West Midlands Police      Freedom 
of 
Information 
Request reference: 2907/09 
 
1) What levels of driving permits are offered? 
 
There are three driving grades Low Performance, Standard and Advanced 
 
2) What do each of the driving permits allow the holder to do? 
 
Low performance -Drive low performance vehicles 
 
Standard - drive low performance vehicles and use emergency equipment 
 
Advanced - drive high performance vehicles and use emergency equipment 
 
3) What training is required for each of the driving permits and how are the 
candidates assessed? How long in length are the courses for each of the 
respective driving permits?, 
 
Low performance -Grade based on an assessed drive to DSA standard 
 
Standard - Three week course assessed against national competencies on a daily 
basis. Independent progress check at the end of week two and independent final test 
at week three. 
 
Advanced - Four week course assessed against national competencies on a daily 
basis. Independent progress check at the end of week three and independent final 
test at week four. 
 
4) Are any of the driving permits offered by your Force, offered in a modular 
basis, (i.e. are they offered in modules of 1 week at a time until the course is 
complete etc), 
 
Not at present although this is currently being considered. 
 
5) Which of the permits are available to Special Constables? 
 
All 
 
6) If any modular courses are offered, are the available to Special Constables?, 
 
See above 
 
7) How many Special Constables in your Force have driving permits which 
allow them to respond (i.e. use blue lights, sirens and allowed the holder to 
utilise the relevant exemptions afforded to them in law with respect of 
speeding, going through red lights etc), 
 
None 
West Midlands Police in complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the Freedom of Information 
Act 2000 to release the enclosed information will not breach the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. However, 
the rights of the copyright owner of the enclosed information will continue to be protected by law.  Applications for the 
copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of the attached information should be addressed to The 
Force Solicitor, West Midlands Police Headquarters, Lloyd House, Colmore Circus Queensway, Birmingham, B4 
6NQ. 
22/10/09  
 
 
Ref: 
2907/09 

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