MEMBERS NEWS - Driving Instructors Association€¦ · Driving Instructors Association. We have visits planned to Wakefield, a driving school group in ... Newcastle and Milton Keynes

New ADINJC website launched

Issue No: 114 - June 2016

MEMBERS NEWS

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Members News:Editor: Matthew Stone - 01327 [email protected] and produced by:Ideas4ADIs Ltd - www.ideas4adis.co.ukViews expressed in this newsletter are the views of the people who wrote the article and not necessarily that of the ADINJC.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

PRESIDENTNeil Peek - [email protected]

CHAIRMANLynne Barrie - [email protected]

Ed Marshall Yorkedward@jemdrivertraining.

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY& HEAD OF TRAININGJames Quinn - [email protected]

VICE-PRESIDENTNick Ibbott - [email protected]

GENERAL SECRETARYSue Duncan - [email protected]

Jonny Greaves Nuneaton [email protected]

VICE-PRESIDENT John Ashton - [email protected]

DEPUTY CHAIRMANChris Porter - [email protected]

Annabel Wallis MBE Scarboroughannabel@annabelschoolofmotoring.

NEWSLETTER EDITORMatt Stone - [email protected]

Peter Scott [email protected]

LIAISON OFFICERClive Snook - [email protected]

TREASURERPeter Boxshall - [email protected]

Parv [email protected]

Charles [email protected]

Lin Western Essex [email protected]

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.2

Your ADINJC Governing Committee for 2016Contents:3 From the Chair... a monthly report - The latest from Lynne and ADINJC

5 Association Meeting... feedback from 4th June event?

6 Speed of Sight - Charity needs ADI support

7 Worst Learners revealed... - ...DVSA release the figures

8 Big Learner Relay 2016 - the planning is underway!

11 ADI Adrian - Adrian’s views on various motoring issues

13 Road Safety Ireland - the latest from Tom Harrington

16 New NDORS Trainers Association - Kathy Higgins tells us all about it

17 Member’s Corner - A chance to have your say

would come with considerable risk. It is also interesting to see that he mentions “the one big idea” that he asked the national associations and ADIs to consider when he first joined the DVSA. Whilst we didn’t come up with one single idea we did send back suggestions for changes and I think it came as such a revelation at the meeting we attended we really didn’t know if any notice would be taken of the idea. I would say that some of the ideas we did come up with such as booking a standards check online are still not with us and available. He goes on to say he is concerned that many ADIs go unrepresented and remain independent. “It’s a warning: ADIs need to become members to gain representation” He comments that there are some associations who don’t represent their members well and “indeed don’t know how many members they have” I would like to say that the ADINJC is truly democratic it is run by its members for its members and has clear goals. We certainly know how many members we have currently and our new website will help us update that information more easily from the member groups. Currently we have over 7,000 members and 55 groups and associations on board. We have always sought your views and liaised with the DVSA and have a clear vision for the future and help our members on a regular basis. Being part of NASP in the last few years has been very important to us. ADINJC is a leading national association but I can understand that there are actually 14 associations listed under the directory in the magazine and I know of others that aren’t even in there. I do agree it’s time to help to unite ADIs more. No doubt this will be on the agenda for discussion at the next NASP meeting in June.

Conference 2016: Our dedicated conference site is at www.adinjc-conference.info and this year we will continue to run that site. However you can also find the conference information and buy tickets from the main website as well. Tickets are selling really well and many of you are buying at the special early bird prices. It’s a great day out to meet up with your colleagues or attend from a local group together. Please call 0800 8202 444 for more information or if you want to purchase a ticket or otherwise buy direct from the website. Test centre waiting times: Please sign up!!: At the Association meeting members were discussing that in Hemel Hempstead and Wellingborough the Halfords centres are pulling out of hosting tests. If that continues around the country then waiting times will rise even further. It was clear from the discussion at our recent meeting that waiting times are rising again in some areas. We have been supporting a petition which runs until September and now has 3,800 signatures. We would like to get to 10,000 to receive a response from the government and raise awareness around the country. Pupils, parents and partners can sign as well as ADIs and there is no age limit at 17 so pupils can sign it. This is one way we can work together to help each other around the country even if we aren’t currently in the areas most affected. You’ll find the petition at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/123957.

Finally:I want to thank you again most sincerely for all your support to myself as chairman. Please remember that the people who own the ADINJC are YOU the members, you vote in the committee at the AGM and it is your national association.

My best wishes

Our new website: Please take the time to view our new website and send us your comments. We have designed it to be easy for members to navigate, compatible on many devices and one we are happy for you as members to link to from your own websites. It’s available at www.adinjc.org.uk I want to thank our committee members who have helped and especially to Matt Stone for his support and time in producing it. We continue with our rebrand and we will be producing new materials such as car stickers for you to use as members. New membership structure: Whilst we were creating a new website it seemed like an excellent time to be changing some of the membership structure. Groups who join us will continue to pay £150 a year and all of their members will receive benefits. However we have decided to have a tiered approach to membership and 3 levels of individual membership. These levels are silver, gold and platinum. Anyone joining us from a member group instantly becomes a silver member which is worth £35.88 to that member joining your group or association. We hope this will help you introduce new members to your associations as it’s saving them the money to join a large national association and all the benefits it brings. If they wish to upgrade to gold or platinum membership and receive the benefits they each offer it can be done from the website at an extra cost. This could include amongst other benefits the PI/Pl insurance we offer and the subscription to Intelligent Instructor Magazine. Anyone joining us as an individual member and often that’s because they don’t have a local association nearby can join us on any of the 3 levels. Membership can also now be paid monthly so for as little as £2.99 a month you can be part of a leading national association. More details are on the website but please ring 0800 8202 444 with an queries or email [email protected]

New groups joining us and visits:

The committee have been busy visiting the Swansea Driving Instructors Association and Mid Powys Driving Instructors Association. We have visits planned to Wakefield, a driving school group in Essex, a training day at the York Driving Instructors Association and at South Staffordshire Driving Instructors Association.

We welcome Young Driver as a new group and their entire number of ADIs who work with them around the country as members. Young Driver is the UK’s largest provider of pre-17 lessons and was launched in 2009. In the seven years since its launch, it has grown to incorporate more than 40 venues across the UK and has provided close to 300,000 lessons. Young Driver will be opening new venues in Surrey shortly and are currently looking to recruit ADI’s and PDI’s at these venues and also at their Oxford, Southampton, Newcastle and Milton Keynes venues. Contact [email protected] for details. We are aware that our Patron, Quentin Willson has used their services for his own children to start learning to drive.We also have news of the formation of 2 more new groups for ADINJC. One is a group formed solely for PDIs and to help and assist them and the other you can read more about in this newsletter and is a group for NDORS trainers. Our ultimate aim is to help every ADI around the country to be able to join a group or association that can link to the ADINJC.

Comments from a former DVSA CEO: I found the article written by Alastair Peoples the former CEO at DVSA in the June issue of Intelligent Instructor to be very interesting. He explains the way earned recognition and log books could be used in the future and how the new 2016/17 business plan continues to have these items as a continuing agenda. He reminds us that the DVSA has around 4,500 staff with a turnover of £400 million. He mentions that privatisation is something for ministers to consider but that it

Lynne Barrie - MA Driver Training

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.3

The ADINJC is a national association run by ADIs on a not-for-profit basis. We work tirelessly to inform, represent and support our members, and to promote the interests of our profession.

From the Chair….. a monthly report

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Our latest Association Meeting that took place on 4th June 2016

I have had a brilliant morning meeting fabulous and interesting people so informative and inspiring. Met the fastest land and water blind driver. Learnt such a lot about view from the LGV driver seat and the future of platooning, got good insight into my industry future and the positive actions I can do to support the driver training industry. Thank you to all of the ADINJC who made today possible, can’t wait for the conference in October and the next meeting in December. - Mike Yeomans

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.5

Association Meeting Feedback

I just wanted to say how fantastic the speakers were at the Association Meeting on Saturday, Speed of Sight what an inspirational story. It was very interesting how one man’s desire to achieve his goal despite his disability has influenced so many. I will certainly be spreading the word. Toni’s presentation about platooning was very informative, it certainly highlighted the challenges and opportunities associated with new technology. I thought the whole session was very well put together and worth giving up my Saturday for, the return on investment was substantial. Thank you - Andrew Love

It was a pleasure to attend ADINJC Association meeting on 4th June 2016. The meeting was well planned and the two presentations were very informative. The first presentation by John Galloway and Mike Newman from the Charity Speed of Sight was very inspiring and encouraging. I was not aware of the Charity before, which helps people with disabilities to enjoy the experience of driving. The presentation from Toni Watkins-Burton BEng MSc - View from the Cab was excellent. The information in the presentation was helpful and I will be passing on the advice in my lessons. I would like to thank the ADINJC for all the work they do and help they provide. - Judy Rudd

I have been member of the ADINJC with my association for over 20 years. I have never seen the council in a better position than it is today to lead the ADI forward into the future. It is led by a positive, action packed, forward thinking, group of ADIs. ADIs working for the ADI. - Bryan Curtis

DfT National Car Test Waiting Times...

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.6

Speed of Sight charity visit our Association Day

Help us change minds and lives…Speed Of Sight is a charity offering disabled people across the UK the opportunity to take part in our unique, uplifting and life changing driving experience. We are looking to grow our list of volunteer ADI’s who would provide their services once or twice a year. We need instructors from across the country that would be happy to support our charity. You would be helping us to deliver a very special driving experience for the disabled at events and venues near you.The benefits are clear to see in the happy smiling faces of all our participants. We provide an exhilarating driving experience for disabled people from age 7 to 90 with varied challenges including physical, sensory, cognitive and intellectual impairment and many chronic or terminal illnesses.All our uniquely designed cars are dual controlled with an additional steering wheel, providing the instructor with full control of the vehicle at all times. Everyone who has participated in our experience all say, without exception, what an amazing opportunity we deliver. Participants cannot speak highly enough of the experience that Speed Of Sight makes possible. They gain an improvement in self-esteem, grow in social confidence and gain an active interest in trying other things from taking part in social gatherings and activities to white-water rafting!

If you feel you can help us please visit our website http://speedofsight.org/individual-volunteer or if you have any questions at all please either email to [email protected] or ring 0161 714 4567.

In the meantime for further information about us please visit www.speedofsight.org

ADINC Chairman Lynne Barrie said she had met John and Mike at a recent event and been inspired by hearing Mike’s story, so had invited them to come along and hoped that members would take this back to their group members. The presentation was introduced by a video of Mike driving and achieving the world records for speed on land and on water.Mike said that both his mother and stepfather are ADIs and had supported his 50 year desire for motorsport. He now gets paid to drive and had recently made a film in Singapore for Michelin, but had forfeited his fee for a donation to the charity. People who have an acquired disability say that the thing they miss is driving and the independence it brings. The charity has a dual controlled car with an additional steering wheel to give real driving experiences to those who would not otherwise get a chance to drive. The charity has been going tor 4.5 years and last year 200 people were helped to drive. They also have an off road buggy. The cost of providing the driving experience is £100 for 20 minutes and the aim is to make this free to the client. ADIs can help by giving a small amount of their time. It would be much appreciated if any local associations can find possible ways of helping and in finding venues. On the day a donation was made to Speed of Sight of £200. £100 was raised through a raffle and donations and this was matched by the ADINJC. Also raised, in addition was £100 towards our nominated charity for the year, Disabled Motoring UK.After the meeting the charity spokesperson said “Thank you so much for looking after the boys on Saturday. They both came back with such glowing comments on the generosity and kindness that you and your colleagues showed them. We would be delighted to attend the conference in October”.

DfT National Car Test Waiting Times...

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.7

Top 20 Worst Learners revealed

England’s 20 worst learner drivers have attempted the practical test more than 700 times between them, it has emerged.

Figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show how one 38-year-old Liverpool man took 39 goes to pass the driving test.

Heckmondwike, in Yorkshire, accounted for a fifth of the top 20 practical test repeaters.

The Driving Instructors Association questioned whether people should be able to sit tests so many times.

DVSA’s chief examiner Lesley Young said: “The result of their test is entirely dependent on their performance on the day.

“It’s essential that all drivers demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge and attitude to drive safely.”

The figures also include the top 20 repeat theory test candidates. Between them, the top 20 have attempted to take the test 1,309 times. Only eight have yet managed to pass.

Topping the list was a 30-year-old woman who has sat the theory test 113 times at the Ilford centre.

The second spot was taken by a 40-year-old man who has tried 107 times at the Ilford centre followed by a 30-year-old man who has failed 86 times in Peterborough.

Do you feel there is an issue of whether people who are failing the theory test 100 times should be allowed to try again and again? Send us your thoughts to: [email protected]

BBC News Report

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Can We Break the £100,000.00 This Year?

Somewhere down in deepest Hampshire plans are afoot (I suppose strictly speaking that should be a-wheel). This will be the 3rd year that the Big Learner Relay takes to the roads, and there is a vast amount of planning and co-ordinating that goes on to make it the success that it was in the first 2 years.

The brainchild of ADI Lou Walsh, BLR raises money for Children in Need by taking our Pudsey topbox from learner car to learner car on a massive Relay all around the UK. All 4 countries of the UK are visited. ADIs all over the country get involved by taking part in the relay as the box is swapped from car to car on a 3,000 mile route. Convoys can be one car, or many, and include ADIs and their students, who raise money in a variety of ways, which most visibly includes getting their cars all spotted up!

The logistics of the relay are massive. Around 200 handover ‘spots’ (see what I did there?) have to be identified as being suitable for numbers of learners, and 3,000 miles of route have to be planned and timed, again suitable for learners. Thank goodness for Google Earth! ADIs have to be invited to be the lead car for a leg of the Relay. There is much excitement as these invitations go out… Then it’s down to those lead cars to whip up some enthusiasm in their local area and get out to raise some money.

But as well as raising money, and having a good time, BLR has brought ADIs together. Our industry is a fragmented one, and can be lonely. For some the only time they see another ADI is at the Test

Centre! Through BLR friendships have been made, and local groups have been formed. And even more, it has raised the profile of the industry in a very positive way. Local media have given ADIs coverage, their spotty cars have been particularly visible and attracted a lot of attention.

With frustratingly just under £100,000 raised last year there is a fever of excitement and ambition to exceed that amount this time. As a grand finale we are hoping that the Relay can finish with a lap or two at Donington. And it will definitely finish with a flourish with a party. All are welcome! The theme of the party, would you believe – smart with a touch of spot!

If you would like to be part of the Relay this year, or would like to come to the party, please get in touch.

Website - www.biglearnerrelay.co.ukParty tickets - www.driving-instructor.tv/party

Email Louise on - [email protected]

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.8

Big Learner Relay 2016

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.9

Public Liability Driving TuitionWhy is Public Liability cover so important?

Because we all make mistakes in life, including in our business operations as a driving instructor.Quite simply, if a member of the public (or any other third party) is injured or suffers damage to their property, arising out of the conduct of your business as a driving instructor, you could be held responsible.

The ADINJC Public Liability insurance, is designed to provide protection from claims against you by third parties who may have suffered personal injury or damage to their property, during contact with your driving school. Most motor policies provide you with a compulsory £20 Million Public Liability cover for accidents and injuries that occur as a consequence of having an accident. The ADINJC believes it’s important to ensure you also have sufficient cover away from the vehicle, and have therefore arranged for its paid up members to benefit from £10 Million Public Liability cover away from the vehicle. The policy also has a low policy excess of just £500 for each and every claim. The ADINJC policy provides £10 Million cover for each and every claim during the life of the policy.

A range of claims can arise. These can extend from accidents at your own business premises, to incidents that occur whilst providing advice or tuition whilst working away from your vehicle.

Increasingly, it is a requirement of many customers, principals, and clients (particularly local authorities and government agencies), that you be asked to present proof of Public Liability insurance before they will work with you, or allow you to work on their property or premises.

Compensation arising from Public Liability claims can be substantial, and may include loss of earnings, future loss of earnings and damages awarded to the claimant. In addition, considerable legal costs in defending the claim can be incurred, and the claimants’ legal costs may also be awarded against you if you are found to be at fault. All would be covered under a comprehensive Public Liability policy

Claims for trips, slips and falls are the most common, but there are other events that can lead to a claim against you. The following are examples of potential claims that can give rise to public liability claims against your driving school:

• you open your door for a pupil who you inadvertently trip over, causing an injury;

• you spill a hot drink in a classroom and a pupil slips over on this, causing an injury;

• a pupil falls over some cones you have positioned to practice parking, causing an injury;

• you knock over a valuable antique whilst waiting for a pupil at their home;

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DfT National Car Test Waiting Times...

One of the many advantages of retirement is that you get to watch daytime television. And no, I don’t mean the Jeremy Kyle show. I was able to watch the state opening of Parliament on May 18th. And lo and behold, the Queen spoke about driverless cars. More detail came a day later in Fleet News.Her Majesty said “My government informs me that the Bill will help cut red tape and put the right framework in place to allow innovation, which it claims will put the UK at the forefront of autonomous and driverless vehicle ownership and use”. Or words to that effect anyway.In addition, she said she hoped the Bill would encourage further investment in electric cars and introduce new rules to bring safe commercial and personal drone flights for households and businesses a step closer. Paul Willcox, chairman of Nissan Europe, is quoted as saying “Any new legislation, such as we’ve seen announced, that supports the adoption and integration of autonomous vehicle technologies, is a positive for the UK. Autonomously-equipped vehicles will improve the safety and well-being of drivers, with fewer collisions and reduced traffic congestion. The UK economy can also benefit, by playing a pivotal role in a global industry estimated to be worth £900billion by 2025.” Well, there we all are then.

There was more on driverless cars a few days later in a story in the Mirror (it also was carried by the Mail) Apparently Google’s driverless cars may have a sticky coating to stop pedestrians bouncing off the bonnet in the event of a crash. The “human flypaper” on the front of the hi-tech vehicle is covered by a protective layer which shatters on impact. This exposes the strong glue that would hold the crash victim in place and prevent further injury. Google admitted that their patent does not necessarily mean the product will see the light of day. A spokeswoman said “We hold patents on a variety of ideas. Some of these mature into real products, some don’t” Well, I’m not holding my breath on this one.

There was an interesting report from the RAC Foundation recently. It said that almost one in six jobs required the applicant to be able to drive and concluded that the driving test is often as important as academic results. The foundation analysed a snapshot of the government’s employment database and found that of the 847,000 vacancies available in Great Britain in July 2015, 131,000 (15.4%) stated that a vehicle or licence was necessary for the post. Another 7,700 (1%) of the jobs on the list from the Department for Work and Pensions said that a vehicle or licence would be beneficial or practical. The professions that required applicants to have the ability to drive were as diverse as: carer, professional driver, cleaner, zoo worker, chef, sales consultant, security guard, business development manager, gymnastics coach, electrician and hairdresser. So we’re all doing a worthwhile job then, are we not?

You probably know, by now, that I’m a great fan of Honest John in the Telegraph. If you haven’t signed up to his regular newsletters, I urge you to do so. http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/e-mails-and-newsletters/newsletter-sign-up

Top Gear. I can assure you that I’m writing this bit on Tuesday May 24th, five days before the return of the show next Sunday. My copy of the Radio Times has just arrived and, of course, it has the ginger whinger and le blanc cheque on the front cover. Interestingly, the editor wonders if Chris and Matt and their new team can re-create the magic that turned TG (with Clarkson, May and Hammond) into a hit across the world? I get the impression that the whinger is somewhat jittery and has spoken of the prospect of ‘imminent career death’ if his tenure is not judged a success.

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.11

ADI Adrian

DfT National Car Test Waiting Times...

There also is a carefully crafted, reduced price, June issue of Top Gear Magazine on the news stands. I just can’t wait for Sunday when this item will be continued. But it’s now Thursday May 26th and this morning, BBC Breakfast ran an interview with the whinger. The audio was repeated later on my BBC local radio station (Cornwall). Most listeners said they would not bother to watch. The audio was rebroadcast on Radio Cornwall’s drive time programme, but without the listeners’ comments. So it would appear to be a directive from BBC HQ, would it not? On Saturday May 28th the Telegraph (my regular national daily) carried a front page photograph of the whinger with an interview inside. The magazine had a very funny item imagining the future in 2021. Jeremy Corbin is in power and has banned cars and all roads have been converted into allotment-boarded cycling superhighways. The programme has been replaced by ‘Top Fixed Gear’. Also on Saturday the Mirror magazine had a cover photo of the whinger, the blanc cheque and the stig. And a pretty bland interview.It’s now Sunday 29th and the Sunday Telegraph is carrying another tongue in cheek feature entitled ‘Top Gear bingo – what to watch out for in tonight’s new show’. It reveals a fair amount of detail about the programme, which the press has already seen. (Clarkson, May and Hammond’s show was live if you remember). Fast forward to 9.10pm on Sunday and I’ve just watched (I mean endured) it. It was awful. Far worse than I feared it would be. The combination of the whinger’s high pitch screeching and le blanc cheque’s US drawl was unbearable. Never mind any chemistry between the two presenters – this was nuclear fission. I’ll leave the phrase ‘Flop Gear’ to the red tops tomorrow. Well it’s now Monday morning and I’m not wrong. Both the Mirror and the Sun have that very phrase on their front page. The latter was the more critical (the Sun is a Murdoch paper and Clarkson writes for it). The Mirror’s story was entitled ‘Bump Start’ but at least it carried a counter piece saying that “The new Top Gear has been the most hotly anticipated dynasty overhaul since David Moyes took over from Sir Alex Ferguson”. It concluded “If the BBC’s plan was to bring Top Gear out of the caves and into the modern world…… even the most fervent Evans hater would have to admit that it burned rubber more times than it crashed and burned”. Well, I’m not so sure. And so to today, Tuesday May 31st and the viewing figures are available. Top Gear drew an average of 4.4million viewers (the lowest first show audience in more than a decade). The last series with Jezza and co ended with 5.8million. Evans, of course, was defiant and said that he would hone the production during later episodes (only two of the six in this series have been recorded so far). We shall see and, by the way, the Mail today reveals that the bookmaker Coral has slashed the odds on Evans and LeBlanc being dropped after this series from 5-1 to 10-11.Sorry, I thought that was going to be the end of this item. But sadly not. It’s now Tuesday June 7th and the Sun is saying that the second show (which I couldn’t force myself to watch) attracted 2.8million viewers. By contrast the Antiques Roadshow, which was on BBC1 at the same time, had 4.2million of us watching. Come back Jeremy, all is forgiven. And the Star on Thursday 9th June has a piece saying a video of Jezza assembling a cardboard box is more fun than Top Gear. As you know Clarkson, May and Hammond are working on their new show (The Grand Tour) which begins this autumn. Well, in a break in filming May used his phone to record the attempt to assemble the box and apparently it has been viewed more than 600,000 times. The paper says you can see the video on dailystar.co.uk.

I’ve written about Dash Cams in previous columns and Mrs Adrian and I have the RoadHawk HD fitted in both our everyday cars. The value of these forward facing in-car cameras was brought home recently in the tragic story of the Jaguar Land Rover manager, who left two young sisters paralysed after a “road rage” crash in Northamptonshire. 39 year old Andrew Nay, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years. (Far too short a sentence in my view). The story was extensively

covered in all the media but what really irked me was that only the BBC described Nay as a ‘driving instructor’. Both in its news programmes and on its website. (A colleague later told me that Sky News compounded the error). I was therefore delighted to learn, at the recent Association Meeting, that ADINJC has asked DVSA to confirm that Nay was not an ADI (he was not) and to issue a press release to that effect. But that’s why we are all members of ADINJC, is it not?

And from Dash Cam to Sam Cam. Yes, I’m talking about the PM’s missus. Apparently, Dave has just bought his wife a secondhand 2004 ‘K12’ Nissan Micra for £1500. He has good taste. When I was a working ADI, I ran a number of these (both manual and automatic) as my school cars. The used car lot near his home in Oxfordshire thought it was a victim of a prank, when told the prime minister was coming to look at one of its cars. I wonder if he has put a ‘Vote Remain’ sticker in the rear window?

By the way, I read somewhere (perhaps it was in Fleet News) that the ‘cash for crash’ villains are now targeting company car drivers. Because the lease car insurers are likely to pay up without making a fuss. So these drivers are advised to replace their number plates to make it look like a private car.

And talking about lease cars, I came across an interesting survey recently. It was designed and conducted by the company First Vehicle Leasing and aimed to find out more about how people in the UK drive. 1,174 people took part from all over the UK. The survey covers road rage, driving after consuming alcohol and accidents (sic) as well as car upgrade frequency and general driving style. The survey was carried out in early 2016 and the data was collected in April 2016. You can find the survey at www.firstvehicleleasing.co.uk/uk-driver-survey-report.pdf. If you wish to publish the material contained within the document on your blog or website, please credit First Vehicle Leasing – www.firstvehicleleasing.co.uk.

Potholes. I don’t know what it’s like where you live but down here in the South West, we used to drive on the left of the road. Now we have to drive on what’s left of the road.

And finally, if your nose runs and your feet smell you are probably upside down. Til next time

Til next time Adrian

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.12

ADI Adrian

Is road safety working and producing the desired results? Up to Tuesday 31 May 2016, there were 72 fatalities on our roads. Pedestrians – 15; Drivers - 35; Passengers – 12; Motorcycles – 7: and Cyclists 3. The fatality rate to the same time in 2015 was 58 therefore we have 14 more fatalities this year so far. The May fatalities to date are 15. Is engineering and enforcement working or is the answer producing a better and higher standard of driving or should all the 3 Es be intrinsically linked? To date, the authorities are keeping tight-lipped about this horrific and startling increase in the needless loss of life. Ladies and gentlemen – road crashes are preventable.

31 May 2016 – 8.00am Tralee, Co. Kerry. My son John’s best friend – Michael – died when he was hit by a car from behind whilst walking to work. He was killed instantly. As always, he was wearing a high-vis jacket. However, he was walking on the left side of the road but was advised on numerous occasions to walk on the right side facing the oncoming traffic. The young bank worker was driving to work and claimed that he was blinded by the early morning sun. If you were blinded by the sun or dazzled by oncoming traffic at night what would you do? This again, indicates the particularly poor and dangerous standard of driving on Irish roads. When will the ‘powers that be’ sit up, take notice and introduce (a) a proper structured course of at least 40 hours of professional training/coaching (b) an annual check test (c) set a much higher standards for the three part examination for ADIs (c) have a serious look at the current driving test which is not fit for purpose (hasn’t changed significantly since its introduction in 1964) and (d) consider retest every five years or so to ensure driving standards are being maintained. Telling drivers to alter their mind-set, slow down, wear their seat belt and don’t drink and drive is all very commendable but people allowed the privilege of driving a potentially weapon must be trained monitored more carefully.

To obtain a pilot’s licence, a potential pilot must undertake a minimum of 35 hours supervised training before applying for his/her licence. If a light aircraft crash lands in a field there are several investigations undertaken to determine what happened. The pilot sustains a broken leg, yet, when several people die in a multiple crash on our roads well, it’s just another accident - an act of God and nobody’s fault. Sorry, the road was wet or it was a dangerous stretch of road or an ‘accident black spot’. Yes, let’s blame anything but not the ‘nut that holds the steering wheel’. For God’s sake – official action must be taken now or the carnage will continue unabated.

See other item on the ‘Expansion of Speed Cameras’. Is it a case of more of the stick and less of the carrot? (Or to be more politically correct – ‘Expansion of Safety Cameras).

Lower D/D Limits - New Penalties

Under the new drink-driving limits and penalties, drivers will not have to appear in court. Under the new limits if the level of alcohol present in the body (Blood Alcohol Concentration or BAC) is between: 50mg and 80mg, the driver will be arrested, brought to a Garda station and required to provide evidential breath or blood or urinary specimens.

In all cases where the BAC is between 50 and 80mg the driver will be served with a fixed penalty notice and receive a fixed penalty of €200.00 and three (3) penalty points. Points will remain on a licence record for a period of three years. Any driver accumulating 12 penalty points in a three years period will be disqualified for a period of six (6) months.

If the limit is between 80mg and 100mg: The driver will be arrested, brought to a Garda Station and required to provide evidential breath or blood or urine specimens. In all cases where the BAC where the BAC is between 80mg and 100mg , the driver will be served with a fixed penalty notice and receive a fixed penalty of €400.00 and the person will be disqualified from holding a driving licence for a period of six (6) months. If the level of alcohol present in the body for Learner, newly

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.13

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ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.14

qualified or professional drivers (Goods, Bus, Public Service Vehicle e.g. Taxi):

If the limit is between 20and 80mg: The driver will be arrested, brought to a Garda Station and required to provide evidential breath or alcohol or urine specimens. In all cases where the BAC is between 20 and 80mg, the driver will be served with a fixed penalty notice and receive a fixed penalty of €200.00 and the person will be disqualified from holding a driving licence for a period of three (3) months.

Comment. The new limits and penalties streamline the drink-driving procedure and avoid ‘clogging up’ the courts. However, a driver who is charged with a drink-driving offence can go to court and state his case. Should his challenge fail, the penalties handed down will normally be much higher. Common-sense indicates that you should comply with the Garda requirements and ‘cut your losses’ and learn the important road safety message of: ‘never, ever drink and drive’. If you drink don’t drive and if you drive don’t drink. Some year’s back the ‘powers that be’ came up with a snappy little saying: If you drink don’t drive but if you do, just two will do’. They got it horribly wrong.

Northern Lights & Cycle Safety

Though Transport for London Safer Lorry Scheme has been making headlines in recent months, the capital is by no means the only UK city where efforts are being made to cut the number of accidents involving trucks and cyclists. Following a 12-month trial of various types of vehicle-mounted camera and sensor equipment, City of Edinburgh Council has decided to fit all 40 trucks in its fleet and recycling fleet with the Cyclear system and 360 – degree CCTV hard-disc recording equipment made by innovative safety systems (ISS) of Coventry . Cyclear detects passing cyclists and gives the driver an audible alert when the trucks indicator is in operation. A speaker also sounds to let cyclists and other vulnerable road-users know when the vehicle is turning left. This is coupled with an intelligent sensor arrangement that detects cyclists and alerts the driver when the vehicle is being ‘undertaken’ and the indicator is not in operation. The ISSRX3 hard disk recording system can accommodate up to 16 cameras and two audio inputs.

MP Drivers Caught

More than 110 drivers were caught using a mobile phone while driving in just a three-hour period last week (Week commencing 9 May2016) - despite Gardai giving advanced warning of a massive clampdown. Gardai have now revealed that further “targeted operations” will take place across the country over the coming days

Toddler Dies in Car

A two-year-old girl was found dead inside her mother’s car in Mississippi. According to multiple media reports , Madison County Sheriff Randy Tucker said the mother thought she had taken her child to Little Footprints Learning centre in Gluckstadt, about 18 miles north of Jackson before going to work 13 May 2016. When she returned to collect her, day-care workers told her she hadn’t dropped off the girl. Mr Tucker said the mother became distraught, ran to her car and realised the child was still in her car seat.

He said it was a tragic accident and, based on the evidence; it was unlikely that any charges would be filed.

Graham Feest ADINJC Road Safety Advisor

Road Safety Ireland Tom Harrington

Offi cial Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption fi gures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). Corsa Limited Edition 1.4i 75PS ecoFLEX, 3-Door: Urban 40.9 (6.9), Extra-urban 67.3 (4.2), Combined 54.3 (5.2). CO2 emissions: 120g/km.#

Model shown Corsa Limited Edition 1.4i 75PS ecoFLEX 3-Door in Flame Red with Advanced Park Assist and Bi-Xenon headlights. *Advanced Park Assist is available on selected Corsa models, please contact your local Vauxhall Retailer for full details. ‡He-Man Dual Controls are supplied free of charge and fi tted by He-Man installers. The Dual Controls Guarantee, Returns Policy and FAQs can be obtained from www.he-mandualcontrols.co.uk or by contacting He-Man registered offi ce in Southampton. The product is guaranteed by He-Man Dual Controls Ltd., and all installation work is covered by the individual approved installer. Vauxhall reserve the right to withdraw this offer without notice. He-Man Dual Controls available on selected models only. #Offi cial EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. Correct at time of going to press 18/04/2016.

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DRIVING SCHOOLS LOGIN: DRIVING

ADINJC BENEFITS OF JOINING US AS A LOCAL ASSOCIATION OR GROUPIf your local association joins us ALL the members get the benefits of membership at no extra cost. That’s just £150 to have EVERY member secure. We have been helping local associations

for over 40 years. They say they join because we offer them:

MEMBERS GET DISCOUNTS ON TRAINING AND EVENTS AS WELL AS ON INTELLIGENT INSTRUCTOR THE LEADING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE. SPECIAL DEALS ON INDUSTRY

RELATED PRODUCTS.

A DEDICATED TEAM

LOW COST INSURANCE FOR

MEMBERS

We are ADIs who work as volunteers on your behalf, elected by members at the AGM. We run a not for profit association and we

don’t pay salaries or shareholders

LEGAL ADVICEWe have our own solicitor

who is prepared to chat with any member we consider

needs legal advice. There is a 24 hour dedicated hotline

for members to use.

Through our monthly newsletter, our website and regular posts on social

media. Breaking news via our popular email alerts. Your association can link to our website and use our members section of our newsletter to promote

yourselves. We can help your association with setting up a website.association with setting up a website.

Regular free meetings for our member group representatives to attend. Guest

speakers and networking opportunities.

All your members can have £10 million Public Liability and £5 million Professional Indemnity Insurance each

at a very low cost.

INFORMATION EXCHANGEREGULAR FREE MEETINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

CPD AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

REPRESENTING YOUR VIEWS

We are a not-for-profit association. Any monies raised above our

running costs are reinvested into the ADINJC to improve the service

we offer to our membership.

We run our popular national conference, and also offer

valuable nationwide workshops at discounted prices for

members. We can create a tailor made event for your local

association.

We collate your views and use them to liaise with the DVSA, DfT and other agencies. Together we

can make a difference. We are part of NASP.

ASSISTANCE ANDGUIDANCE

Contact us for details or for a copy of our guide to setting up a local association:

0800 8202 444 OR WWW.ADINJC.ORG.UK

We have a dedicated help line 7 days a week. We have a panel of working ADIs with vast knowledge and experience of the industry, ready and willing to help your members. They cover LGV, driver CPC, PSV, Motorcycle and B+E training,

standards check advice, instructor training and more.training and more.

Last but not least they say they like our friendly, personal approach!

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.15

ADINJC - WORKING ADIs WORKING FOR YOUWHAT OUR LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS AND GROUPS SAY ABOUT US

“ADINJC are a great National Association run by working ADIs like us, they put in a tremendous amount of work to provide us with all the latest and up to date information about the industry. They offer support and advice and give us a voice at national level. Their CPD courses are excellent, well organised, reasonably priced and very useful. The Association meetings are interesting, a great source of information and also a good opportunity to network with information and also a good opportunity to network with other likeminded ADIs.”

“Sometimes life as an ADI can leave you feeling isolated. This is why it’s important to be a member of an association. Who is best, a local or national one? As a member of a local association which in turn is a member of ADINJC, I consider we have the best of both worlds. The ADINJC has provided support on numerous occasions and gives our SADDIA members a feeling that there is always someone behind us to provide help when there is always someone behind us to provide help when needed.”

ANDREW MORRISONCHAIRMAN APDI SOUTH WEST

MARK CHRISTMASSECRETARY, SOUTHEND & DISTRICT ASSOCIATION

“SmartDriving has now been an ADINJC member organisation for over four years – the benefits of direct representation, support and information offered by ADINJC has been of proven value to my 1600 members. I firmly believe that this non- profit organisation has a genuine concern for the improvement of our industry and in helping ADIs generally. No organisation is totally politically unbiased or free of “self-interest” but unlike some organisations who may be tempted to put commercial considerations or rigid political agendas before the best interests of their membership, the ADINJC are about as straight and independent as you might hope to get.”

JOHN FARLAM, SMART DRIVING

“St. Albans Association was one of the founder members of the ADINJC, and to this day all our members still benefit from being part of a brilliantly run national association for ADIs that just keeps getting better. Join to meet a dedicated team Join to meet a dedicated team helping your industry today and every day, come and take part. We did over forty years ago!”

TIM MCKERNANSECRETARY ST ALBANS ASSOCIATION

“Fantastic news 1st 4 Driving Ltd are now group members of ADINJC. All my members enjoy the many benefits including the reduced price PI/PL. I’ve been a member for many years and found their information quickest to information quickest to arrive, most comprehensive and their CPD conferences second to none.”

DAVE FOSTER MA1ST 4 DRIVING

I look at the ADINJC membership from the point of view of a multi-car driving school owner. For a very reasonable price, I have signed up my school as an association and now all of my instructors and I benefit from the regular industry information updates, monthly newsletter, association meetings and available training courses. Not to mention the fact that the governing committee will take questions and queries we put forward to the highest level of the DVSA. If you are considering becoming a member of a national association then I can't recommend the ADINJC highly enough. It’s a non-profit making organisation that puts all its resources into benefiting its members.”

Contact us for more information:

www.adinjc.org.uk

[email protected]

0800 8202 444

MATT STONE, LET'S INSTRUCT DRIVING SCHOOL

WANT TO JOINTHE ADINJC?

DfT National Car Test Waiting Times...

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.16

National Association of NDORS Trainers

NDORS Trainers seem to be a forgotten group, with most conferences aimed at trainers who specialize in the learner market or fleet driver training. So it seemed fitting to create the NANT, an association committed to supporting NDORS trainers nationwide. We sincerely hope the Association will be a help to service providers too.

It was formed in April 2014 and already has a Facebook Group with 87 members. It was started by Kathy Higgins, who found that a lot of trainers were coming to her with concerns over how they were being treated by the service providers, Kathy said, “trainers where concerned that if they said the wrong thing to the wrong person they would end up with no work!” Trainers also felt they were being treated like ‘employees’ but with none of the benefits or rights.

Now some of you reading this article may well be working for a great service provider and that you cannot foresee any problems in the future, but as we know we tend to think “it won’t happen to me”.

On a more positive note NANT was also formed so that information, updates, funny stories, challenges and even monitoring reports can be shared among trainers, for the common aim of delivering a great course. For example monitoring reports can be sent to Kathy in confidence, she will then remove any evidence of who it is for and even what service provider it comes from. She can then share these reports with the rest of the members, that includes the good reports too. But members can share these on Facebook too.

There are currently 3 levels of membership.

Free Standard Professional

Free £0 - The free membership will just get you access to the secret Facebook group. It is Facebook that call the group secret, it actually means that no posts can be seen by anyone who is not a member. Members are invited to the group by existing members. So it is a safe place to share info and ask questions

Standard £49 annual fee - Standard membership includes the above as well as membership of the ADINJC. The benefits of belonging to the ADINJC should really speak for themselves, but you can go to http://www.adinjc.org.uk/group-membership-benefits/ which will list all the benefits The standard membership also includes £10 million Public Liability Insurance and £5 million Professional Indemnity Insurance. Professional £69 annual fee - Professional membership includes all the items included in the free and standard memberships. Added to this will be legal representation should things go wrong. The professional membership is a work in progress at the moment, as we are in talks with employment solicitors that may be able to send a representative with you, should you ever need them. We are also hoping to introduce a free legal helpline too. We will keep you posted.

For a limited time Members who are signed up to the free membership can upgrade for just £39, members who sign up to the standard package can upgrade to the professional package for just £59. Both offers expire on Sunday 30th October 2016, which happens to be the same date as the ADINJC National Conference.

For more information please in the first instance email Kathy at [email protected]. Or ring her on 07748 303545.

Kathy HigginsA GUIDE TO ADINJC

Professional Indemnity Driving TuitionWhy is Professional Indemnity cover so important?

Because we all make mistakes in life, including in our business operations as a driving instructor.

However, if you make a mistake in running your driving school, the consequences can be very serious. You could, for instance, be sued for vast sums of money. Professional Indemnity will provide you with protection in case someone decides to take action against you even when you haven’t done anything wrong.

The ADINJC Professional Indemnity insurance, provides the valuable protection you need as a driving instructor offering professional advice to the public, to prevent this happening. It covers you when, as a result of negligence, you are sued for losses or damages by a third party. In short, it gives you peace of mind: if a claim is brought against your business, you won’t have to worry about the financial implications of a lawsuit. The ADINJC policy provides £5 Million cover for each and every member, ensuring you have sufficient cover. The policy also has a low policy excess of £500 for each and every claim.

You can find details of Waveney Group Schemes by going to www.driving-school-insurance.com

And Finally - a quote...

“If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards.”

- Paul Bryant

Articles we have sent out via Email this Month• New ADIJNC website goes live!

• Survey reminder for motorcycle trainers: there’s still time to take part.

• Changes to the ways you can order CBT certificates from 29th June.

ADI National Joint Council Working ADIs, working for you.17

Member’s Corner

Welcome to new member group Young DriverYoung Driver, the UK’s largest provider of pre-17 lessons, was launched in 2009, and is sponsored by Admiral, SKODA and Goodyear. In the seven years since its launch, it has grown to incorporate more than 40 venues across the UK and has provided close to 300,000 lessons. The Young Driver events take place on weekends, school holidays and some evenings. A whole road system is created on private land so that the drivers can learn everything from changing gears and parking, to using roundabouts and manoeuvering a slalom. Lessons mirror those taken on the road at 17, but give youngsters the chance to take their time without any pressure to pass a test.

Young Driver will be opening new venues in Surrey shortly and are currently looking to recruit ADI’s and PDI’s at these venues and also at their Oxford, Southampton, Newcastle and Milton Keynes venues. Please contact recruitment on 07827 870026 for more details.

Congratulations!We’re sure all our members would want to join us in congratulating Rob Carlson of The Honest Truth in being awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. ADINJC has been proud to be associated with The Honest Truth for a number of years now, and we know how hard these guys have worked on the project.

Congratulations Rob it’s very well deserved (and how nice to get it on the Queen’s 90th!). We look forward to a picture of you receiving the honour.