From 23 January 2012 the theory test will be made up of multiple-choice questions which are no longer published in learning materials. The reason behind the move is to stop candidates from simply memorising theory test questions and answers and learning by rote. Revision material

Find out when the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) customer service centre and driving test centres are open over Christmas and New Year. DSA's online services will be available throughout Christmas and the New Year DSA opening hours - Christmas and New Year

What criteria would you use to select a Driving Instructor?  Here are some of our ideas that you need to be aware of.  Alternativley, you can also use the DSA 'Find an Instructor' online service here. Lesson prices? Go for the cheapest - thats gotta be the best value for money.  Wro

Traffic signs updated, clutter and red tape reduced in biggest signs review in 40 years Unnecessary Whitehall bureaucracy will be tackled and costs for councils reduced following the biggest review into Britain's traffic signing system for 40 years, announced today by Transport Minister Norman

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond has announced his intention to consult on raising the national speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 miles per hour. The government plans to launch a full public consultation on the issue later this year with a view to implementing any change in early 2013.

New official driving and riding theory books will be published this month to help candidates revise in preparation for changes to the test in January 2012. Since theory tests began in 1996, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has published the questions and answers from the question banks for a

Lady-Drivers now has a new Suzuki Swift SZ3! The Polo has gone and we now have a brand new, 61 plate, Suzuki Swift SZ3.  This wicked little zinger has a 1.2Litre engine, alloys, air-con and is diamond white.  Its a real stunner.   The car was supplied by J&J Motors, Bridgend.

Only official online directory of  qualified, approved driving instructors Over 30,000 qualified instructors signed up to the service Search for qualified, approved instructors in your area A free online service making it easy for learner drivers to find qualified instructors in the

The new Strategic Framework for road safety, published last month, sets out the Government’s proposed actions and approach to continuing to reduce death and injuries on our roads. One of the strategy’s main themes is to make it easier for people to do the right thing when they are us

The DSA has launched a new service to enable prospective drivers to find a registered and approved Driving Instructor online.  They have produced this Video about the service.  

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is urging all driving test candidates booked to take a test on Thursday 30 June to attend as usual regardless of the threat of strike action by examiners who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union. DSA's chief executive Rosemary Thew

Quite simply - don't. Don't do it. It's restrictive and only for lazy people. Learning to drive from scratch in a car with an automatic gear-box is no easier than learning to drive in a car with a manual gear box - 'Automatics' just press the clutch pedal for you. You still need to take and pass a

One of Britain's best selling and most iconic publications - the Highway Code - is 80 years-old today. The first edition was published on 14 April 1931 in a bid to cut down on the number of accidents taking place on Britain's roads. Despite the fact there were just 2.3 million motor vehicles at t

The THINK! website has changed Road safety information has been moved to three different places in line with government rules to move public information to Directgov. THINK! campaigns Visit direct.gov.uk/think for THINK! campaign information including: THINK! road safety statistics and fact

Directgov is the only official site where you can book or change your practical test appointment without paying an extra administration fee. And now booking or changing your practical driving test with Directgov couldn’t be easier. There’s a couple of new films which show you how to d

Thanks to new digital communication tools and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, keeping in touch with DSA has never been easier. Reading Despatch isn't the only way to stay up to date with important news and information from DSA. The agency's digital communication team is making us

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is now able to investigate complaints about marketing messages on websites. Driving instructors who want to complain about online advertising should contact ASA directly on http://asa.org.uk/Regulation-Explained/Online-remit.aspx where they will find an online

Between 1 April and 31 December 2010, DSA's Fraud and Integrity Team concluded 888 investigations into impersonation/ identity fraud surrounding the driving test. Since 2004, the work of the Fraud and Integrity Team has led to over 1100 arrests, and over 1500 licence revocations. There are currentl

Four men who arranged for an impersonator to take driving theory tests for them have been sent to prison. They admitted conspiracy to commit fraud at driving theory test centres in Doncaster, Harrogate, Middlesbrough and Grimsby. At Teesside Crown Court, three defendants were sentenced to six mont

If it seems too good to be true, it often is.  This is also true of driving lessons.  How can a business survive offering 10 lessons for £55?  The truth?  It can't.  There is no way that you will get what you think you are going to get - the business would not survive

Lady-Drivers has been established for 10 years now. We established our branding straight away - black cars, pink livery, and the strapline 'Calm professional female driving instructors'.  Recently, we have begun to notice a number of different driving schools with simillar marketing to our own

Apply for your tax disc online Book your driving theory test online Check, change or cancel your driving theory test online Book your practical driving test online Check, change or cancel your practical test online Book a driver trainer theory test online Check or change a driver trainer the

With the increased cost of Petrol nearing its all-time high, and the increase to VAT making everything more expensive, we will NOT be putting lesson prices up at all.  This means that driving lessons from Lady-Drivers are now even better value for money than before.

We would like to wish all our pupils, past and present, best wishes and good fortune for 2011.  And, an extra special 'Good Luck' too all those taking their driving test this year. Happy New Year!

Online services available as normal DSA's online services will be available throughout Christmas and the New Year at direct.gov.uk/drivingtest. You can book, check, change or cancel your: theory test, 24 hours a day, seven days a week practical test, between 6.00 am and midnight, seven days a

DSA has launched a Facebook page for learner drivers. The page, which is called 'I can't wait to pass my driving test', has been set up to give learner drivers a way of keeping up to date with news about learning to drive and driving tests. The page also has links to information and services on

From 2012 the multiple choice questions and answers used in theory tests will no longer be made public.  This is designed to help ensure that new drivers learn the principles behind driving theory rather than just learning answers. In September 2011 DSA will change the format of books and othe

Vehicles equipped with electronic parking brakes will now be accepted for practical driving tests. The change, which came into force on 1 November, comes in response to advances in vehicle technology. Until recently electronic parking brakes were fi tted only to top of the range vehicles, and we

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, follo

This totally new offer is open to all of our existing pupils, and gives you a free hour lesson when you recommend a friend to Lady-Drivers.  Your friend must sign up for a block booking for you to receive your free lesson.  And don't forget there is also a discount voucher on the website f

Unlicensed strangers, people who may have criminal convictions, those who have never been properly trained as a driver trainer and who don't have the correct motor insurance. If you suspect someone of illegal instruction, the following information is important to DSA: name (if known)

Some convertible vehicles are unsuitable for the driving test because of the lack of all-round vision for the examiner.  These include: Ford KA convertible BMW Mini convertible VW Beetle convertible The beetle doesn't bother me at all, the Mini is too expensive, but we ar

To avoid paying over the odds for a theory test or practical driving test, we recommend that all customers use the official booking service on Directgov. To book a theory test, go to direct.gov.uk/booktheorytest; for the practical test go to direct.gov.uk/bookpracticaltest.

If you are thinking of booking a driving test for before Christmas, then you'd better get booking.  At the moment there is approximatley a 7 wek wait for a test date in Cardiff! We are currently booking test dates for January next year! If you are desperate for an earlier test then my advice

With Christmas less than 10 weeks away, are you looking for an unusual gift for someone special?. How about a 'Lady-Drivers christmas gift voucher' for driving lessons? They can be for any amout of lessons and the more you pay - the more you save. They can be sent or delivered in secret if nee

Many of you have been asking me for a while about being on Facebook. Well, I'm not. BUT... Lady-Drivers is.  Woot woot! We need 25 fans for a unique URL, so 'Friend Us' or 'Like Us' or whatever it is you do, and we'll see what happens.  

Since the start of the 'new style' tests this month I have heard a few rumblings that the new changes are not as significant as they were supposed to be. Less manoeuvres in favour of independant driving will please most pupils that are confident in their driving, and make the test easier for those w

Independent driving is to be included in the driving test from next Monday (4 October) onwards. Pupils will be asked to spend around 10 minutes demonstrating their ability to drive safely without step-by-step directions from an examiner. More details can be found here: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en

Learner drivers beware that test dates set by the DSA are not set in stone.  At any time, they can (and do) cancel your test and offer you a 'later' time.  This can only be done in the most extreme circumstances, like 'examiner off sick', or 'leaves on the line'..The knock-on effects to th

To help make the driving test more representative of real driving, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will no longer publish details of test routes, Road Safety Minister Mike Penning announced today. Currently test routes used by each driving test centre are published online but this will stop w

Space-saver tyres and driving tests The DSA is getting increasing numbers of complaints from candidates whose test didn’t go ahead because of problems with car tyres. It’s become a common feature of modern cars to be fitted with a spare tyre or space-saver tyre which is a different s

Drivers are risking fines, disqualification or jail because they do not know the rules on supervising learners, according to the AA. The motoring group's survey of 19,000 members suggested nearly a quarter did not know it was illegal to use a mobile phone while out with a learner driver. Nearl

Following a vehicle recall notice issued by Vauxhall, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has announced conditions for allowing Vauxhall Corsa D models on the driving test. This applies to all Vauxhall Corsa D vehicles with registration plates with a '59' or '10' year identifier. For these vehicles,

The official routes for Driving Tests at all ADI approved test centres are available online from the DSA website.  For our very own Cardiff test center at Fairwater, there are 17 different routes for the normal 'car' test, as well as additional routes for the extended test, taxi test, etc.. T

From 4 October 2010 your practical driving test will include a section of ‘independent driving’. During your test you’ll have to drive by either following a series of directions, following traffic signs, or a combination of both, for about ten minutes. To help you understand

Had to have a new pedal box fitted this week, so apologies to all pupils who had their lessons moved due to the car being in the garage.  It's back now - and working fine; and I have managed to get you all booked in for the lessons you missed.

If you are caught speeding twice within your first two years of driving, you will have collected six points and will automatically lose your licence? This means going back to being a learner, paying for a new provisional licence and passing a new theory AND practical test. In the meantime, you&rs

A word of advice to anyone taking their driving test at the Driving Test Center, Fairwater, Cardiff.  "Have a pee before you leave home." There is a loo at the Test Center, but you usually need wellies to reach it.  Its not the cleanest loo around - and I don't think anyone would disagree

OK, so my car is in the garage for repair and I have a hire-car through the insurance.  What do I get..  ..a Fiesta.  I quite liked the look of these while I was driving around - but they are seriously flawed. There is a bucket in the dashboard.  At the bottom of this bucket is

Unfortunate incident today - got shunted in the rear by a Securicor van.  There I was, slowing for the lights.  I looked in the mirror and saw the Securicor van coming towards me.  Then it happened.  I stopped for the lights - but he didn't.   I ended up being shunted accro