Not checking the mirrors, speeding, driving one handed, blaming others for their mistakes.

These are just some of the recent findings from a study of newly qualified drivers, who were questioned about the bad driving habits of there parents.

Just to clarify a point that we have had a few e-mails regarding. Yes as of February of this year, the AA had brought out BSM (British School of Motoring) for just £1.

Today both sides said that business would continue as usual for learners. BSM and the AA Driving School will continue to operate as separate brands, but both will be under the umbrella of the AA's parent company, Acromas, which also owns SAGA

The BSM driving school is believed to have been struggling since a £10million management buyout in November 2009. It went into administration after plans to expand the number of driving instructors to 3,000 collapsed. BSM has 135 employees at its Bristol HQ and a further 145 at 71 UK centres, providing support to the franchised instructors.

Infact since the previous takeover, some 600 driving instructors had left BSM to find work elsewhere.

So in the last 12 months both RED Driving School and BSM have in effect gone out of business.

For young people who are learning to drive, now the snow has cleared, many are starting their driving lessons again. However now they face another hazard that is just as bad as the snow.

Some driving tests may be affected by winter weather over the next few days.

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) doesn't conduct practical driving tests in adverse weather conditions, for example when the roads are icy. This is for the safety of both the person taking the test and the examiner.

If you're due to take your practical test, follow the advice given on your appointment email or letter. Call your test centre only if there is snow or ice in your local area on the day of your test.

When to phone your test centre
It's best to phone your test centre around two hours before your test is due to start. This is because conditions on the roads may improve during the day, and driving tests can then go ahead.

If your test is early in the morning, call as soon as you can on the day. If you call the day before, the test centre won't be able to tell you if your test will go ahead.

If your test is in the afternoon, call the test centre later in the morning. The test centre is more likely to know if the roads will be suitable for your test.

If nobody answers the phone, and the conditions in your area aren't looking too bad, it's likely that the driving examiners are out:

• checking the local roads to see if driving tests can go ahead
  
  
• taking driving tests because the conditions are suitable

However, this isn't a guarantee that your test will go ahead. Please call the test centre again or go there in time for your test.

If your test cannot go ahead
If your practical driving test is cancelled another appointment will be arranged automatically at no further cost. However, the DSA don't pay any out-of-pocket expenses.

A new appointment date is usually sent within three working days. This may take up to seven days when there's a period of prolonged bad weather.

If your test hasn't been rebooked at that time, you should call our customer service centre

Plans to trial a new, single, on-road motorcycle test were published today by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

The report from the motorcycle test review is the result of work the department has undertaken with motorcycle groups, training organisations and others since June 2010.

Mike Penning said:

“I want to make sure that we have a test which prepares bikers properly for the road so the motorcycle test review is a top priority for me.

"My goal has always been a single, on-road test which is rigorous and reflects real-life conditions. By working with the motorcycle training industry and others we have identified a set of changes which have the potential to deliver this.

"It is also my aim that these changes will open up the test to those living in areas which are poorly served by the current network of-off road test centres.

"I am grateful to all those who have given their time and expertise to the review and the focus will now be on starting trials of these proposals."

The test is currently carried out in two parts, one on-road and one off-road.

The report suggests a new hazard avoidance manoeuvre which – subject to further trialling - could be carried out on the road. There is also a proposal which will be given further consideration, that slow manoeuvres such as slalom, figure of eight, and U turn could be examined at training centres by delegated examiners ahead of the main test.

The next step will be to hold wider trials, with test-level candidates, in the new year. This process will be followed by public consultation on the proposed changes.

The Department for Transport hopes, subject to further work on safety, cost and value for money, that there would be a phased introduction of on-road testing moving to general adoption of the new test by the end of 2011 or early 2012. This will include on-road testing in priority areas which are poorly served by the current network of off road test centres.