How to choose a driving instructor.
What you should look for and what you should ask for.
If you think learning to drive is going to be difficult, then choosing the right driving instructor is going to be the first difficult task that you face. Nowadays driving is an essential skill that almost everyone requires to get around in this contemporary world. Not having the ability to drive can be a serious handicap Consequently learning to drive and obtaining a driving licence should be considered as one of life's key skills to acquire. It is also important to realise that this should be undertaken properly, not only for ones personal safety, but also for the safety of others.Responsible for the quality of our driving is ultimately our own, however the driving instructor or the driving school. Because of this making the choice of which driving instructor to use should involve careful consideration and contemplation.
Driving Instructors Qualifications:
The driving instructor that you use should be qualified to provide driving instruction. It is not sufficient that they are a safe driver, they must have undergone training and themselves taken a special driving test to demonstrate their competency. Your driving instructor should be an Approved Driving Instructor and have a Driving Standards Agency (DSA) licence. All 1st Seleckt School of Motoring Instructors are qualified instructors.
Your Driving Instructors Experience:
Not only is it important that your driving instructor is qualified, it is also important that they have experience. Like many things in life, experience brings wisdom. The advantages of an experienced driving structure is that they will understand more clearly the issues frequently faced by learner drivers. With this knowledge they will be able to pre-empt your questions and explain why and how to do certain things and what to look out for. This valuable insight will help you learn faster and become a better driver.
Is Your Driving Instructor Approachable?
When learning to drive you need to have a driving instructor who is approachable. Many learner drivers have lots of questions about driving and sometimes may be a bit embarrassed about them. Consequently you need to have an instructor who puts you at ease and makes you feel that you can ask any question without feeling embarrassed When learning to drive this relationship is essential in order that you can ask those questions so that you never need to presume anything. You should therefore choose an instructor who is friendly and approachable.
Professional Approach:
We have established that your driving instructor should be qualified, experienced and approachable. However they should also be professional in there attitude to instruction. You need to have an instructor who is able to give you the definitive answer to your questions and those answers should also be impartial. This approach is always best as the clear concise answers and professional opinions will leave no doubt in your mind as to the facts of what you are discussing.
Driving Instructors Communication Skills:
The communication skills of your instructor are essential if you are learning a new subject. The ability to explain the same thing in a variety of different ways so that you fully comprehend and don't misinterpret is necessary if you want to learn and pass your driving test quickly.
Driving Instructors Students Pass Ratio.
When making enquiries with a driving instructor or driving school one of the more objective or quantitative methods you can use to assess their ability is their students pass rate. Ask how many of their students pass and just as importantly, ask how many lessons on average it took to pass. This should give you a reasonable indicator on the performance of the instructor. However be aware that some instructors will favour certain types of students who have differing driving test pass rates.
Driving Instructors Tuition Vehicle
it is essential that your driving instructor has a reliable well maintained vehicle for you to learn in. It is also common that you will take your test in the vehicle you have learnt in as well. You should never contemplate taking lessons in a vehicle that appears unroadworthy! Also make sure that the driving school has the type of vehicle you want to learn in when it comes to vehicle transmission – either automatic or manual. For your own safety and the safety of other road users the vehicle should also have dual controls to enable the instructor to assist if something is not quite right.
Driving Lesson Cost:
It today's economic climate everyone is looking for value for money. Fortunately for the learner driver there is a reasonable amount of competition from driving schools so generally driving lessons are reasonably priced. However this factor still remains high on peoples things to enquire about. When making enquiries with a driving school ask about discounts for block bookings, most schools of motoring offer these. However do be warned, if the lessons are substantially cheaper than other quotes you have received then try to find out why. Good driving instructors are seldom short of work, bad ones however may offer large discounts because they are desperate for work.
How Flexible is your Driving Instructor:
Most people have to fit their driving lessons into their busy schedules, be it home, school or work. You will therefore need a driving instructor who can work with you and facilitate your requirements. You might want to start your driving lessons after work and finish the lesson at home for example. Discuss your requirements with the driving instructor at the outset so that your learning to drive can fit in with your schedule.
Test Preparation
It is important that before you take your test that you are familiar with the area where the test centre is located. If you live in an area which has a test centre then this will not prove to be a problem. However if you live in areas such as Brighton, Bexhill, Seaford, Uckfield, Peacehaven or Newhaven then this might involve some travelling. Ask you driving instructor about this and fully understand where you will do the majority of your practising.
Referrals, Testimonials and Reputation
Many people find driving instructors through personal referrals from friends and family. Which ever method you use to find a driving instructor however you should always ask for the potential driving instructor to provide testimonials from previous clients and also ask them about their pass rate.
Politeness and Patience:
One major skill your instructor should have is patience. You need someone who is always polite, never appears frustrated and always politely rectifies you if you make a mistake. You need to be relaxed rather than nervous when you are learning to drive, only in this manner can you make rapid progress. If you have an impolite or impatient instructor then this is going to be adversely affect your learning and possibly influence how you view driving for the rest of your life.
These are some of the major considerations when choosing a driving instructor or driving school. There is a possibility however that you find yourself unable to choose between instructors. In such a scenario it is recommended that you book one or two lessons with each potential instructor so you can assess their skills as a driving instructor before committing yourself to a bulk booking.
If you have any questions about the services 1st Seleckt School of Motoring offer please don't hesitate to call 0800 389 5902.
