Is Anyone Exempt From Taking a Driving Theory Test?

The theory test has over the past few years become a standard part of learning to drive, according to statistics; it has proven to be a positive introduction to the process of learning to drive. However, not everybody has to take the theory test in order to be entitled to further driving privileges.

UK License Holders

If a UK license holder wishes to upgrade to a higher category such as upgrading from a full automatic license to a manual car license, then they will not require to sit the theory exam, however, if a driver wishes to add a new category then they will have to do the entire course that category requires, including sitting the theory test. One such example is a driver with a full car license wishing to take their motorbike test.

Foreign License Holders

Holders of a driving license issued within the EEA countries are entitled to drive on their foreign license for as long as their driving permit is valid and their license must clearly state which categories the holder is entitled to drive.

Countries within the EEA are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Driving Licenses Issued in Countries Outside of the EEA

Drivers who have a driving license issued outside of the EEA may be entitled to swap their driving permit for a UK driver's license on a like for like basis providing that they hold a full valid driving license. However, this is only a possibility and not applicable in every instance, for full clarification on the subject, driver's wishing to enquire about exchanging their non EEA Country issued driving license must refer their enquiry to the DVLA.

If an individual wishes to obtain a British driving license and is unable to exchange their non EEA country original license for a British one, then in order to be able to obtain a British driving license, they will have to do the full driving course. This includes the theory test and must be done prior to being able to book the practical exam.

Documentation for the Theory Test

Those wishing to take their theory test will have to provide certain documentation in order to be able to sit the test; failure to provide these documents will result in the DSA refusing to admit a candidate for their test and the candidate forfeiting their fee:

1) Provisional license (both parts, photo-card and paper part)

2) For those who still have the old fashioned paper license, they must present a valid passport, under normal circumstances, no other form of photographic ID is admissible.

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Some Advice for Selling or Trading in Your Old Car

So you've been having a good-old time with your current car, a total clunker. It's been with you for several years now, maybe even 10 years or so, but it's finally reached the point where you've realized that it's time to part ways with your old beauty and head on down to the dealership for new or used car.

The problem is that you now have a dilemma. Should you try selling the car to someone in your area? You could post it to online classifieds or place an ad in one of those car selling booklets. Or maybe even list the car on auction sites and see if you get any takers. Or would you rather not deal with any of that and simply get the car off of your hands immediately by trading it in?

This is one of those questions that may take you some time to decide. If you're absolutely in desperate need of getting a new car, then chances are you're better off trading the car in now and picking up a new one. If you have time to spare and want to get a better deal, then by all means try your best at selling it to someone in your area. There are plenty of resources on the web that can help you get the car in someone else's hands while collecting a decent profit as well.

To be honest, most people don't like selling simply because they don't want to deal with negotiating prices. They simply want to get the car for the best price possible! While that sounds good and dandy, it's simply not going to happen just like that. People are going to try to get the best price that they can no matter what and it's going to take you some time to negotiate a price that you're happy with.

When you're able to walk into the dealership and simply trade in the car, it immediately is off your hands and you never have to worry about it ever again. Sure you won't get as much money for it as you may have gotten from selling it to somebody else, but the car is now gone and you'll no longer have that burden. You can hop in your new or pre-owned car that you just purchased and say a last goodbye to your old clunker.

Early and Brief History of Headlamps

Just like other components of modern vehicles, the headlamp has a much longer history than the automobile itself. Its origin can be traced back to horse-driven wagons. The materials used, design and power source might have changed but the fundamental purpose remains the same.

A headlamp is basically intended to illuminate the pathway of a vehicle during low-visibility conditions such as night time and rainfall. The term headlamp is the more formal term rather than headlight. The latter refers to the light beam that is projected by the device. This light beam is typically focused by a parabolic reflector and by single or multiple glass lenses.

The earliest automotive headlamps were introduced in the latter par of the 1880's when the initial self-propelled "horseless" carriages became practical. These headlamps were fuelled by acetylene or oil. These acetylene headlamps became highly popular because of their practicality compared to other types of lamps during the early development of automobiles. Acetylene headlamps are resistant to both rain and wind.

Although engine powered automobiles were still in their development and prototype stage, they became more than mere curiosities. Consequently, the technological innovations for headlamps also went hand-in-hand with the development of automobiles.

Although the mass production of automobiles only started in 1902, the development of various components of the modern automobile has already taken shape a few years earlier. It was in 1898 that electric-powered headlamps on the Columbia Electric Cars. However, these electric headlamps were optional.

Electric headlamps may seemed to be the most cost-effective and safer option. However, there were two main factors that prevented the widespread use of electric headlamps in the early automobiles. The first main factor was the short life of the lamp filaments that were unable to adapt to harsh environmental elements such as rain, dust and fluctuating temperatures. The second main factor that limited the widespread use of electric headlights was the insufficiency of electric current due to the technical difficulties in manufacturing efficient dynamos and batteries.

By 1904, the use of "Prest-O-Lite" acetylene headlamps became the standard when majority of car manufacturers integrated these lamps in their cars. However, this was soon superseded by electric headlamps when Peerless Motor Company dominated the high-end automobile market in 1908. Meanwhile, it was also during the same year that the world's first complete set of electric car lights was introduced by Pockley Automobile Electric Lighting Syndicate. The set was comprised of headlamps, sidelights, and taillights. The set was powered by an eight-volt battery.

It took another four years before the automobile lights were integrated with the automobile ignition system. It was in 1912 that Cadillac's innovative idea paved the way for the standard integration the lighting system with the ignition system. The modern automobile electrical system was born.

Chrysler to Repair Thousands of Pentastar V6 Engines

Unfortunately, an error that was committed during the production of these Pentastar V-6 engines is expected to create delays on Chrysler's operations. This is because the error committed requires immediate correction and this requires the company's personnel to repair thousands of Pentastar V-6 engines.

Based on the information provided by Chrysler, the existing problem was basically caused by an issue involving the engine's cylinder head and this is expected to affect about 7,500 units of Pentastar V-6 engines that were produced for the last two years.

Since the error on the cylinder head might cause the engine to stall or experience different types of problems, Chrysler was forced to perform the needed repairs on the engines affected by replacing the old cylinder head with a new and more robust version. Chrysler has also stressed out that they are only repairing the affected engines and the company did not and is not planning to issue a recall order.

Although Chrysler does not consider the engine problem as a major issue, this situation has actually caused a lot of inconveniences and headaches to owners of Pentastar V-6-powered vehicles. This is because the supply of the new cylinder heads is quite limited and this prevents the dealerships to complete the needed repairs on the affected engine on time. Due to this, a lot of vehicle owners were forced to leave their cars on the dealerships and wait for the repairs to be completed. The situation literary mentioned earlier has literally left a lot of vehicle owners "car-less" for a few weeks.

To address the growing need for the new cylinder head, Chrysler has boosted its production of the said component. The increase in production has changed the supply of the cylinder head from 1300 units short to about 3,000 units of surplus. However, the company's dealerships have been placing about 500 requests each week and this could mean that the surplus supply would soon be consumed. Thus, Chrysler should at least try its best to increase the supply of the cylinder head and somehow provide an additional compensation to the owners of the vehicles that were affected.