This makes good sense and is part of the DVSA 7-point plan to improve efficiencies and reduce test waiting times. The move to 10 working days allows a more effective and likely successful re-allocation of a cancelled test slot.

Seb Goldin, CEO of RED Driving School

“Young prospective drivers are highly motivated, and at RED Driver Training, driving instructors work hard to prepare them for their driving tests. Currently, there is a longer wait time to book tests, which in turn can prevent prospective drivers from learning to drive.

This newly introduced rule which will require learner drivers to give 10 full working days’ notice to change or cancel their car driving test without losing the test fee is a great step towards addressing these delays. It will allow those looking to get a licence to have the best chance possible of passing and ensure that they are not disappointed by further delays. We hope that this change will encourage students to book their test only once they feel fully ready, and maximise their chances of passing the first time

For more information contact: Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing at RED

For media/press enquiries please contact: red@thirdcity.co.uk

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We are delighted to announce a brand new partnership with TyreSafe.

This collaboration can only help improve road safety, particularly among new drivers embarking on their journeys as road users.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said “We are thrilled to partner with RED Driver Training, an organisation that shares our commitment to road safety and education. New drivers are at a crucial stage in forming safe driving habits, and through this partnership, we have an incredible opportunity to instil the importance of tyre safety from the very beginning of their journey on the roads. Together, we hope to create a generation of drivers who understand the vital role tyres play in road safety.”

Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing at RED Driver Training, said “At RED, our goal is to equip new drivers with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to stay safe on the roads, and tyre safety is an integral part of that. Joining forces with TyreSafe allows us to enhance our offering and emphasise the critical role tyres play in keeping drivers and passengers safe. We’re proud to be TyreSafe’s first consumer driver training supporter and look forward to working together to make a real difference. Our ‘Learn to Drive with RED’ app makes us more than just a normal driving ‘school’ and in co-operation with TyreSafe we are keen to explore the creation of collaborative video content and more.”

This partnership represents an exciting step forward in TyreSafe’s efforts to engage and educate younger and newer drivers. By joining forces with RED, TyreSafe continues to explore innovative ways to embed tyre safety as a fundamental aspect of road safety education.

Learn more about TyreSafe here.

For more information contact: Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing at RED

For media/press enquiries please contact: red@thirdcity.co.uk

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• The number of learners failing their theory test has grown in three years, with more people now passing their GCSE Maths exam (61%).
• One in five (20%) of those who failed their theory said they weren’t familiar enough with the rules of the road as they should have been.
• More than one in six (15%) admitted to winging their theory test as they thought it would be easy.
• RED Driver Training says more than £16 million¹ has been wasted in flunked theory tests since 2023.

More people now pass their GCSE Maths exam² (61%) than their driver theory test (45%) ³.
In 2023, 1.3 million people took the theory test, with over 590,000 (45%) managing to pass.
According to research from RED Driver Training, more than £16 million has been wasted in
flunked theory tests in the past year alone. Since 2007, the theory pass rate has steadily
declined with 65% likely to pass in 2007 compared to just 45% last year ⁴ .

The most common reason for failing was due to nervousness or anxiety (34%), followed by
one in five (20%) lacking familiarity with road rules. A further 15% admitted they chose to
‘wing it’ on the day, underestimating the difficulty of the theory test.

Busy lives are a contributing factor for those who failed their theory exam. One in seven
(14%) said they lacked sufficient time for revision while 39% of those who didn’t pass on the
first try devoted less than five hours to preparation. RED Driver Training suggests that
successful candidates should aim for daily revision using the theory app for a period of at
least two months before attempting the theory test.

For the learners who have failed, honesty seems to be thrown out the window as 42% who
didn’t pass kept it hidden from anyone outside of their immediate family and one in eight
(12%) didn’t tell anyone at all.

The data also shows millennials and gen-zs’ prefer to use mobile phone apps (51%) and
practice tests (51%) to revise which is exactly why RED Driver Training has introduced the

“RED Complete Driving Theory” App, available on subscription for download on the App
Store and Google Play.

In addition, RED has also developed the fuller “Learn to Drive with RED” App free to all
learner customers. The App provides support across the complete journey from applying for
a provisional licence to booking and getting progress updates on driving lessons with a RED
instructor.

For more information about RED Driver Training and the RED Apps, please visit the website home page www.reddrivingschool.com.

Resources & References

¹ 711,098 people failed their test in 2023 at a cost of £23 per test at a collective cost of £16,355,254
² UK GOV – GCSE English and maths results As of August 2023, 61 per cent of GCSE entries
secured a pass, compared with 64.9 per cent in 2022 and 59.6 per cent in 2019
³ DVSA – Car theory test data by test centre
⁴ DVSA

The post More people now pass GCSE maths than driver theory test appeared first on RED Driving School.

In the last six months a record breaking 1,484 “5-Star” customer reviews were posted on Trust Pilot – making RED the most reviewed driving school in the country.

These wonderful reviews elevated RED’s “Trust Score” to a new high of 4.7 out of a maximum 5 – which underpins RED’s position as the best brand in the driver training sector.

Well done to the 235 RED  Instructors who were named in at least one 5-Star review who are shown below as our “Stars of 2023”

East Midlands

East of England

Greater London

North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber

North West England

Scotland

South East England

South West England

Wales

West Midlands

The post RED Driving Instructor of the Year – Stars of 2023 appeared first on RED Driving School.

• 220 RED Instructors achieved a 5-Star customer review
• More than 1,000 5-Star reviews were posted in the campaign period
• Securing RED’s position as the most reviewed driving school in the country with a Trust Score of 4.5 out of a maximum 5.

The stars of the campaign are shown below

East Midlands

East of England

Greater London

North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber

North West England

Scotland

South East England

South West England

Wales

West Midlands

The post RED Driving Instructor of the Year – Stars of 2022 appeared first on RED Driving School.

The car used for the challenge was a Vauxhall Motors Ltd Corsa Elite which has a 1.2 litre petrol engine and the set route encompassed urban, rural and high-speed roads.

Representing Esso, Guinness World Record holder Kevin Booker – one of the most successful hypermilers in the UK, alongside RED’s top trainer Iain West-Moore, shared tips that achieved an average of 19.3% higher yield than the MPG achieved by untrained drivers on the same route.

This equates to a fuel efficiency gain which could save thousands of pounds for businesses. We offer a range of fuel-saving courses for businesses, large or small. Find out more here

The post RED Driving Instructors take part in Esso MPG challenge appeared first on RED Driving School.

Splink Industries is the creator of the James May Theory App which was launched in 2019 in partnership with the motoring presenter of BBC’s Top Gear and Amazon’s Grand Tour. The James May Theory App has a large and growing number of customers who value the app’s unique and structured approach to theory test training, making this the highest-rated app in the driver training sector on the Apple and Google stores.

In 2021/2022 the DVSA conducted 2.46 million theory tests in the UK, a run-rate which has continued into 2023 and there’s an increasing consumer appetite to prepare and practice for the theory test using a mobile training App.

With over 1,600 driving instructors, RED Driving School operates throughout England, Scotland and Wales with significant market presence and visibility. The Company is headquartered in Billingham, County Durham and has won numerous awards such as the 2022 “National Driving School of the Year” and Feefo’s 2023 “Platinum Trusted Service Award” for customer service excellence. Through its Corporate Driver Training division RED also has a sizeable share of the B2B driver training sector and was named winner in the Risk Management award category by Business Car magazine.

The acquisition forms part of the digital transformation of RED Driver Training giving the business an immediate and meaningful presence in the online training arena and will generate incremental revenue and additional new Learners for the Driving School.

The CEO of RED Driver Training is Seb Goldin, who has over 15 years leadership experience in Driver Education.

Seb Goldin commented “Moving into the Theory Test education space is a natural move for RED and will further cement our position as a leading Driver Education provider, adding immediate value for our customers and investors. The James May theory App is both highly rated and uniquely constructed to support our rapidly growing number of students.

Gus Colquhoun of Splink Industries said “Having developed the highest-rated Theory Test app over the course of the last two years, we’re delighted to be joining forces with RED, the largest driving school in the country. We’re very much looking forward to working with the RED team to develop further world-class digital driver training solutions.”

Ali Khanbhai, Partner and Co-Founder of Trimountain Partners remarked: “The acquisition of Splink is a strategic milestone for RED as we continue to broaden and further digitise our business, solidifying our presence in the wider B2C and B2B automotive education/training and content space, with a view to incrementally accelerating our growth. We are absolutely thrilled to have the Splink team join the RED family and look forward to building on the terrific foundation they’ve laid to-date.”
David Sherratt, founder and CEO of Ashridge Capital added: “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Splink, giving us a best-in-class driver theory App and cementing our position as the UK’s leading driver training business. We look forward to working with the team and leveraging our customer base to further develop the business.”

As part of the transaction, RED Driving School was advised on the buy-side by Porter Dobson and Jenson Solutions. Splink Industries was advised on the sell-side by Rockworth Partners and Sheridans.

Notes for editors

RED Driver Training
RED is one of the leading B2C and B2B driver training and education businesses and the largest driving school in the UK teaching in excess of 100,000 people to drive each year. More details can be found at www.reddrivingschool.com. Details of Its Corporate Driver Training business can be found at https://www.reddrivingschool.com/driver-risk-management/

Trimountain Partners
Trimountain Partners (www.trimountain.partners) is an established mid- market private equity firm focused on investing in fast-growing businesses in the broader business services, consumer and education sectors. Through its differentiated and flexible “partnership-style” investment approach, as well as its extensive experience and global networks in the sectors in which it invests, Trimountain seeks to partner with talented founder-owners, entrepreneurs and well-invested management teams in the UK, Continental Europe and North America, who are seeking the right partner to further accelerate the growth of their businesses organically and through acquisitions.

Ashridge Capital LLP
Ashridge Capital was established in 2009 by David Sherratt, formerly CEO of Kaupthing Capital Partners, and focuses on equity investments of £2-20m in growing, profitable and cash generative UK companies, with a generalist sector approach and a proactive focus on buy and build and roll- out investments in the healthcare, leisure, retail, I.T. and outsourcing sectors. For more information on Ashridge Capital, please visit: https://ashridgecapital.com

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Earlier this year, alongside our partners at Kwik Fit and Michelin, RED Driving School took part in some research to understand which areas – outside of the learning to drive process – in which learner and new drivers would benefit from some added advice. The results showed that car maintenance and MOTS are an area of uncertainty for many.

So much so, the survey found that 95% of respondents admit that they don’t perform basic checks between services and MOTs. The findings also revealed that almost a third (29%) of respondents wouldn’t be able to spot the signs of needing a brake replacement and over a quarter (27%) of respondents don’t know when their car is due a service. In addition to this, a significant portion of respondents (30%) didn’t know the difference between an MOT and a service.

As one of the largest independent automotive parts, repair and replacement specialists in the world, Kwik Fit has provided an easy guide to remembering the key differences between MOTs and services, and why frequent maintenance is important to car health.

Seb Goldin, CEO of RED Driving School comments, “The findings of the survey demonstrate not only an education gap, but a lack of desire to understand how to safely maintain a car which can prove both dangerous and more costly in the long run. It’s not news or groundbreaking to announce that cars require maintenance – but it is a little startling to understand that this isn’t a priority for new and learner drivers who rely so heavily on their cars to get around and enjoy the freedom that learning to drive brings.”

The research also revealed that the main reason for delaying maintenance work in between designated services is due to the financial imposition that this brings, demonstrating that new drivers are potentially endangering themselves due to monetary concerns as the cost of living crisis continues to impact the UK.

Richard Bezzant, Marketing Director UK & ROI, Michelin Tyre PLC comments, “Checking things like your tyre pressure, tread depth and overall tyre condition should be conducted regularly and always prior to an MOT. They are simple but effective steps in helping to ensure vehicle safety, fuel efficiency and tyre life.

“You can measure tread depth in a variety of ways, ideally with a tread depth gauge – or if not to hand, by inserting a twenty pence coin – the outer band of which can help indicate if the minimum legal UK tread depth of 1.6mm is met. Insert the coin into the grooves.. If the coin’s outer band disappears from view across at least three quarters of the tread, there is sufficient tyre tread depth remaining.”

Eric Smith, Group MOT Scheme Manager at Kwik Fit comments, “The cost of an MOT test is a relatively small proportion of a car’s annual running costs and considering the number of checks it covers, it is really good value. It becomes more costly if a car fails its test, but if drivers regularly check their vehicle and keep it well maintained, they can steer clear of nasty surprises at MOT time. Many common MOT failures, such as illegal tyres, faulty brakes or lights not working, can be avoided by drivers monitoring their vehicle’s condition throughout the year.”

For more information about the importance and differences between individual types of car maintenance, please visit the Kwik Fit website: 

• Servicing And MOT Check: Exactly What is the Difference?
• What is Included in a Car Service?
• What service do I need for my car?

The post Car maintenance, servicing and MOTs are a blind spot for new drivers appeared first on RED Driving School.

We know that the DVSA recommends that it takes an average of 45 hours of professional instruction and 22 hours of private practice to learn to drive, so RED’s learner car insurance will allow prospective and current students to gain additional practice outside of lessons to get through the driving test with confidence – whether it’s one day’s insurance or up to five months’ cover you’re looking for.

Practice outside of professional lessons in your own car, a parent or a friend’s can give additional confidence on top of the knowledge given by your RED instructor, opening up the opportunity to get on the road at different times of the day or week, helping to gain valuable on-road experience.

RED’s Learner Driver Insurance, powered by DayInsure, provides temporary car insurance for provisional driving licence holders – not just those learning with RED Driving School – to enable learners to practice driving in another car outside of professional lessons whilst being properly supervised. The insurance is flexible with short term policies starting from one day up to five months which means learners only pay for the cover they need, with no cancellation fee and a low excess of £250.

To learn more about RED Driving School’s learner insurance, please visit www.reddrivingschool.com/learner-driver-insurance to fill in the simple quote form.

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A huge part of our purpose is to ensure that our learner drivers feel safe, encouraged, and listened to. We therefore always welcome feedback, and last week we received our 5,000th learner review on TrustPilot. A brilliant feat and excitingly, 84% of these reviewers rate RED Driving School as “Excellent”.

Maisy was our number 5,000 who had been taught by RED Driving Instructor, John Hinton, and shared her experience which went further than just learning to drive, with plenty of laughs and enjoyment along the way too.

We’re incredibly proud of all RED Driving Instructors across the country who go the extra mile for our customers, every day. Our instructors and support team who focus on delivering exemplary service are a huge part of what awards us the “Best National Driving School” year after year.

The post RED Driving School receives 5,000 learner reviews – the first driving school in the UK to reach this milestone appeared first on RED Driving School.