Driving instruction

UK drivers kill themselves and others at the rate of nearly 10 a day – that’s 3,400 a year. They put 1,000 people a day into hospital, with the cost of these accidents running into billions of pounds annually. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is illegal for anyone to charge money or ‘monies worth’ for instruction in driving a motor car unless either their name is on the register of Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) or they hold a Trainee Licence in accordance with the Act. Qualified ADIs must display a green certificate on the windscreen of tuition vehicles, trainees show a pink one.

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Transport that manages driving instruction on an annual turnover (2003–2004) of £114 million. It aims to promote road safety by improving driving standards, testing drivers and riders, maintaining instructor registers and supervising basic motorcycle training. It also runs a register of inspected ADI training establishments. It carries out a number of driving tests each year with 2003–2004 figures being:

- 1.5 million theory

- 1.5 million car

- 88,000 lorry and bus

- 93,000 motorcycle.

It employs 2,334 staff, of which 1,586 are driving examiners, and has 158 theory and 437 practical test centres, as well as an instructor training centre at Cardington in Bedfordshire. There are over 33,000 people on the DSA’s compulsory Register of ADIs for car instruction, and its LGV Register is currently voluntary but likely to become compulsory soon. It also carries out tests for taxi drivers in some areas.

Driving tests continue to evolve, with the screen-based theory element of multiple-choice questions now followed by a hazard perception test – a selection of 14 one-minute video clips showing real road scenes that feature hazards. The pass mark for the multiple-choice element is 30 out of the 35 questions correct, and that for the hazard perception element 44 for car and motor cycle drivers, and 50 for LGV and PCV drivers, out of a possible 75.

The practical test for cars takes 40 minutes, with routes designed to include a range of road and traffic conditions. There is no quota for passing or failing either part of the test, but people must show that they have reached the correct standard to be allowed to drive unsupervised.

A recent development is the Driver’s Record; a log book filled in by both instructor and pupil, designed to show when the latter has demonstrated all the competencies required to pass the test and is judged to be ready to take it. The Record is voluntary, but is issued with provisional licences.

Around 60,000 company car drivers are injured in crashes each year – a likelihood of accidents up to 50 per cent higher than that of private motorists. Fleet driver trainers, qualified to a higher level, teach more advanced driving, usually in the corporate market. Recent health & safety directives demand up to 100,000 fleet trainers, and the government intends to introduce minimum standards for this training. There is currently a shortfall. There is a voluntary registration scheme in existence for people who have either passed a DSA exam or completed an accredited training course.

Driving instruction in the Services

Each Service has its own driving instructors based at the Defence School of Transport, its satellite establishments, single-Service bases and with units – all of them trained and qualified to DSA standards. Some will be on the appropriate register, others may not be. However, virtually every motor transport pool is able to instruct people to drive the vehicles it manages. With the vast range of Service vehicles, there are people holding every conceivable licence and others who have trained them.

Driving instructors do not need to be expert drivers or to have nerves of steel; flexibility, imagination and commitment are much more important. A Service background, with its social interaction and self-discipline, is a very good preparation, with individuals generally being articulate and personable. The ability to teach is vital, as are a high level of driving skill, a knowledge of how people learn, an ability to assess the performance of others, and communication and inter-personal skills.

Qualifications and training

To join the ADI Register it is necessary to:

- have held a full UK (or EU) unrestricted car driving licence for four years; any EU/EEA licence must be exchanged for a GB or a Community licence

- have not been disqualified from driving

- be a ‘fit and proper person’

- pass the Register qualifying exams:

– Part 1 – a multiple-choice and hazard perception, touch-screen theory test, taken at a DSA Theory Test Centre

– Part 2 – a driving test

– Part 3 – a teaching test.

Part 1, the theory test, comprises two parts; 90 minutes are allowed for the first part, which consists of 100 multiple-choice questions banded into four areas:

1. road procedure

2. traffic signs and signals, car control, pedestrians, mechanical knowledge

3. driving test, disabilities, law

4. publications, instructional techniques.

The second part is the hazard perception test, comprising 14 video clips, which takes two hours on average.

The overall pass mark is 85 per cent, with a minimum of 80 per cent in every area.

Parts 2 and 3 must be passed within two years of passing Part 1; each may be taken up to three times, but three failures in either means that the individual cannot restart the qualifying process until the two years are up. There are some other complex rules, and an ongoing requirement to take check tests to remain qualified. The ADI qualification lasts four years and is renewed automatically provided the check tests are satisfactory.

PassPlus encourages better driving practices from new drivers by offering six extra lessons covering driving in and out of town, on motorways and dual carriageways, in all weathers and at night. For a payment, ADIs can obtain PassPlus packs from the DSA.

Motorcycle instructors may be trained directly by Approved Training Bodies (the only organisations that can teach the Compulsory Basic Training), and/or complete a two-day assessment by examiners at the DSA’s establishment at Cardington. Further qualification is required to teach Direct Access courses.

LGV instructors, who wish to be on the DSA’s voluntary Register take a similar series of exams to those for ADIs. They can be certified for four years, after which time they will need to re-register.

Lift truck instructors should pass a course with a trainer accredited by the Health & Safety Executive.

Blue light vehicles (police, fire, ambulance and MoD) are now recognised as a specialist category for the training of drivers who are competent in emergency situations. The three core competencies are:

- assessing the need for an emergency response

- driving the vehicle safely to emergencies

- demonstrating the correct attitude when responding to emergencies.

Potential instructors should ensure that the training provider they use is reputable. The Official Register of Driving Instructor Training contains suitably qualified and inspected trainers and establishments, and anyone seeking ADI training can approach them knowing that they have achieved the required standards.

Many companies advertise in the press, and there is no requirement to be registered. Alternatively, people could contact a CTP Preferred Supplier.

It is possible to gain other qualifications in driving instruction – for example, the Diploma in Driving Instruction, the Cardington Special Test, the Diamond Advanced qualification, and perhaps a further education teaching certificate or even a degree.

Please note that, following a consultation exercise, driving instructor standards may be raised by the introduction of some new measures, including:

- all ADIs passing a hazard perception test

- the computer-based test will include multiple-choice questions of knowledge and understanding

- pass marks for the above will be the same as for new ADIs

- ADIs will have two years to achieve these standards from the date they are notified by DSA

- introducing role-play elements into the test of instructional ability.

Employment

Once qualified, there are several options:

- move into the profession gradually by fitting instruction around another employment

- launch immediately as a sole trader

- become a franchisee with a local or national school

- enter a partnership with other instructors and pool efforts.

The marketplace is very diverse. As well as training learner drivers to pass both the theory and practical elements of the test, there is the PassPlus Scheme, the Driver Improvement Scheme and retraining people who have fallen foul of motoring laws.

Case study Driving Instructor

Been there, done that …

Gregg Morris

Over 13 years as a Royal Marine bandsman took ex-Bugler Gregg Morris all over the world but left him looking for ‘a change, a new direction.’ His health and safety and first aid training complemented the ‘discipline, motivation and, most importantly, confidence’ that he attributes to his time in the military.

He took a resettlement course with CIA Driver Training Ltd that he found ‘very professional and supportive,’ which included a civilian attachment. He is now a driving instructor with CIA, having found the company through a local job seekers paper.

He teaches ‘people of all levels to drive and helps them with the theory of driving; having a thorough understanding of the rules and principles involved in safe driving, being able to patiently teach drivers how to apply those principles while everyone else is trying to get from A to B as quickly as possible.’ Morris gets satisfaction from ‘seeing pupils pass their tests and the freedom to run my own diary.’

He now works alone and is responsible for the safety of one other person; he misses being part of a big team. As some compensation, ‘a forty-hour week is worth a little bit more than my own job.’