When i read this, i must admit it took me by surprise, i cant think of anything worse than being taught to drive by my Mum or Dad.  Well ok that’s probably a little harsh but you know what i mean, then again maybe the recession is making learners do crazy things.

According to a new study by the AA Driving School Britons would rather practise their driving skills with their mum and dad, i wonder how they fit in learning to drive around the screaming at each other and the grabbing of the wheel etc!

The study by the AA driving school questioned over 1,300 adults and polled AA Driving School instructors to reveal some interesting stats.

39% agreed that dad is quicker to loose his temper than mum but both mum and dad we found guilty of the following knee jerk reactions:

1. telling the learner to slow down – 28%
2. stamping their foot to the floor on an imaginary brake pedal – 19%
3. telling the learner to pull over so they can drive – 15%
4. swearing – 14%
5. grabbing the arm rest for safety – 14%

The stats from the survey also suggested that dads were the better practical teachers where as mums were voted best at theory based tuition.

Top ten parent panics

1. Tell them to slow down – 28%
2. Stamp foot to the floor trying to brake – 19%
3. Tell them to pull over so they can drive – 15%
4. Swear – 14%
5. Grab the arm rest for safety – 14%
6. Tell them to speed up – 14%
7. Grab the steering wheel – 13%
8. Operate the lights / windscreen wipers / indicators for the learner – 12%
9. Shut their eyes – 11 per cent
10. Tell their child to give up learning to drive – 3%

Bad habits passed on by parent instructors

1. Not using mirrors properly – 25%
2. Not feeding the wheel when turning – 14%
3. Not checking blind spots – 14%
4. Speeding – 14%
5. Breaking too hard or late – 11%
6. Driving too close to the vehicle in front – 8%
7. Letting the wheel slip through the hands – 6%
8. Having only one hand on the wheel – 6%
9. Coasting in neutral – 3%

You can read the full article on the AA web site.

There has been a lot of news in the press over the last few months warning people against Unscrupulous driving instructor schools which are taking advantage of people who have been made redundant or have been hit hard by the recession.

They promote themselves and talk about all the great money you could get when (IF) you qualify, but the costs of taking the course(s) can be very very high and if the stats are to be believed then the number of people taking driving lessons is actually falling.   So your paying thousands for a course that you have no guarantee of passing, to enter a market which is highly saturated and in decline at the moment.  If anyone is making outrageous claims or guarantees make sure you get it in writing and if they wont then think about why they refuse to do it, probably because they know they cant guarantee it.

So make sure you do your homework, dont believe the hype and remember google is your friend.

A woman from North Korea has been reported to have failed her driving test 775 times  (yes that’s seven hundred and seventy five times).

The 68-year-old woman from South Korea called Cha has been trying to pass her driving test and get a drivers license since 2005.

The written portion of the exam requires a 60% score to pass, but Cha has not quite hit the mark yet.

Despite the huge amount of money she has spent on test fees (which equates to approx £5,000) she is still determined to pass her test.

A man was sentenced today at Stoke Crown Court for pretending to be an approved driving instructor and in the process conning thousands of pounds from various learner drives.

The man advertised his illegal driving lesson service form his wife’s hairdressing salon, his vehicle speared genuine with a a top box on his car and controls inside his.  He coned candidates into believing he was a qualified driving instructor.

The fraudulent activieties of the illegal driving instructor were investgated by the Plolice and the DSA which eventualy lead to his arrest in May 2008.

Judge Paul Glenn sentenced the man to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months after he pleased guilty, he was also banned from driving.

If you think that your driving instructor may be teaching you illegally then you can contact the DSA Fraud & Integrity Team on 02920 581155 or  integrity.team@dsa.gsi.gov.uk

A man was sentenced to 15 months in prison following a long investigation by the DSA (Driving Standards Agency).

The man in question was sentenced at Luton Crown Court, at a previous hearing the court had heard that he had taken over 40 theory driving test impersonations.

Four of the people who should have taken the test but instead had the man take them also appeared in court and were convicted on charges of conspiracy receiving 2 months imprisonment each.

It is hoped that the imprisonment of the fraudsters will act as a deterrent to anyone else who tries to conduct impersonations at driving tests.

Andrew Rice the Head of Fraud and Integrity Team at DSA said: “People who impersonate driving tests present a real risk to all road users as they provide an entitlement to drive to those who have not been assessed to show that they are competent to do so“.

“The DSA investigates all cases of suspected impersonation and we are working closely with the police and the courts to track down offenders and bring them to justice.”

Aviva the company that owns Norwich Union has sold the British School of Motoring (BSM), the largest national driving school, the sale comes as Aviva reviews ots non-core businesses.

BSM including all of its subsidiaries, which are reported to have assets of £36m have been bought by the German company Arques Industries.

Chad Kroeger the lead singer Nickelback was caught dunk and driving in 2006 and was then charged with driving under the influance in 2008.

The lead singers blood alcohol content was found to be nearly double the legal limit when police pulled him over, he was pulled over after he was seen driving his Lamborghini at around 100 miles per hour.

He was given a one year ban from driving and fined, however the singer appealed against the conviction ,  claiming that his rights had been violated by the arresting officer who was said forced the star to blow in his face because he could smell alcohol on his breath.by

However, since the singer launching his appeal, a similar case has been abandoned by the Appeal Court, which in turn rendered his case obsolete.

Each year the Police make a big effort to stop as many drink drivers as they can during the Christmas period. This year has been no different, reports are saying that more than 110 drivers being arrested on suspicion of drink-driving since 1 December by the Avon and Somerset police force.

The Police in the Avon and Somerset area have been carrying out roadside checks in drink driving hot spots.

Although the “Don’t drink and drive” message and enforcement is in place all year around, the Police need to have a much more focused approach to the problem during the festive season.

The drivers which were arrested, had tested positive to a breath test , some drivers were also arrested because they failed or refused to take the breathalyser test.

Related news on breath tests for drivers

There are a few ways you can book your theory test, the main 2 are booking online and booking over the phone.

Booking your theory test online

To book your theory test online you’ll need:

1. a valid UK driving licence
2. a valid debit or credit card to pay for the test

If you wish to book your theory test online click here

Booking your theory test over the phone

To book a theory test over the phone you will need:

1. a valid UK driving licence
2. a valid debit or credit card to pay for the test

To book your theory test over the phone please call the theory test booking line(s) listed below.

Theory test booking line – 0300 200 1122

Welsh language booking line – 0300 200 1133

The standard fee for car or motorcycle theory driving test is  £30 (price from 1st April 2008 and correct at time of publication.

If you are looking for a list of other theory driving test fees you can see a list at Theory Test Booking Fees.