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Embargoed until 00:01 22 Sept 2009 - DSA launches online video channel

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 21 September 2009

DSA launches online video channel

* Are You Ready? DVD available on YouTube

* Latest footage to help learners

* Available for free use on other sites

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has today announced the launch of its own video sharing channel on YouTube.

DSA has joined YouTube to publish official road safety videos on the world’s largest video sharing service, with over 100 million videos viewed every day.

Nick Carter, DSA’s Director of Strategy & Performance, said: “Using YouTube will let DSA reach a wider audience than ever before – we want to talk to our audiences on the platfortms we know they use.

“By putting our videos on YouTube, we’re catering for the growing number of people whose first choice to find information is to go online.”

Visitors to the DSA channel can embed video content directly into their own websites or blogs, put it into forums, share it by email, and even link to it through social networking sites such as Facebook.

The channel – youtube.com/dsagov – is being used to post road safety videos which offer advice to test candidates and other road users.

Content so far includes videos of the modular motorcycle test and the Are You Ready? films for car and motorcycle candidates. During testing, it was viewed more than 42,000 times by users.

There is also an example of the new case study questions being introduced into the theory test from 28 September.

Are You Ready? is currently sent in DVD form to all candidates booking a theory test. The intention is that production of the DVD will be scaled down as more customers view it online. It will remain available on DVD on request.

DSA’s use of social media also includes a popular Twitter feed.

* Nick Carter is available for interview on Tuesday 22 September. To request an interview, contact John Atkin, Head of Media.

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

DSA on Twitter

Ref 53-09


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. Information on road casualties is available from dft.gov.uk
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. DSA was one of the first Government agencies to introduce an online booking service at direct.gov.uk/drivingtest

Contacts:

NDS Enquiries
Phone: For enquiries please contact the above department
ndsenquiries@coi.gsi.gov.uk

John Atkin
Phone: 0115 936 6133
john.atkin@dsa.gsi.gov.uk