News – Veygo

Warning over illegal driving instructors

Sean O'Neill — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 15:38:10 +0000

Warning over illegal driving instructors as long waiting lists for lessons continues

Pent up demand for driving lessons and tests during the pandemic means learner drivers continue to face long waiting times before they can get behind the wheel.

In fact, 66% of instructors say driving test waiting lists haven’t reduced at all over recent months, according to a survey by Young Driver.

In 2021/22, there were 38,839 approved driving instructors in Great Britain. The number of registered driving teachers has fallen year-on-year consecutively since 2011/12 when there were over 46,000, meaning demand often outstrips supply.

James Armstrong, CEO of learner-driver insurer Veygo has warned that ongoing delays and the scramble to find available driving instructors could mean young people sign up with illegal instructors who are not approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

According to exclusive data obtained by Veygo via a Freedom of Information request, the DVSA has received 323 reports of illegal driving instructors over the past five years. And it’s likely many more go unreported.

Over the same time, almost 1,000 driving instructors were removed from the DVSA’s approved register for not attending standards checks, poor standards check performance or not meeting ‘fit and proper’ reasons.

What are the risks to learner drivers?

Section 123 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 states driving instruction for payment can only be given legally by registered or licensed persons.

There are two types of licensed driving instructors – a Potential Driving Instructor (PDI) who will display a pink badge and an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) who will display a green badge. Both can legally teach you how to drive after passing tests of their own.

Anyone can get hold of vehicle branding, a roof sign and dual controls that makes them look like a legitimate driving instructor. They may have previous experience as an approved instructor or have never been through any professional training. Both types of unregistered driving instructors are breaking the law.

Learner drivers taking lessons from unlicensed driving instructors face several risks. They may miss out on key driving skills due to low quality teaching, or from adequate insurance protection in the case of accident or injury behind the wheel.

An illegal instructor will also not have a valid CRB check and therefore may have a criminal record, putting your personal safety at risk.

There are also no guarantees that the vehicle you’re learning to drive in is roadworthy or safe. Finally, even if you complete your lessons, your practical test could be cancelled on the day when appropriate checks are run, unfairly penalising you.

How to avoid illegal driving instructors

Always use trusted online sources when researching driving schools or instructors and never rely on word of mouth or social media pages without carrying out your own checks
Visit the DVSA’s online directory of approved driving instructors to find those local to you. If a driving school or instructor isn’t listed on the directory (it isn’t compulsory) you should contact the DVSA directly with their name and ADI number. If a PDI is teaching you to drive, that’s perfectly normal as it means they are actively working their way towards taking their final test to obtain their ADI licence
Before getting into an instructor’s vehicle check that they are displaying a valid pink or green badge with their name, a head shot, date of expiry and a unique instructor number. If an instructor is replaced or covered for a session due to illness or holiday, make sure to repeat your checks
Never get sucked in by cheap lessons or special offers. If the price is too good to be true, based on research on costs in your local area, then it probably is.
Always report any suspicions directly to the DVSA here.

One final way to ensure you’re not learning with an ilegal driving instructor is to sign up for Veygo learner driver insurance, it allows you to get behind the wheel with a friend or family member and practice with them.

Get a quote

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How to Reduce Fuel Consumption

Sean O'Neill — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 10:02:09 +0000

How to reduce fuel consumption

With the price of petrol and diesel soaring, it’s a good time to cut down on your fuel consumption. So, how can you make sure you’re not burning through the juice? Here are Veygo’s top tips for reducing your fuel consumption, and saving money into the bargain.

Why is reducing fuel consumption important?

The eye-watering cost of fuel is a big factor here. GOV.UK figures show that, in October 2021, the average price of unleaded petrol in the UK was 137.66p/litre[1]. By the start of April 2022, this had jumped to 161.91p/litre[2]. So using less fuel should put less of a strain on your finances. Burning less fuel also means less pollution, which is ultimately better for everyone’s health, and for the environment. Win-win!

Plan your journeys

It sounds simple… And it is! Spending a bit of time planning your journeys before you set off is a great way to save on fuel, time and stress. Working out the most efficient route and avoiding rush-hour traffic is the most fuel-efficient way to get from A to B.

To take your planning to a pro level, try to avoid roadworks, routes with excessive stop-start driving (such as streets with lots of traffic lights), and passing schools at pick-up and drop-off times. Make sure you always set off in plenty of time, to avoid being in a rush and getting flustered. It’s easier to make mistakes when you’re stressed, so make sure you’re nice and relaxed.

Keep on top of your car maintenance

Keeping your car in tip-top condition is a good idea for a number of reasons… And fuel consumption is high up the list.

Keeping your tyres pumped up to the optimum pressure is the best tip we have in this regard. According to car repair website Protyre, it’s estimated that tyres lose pressure at a rate of about 1-3 PSI (pound per square inch) each month. This happens naturally due to permeation of air.. But this could be more if you have a slow puncture.

If tyres aren’t at their recommended PSI, they become misshapen, leading to more friction from the road. In addition to being bad for the tyres, this means you’re using more fuel to keep the wheels running smoothly.

You can find your ideal tyre pressure in the car’s manual. And most cars have a sticker with the optimum PSI, which can usually be found inside the driver’s side door.

To find out how to keep your car in good shape, check out our essential car maintenance checklist.

Get your car serviced regularly

Another way of keeping your car well maintained is to make sure it’s serviced regularly. Making sure your engine oil and spark plugs are well looked after will keep your engine in good working order, and maximise your miles per gallon (MPG).The rule of thumb here is to get your car serviced annually, or every 12,000 miles – whichever comes first. This is what’s recommended by most car manufacturers.

To save money on getting your car serviced, check out what local deals are available on sites like Groupon. This way you’re making sure your money goes even further.

Lighten your load

The more weight you’re carrying in your car, the more fuel you’ll burn. While it’s advisable to keep a few essentials in there – such as screenwash and a bottle of water – carrying around all of your kit at all times will mean you’re paying more regularly at the pump.

With this in mind, declutter your car regularly, and only take what you need for the journey you’re making

Keep your driving smooth

Your driving style has a surprising effect on your fuel economy. Speeding and accelerating sharply means revving your engine excessively, which is a drain on your fuel. On the other hand, harsh braking also has a detrimental effect on your car’s MPG. To avoid this, try to drive smoothly, and keep a good distance between yourself and other road users to minimise any evasive action.

Both in terms of safety and fuel consumption, it’s a good idea to practise defensive driving. Find out about the principles of defensive driving here.

Share car journeys

If one of your main journeys is driving to work and back, or maybe even the school run, try and set up a lift sharing group. The idea of lift sharing is people take it in turns to drive a regular route, it may mean adding a few extra minutes to your journey each time to pick up participants, but could potentially save you driving up to 4 times a week.

In the context of driving lessons, perhaps get some learner driver insurance and perhaps use the morning or evening commute as extra practice, so you’re not going out of your way to take a lesson or get some valued experience behind the wheel.

On the other hand, temporary car insurance is a great way to share the load driving, if you and a friend, or a family member want to go to two different places but don’t want to have to drive to both, pick up some short term cover and take the same car to both destinations!

With car sharing and saving fuel in mind, if you are looking to get some temporary car insurance or some learner driver insurance, hit the button to find a quote!

Get a quote

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Discount insurance when you’ve passed your driving test

Simon Jones — Fri, 23 Mar 2018 16:54:06 +0000

Congratulations on passing your driving test

Give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve done us all proud.

We believe that actions speak louder than words, which is why we want to give you a little something to say well done for passing your driving test. So, if you’re looking for Veygo discount insurance, you’ve come to the right place. If you’re one of our learner driver insurance customers, you’ll get 10% off our temporary car insurance when you pass your test.

If you’re looking for gift inspiration yourself, check out our 10 gift ideas for new drivers.

Discount insurance

You’ll be able to get the discount insurance for 12 whole months from the date you tell us you’ve passed your driving test. So even if you passed your driving test in March but you tell us in April, your year starts from then. That’s a fair bit of money saved on temporary car insurance. Who doesn’t love a discount?

Veygo discount code

You won’t need a code to receive the discount because we’ll automatically apply it to all your insurance policies during the 12 months. As you might’ve guessed, the Veygo discount only applies to you if you’ve used our learner driver insurance, so come and grab some insurance from us whilst you’re learning to drive.

Temporary car insurance

Buying a car and then buying yearly insurance can hit the wallet hard when you’re a new driver. Using temporary car insurance is a convenient and affordable way to drive after passing your test, even if you don’t have your own car.

You can use our temporary car insurance to borrow a friend or family member’s car from 1 hour to 60 days. Just like our learner driver insurance, it’s completely flexible and you can just pay for the time you need. You can also get temp insurance for your own car. If you’re interested in buying your own car now you’ve passed, check out our article on keeping the costs of buying a car down.

Change your license type

Once you pass your driving test, your learner insurance is no longer valid so it’s a good idea to cancel it. If your policy is shorter than 30 days, drop us a line at contact@veygo.com to cancel. As a congrats from us, you’ll get any remaining credit to use on temporary insurance, so you can carry on driving!

If you start a new quote, you’ll get the option to change your license to full as you go through. If you need a bit more information on upgrading your license and underwriting’s criteria for temporary car insurance on your own car, check out our help centre article.

Getting a quote for our temporary car insurance won’t take more than five minutes, and cover can start as soon as your payment is processed. Enjoy your discount... you’ve earned it.

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