Drive On !

Some friendly words of advice... Please don’t choose a driving instructor on lesson price alone. Have trial lessons until you find an instructor you like. Your instructor may suggest you book your test after just a few lessons. This is a way of dissuading you from changing to someone else. Once you have your test booked, you are unlikely to want to change. Don’t agree to book a test after a few lessons. One of the pet hates of driving examiners is a pupil who goes to test before reaching the required standard. Make sure your instructor is fully qualified and is displaying a green badge on the tuition vehicle, not a pink badge. If the badge is pink, your instructor is a trainee, just like you. I know that we all have to learn, but make sure you are getting what you think you are paying for. Please remember that companies who advertise daily on local radio are paying a lot of money for this, which has to be covered by your lesson fees. Like me, most established local instructors won’t normally need to advertise. Business is generated by personal recommendations, the tuition vehicle itself and internet searches. You should think about changing your instructor if... • Your instructor is habitually late or at times, doesn’t turn up at all. • You know you are making mistakes, but your instructor doesn’t say anything or doesn’t give you sufficient advice on how to correct the error. • You don’t feel you are making sufficient progress. • Your instructor makes phone calls, not for your benefit, during your lesson. • Your instructor calls at home to make a sandwich, does the shopping, runs errands,   stops for breakfast or a cigarette, listens to a football match, queues up at the post office or whatever. This list could be almost endless, but I think you can work out what is appropriate and what isn’t. Obviously if you want to take a break at any time in your lesson that’s fine. Occasionally I will need fuel or a loo stop, so don’t mark us down for this. The last subject is a tricky one; inappropriate behaviour... Your instructor should never say or do anything to upset or intimidate you in any way or make you feel unsafe, uneasy or embarrassed. Don’t put yourself through this. Drive or ask to be driven back to your home and tell someone you trust why you are upset and change your instructor.