1 March 2004, you’ll be given the option to have your full licence issued electronically. The examiner will take your licence off you, scan the details and send them electronically to DVLA.

You’ll be given a pass certificate, as proof of passing, and DVLA will send your full licence to you within four weeks of you passing your practical test.

Applying by post

You'll need to:

• complete the declaration on your test pass certificate
• send it, together with both parts of your driving licence (photocard and counterpart), document to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BJ

If your name has changed since your last licence you'll also need to:

• complete a D1 ‘application for a driving licence’, which is available from DVLA's form ordering service or Post Office® branches
• provide original documentation confirming your new name

Renewing the photo on your licence

You'll also need to check the expiry date of your photo on your driving licence. If your photo is due to expire very soon, it'll need to be renewed before the date of expiry. The expiry date of your photo is shown in section 4b on the front of your driving licence.

Beware of the time limit!

If you don't claim your test pass within two years of the date of your test, the driving entitlement in which you gained the test pass will be lost. You'll have to take and pass both parts of the driving test again for that category of vehicle if you wish to have it included on your driving licence.

Paper driving licence holder

You'll need to:

• complete the declaration on your test pass certificate
• complete a D1 ‘application for a driving licence’, available from DVLA's form ordering service or from any Post Office® branch
• provide original documentation confirming your identity
• enclose a passport type photograph and your driving licence

Send all your documents to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BJ or use the premium checking service at selected Post Office® branches or DVLA local offices.

When to expect your licence

DVLA aims to deliver your driving licence to you within three weeks of receiving your application. It’ll take longer if they have to check on your health or personal details. Allow at least three weeks for your licence to arrive before contacting DVLA.

When your licence is issued it’ll have a number of added security features. One of the main differences is a laser engraved black and white photograph.

Driving before your licence is returned

You can drive before you receive your licence as long as you:

• have held a Great Britain or Northern Ireland licence issued since 1 January 1976 or another exchangeable licence
• aren't disqualified from driving (the traffic commissioner for your area will decide whether to grant your entitlement to drive lorries and buses)
• haven't been refused a licence for medical reasons or for failing to comply with medical enquiries
• wouldn't be refused a licence for medical reasons (if in doubt, check with your doctor)
• keep to any special conditions which apply to the licence

DSA Release

DSA to tailor car test service according to demand

The Driving Standards Agency is to tailor the way out-of-hours tests are offered.

A new, flexible approach means that from 17 May, appointments for the practical car test outside normal hours will be offered where overall demand is high at individual test centres but not at those where it isn't.

Appointments classed as out-of-hours are those offered at the weekend and, during the summer, weekday early mornings and evenings.

DSA Chief Executive, Rosemary Thew, said: "These changes will ensure that our examiners' time is focused on where it is needed most and that we make the best use of our resources.

"We will keep the situation under constant review and offer testing outside normal hours to provide extra capacity where it is needed."

Choosing a Driving Instructor.

If you are paying someone to teach you to drive, they must be approved and registered with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). Only a registered approved driving instructor (ADI) can charge money for teaching you to drive.

Recent surveys indicate that nine in ten learners who passed both theory and practical tests first time were taught by an instructor. A fully qualified approved driving instructor (ADI) must display a green certificate on the windscreen of the car while teaching you. Some trainee driving instructors are granted a licence so they can gain experience before their qualifying examination. In this case, the trainee driving instructor must display a pink certificate on the windscreen.

DSA is responsible for maintaining and checking the standards of all approved driving instructors (ADI), who to qualify must:

• have held a full driving licence for at least four years
• pass a much tougher theory test than the one learner drivers take
• pass a strict driving test
• reach and keep up a high standard of instruction. The standard of tuition given by the ADI is regularly checked by a supervising examiner from DSA
• be registered with DSA
  
• display an ADI identification certificate on the windscreen of the tuition vehicle.
  

  You should take advice from your ADI on:

  • all aspects of driving
  • what books to read
  • when to take your test
  • how to practice

  DSA, as a government agency, is not allowed to recommend an instructor. We suggest that you ask friends and relatives to recommend someone they know. You could also look in a local business directory for ADIs in your area. Try and choose an instructor who:

  • has a good reputation
  • is reliable and punctual
  • has a car that suits you