Locating An Instructor
Remember that, in order to charge for driving lessons, a driving instructor must have passed a series of rigorous tests set by the DSA. When he has passed these tests he is an Approved Driving Instructor and is allowed to display a green licence on the windscreen.
It is illegal to charge without such a licence.
Furthermore, driving instructors are regularly tested and graded 1-6.
- Grades 1-3 basically means they are below standard and could well be taken off the road. These grades are really regarded as a 'fail'. You should never have an instructor graded 1-3.
- Grade 4 means the instructor has reached an acceptable standard - just!
- Grade 5 means the instructor reached a 'good' standard.
- Grade 6 means the instructor is regarded as excellent.
Choosing your instructor is the single most important decision you will make when learning to drive. It's important that you get on with him/her personally - you are, after all, going to spend many hours cooped up in a car together. If it's not enjoyable, your learning will be much, much slower.
The best method is usually recommendation from a friend or relative. Failing that, try Yellow Pages and Yell.com or simply google 'driving schools' to find instructors in your area. It makes little difference whether you choose a major national driving school or a small independent - all the instructors still have to have passed the same tests.
