You want to be sure that your driving instructor is properly qualified, right? After all, you are – to some extent – putting your life in their hands! Here we look at what to check to ensure your instructor is fully qualified, as well as explore some of the further development opportunities for instructors once qualified.
DVSA Registration
Fully qualified driving instructors must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), which entitles them to use the letters ADI (Approved Driving Instructor). An ADI has to pass three exams to gain this status and they then carry a green octagonal licence in the windscreen of their car. The three exams are:
- Theory Test – 100 questions
- Practical Driving Test
- Test of Instructional Ability
These are to a much higher standard and are delivered in much finer detail than the theory and practical tests you will take to get your licence. Instructors need to know how to teach, as well as being able to drive well. Their driving and teaching ability also improves through experience.
The final exam, known as ‘Part Three’, simulates a real driving lesson but the examiner plays the part of the pupil. It allows the instructor to show the examiner that they will be able to cope under different conditions, correcting faults and making sure the pupil understands what has to be rectified.
Continued Professional Development
But it doesn’t have to stop at Part Three. Since becoming an ADI in 2004, Chicane’s David Walkley has continued to improve his driving by taking other driving courses. He has passed advanced driving tests with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
These courses gave him even more knowledge to pass onto you. Learning road skills should never stop, even when you’ve been driving more than 25 years, like David has! Road conditions, the Highway Code and the number of vehicles on the road all change over time, so you need to keep learning to stay safe.
David will carry on with his Continued Professional Development (CPD) to improve his techniques even more. He has also joined the Approved Driving Instructor National Joint Council (ADINJC), which meets annually to discuss instructing, cars and anything related.
So you see, it doesn’t stop even when you pass your driving test!
To book lessons with an experienced and fully qualified Chicane driving instructor, contact us now.