Grantham Driving School

17/09/2026

🚗 GDS WEEKLY DRIVING UPDATE

🔄 NEW BEACON ROAD ROUNDABOUT – GRANTHAM

This week we’re looking at a roundabout that many Grantham learners will recognise — the junction connecting New Beacon Road, Harrowby Lane and Uplands Drive.

It may not be one of Grantham’s biggest roundabouts, but it is a very useful place for learners to practise planning, observation, positioning and making safe decisions.

When approaching this roundabout:

🔹 Slow down early and give yourself time to assess what is happening.

🔹 Check your mirrors before changing speed or position.

🔹 Look for the road signs and markings rather than simply following the vehicle in front.

🔹 Choose your position early for the direction you intend to take.

🔹 Give priority to traffic already on the roundabout approaching from your right.

🔹 Keep looking. Don't make one observation and then assume the situation hasn't changed.

🔹 Don't rush because somebody is waiting behind you. Move when you can see that it is safe.

🔹 Signal correctly, remembering that your signal should help other road users understand what you intend to do.

👀 THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL – LOOKING AHEAD

Good roundabout driving isn't just about steering and signalling.

I teach pupils to start gathering information well before they reach the give-way line.

Ask yourself:

Where is the traffic coming from?
Where is it going?
Is there genuinely a safe opportunity for me to enter?
What might change before I get there?

The earlier you observe and plan, the less likely you are to arrive at the roundabout and suddenly have to make a rushed decision.

⚠️ DON'T JUST FOLLOW THE CAR IN FRONT

This is something I regularly remind learners about.

The vehicle ahead may have enough time to enter the roundabout — that doesn't automatically mean you do.

Make your own observation and your own decision.

That's an important part of becoming an independent driver.

🚘 PRACTISE UNTIL IT BECOMES NATURAL

Roundabouts become much easier when learners stop treating them as a manoeuvre that has to be memorised and start learning to read the traffic situation for themselves.

That's why I don't simply teach pupils how to get through a particular Grantham roundabout for their driving test.

I want them to understand why they are doing something so they can apply the same skills to roundabouts they have never seen before.

That's the difference between learning simply to pass a test and learning to become a safe, independent driver for life.

Grantham Driving School

Patient • Experienced • Trusted

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Teaching your family for over 25 years.

14/09/2026

🚗 GDS MARKETING MONDAY

🚗 THINK YOU'RE READY FOR YOUR DRIVING TEST?

Being able to drive around doesn't necessarily mean you're ready to pass a driving test.

A learner who is genuinely test-ready should be able to drive independently and safely without their instructor constantly helping them.

That means dealing confidently with:
✔️ Roundabouts and junctions
✔️ Meeting traffic
✔️ Dual carriageways and faster roads
✔️ Manoeuvres
✔️ Changing road and traffic conditions
✔️ Making safe decisions without being prompted

With driving tests still difficult to obtain, there's little benefit in rushing to use that valuable appointment before you're ready.

The DVSA has also tightened the booking rules during 2026. Learners now have to book and manage their own car test, and an existing booking can normally only be changed twice. GOV.UK

At Grantham Driving School, my aim has never been simply to teach somebody how to get through a driving test.

It's to develop a safe, confident and independent driver for life.
Patient • Experienced • Trusted

07/09/2026

🚗 GDS THEORY TEST – CPR & AED: WOULD YOU KNOW THE ANSWERS?

1️⃣ An adult casualty isn't breathing. How deep should you press their chest when giving CPR?
✅ 5–6 cm
This is one of DVSA's published example questions. GOV.UK

2️⃣ Who can use a public-access AED (defibrillator)?
✅ Everyone.
You don't need to be a doctor, paramedic or trained first aider. This is also an official DVSA example. GOV.UK

3️⃣ Where should your hands be positioned for adult CPR?
✅ In the centre of the chest. GOV.UK

4️⃣ How quickly should you perform chest compressions?
✅ 100–120 compressions per minute — roughly twice a second. Resuscitation Council UK

5️⃣ Someone is unresponsive and isn't breathing normally. What should you do?
✅ Call 999 and start CPR. Get an AED as quickly as possible. Resuscitation Council UK

6️⃣ If you're trained to give rescue breaths, what's the CPR ratio?
✅ 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths. Resuscitation Council UK

7️⃣ You've found an AED. Do you need to know how to operate it beforehand?
✅ No. Switch it on and follow its spoken/visual instructions. Public-access AEDs are designed so people with little or no training can use them. Resuscitation Council UK

8️⃣ Could an AED accidentally shock someone who doesn't need it?
✅ The AED analyses the person's heart rhythm and will only permit/deliver a shock when required. Resuscitation Council UK

9️⃣ Where can you find the nearest AED in an emergency?
✅ Call 999. The ambulance service can direct you to the nearest accessible registered AED. Resuscitation Council UK

🔟 How long should you continue CPR?
✅ Continue until the person shows signs of life, professional help takes over, or it becomes necessary to stop. Follow the AED and 999 call-handler instructions throughout. Resuscitation Council UK

❤️ WHY ARE LEARNER DRIVERS BEING TAUGHT THIS?

Drivers may be among the first people to arrive at a road collision or roadside medical emergency. DVSA says that for every minute cardiac arrest continues without CPR and defibrillation, the person's chance of survival can fall by up to 10%. GOV.UK

Kevin's Tip:

Passing your theory test is important — but remembering this information afterwards could actually help you save someone's life.

❤️ WHY HAS CPR & AED TRAINING BEEN ADDED TO THE THEORY TEST?

From 2026, the DVSA expanded the first-aid section of the driving theory test to include more CPR knowledge and, for the first time, questions about using an AED (defibrillator). GOV.UK

Why?

🚗 Drivers may be among the first people at an emergency.

❤️ More than 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the UK each year, and fewer than 1 in 10 people survive.
GOV.UK

⚡ When CPR is started and a defibrillator is used within 3–5 minutes, survival rates can be dramatically higher.
GOV.UK

That's why I think this is one of the most worthwhile additions ever made to the Theory Test.

🆓 YOU CAN LEARN CPR FOR FREE
You don't have to pay for a first-aid course just to learn these lifesaving basics.

The British Heart Foundation provides RevivR, a completely FREE interactive course that takes around 15 minutes. All you need is a phone or tablet and a cushion to practise on. It teaches you how to recognise cardiac arrest, make a 999 call, perform CPR and use a defibrillator.
British Heart Foundation

Learn CPR free with the British Heart Foundation RevivR

Learners can also look out for Restart a Heart events and community CPR sessions. The initiative is supported by organisations including Resuscitation Council UK, British Heart Foundation, British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and NHS England.
British Heart Foundation

For younger learners, CPR is also now part of the secondary-school curriculum, although provision can vary between schools.
British Heart Foundation

My advice to every learner:
Don't learn these answers simply because they might appear on your Theory Test.
Learn them because one day you might actually need them.
Fifteen minutes learning CPR could give you the knowledge and confidence to save someone's life. ❤️

Grantham Driving School
Patient • Experienced • Trusted
📞 07734 049978

31/08/2026

🚗 GDS WEEKLY DRIVING UPDATE — 31 AUGUST 2026

This week's topic: DON'T BOOK YOUR DRIVING TEST BEFORE YOU'RE READY

There's some very interesting news from DVSA this week, and I think it's particularly relevant to learners.

DVSA says 197,295 driving tests were carried out in July 2026 — the highest monthly number ever recorded. That's 26,452 more tests than July last year.

But despite that record number, the median waiting time for learners who took a test in July was still 11.1 weeks.
GOV.UK

So my message this week is simple:

A long wait for a test is frustrating — but don't let it persuade you to take a test before you're ready.

- 🚦 Book with a realistic target in mind. DVSA now says learners should speak to their instructor and agree they're ready before booking. GOV.UK

- 📅 You can now only make TWO changes to your car driving-test booking. GOV.UK

- 👤 Only the learner can book and manage their test. Instructors and third-party services can no longer do it for you. GOV.UK

- 📍 If you move your test to another centre, your choices are now restricted to the three nearest test centres to where your test is currently booked. GOV.UK

- ⏰ New appointments are released by DVSA at 6am every Monday, 24 weeks ahead. Earlier appointments caused by cancellations or extra examiner availability can appear at any time during the week. GOV.UK

⭐ Kevin's Tip

Don't make the driving test the target. Make being able to drive safely and independently the target.

When you can do that consistently, the test becomes simply an opportunity to demonstrate what you already know.

That's why at Grantham Driving School, I would rather tell a learner they're not quite ready yet than send them to a test simply because they've managed to obtain an appointment.

Learn properly. Drive independently. Pass when you're ready.

📞 Lessons & enquiries: 07734 049978
Grantham Driving School

Patient • Experienced • Trusted
Teaching safe independent drivers for life.

28/08/2026

DVSA has published a new appointment-information page stating that:

- Half of learners who took a test in **July 2026** waited **11.1 weeks or less** from booking to taking their test.

- New test appointments continue to be released **24 weeks ahead**, every Monday at 6am.

- Appointments are currently available up to **7 February 2027**.
[DVSA appointment and waiting-time update, 28 August 2026]

(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/driving-test-appointments-release-dates-and-finding-earlier-tests)

The important distinction is that **11.1 weeks is the median wait experienced by people who actually took a test in July**. It is not a promise that a learner booking today will find a date in 11.1 weeks; availability remains very different between test centres.

Found no official statement in the last seven days saying waiting times are definitively improving or worsening nationally. The next full official monthly availability and waiting-time release, covering August, is due on **9 September 2026**.

[DVSA statistics timetable](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency/about/statistics)

So the fair message to learners is: **there is a more encouraging official median figure for completed tests, but booking availability is still local and remains a challenge in many areas.**

27/08/2026

EMERGENCY STOP

🚨 Emergency Stop: Stay Calm, Stop Safely 🚨

The emergency stop is not about panic braking—it is about reacting quickly while staying in control.

✅ Wait for the examiner’s “STOP!” signal
✅ Brake firmly and keep the car under control
✅ Use the clutch as needed to prevent stalling
✅ Once stopped, secure the car
✅ Observe properly before moving off again

The examiner will only give the signal when they have checked it is safe. Do not anticipate it just because they look behind.

Remember: firm, controlled and calm beats frantic every time. Even your coffee should be wearing a seatbelt! ☕🚗

25/08/2026

🚗 SHOW ME, TELL ME: VEHICLE SAFETY QUESTIONS

You’ll be asked two vehicle-safety questions on your driving test:

• One “Tell Me” question before moving off
• One “Show Me” question while driving, when it is safe to do so

Remember: controls and under-bonnet locations vary between cars—practise these in your own lesson car.

TELL ME QUESTIONS

1. **How would you check the brakes are working before a journey?**
They should not feel spongy or slack. Test them as you move off and check that the car does not pull to one side.

2. **Where can you find the recommended tyre pressures, and how should they be checked?**
Use the manufacturer’s handbook or vehicle information. Check with a reliable gauge when tyres are cold; adjust if necessary, check the spare where fitted, and replace valve caps.

3. **How should the head restraint be adjusted?**
The rigid part should be at least as high as your eyes or the top of your ears, and as close to the back of your head as comfortably possible.

4. **How would you check tyre tread and condition?**
Check for cuts or bulges. The legal minimum tread is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre and around its full circumference.

5. **How would you check the headlights and tail lights work?**
Operate the lights, then walk around the vehicle to check them.

6. **How would you know if there was a problem with the anti-lock braking system (ABS)?**
The ABS warning light would stay on or illuminate to show a fault.

7. **How would you check the direction indicators work?**
Operate the indicators, then walk around the vehicle to check them.

8. **How would you check the brake lights work?**
Press the brake pedal and use reflections in windows or doors, or ask someone to help.

9. **How would you check the power-assisted steering works?**
With gentle pressure on the steering wheel, start the engine—you should feel a slight movement. Alternatively, steering should not feel heavy as you move off.

10. **How would you switch on the rear fog light, and when would you use it?**
Switch on dipped headlights if needed, operate the rear fog-light switch, and check the warning light. Use rear fog lights only when visibility is seriously reduced.

11. **How would you change dipped headlights to main beam?**
Operate the control and check the main-beam warning light on the dashboard.

12. **How would you check the engine oil level?**
Open the bonnet, identify the dipstick or oil-level indicator, and check that the oil is between the minimum and maximum marks.

13. **How would you check the engine coolant level?**
Open the bonnet, identify the coolant reservoir and its high/low markings, and explain how you would top it up to the correct level.

14. **How would you check the hydraulic brake-fluid level?**
Open the bonnet, identify the brake-fluid reservoir, and check that the level is between the high and low marks.

SHOW ME QUESTIONS

15. **When safe, show me how to wash and clean the rear windscreen.**
Use the rear wash/wipe control.

16. **When safe, show me how to wash and clean the front windscreen.**
Use the front wash/wipe control.

17. **When safe, show me how to switch on dipped headlights.**
Use the headlight control.

18. **When safe, show me how to switch on the rear demister.**
Use the rear-window demister button.

19. **When safe, show me how to operate the horn.**
Press the centre of the steering wheel.

20. **When safe, show me how to demist the front windscreen.**
Use the front demister control and adjust the fan/temperature if needed.

21. **When safe, show me how to open and close the side window.**
Use the electric window switch.

Practise these controls before your test so you can answer calmly and safely. ✅

23/08/2026

Parallel Parking: Step-by-Step Guide 🚗

Every car has slightly different reference points, so use these as a guide and practise them safely with your instructor.

**Step 1 – Position alongside the vehicle**
Pull up close and parallel to the target vehicle, roughly wing mirror to wing mirror. Use your chosen reference point: IN THIS CAR, YOUR SHOULDER SHOULD LINE UP WITH THE FRONT OF THE TARGET VEHICLE.

**Step 2 – Start reversing towards the kerb**
After effective all-round observations, select reverse and move very slowly using clutch control. Turn the steering a quarter turn to the left.

**Step 3 – Check your kerb reference**
Continue reversing until your rear nearside wheel is approximately 15 cm from the kerb. In the left mirror, the passenger door-handle reference should overlap the kerb, as shown.

**Step 4 – Steer into the space**
When you reach your reference point, take your foot off the brake and apply full right lock. Continue reversing slowly, keeping up your observations. Avoid holding the car still on full lock.

**Step 5 – Finish safely**
When the car is parallel with the kerb, check your left mirror to confirm your position. Stop, straighten the wheels, and ensure the car is safely parked.

Slow speed, accurate observation and good control are the keys to a smooth parallel park.

20/08/2026

19/08/2026

🚗 GDS Driving Skills #2

REVERSE BAY PARKING (RIGHT OR LEFT)

STEP 1 – Position

Position your car centrally between the parking bays on your left and right.
If there are no bays on one side, leave a gap approximately equal to the width of your car.
Stop when your right wing mirror lines up with the white line of a parking bay ahead of your chosen bay - your target bay is the next bay behind your marker bay.
Stop when your vehicle is correctly positioned.

💡 Instructor's Tip:

Good positioning at the start makes the whole manoeuvre much easier.

STEP 2 – Apply Full Steering Lock

Decide which bay you wish to reverse into.
While the car is stationary, turn the steering wheel fully towards your chosen bay. Full lock right for a bay on the right.
Full lock left for a bay on the left.

💡 Instructor's Tip:

CHECK YOUR BLINDSPOTS ON BOTH SIDES - Applying full steering lock before moving creates a smooth, controlled turning arc.

STEP 3 – Reverse Slowly

Carry out effective blind spot checks over both shoulders.

Check all around for pedestrians, cyclists and moving vehicles.
Reverse slowly using clutch control only (no accelerator on level ground).

Continue to look mainly through the rear window while keeping regular checks in both door mirrors.

💡 Instructor's Tip:

The slower the car moves, the more time you have to observe and make small corrections.

STEP 4 – Straighten the Steering

As the vehicle reaches approximately 90 degrees to the parking bay, you should see your car appearing equally spaced between the bay lines in both door mirrors.

Stop the car.

While stationary, smoothly unwind the steering wheel until the front wheels are straight.

As your confidence grows, this can be done while the car is moving very slowly.

💡 Instructor's Tip:

Using both mirrors together is one of the easiest ways to judge whether the car is centred.

STEP 5 – Reverse Into the Bay

Carry out blind spot checks over both shoulders before moving again.

Reverse slowly using clutch control only.

Continue straight back between the white bay lines.

Stop when the front of your car has crossed the front bay line and the vehicle is fully inside the parking space.

✔ Final Check
Before securing the vehicle, ask yourself:

✅ Am I centred between the white lines?
✅ Is there equal space on both sides?
✅ Are my wheels straight?
✅ Is the vehicle completely inside the bay?

If the answer is YES to all four, you've completed a successful reverse bay park.

STEP 6 – Secure the Vehicle
Stop the car.
Apply the handbrake.
Select Neutral (or Park if driving an automatic).

🚗 Moving Away Again

When your Driving Examiner asks you to leave the bay:

Carry out 360° observations.
Check both blind spots by looking over both shoulders.
Ensure it is safe before moving away.

Remember, the manoeuvre is not finished until you have driven away safely.

⭐ Kevin's Tip

"Reverse parking isn't about speed—it's about observation and control. If you're unsure, stop, think, and then continue."

Smooth. Slow. Accurate. Every time.