Happy Christmas, Stay Safe

1st TOP GEAR Driving School Portsmouth and our Driving Instructors in Portsmouth would like to wish all our old customers and new Clients a very Happy Christmas and New Year. Our Driving Instructors in Portsmouth will continue to make Your success, Our Success in the New Year. Safe Driving everyone.

Driving lessons in Portsmouth

Premier leading Driving school saving you money on driving lessons welcomes our newest Driving Instructor to our team of qualified driving instructors in all of, Portsmouth, Southampton. Petersfield, Havant, Emsworth, Chichester, Gosport, Fareham and all areas in between

SEAN is an Adi qualified Driving Instructor like all our driving Instructors and will promote his patience and professionalism to all our clients.
Sean covers a large area like all our driving instructors including Portsmouth, Cosham, Waterlooville, Denmead, Horndean, Clanfield, Petersfield, Havant, Emsworth, Porchester, Cowplain, Hayling Island, Fareham, Gosport and all the surrounding areas in between.

A big welcome Sean from all of us 1st TOP GEAR Driving School an excellent asset to our business

Driving Instructor in Portsmouth

Our driving school in Portsmouth welcomes our newest recruit to 1st TOP GEAR.
TONY IS Adi qualified Driving Instructor like all our driving Instructors in Portsmouth and will surely promote his professionalism to all our clients.
Tony covers a large area like all our driving instructors including Portsmouth, Cosham, Waterlooville, Denmead, Horndean, Clanfield, Petersfield, Havant, Emsworth, Porchester, Cowplain, Hayling Island, Fareham, Gosport and all the surrounding areas in between.

A big welcome to Tony from all of us 1st TOP GEAR Driving School

Driving Instructor in PORTSMOUTH.

Fully qualified Driving Instructors offer driving lessons in all all the Portsmouth, Southsea, Hilsea, Cosham, Waterlooville, Clanfield, Horndean and all the areas in between. Male or Female driving Instructor for your 1-1 driving lesson.

We also offer Automatic Driving lessons

Driving Schools and Driving lessons for Driving Instructors all of Portsmouth

Manual and Automatic driving lessons in Portsmouth, Southsea, Northend, Cosham, Hilsea, Waterlooville, Horndean, Clanfield, Petersfield, Havant, Leigh Park, Bedhampton, Emsworth, Hayling Island, all Petersfield areas Gosport, Fareham, Lee on Solent, Havant, Hayling Island and Chichester, Bognor Regis.
Call 02392 798999 or 0800 085 3292

Driving lessons all Portsmouth to Petersfield Gosport Fareham

Driving School Manual & Automatic Driving Lessons in all Portsmouth areas to Petersield including Havant, Emsworth, Rowlands Castle, Chichester, Bognor Regis, Gosport, Fareham, Lee on Solent. Male and Female Qualified Driving Instructors who cover all Portsmouth areas for your 1-1 driving lesson from home work or college. Check out our website for our recent passes via the Facebook link.
1st Top Gear Driving School working hard to make you today's SAFE DRIVERS

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.

The driving theory test is changing From 28 September 2009

The driving theory test is changing

From 28 September 2009 some car and motorcycle multiple choice questions will be given as a case study

The theory test is made up of two parts; the multiple choice part and the hazard perception part. You need to pass both parts to pass the theory test. Once you have passed the theory test you can then apply to take your practical driving test.

Taking your theory test

The multiple choice part is delivered using a touch screen computer and the hazard perception part records your responses through the use of a computer mouse button.

If you pass one part and fail the other you'll fail the whole test, and you'll need to take both parts again.

The questions in each multiple choice test vary according to the category of vehicle you're hoping to obtain a licence for ie a motorcycle theory test will contain specific questions that don't appear in any other test.

For the hazard perception test there are no separate versions for different vehicles, each vehicle category takes the same test, however the pass mark is different for different categories of tests.

Lorry and bus multiple choice and hazard perception tests are booked and taken separately.

Part one - multiple choice

Before the test starts you'll be given instructions on how the test works.

You can also choose to go through a practice session of the multiple choice questions to get used to the layout of the test. At the end of the practice session the real test will begin.

A question and several answer options will appear onscreen and you have to select the correct answer to the question by touching the screen. Some questions may require more than one answer.

For cars and motorcycles you'll be asked 50 questions in 57 minutes and the pass mark is 43 out of 50.

From 28 September 2009 some car and motorcycle multiple choice questions will be given as a case study. The case study will show a scenario that five questions will be based on. The subject of the scenario focuses on real life examples and experiences that drivers could come across when driving.

For lorries and buses you'll be asked 100 questions in 115 minutes and the pass mark will be 85 out of 100.

You can navigate between questions and 'flag' questions that you want to come back to later in the test. After the multiple choice part you can choose to have a break of up to three minutes before the hazard perception part starts.

Part two - hazard perception

After the break you'll then be shown a short tutorial video clip about how the hazard perception part works.

The hazard perception part is also delivered on a computer but you respond by clicking a button on the mouse. You'll be presented with a series of 14 video clips which feature every day road scenes. In each clip there'll be at least one developing hazard, but one of the clips will feature two developing hazards.

To achieve a high score you'll need to respond to the developing hazard during the early part of its development. The maximum you can score on each hazard is five.

You won't be able to review your answers to the hazard perception test; as on the road, you'll only have one chance to respond to the developing hazard.

The pass mark for the car and motorcycle hazard perception part of the theory test is 44 out of 75. For lorries and buses the pass mark is 50 out of 75.

The separate lorry and bus hazard perception test has 19 video clips, in each clip there will be at least one developing hazard. The pass mark will be 67 out of 100.

At the end of the test

At the end of the hazard perception part of the theory test you'll be invited to answer a number of customer survey questions.

You don't have to answer the questions if you don't want to, and any information given is anonymous and confidential. The survey questions don't affect the result of the test.

When you have finished the test you may leave the examination room. Once you have left the room, you'll not be allowed to enter it again. You'll then be given your result by the test centre staff.

For lorry and bus candidates once you have passed both tests you will also receive a pass certificate letter by post.

Portsmouth DVLA

DVLA Local Office - Portsmouth

• Contact point
  DVLA Local Office - Portsmouth
• Address
  5th Floor
  The Connect Centre
  Kingston Crescent
  PO2 8AH
• Phone number
  For enquiries about vehicles
  0300 790 6802
  For enquiries about driving licences
  0300 790 6801
• Text phone
  Minicom users
  For enquiries about vehicles
  0300 123 1279
  For enquiries about driving licences
  0300 123 1278
• Opening Hours
  Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm; 9.30 am to 5.00 pm on the second Wednesday of every month

Accompanying Drivers to Attend Test Debriefs

Accompanying drivers whether ADI or unqualified supervising driver will be required to sit in on all car Practical Tests and the test debrief from October next year as part of the DSA's Learning to Drive Consultation.
Other Key Proposals to be introduced over several years include
The continued roll out across Great Britain of the

New Pre Driver Safe Qualification in Safe Road Use.

Introduction of a partial credit for the theory test for car drivers awarded the new pre driver qualification in safe road use.

Introduction of case studies into the theory test for learner car drivers and moped/motorcycle riders with the next refresh of the question bank.

The trial of a new 3D Hazard Perception Test.

Vehicle Discount Scheme

How to take advantage of the vehicle discount scheme

Contact your local dealer to see if they have joined the vehicle discount scheme. They will check that your vehicle and the new vehicle you want to buy both meet the rules of the scheme. When the sale is agreed, the dealer will sort out the paperwork and arrange for your vehicle to be scrapped.

The discount is deducted from the price you pay for the new vehicle and will be shown on your invoice when you take delivery of your new vehicle.

The rules of the vehicle discount scheme

The vehicle you trade in and the new vehicle you want to buy must meet certain conditions for you to be able to get the discount.

Your vehicle

The vehicle you are trading in must:

• be a car or small van weighing up to 3,500 kilograms (kg)
• be first registered in the United Kingdom (UK) on or before 31 August 1999
• be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in your name
• have been registered to you continuously for 12 calendar months before the order date of the new vehicle
• have a UK address on the registration certificate (V5C)
• have a current MOT test certificate before date of order for the new vehicle

The new vehicle

The new vehicle you want to buy must be:

• a car or small van weighing up to 3,500 kg
• first registered in the UK on or after mid May 2009
• declared new at first registration in the UK with no former keepers

Government Scrappage Scheme starts.

From today consumers can drive off with a £2,000 discount on a new car, under the government's scheme to scrap their old banger for a new model.

"Thirty-eight companies have signed up - all the major UK car manufacturers and a number of other companies"

Peter Mandelson

The £300m scrappage scheme, announced in last month's Budget, is intended to boost consumer confidence and kick-start demand for new cars.

Motorists will be spoilt for choice with 38 manufacturers taking part in the scheme covering all the major brands.

The manufacturers who have signed up to take part are: Allied Vehicles, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Citroen, Daihatsu, FIAT, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, London Taxis International, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, MG Motor, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Porsche, Proton, Renault, Rolls Royce, SAAB, SECMA UK, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, Vauxhall, Volkswagen, Volvo, Koelliker UK Ltd, Iveco Ltd, Chrysler, Renault Trucks UK Ltd.

The £2,000 grant is made up of £1,000 from government with matched funding from vehicle manufacturers. The scheme will operate until March 2010 or until the government funding has been exhausted

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."

New Drivers Act

Under the New Drivers Act your driving licence will be revoked if you build up six or more penalty points within two years of passing your first driving test. You’ll need to reapply for your driving licence as a learner driver and resit your driving test.

Penalty points gained before passing your driving test

Any penalty points you gain before passing your first driving test are taken into account. However, having six or more doesn’t mean your licence will be revoked straight after you pass your test.

Gaining further points after passing your test, taking your total to six or more, will mean your licence will be revoked.

Who’s affected by the New Drivers Act

The act applies to all drivers from, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the European Community and European Economic Area, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Gibraltar.

Drivers from designated countries

The act applies to you if you have exchanged a driving licence from a designated country for a British licence and pass a further driving test in this country.

The designated countries are: Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

Getting your full driving licence back

To get your full driving licence back you must first reapply for a provisional driving licence.

You’ll also need to pass the theory and practical driving tests again and claim your test pass.

Pass the theory and practical driving tests

You’ll need to pay for and resit the theory and practical driving tests.

Claim your test pass

After passing your driving test, you’ll need to exchange your provisional driving licence for a full one.

Your driving entitlement for other vehicles

Any other entitlements you had on you driving licence, such as lorry or bus, will only be restored after the approval of a traffic commissioner in the area you live.

The traffic commissioner may request you retake a driving test for those vehicles.After passing your retest

After Passing your Retest

It’s important to remember that passing a retest doesn’t remove the penalty points from your driving licence. The penalty points remain valid.

Appealing against the withdrawal of your driving licence

You can only appeal against the conviction that led to you getting the six penalty points. Contact the convicting court for advice on how to appeal.

Uk Licence Holders

UK licence holders

You will need to take a theory test if you want a licence for a new category of vehicle, for example, if you have a car licence and you want a motorcycle licence you will need to take a theory test.

If, however, you want to upgrade within a vehicle category you will not normally need to take a theory test, for example, if you have a full automatic car licence and you want a manual car licence you will not have to take a theory test.

It is your responsibility to make sure you have the correct licence for the vehicle you are driving. If you are unsure if you need to take a theory test please contact the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) or the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).