In this blog from Tom Ingram (Owner of BIG TOM Driving School) he explains why not all driving instructors are the same. This subject is a common source of confusion for learner pupils and their family/friends.
To be legally entitled to charge for providing driving training in the UK the driving instructor must be registered with the authority called DVSA (Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency). Part of the reason for this is to strive for there to be a consistent approach to standards of instruction across the industry. The DVSA produce “driving standards” which driving instructors are to work to so that there is this uniformity within the industry. These standards are freely accessible online via the www.GOV.UK website: “National Standard for driving cars and light vans” and “National standard for driver and rider training”. If a driving instructor knowingly ignores these standards when they go about their daily work, they are providing no more value to a pupil than could potentially be achieved by a willing and enthusiastic parent/friend/grandparent.
The DVSA state the following in the above:
“In the context of learning to drive or ride, the instructor brings to the learning process their hard-earned knowledge, understanding and experience. If they rely simply on telling the learner what they should do they will probably be able to teach them enough to pass their test. However, all the evidence suggests that learners in this sort of relationship do not really change the way they think and quickly forget what they have been taught. There is a better chance of a long-lasting change in understanding and behaviour if the instructor:
Presents their knowledge, understanding and experience clearly and effectively
Listens to the learner’s reactions to that input
Helps the learner to identify any obstacles to understanding and change
Supports the learner to identify strategies for overcoming those obstacles for themselves”
The DVSA monitor the performance of driving instructors approximately once per 4 years by viewing just one driving lesson conducted for an actual pupil. BIG TOM Driving School is fully committed to adhering to the above DVSA work practices every single day that it assists pupils learning to drive and trainee driving instructors learning to qualify as a driving instructor – it does not comply to the standards on one lesson every 4 years. The desire is to strive to uphold standards in driving training every single day the driving school is working with pupils.
There is a public perception that all driving instructors are the same, and provide the same service. There is a wide range of “value” that is provided to pupils across driving instructors and as the standard makes very clear, whilst some driving instructors might be happy to “coach” pupils to pass driving tests by constantly telling them how to drive, all the evidence suggests that in the long term this is providing very little actual value to their customers for achieving driving standards that will improve long lasting road safety.
Ultimately, pupils have a choice as to the quality of training that they receive from driving instructors in the industry, and this is very often reflected in the price that the driving instructors charge for their service. It is on that basis that the public are provided with such stark differences in driving training prices from driving instructors and I hope this blog takes some of the confusion out of the situation.
BIG TOM Driving School Enquiries: Admin@BIGTOM.org.uk Sales: 07756 071 464
