How to Find a Driving Instructor

Are you looking to drive in the United Kingdom?

Perhaps, you just want to learn how to drive in the UK and you want to ensure you have the best results as possible while learning as much as you can within a little period. In this piece, we will explore how you can find a driving instructor and the things you should look out for when looking for a driving instructor.

 

Driving is fun. Beyond fun however, driving helps connect people to different places. For some,this is going from home to work. To others, it means going from a friend’s house to the cinema.Irrespective of individual perspective of the importance of driving, one truth remains: you really need to be approved to drive and must have obtained a driving license before you start burning gas on the road. And it is without any doubt that having a good driving instructor is integral to obtaining a driving license as well as driving safely on the highway.Choosing the right driving instructor, sometimes, is what makes all the difference.

 

However, the right instructor isn’t necessarily someone with all the experiences the world has to offer. The right driving instructor needs to be someone you are comfortable sitting next to and taking advice from. Follow the steps outlined below and you will get a better grasp of those things you should be on the lookout for in a driving instructor.

1. Find out the qualification of the instructor

When looking for a driving instructor, a major thing you should always have your eyes on is the qualification of the instructor. A driving instructor who is legally permitted and qualified will have a coloured badge displayed in the front of the windscreen. The coloured badge will either come in a pink or green colour.


You should note that the two badges hold different meanings. First, the pink badge implies that the driving instructor is not fully qualified by law to hold driving lessons. Hence, any instructor with this badge is only a trainee and is generally known as a Potential Driving Instructor abbreviated as PDI.


On the other hand, the green badge implies that the driving instructor is fully qualified by law to hold driving lessons. Hence, an instructor with the green badge is regarded as an Approved

Driving Instructor, abbreviated as ADI. If you are really looking for the best driving instructor,

you should go with the one who has the green badge.

2. Ask for Others’ Recommendation

You surely have friends and relatives who have passed their driving tests and are confident, safedrivers. One of the best ways to find the right driving instructors is to use the discretion of families and friends who have gone through the same process.The reason why you should ask for others’ recommendation is that they know more driving instructors than you do and they know the good ones. Also, people who have passed their driving tests have others like them in their circles who can recommend other good driving instructors.You will never go wrong by taking this route.

3. Source for Reviews and Testimonials

Many independent driving instructors have their own websites where you can garner information

about them and see what their previous customers have said about them. This is a very easy step

in finding the right driving instructor. It will take some time, but going through online reviews of a certain instructor might save you a good amount of money in the nearest future.

4. You Should Always Settle for the Best Price

The best price is relative to everyone. All of us do not have the same idea of what the best price for any item or service should be. Driving lessons are never cheap. Well, if you are using the service of a well-qualified instructor. When driving lessons come cheap, it is very likely that they are not worth the money. When you enroll for a driving lesson, you are likely to pay by the hour.You should always bear in mind that the price you pay per hour is different all over the United Kingdom.

5. Examine the type of Car the Instructor will be Using to take the Lessons

There is nothing more horrible than doing your driving lesson in an old car whose components do not communicate anymore with one another. you have to ensure that the car in which you are learning to drive is fairly new and has all of its components in proper working conditions.

 

 

This does not mean that you can’t do your lessons in an older car. However, you may not be satisfied with the level of ride and comfort afforded.Additionally, you should ensure that the driving instructor’s car is a dual control vehicle. Thisimplies that the car has an extra set of pedals located in the passenger foot well which the instructor can make use of when necessary.

6. Are You Confortable with the Instructor

One of the things people usually take eyes off when looking for the right driving instructor includes their comfort with the instructor. You may not think it is important, but it could be the most important thing that would make the difference between passing and failing your driving tests. It could also make or mar the kind of driver you will become.

While a driving instructor isn’t a friend, a co-worker, a parent, or a teacher, they should strike a good balance between all those. A good driving instructor is someone you should be able to listen to and take advice (not commands) from; a driving instructor should stimulate a learning spirit within you. Above all, he should be someone you feel comfortable with when you sit next to him in the car or make a call to when scheduling the class.

7. The Driving Instructor’s Attitude toward Work

You shouldn’t be concerned with the instructor’s attitude toward many things, but you should be when it comes to how the behave toward work. For instance, a good instructor would be punctual, and would offer you the service for which you paid for. The car should always be in proper working conditions and as neat as possible. A good instructor would make you feel comfortable. These are all things you wouldn’t get without digging deeper into the instructor’s profile, which is why you were earlier advised to ask for others’ recommendation.

8. What is the Teaching Style of the Instructor

Yes, you are mostly concerned about learning how to drive and getting on the road as quickly as anyone can. But, you might be putting yourself in danger if that is all you care about. The aim of any good driving instructor is to help you see the bigger picture and not just the essence of driving today.

 

 

A good instructor would teach you beyond driving. The world has moved past just burning gas on the highway. The best instructors today would teach you attitude while driving, eco-friendly driving, dealing with road users especially at precarious times, and a lot more. In the end, a good instructor teaches you beyond driving.

9. Are there Any Great Extras Offered by the Instructor?

When looking for a driving instructor, it is important you ask them or browse for yourself what they have to offer you. Are there any help they can render that transcends the act of learning to drive? Can the instructor adjust his schedule to yours so you can be more comfortable during the lessons? You also need to find out if the instructor offers post-test lessons.

10. Can the Instructor Operate at Your Level?

We mentioned earlier that you should always go for the Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) and not the Potential Driving Instructor (PDI) when looking to have a good instructor. This is actually a good advice, but you may have to use the services of the Potential Driving Instructor if you want someone who is a bit “more basic” and wouldn’t be going on too fast.

If you feel you can always catch up with a faster instructor, you should opt for the Approved Driving Instructor. Bear in mind though, the better or more advanced the instructor, the higher the pay. It is important to check the validity of the driving instructor in question as it is feared that some ADIs’ are operating illegally.

 

11. Quality of Instruction

The quality of instruction is equally important as other factors when looking for a driving

instructor. The difference between the good driving schools and the bad ones is not the number

of cars, the newness of cars, or the level of their instructors. The difference is usually the level of

instruction given by the schools.

 

Being approved by the law isn’t enough to justify that an instructor can pass knowledge to another. The same way the most brilliant student is not always the best teacher. When choosing a driving instructor, ensure that you consider the quality of instruction being given by the instructor.

12. Keep Searching

There isn’t a better way to find the right driving instructor than to keep searching until you find the one you feel is perfect for you.

Conclusion

Looking for the right driving instructor may entail a lot of work and consume your time.

However, if you follow the steps provided above, finding a good driving instructor will become

easier for you.