Driving instructor

Trainee driving instructor
Driving instructor trainee badge To become a professional driving instructor you have to be registered with the DSA and issued with a badge which has to be displayed in the front windscreen of the tuition car at all times when a driving lesson is being given for money.
A driving instructor can either be a trainee driving instructor or a fully qualified driving instructor. The trainee driving instructor badge is pink in colour and is in the shape of a triangle. Before a trainee driving licence can be issued the potential driving instructor has to satisfy certain requirements as laid down by legislation. Two tests have to be passed to obtain a trainee licence; a theory test for driving instructors and a practical driving test. Also all driving instructors are subject to criminal identity checks.
Trainee driving instructors are used by BSM and a lot of driving instructor training colleges.
The driving lessons are NOT usually cheaper, although these trainee driving instructors are using members of the public to practice on for their own final driving test. Only 28% pass their final exam. Just a thought! is this why only 30% of learner drivers pass their driving test. Post your comments

Qualified driving instructor

A qualified driving instructor has passed 3 tests within a two year period and has also passed a criminal record check. The AA driving school and some driving instructor colleges use these newly qualified driving instructors for a few months, before the instructor finally moves on. A qualified driving instructor is issued with a green badge, which has to be displayed in the front windscreen when giving driving tuition for money.Driving lessons The qualified driving instructor has to renew his licence to teach every four years and is subject to checks from the DSA. Failing these checks or any other irregularity of behaviour can result in the licence being revoked. The possession of a qualified driving instructor licence is no guarantee that you will be taught in a way that suites you. What it does mean is that you should be taught a safe and correct way to drive a car. How that is achieved is up to the driving instructor. This is where an experienced driving instructor can help most students more easily since they would have dealt with many different situations.

Driving lessons
what to look for

  • 1.An instructor who keeps to lesson times
  • 2.Tells you when dual pedals have been used
  • 3.Explains clearly what you have to do
  • 4.Not forces you into heavy traffic
  • 5.Debriefs you after every lesson
  • 6.Encourages you to succeed
  • 7.Not unduly alters your lesson time
  • 8.Explains where you are and where you need to be for your driving test.

At MAL driving school two more MUSTS can be added to the list.
Nervous students treated with patience
Only 1-2-1 private tuition given

There might be many more good points that driving lessons should be like. If you have had a negative experience with a driving instructor why not share it with others. No names please though because of legal reasons.
Post your experience here…

Driving lessons from the internet

One indication you can get of a driving instructor suitable to your requirements could be to surf the internet. If you see a driving school website that has been put together by a driving instructor and NOT a big company website, you will get an idea of the type of instructor you will have. A website published by a private individual will have a lot of the charcteristics of that individual built into it. An advert in the phone book will not and neither will a national driving school website.
By the way I put this website together myself, so I can't hide who I am

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