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Category: Winter driving

  1. Drivers Survey : winter/speed cameras

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    Road condition and winter driving

    (winter came with a bang, tyres flattened in potholes – extra cash for repairs and inquiry after inquiry)

    51% expected road gritting in winter 2010/2011 to be better than the winter before. After significant snowfall this fell by 19% to 32% who thought gritting had actually been any better.

    44% of drivers did nothing during 2010 to be better prepared if winter 2010/11 was as bad as winter 2009/10.

    Speed cameras

    (The war on the motorist is over, cameras go cameras come – drivers dont really mind as long as improvement courses not points remain an option)

    75% of  members say speed cameras are acceptable or very acceptable.

    79% of  members agree with the idea of offering drivers courses for minor motoring offences.

  3. Driving tests and bad weather

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    Some driving tests may be affected by winter weather over the next few days.

    The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) doesn't conduct practical driving tests in adverse weather conditions, for example when the roads are icy. This is for the safety of both the person taking the test and the examiner.

    If you're due to take your practical test, follow the advice given on your appointment email or letter. Call your test centre only if there is snow or ice in your local area on the day of your test.

    When to phone your test centre
    It's best to phone your test centre around two hours before your test is due to start. This is because conditions on the roads may improve during the day, and driving tests can then go ahead.

    If your test is early in the morning, call as soon as you can on the day. If you call the day before, the test centre won't be able to tell you if your test will go ahead.

    If your test is in the afternoon, call the test centre later in the morning. The test centre is more likely to know if the roads will be suitable for your test.

    If nobody answers the phone, and the conditions in your area aren't looking too bad, it's likely that the driving examiners are out:

    • checking the local roads to see if driving tests can go ahead

    • taking driving tests because the conditions are suitable

    However, this isn't a guarantee that your test will go ahead. Please call the test centre again or go there in time for your test.

    If your test cannot go ahead
    If your practical driving test is cancelled another appointment will be arranged automatically at no further cost. However, the DSA don't pay any out-of-pocket expenses.

    A new appointment date is usually sent within three working days. This may take up to seven days when there's a period of prolonged bad weather.

    If your test hasn't been rebooked at that time, you should call our customer service centre

  4. Driving test and bad weather

    Posted on

    Driving tests and bad weather

    Some driving tests may be affected by winter weather over the next few days.

    The Met Office has forecast colder weather with snow showers becoming increasingly likely. Some parts of the country may have significant snowfall. 

    Your driving test

    If you're due to take your practical test, follow the advice given on your appointment email or letter. You should call your test centre only if there is snow or ice in your local area on the day of your test.

    DSA do not conduct tests in bad light or bad weather conditions for the safety of the candidate and the examiner. Another appointment will be arranged automatically at no further cost, but compensation is not payable.

    A new appointment date is usually sent within three working days. This may take longer when there’s a period of prolonged bad weather.

    If you haven't heard about a new appointment within seven working days, you can check the status of your booking online at direct.gov.uk/drivingtest.

    If your test hasn't been rebooked at that time, you should call our customer service centre

  5. Driving lessons at night

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    With less than a week to go before the clocks go back an hour, now is a good time to make an extra special effort to check that all of the lights and equipment on your car are fully working and in good order before starting your driving lessons. Make sure that the windscreen washer bottle is filled with a good quality and preferably winter proof screen wash. One that wont freeze up now that we are getting night frosts.

    Then make sure all of your external bulbs are working - the amount of cars we see with only one headlight, sidelight or brake light working is quite frankly scary. There is nothing worse than looking in the distance and thinking you have a motorbike coming towards you, only to realise at the last second that it's actually a car with only one headlight.

    Next make sure all internal bulbs are working, so all of your instrument panel and dials can be clearly seen and identified. Also check that your heater fan works. Having past 2 cars recently that it was obvious there's didn't because the inside of all the window was fogged up. This way you'll keep yourself safe and everyone else on the road.