TERMS & CONDITIONS

Conduct 

I will always conduct myself in a professional manner. I will always be polite, tidy, respectful, punctual and behave in a manner that will make you feel at ease. 

The training car will always be maintained to a high standard and will be kept clean inside and out (weather permitting). The car will not be smoked in and is fitted with dual controls to help keep us safe at all times and is insured for the purpose of giving driving instruction. 

Qualifications  

I am an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) who is authorised to give paid driving tuition by the Driving Standards Agency (DVSA). I will regularly undergo training to ensure the service that I deliver is to the highest possible standard. 

Legal requirements 

In order to receive driver training you must: 

Be at least 17 years of age (16 or over if receiving the higher rate of disability living allowance) at the start of any driver training. 

You must hold either a valid UK provisional licence or full UK driving license and be legally entitled to drive. A driving license check will be carried out before we start any training. 

You must be able to read a number plate at a distance of 20.5 metres (20 metres for old style number plates) with or without the aid of glasses or contact lens. This will be checked before we start any training.  

Safety and comfort 

Driving can be dangerous, so we need to make sure that we are keeping ourselves and everyone else safe.  

If I need to take control of the car either by using the dual controls or the steering allow me to do so it is for our safety. As soon as it is safe, we will pull over and discuss what happened, why I had to take control and how we can improve it in the future. There is no judgement or blame just a learning opportunity. 

You have responsibility for keeping us safe as well. Make sure you are physically and mentally prepared to drive. If you don’t feel safe to drive discuss this with your instructor either before or at the start of the lesson. If I feel that you are not fit to drive whether that be physically or mentally, I reserve the right to cancel the lesson and you may still be charged alternatively we may change the subject to work on theory that does not require driving the car. 

I will expect you to act sensibly and responsibly at all times, if you are getting distracted by anything even if it is something I am doing please let me know and we will try to resolve it. I value all feedback so please let me know if anything is bothering you. 

In order to drive the car safely you need to be comfortable so please wear suitable clothing and shoes that will allow you to move freely and be able to operate and feel all the controls of the car (thick soles shoes or boots might make it difficult to feel the pedals). 

Please inform me of any medication that could affect your driving, as some medications will affect your ability to drive safely as they can make you drowsy, etc. Please let me know before the start of any lesson. 

If it is felt that you are under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs the lesson will be cancelled immediately and any future lessons will be cancelled. If you feel you are near or over the limit, please let me know, I value honesty and we might be able to work on something that doesn’t involve driving as this would be unsafe and illegal. 

Lessons 

Lessons will start and end at an agreed time and place. If you need to be picked up or dropped off in a different location this will need to be agreed in advance. 

At the start of the lesson, I will let you know of my arrival. If I do not get a response, I will try to make contact with you by phone, text message and knocking on the door. If I still don’t get a response, I will wait for 15 minutes before the lesson is cancelled and you will still be charged the full amount. 

If I am running late or have to cancel a lesson I will let you know as early as possible and we will reschedule or if I’m running late the time will be added on to the end of the lesson or following lesson. 

Cancellations 

At times you may need to cancel or rearrange a lesson, this is not an issue but I do ask for 48 hours notice. Any cancellations that are made within 48 hours of the lesson start time will still be charged at the full amount. 

Payment  

Lessons need to be paid for 24 hours in advance, via bank transfer 

(details will be given before the first lesson) 

Tests  

I will let you know when I feel you are ready to book your test, taking into account current test waiting times in the area. Your driving test can be booked by either you or me. 

I will always prioritise tests so your lesson might be postponed if another pupil has managed to book a test, likewise I will postpone another pupil’s lesson if you find a test slot. Reasonable notice must be given to me of any test you have booked otherwise I cannot guarantee the car will be available. 

If I don’t feel you are at a high enough standard to take the driving test, I will ask you to reschedule it. I reserve the right to refuse the use of the learner vehicle if I don’t feel you are ready, this includes passing mock tests regularly without any dangerous or serious driving faults. Where possible I will give you sufficient notice of this so that you can rearrange your test so that you don’t lose your DVSA test fee. 

I will ensure that the car is in a clean and road-worthy condition for the test, and I will ensure the pupil knows what documentation to bring. 

Complaints 

I hope that you never feel the need to complain but if there is an issue in the first instance please raise it with me, so that I can help to resolve it. I will always listen and help to overcome any issues.