There is a website which can automatically check for driving test cancellations - for a reasonable fee.
This could prove invaluable for those desperate for a test date. In my limited experience, it does work.
www.drivingtestcancellations.co.uk

Lord AdonisIt has been announced today that instructors and drivers accompanying learners will not be made to sit in the back of the car during the driving test.

In a victory for common sense, Lord Adonis (Transport Minister) said that the new proposals "have been reversed to avoid unnecessary regulation"

The only relevant change is that the learner will be asked by the examiner at the start of their test whether they want their accompanying driver to sit in during the test.

Press coverage:
Daily Mail

Harriet HarmanIt has been widely reported in the press that Harriet Harman had a collision with a parked car - while using her mobile phone.
She allegedly told onlookers, "I'm Harriet Harman - you know where you can get hold of me," before leaving the scene.
It will be interesting to see how the police and legal system handle this offence. Will it be one rule for them, and another for us?
Read more about this in the press:

• Guardian
• Mirror
• Telegraph
• Daily Mail

The Driving Standards Agency are really getting up to date, and using Twitter and YouTube to keep us all better informed.

Their YouTube channel has several videos including "In the Driving Seat" (a fifteen minute drama, aimed at 15-16 year old pre-drivers) and "Are You Ready?" - advice for theory and practical test candidates.

And like Stephen Fry, Britney Spears, Jonathan Ross and Arnold Schwarzenegger (top 50 twitterers) the DSA are twittering all their latest news.

How long before you can book a test on twitter...

Gone are the days when you had five or ten lessons and passed your test. The roads are much busier, junctions and roundabouts more complex, and the test itself a lot harder. Learning to drive can be an expensive business!

Many learners take driving lessons with a qualified instructor, and practice in their own car. This can often be the ideal way to prepare for the driving test.

However, accompanying a learner can be a difficult experience. If you don't plan what you are both going to do, problems can arise.

Here are some top tips to keep both of you safe, happy, and on the straight and narrow:

A learner from Romford, Essex, passed her test with only five driving faults. Four hours later a fed up Cara Griffiths got a phone call from the DSA telling her that the test was invalid!

A DSA spkesman said:
"We apologise for what was a genuine mistake. The examiner missed out one of the manoeuvres which made the test illegal."
"We have offered a free re-test and will bring someone in especially for this so the candidate is not waiting weeks."
"We would like her to get in touch as soon as possible. We are very sorry and understand how disappointed she must be."

At the end of September, theory test candidates will have to read a "case study" and answer five questions on it.

The questions will stay the same, but will relate to the case study.

Here is an example of a case study:

Did you know that in September 2010 the DSA wants all learners taking their test to be accompanied by their driving instructor?

As an instructor, I sit in the back of my car on the majority of tests. This is helpful, especially if the candidate is unlucky enough to fail. But some learners don't want me there. It's their choice - at the moment.

I thought it was the first of April when I read about the boss of the British School of Motoring and his speeding offences.
Not because he had notched up an amazing 17 (yes SEVENTEEN) points on his licence.
Not because he had the audacity to refuse to tell police who was driving his car when caught speeding on camera.
Not even because he is the "Boss" of the UK's biggest driver training organisation.

A learner was left in the lurch when an examiner refused to conduct their driving test - because their car was filthy.

Read more here

The UK driving test was introduced in 1934, and made compulsory in 1935. How times have changed - look out for the driver flicking cigarette ash out of the window!

Reversing is so ... backward. It's always a worry. Follow these top ten tips and you should find it a bit easier!

10. Keep things in perspective. Sure, you might fail a test when reversing. But how much danger are you in when going back at one mile an hour - compared to driving at 70 mph? How about driving on a country road you don't know on a dark, rainy night. Think of reversing on test as an opportunity to take a little time out.
    

Love 'em or hate 'em, you just can't get away from roundabouts. If you're learning to drive, it's a safe bet that you will have one or two "moments" while figuring them out.
Here's some advice on how to stay safe and become confident:

In an effort to introduce "real world" driving to the driving test, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will introduce night time tests, by the beginning of April 2010 at the latest.