Road pricing is being planned to help subsidise the cost of repairing a crumbling road system. There will be consequences when it comes to the driver training industry. Here we explore what the charges will mean to those who teach driving.
The current road system has a deteriorating surface and has fallen into a state of disrepair. An increase in the overall volume of traffic in the near future is good news for driver trainers as it secures work levels for the next few years. On the down side it will be more difficult to deliver appropriate lesson content on roads that are seriously congested.
The pricing for using certain roads is only a problem if an instructor cannot avoid use of that particular stretch of road. As these are mainly major connecting roads between cities it is doubtful that these will be included on test routes. These tolls are only an issue if an instructor lives in a rural area and needs to travel along them to work in a city. Paying this charge both ways day after day would prove expensive. These tolls may be paid for in advance through the internet or on mobile phones so there would not be toll booths which tend to increase journey times.
Much more serious would be the pay as you drive tolls which would require some form of surveillance device fitted to the vehicle. Driving instructors are very high mileage road users so the cost of this would be considerable. With fuel prices sky high there is no way an instructor could absorb these costs and would inevitably have to pass them on to pupils increasing the cost of lessons. It would be too complex to calculate the mileage for individual lessons so a blanket increase in price would be necessary. Road tax is to become more integrated with mileage so the more miles driven the more tax paid. Driving instructors have no choice but to drive to conduct their business so this would be a significant factor in the future pricing of lessons.
Sufficient funds need to be raised by the Government because more fuel efficient cars are leading to less fuel tax being paid leaving a hole in the budget. In order to maintain the road system it must attract private investment and obviously these investors would expect a good return from that investment. This income stream to pay back investors must come from road pricing. Driver trainers everywhere need to be aware of these future plans and get ready to restructure their prices in order to survive in the marketplace.
Driving Instruction Check Test Criteria – Risk Management
The test of continued fitness to instruct is changing for driving instructors in order to take a more client centred approach. This replaces a system which placed importance on fault finding and demands more direct pupil involvement. Risk management is a main topic in the new version of the test so let's take a look at this.
Teaching Roundabouts on Driving Lessons
Today's roads feature some very busy and complex roundabouts. Multi lane roundabouts with multiple junctions and tight mini roundabouts occur in close proximity to each other. These environments demand a wide range of driving skills. Let's look at what driver trainers need to teach regarding roundabouts.
What are Traffic Light Workshop Schemes?
When a motorist fails to stop at a red light they may opt to take a traffic light workshop course. This replaces endorsement points and a fine. The course is designed to make motorists aware of the danger of failing to stop at red traffic lights and hopefully change driver behaviour.
