Learning to drive? Is your instructor a learner, too?

What Car? Driving School is warning all learner drivers to check that their driving instructor is not a learner, too.

Paul Atkinson, What Car? Driving School co-founder, said: “There are approximately 5,000 partly qualified instructors teaching right now, which means they are learning on the job. It’s ludicrous that part-qualified instructors can conduct lessons and charge the same rate as a fully qualified instructor without formally disclosing their status.”

A recent What Car? poll revealed that most people expect driving instructors to be fully qualified.

It asked: “Did you know that not all driving instructors are fully qualified?” Results

Yes, it’s shocking 28%
Yes, but I don't care 12%
No, that’s outrageous 48%
No, so what? 10%

Fully qualified driving instructors have to pass three exams covering driving theory, driving competence and, most importantly, instructional ability. It is this final and vital element that part-qualified instructors have yet to demonstrate satisfactorily to the Driving Standards Agency.

According to the DSA, the Part 3 exam is the most difficult to pass, and around 70% of all trainees fail it.

Paul Atkinson said: “The easy way to tell if your instructor is part- or fully qualified is by the colour of their windscreen badge: part-qualified instructors should display a pink triangular badge whereas fully qualified display a green octagonal badge. We’re going to lobby for changes to the system, but change takes time. In the meantime, we strongly recommend that learners ask if their instructor is a learner, too.

“What Car? Driving School has taken a deliberate position only to work with more experienced and fully qualified instructors. This sets us apart from the majority of driving schools around the country and gives learners the best chance of passing their test.”