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Supervising in small lorries and minibuses

News Release issued by the Government News Network on 10 July 2009

* Aim to increase road safety

* Clarification of rules

* Deadline day 6 April 2010

People who passed a car driving test before 1997 and want to supervise learners in some other categories of vehicle have until April 2010 to get the necessary new qualification.

The new rules apply to those who obtained their car licence before 1997 and who supervise learners in small lorries (category C1), minibuses (D1) or vehicle plus trailer combinations (C1+E or D1+E).

They have until 6 April next year to meet the relevant medical standards and pass the appropriate driving test if they want to continue supervising learners in those vehicles.

Drivers who passed before 1997 were given so-called “grandfather rights” to drive small lorries and minibuses. They will be able to continue driving these vehicles but will only be able to give tuition in them if they pass the test for the relevant category before 6 April 2010.

But drivers who do not pass the relevant driving test before then will have to wait three years from the date they do pass until they can supervise learner drivers.

Most instructors who provide professional training in driving small lorries and minibuses will not be affected by the change as they have already passed a driving test in a larger vehicle.

But a minority with ‘grandfather rights’ have been supervising learners without having the appropriate pass themselves.

Trevor Wedge, Great Britain’s Chief Driving Examiner, said: “In the interests of road safety, it is important that learners are supervised by people who have proved themselves capable of driving the vehicle in question.

“It was never the intention to allow learner drivers to be supervised on public roads unless they were with people who had proven experience of driving those vehicles."

* For further information or to request an interview, contact Chris Lee on 0115 936 6135 chris.lee@dsa.gsi.gov.uk

dsa.gov.uk | direct.gov.uk/motoring | businesslink.gov.uk/transport

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Notes to Editors:

1. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is one of the Executive Agencies that forms the Motoring and Freight Services (MFS) group, within the Department for Transport.

2. DSA’s vision is “Safe Driving for Life” with a mission to contribute towards the Government target of a 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road crashes, in the age group up to 24 years, by 2010.

3. The decision to introduce the proposal to clarify who may supervise learners driving small lorries and minibuses was announced on 19 February 2008 in our Response to Consultation Report for Improved Services for Customers and General Fee Increases for 2008. The report is on: dsa.gov.uk

4. Information on road casualties is available from dft.gov.uk

5. DSA promotes road safety through setting standards for drivers, riders and trainers, testing drivers and riders fairly and efficiently, maintaining the registers of Approved Driving Instructors; Large Goods Vehicle Instructors; Fleet Trainers; Driving Instructor Trainers and Post Test Motorcycle Trainers; supervising Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) for learner motorcyclists; and driver education and the provision of learning resources.

6. DSA is a trading fund with planned turnover of £199 million in 2009/10, largely funded through fees and revenue from other road safety initiatives. It delivers tests from over 400 practical driving test centres and 158 theory test centres.

7. DSA employs over 2,700 staff, of which some 2,000 are driving examiners. In 2008/09 DSA conducted 1.72 million practical car tests, 84,000 vocational tests and 105,000 motorcycle tests. A total of 1.5 million theory tests were carried out. At the end of the year there were around 44,768 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.

8. DSA was one of the first Government agencies to introduce an online booking service at direct.gov.uk/drivingtest