Alpha Driving School, Maidstone and Medway

Really happy for my last 5 students who have had their driving test in either Maidstone or Gillingham Test Centre. With 4 out of the 5 passing 1st time. Brilliant 😄😄

Had great results in past couple of weeks with 5 of my students passing their driving test, with 4 of them being on their 1st attempt 👍

Three more happy students passing their driving test with Alpha Driving School, Maidstone and Medway which will enable them to open up more opportunities for work and life.👍👍😃😃

On 6 May 2025 DVSA will begin a trial to increase the amount of time your pupils spend on higher speed roads, including rural roads, during a driving test.

DVSA know that rural roads are some of the most dangerous high-speed roads for novice drivers. The current killed or seriously injured statistics show 48% of casualties in young car driver collisions occur on rural roads, compared to 42% for other aged car driver collisions.

This trial aims to better replicate the challenging conditions your pupils face when they are novice drivers in the real world and help to improve road safety.

The trial will not change the content you need to teach your pupils or the length of time a driving test takes.

DVSA will contact learner drivers with a test booked at the trial sites to make them aware about the trial and reassure them that what they need to learn or will be tested on during their test will not change.

Details on the trial
The trial will run for 3 months from 6 May 2025 at 20 driving test centres (DTC) across Great Britain. These are:

Avonmouth, Bishopbriggs, Bolton, Cambridge, Cardiff, Dudley, Halifax, Hendon, Hereford, Hornchurch, Isleworth, Maidstone, Middlesbrough, Musselburgh, Norris Green, Norwich (Peachman Way), Nottingham (Chilwell), Oxford, Portsmouth, Wakefield.

Up to 4 examiners will take part in the trial from each of the DTCs above and will use updated routes that include three changes to the test

1. Reducing the amount of stops during the driving test from four to three. Currently, there are four stops on a driving test, which take place on lower risk roads with lower speed limits.

The need to find 4 slower speed areas to do these stops limits the distance that can be covered on a test, which impacts the number of high-speed roads that can be accessed.

Reducing the number of stops from 4 to 3 will allow flexibility for test routes to spend more time on higher speed roads, including rural roads.

2. Changing the frequency of carrying out an emergency stop (ES) from one in three driving tests to one in seven. Like the controlled stops, ES need to be done in lower speed areas which limits the distance that can be covered on tests. This again impacts on the number of high-speed roads that can be accessed on test.

Reducing the number of tests where an ES is done will increase the amount of time that can be spent on higher speed roads, including rural roads.

In addition to this, there has been no change to the frequency where an ES is done during a test since 1999. Since then, technology has improved, and the fitting of Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) became mandatory on new cars in 2004 - which have made cars much safer and less likely to skid.

3. Offer the flexibility to increase the time of the independent driving on the sat nav from 20 minutes currently, to the full duration of the test. Increasing the amount of time using a sat nav allows more time for the DE to test independent driving skills.

This makes the test more reflective of real life driving by providing situations that new drivers will face once they’ve passed.

Monitoring of the trial
Throughout the trial DVSA will continue to monitor the new routes and review the impact the changes are having on tests. Once the trial has finished, DVSA will be in touch again to updated on the success of the trial and next steps

When DVSA published their 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times on 18 December 2024, they confirmed that one of the actions would be to increase the short notice cancellation period.

They are increasing the short notice cancellation period for car driving tests from 3 clear working days to 10 clear working days. They intend to introduce this change on Tuesday 8 April 2025.

To do this, DVSA need to change legislation. This process was started today (Monday 17 March 2025) when a Statutory Instrument was laid before Parliament to change the rules. If Parliament approves the change, it will come into force from 8 April 2025.

This change only applies to car driving tests.

Telling your pupils about the change

They’re emailing everyone with a car driving test booking to tell them what their new deadline to change or cancel without losing the fee will be. Theses emails were being sent yesterday.

Please make sure that your pupils know about the change when you have your next lesson with them.

What happens next

DVSA will email you again on Tuesday 8 April 2025 to confirm that the change has come into force.

They’ll also email everyone with a car driving test booking again to tell them and remind them of their new deadline.

More information

On GOV.UK you can find more information about:

why the change is being introduced
how learner drivers can still apply for a refund if they are unwell or have had a bereavement
the current and new deadlines for any car driving tests taking place from 8 April to the end of June 2025, to help you through this change

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Happy student of Alpha Driving School, Maidstone and Medway who passed today 👍👍😂

A happy student, passed Thier driving test with Alpha Driving School, Maidstone and Medway

Another great result on a Alpha Driving School, Maidstone and Medway driving test yesterday 👍👍🎉🎉

Had a great few months since my return from Uganda with my family at the start of September, with a number of students passing their driving test, many at their 1st attempt.