Driving instructors with dodgy attitudes

[Smokin Joe]

A colleague's son was told by his driving instructor that "you don't need indicators at roundabouts anymore"

No he wasn't.

Your colleagues son misinterpreted what the instructor told him - perhaps not told him clearly enough, but no instructor would say that.

Re the OP, that is disgraceful and unprofessional conduct from an ADI, I would make a complaint to the DSA. They do take these things seriously and the least the instructor should expect is a letter asking him for an explanation. That might not sound much, but the conduct of ADIs is strictly monitored with expulsion from the register on the cards for serious or repeat offenders and it will at least give the guy a brown trouser moment. Even if he is working for a school it is a waste of time complaining there as their first instinct will be to defend their own man.

Also phone the local test centre (Without going into detail of the incident) and ask them for the contact details of the Area Supervising Examiner ADI and let him or her know as well. These are the people who put the fear of God into driving instructors.

 

[NorthernDave]

There is an otherwise nice quiet road near here frequented by driving instructors that I now avoid whenever possible on the bike as the standard of driving allowed / permitted / encouraged by them is generally horrendous.
On several occasions I've had dangerously close passes and three point turns commenced when I've been mid-pass (although aren't they doing away with the three point turn in the test now? Something to do with it being easier not to do it?).
It's always good fun to catch up with them at the end of the road as they're preparing to kangaroo out into traffic, politely point out that they'd have just failed if they did that during their test and then have the instructor try to bluster their way out of it (or, memorably, lean across his pupil and tell me to Foxtrot Oscar)

I think part of the problem is that too many instructors train learners how to pass the test but don't teach them how to drive - and they are two very different things.

And of course driving instructors are more likely to be angry people as they've been taken in by the job adverts alluding to £35k a year and part time hours to suit, only to find they're actually working all manner of unsocial hours to barely scrape minimum wage together.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I think part of the problem is that too many instructors train learners how to pass the test but don't teach them how to drive - and they are two very different things.

And of course driving instructors are more likely to be angry people as they've been taken in by the job adverts alluding to £35k a year and part time hours to suit, only to find they're actually working all manner of unsocial hours to barely scrape minimum wage together.

Cobblers, young man. I paid off my mortgage and had a good standard of living when I was an ADI, you earn far above the minimum wage doing the job.

And can you tell me how to teach someone to pass the test without teaching them to drive? In two decades I never discovered that little secret.

Other people's jobs are so easy, aren't they?

 

[NorthernDave]

Cobblers, young man. I paid off my mortgage and had a good standard of living when I was an ADI, you earn far above the minimum wage doing the job.

And can you tell me how to teach someone to pass the test without teaching them to drive? In two decades I never discovered that little secret.

Other people's jobs are so easy, aren't they?

I can only repeat what I've been told by people who've been driving instructors and have subsequently given it up due to lower than expected earnings and poor work life balance.

On the subject of teaching people to pass the test, it's focussing on what they know the student will face during the test to the detriment of other road skills.

And I didn't say that the job was easy. I wouldn't imagine it is for a minute.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I can only repeat what I've been told by people who've been driving instructors and have subsequently given it up due to lower than expected earnings and poor work life balance.

On the subject of teaching people to pass the test, it's focussing on what they know the student will face during the test to the detriment of other road skills.

And I didn't say that the job was easy. I wouldn't imagine it is for a minute.

The people who've given it up because of low earnings are the ones who were not very good at it, hence the low earnings. I can only repeat my own experiences and what I know about colleagues who spent equally long - and longer - periods doing the job.

Can you tell me which are the "Other road skills" that are not taught or tested? Because this nonsense about "Learning to pass the test, but not to drive" is often trotted out by people who have no experience of what driver training or testing involves. A test candidate has to demonstrate control of the vehicle, show anticipation and awareness of other road users and road conditions and fit into the traffic flow without causing danger or obstruction. Pretty much what you have to do on an advanced driving test, although to a much higher standard. The standard required to pass was rising all the time I was doing the job, and has become tougher still since I packed up.

 

[steveindenmark]

As an ex ADI my advice would be to report it to the Driving Standards Agency and not the driving school. The driving school could just fob it off. The driving standards Agency control all driving instructors and take professionalism very seriously.

The Instructor you mention falls way below the standard and needs reporting. When I was instructing I had a lot of teenagers for lessons. They actually look up to the guy teaching them to drive and you can influence them in the right direction, if need be. The instructor in this case needs a real dressing down.

Here is how to report him.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organ...e-standards-agency/about/complaints-procedure

 

[pplpilot]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.te...-fails-test-police-seize-instructors-car/amp/

 

[Drago]

Interesting story, except the student had committed an offence. No insurance is an absolute offence, ie, there is no defence in law.

The driver had excellent mitigation, and was doubtless an unwitting victim, and I can see why the police used their discretion and chose not to report her for prosecution, but to say she had committed no offence is false, and likely a misinterpretation by the paper.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I would only "report it" if it was dangerous driving. He may be the best and safest driving instructor out there for all you know, but still be an obnoxious oik. You can be the better man and not retaliate. Chances are if he's happy to do that sort of thing, he hasn't got a boss to worry about.

 

[John the Monkey]

IMost drivers do exactly the opposite and use the indicators as a substitute for looking.

come now, they also come in handy for indicating that one has only parked illegally for the very briefest of moments, on the most urgent of errands.

 

[mjr]

I would make a complaint to the DSA. They do take these things seriously and the least the instructor should expect is a letter asking him for an explanation.

Good to know. I'll do that next time I catch on camera Stags Driving School blasting through red traffic lights because there's only a cyclist waiting to go across.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Interesting story, except the student had committed an offence. No insurance is an absolute offence, ie, there is no defence in law.

From what I understand if you are driving for a company or using a hire car the law allows you to assume the vehicle is properly insured for your use.

I mean, did you ever ask your chief plod to show you the insurance documents for the police car you were driving?

 

[Drago]

That's something else. As aforementioned, there is no conventional defence to driving with no insurance, no excuses will be excepted by the court. Its absolute.

In the case of the driving instructor, or my old Chief Freemason if he'd misled me into believing I was covered when I was not, the offence is "use, cause or permit", which covers a multitude of motoring offences, including no insurance. However, the only 'statutory defence' is in fact for that scenario, for employees driving an employers vehicle.

http://www.orsa.org.uk/the-law/road-traffic-law/


And some info about no insurance being an absolute offence.

https://www.keithmichaels.co.uk/con...elpful-information/driving-without-insurance/

In any case, police insurance and public liability insurance is pinned prominently to the notice board in every nick for bored bobbies to scrawl upon. I mean read.

As aforementioned by this ex traffic copper, the driver had committed the offence, but an outbreak of common sense appears has occurred and they've used their discretion not to do her, but will knock off the instructor for use, cause or permit. If they had charged her its likely the CPS would have dropped it as not in the public interest, or if it got as far as a court she would be found guilty but most likely no penalty would be applied. Morally she's an innocent party, but then paper is misrepresenting the details of the outcome.

 

[ufkacbln]

I had a video of a driving instructor informing me that Cycle Paths were compulsory and that I had no right to be on the road if there was one available

I "forgot" which school it was, so sent a complaint to all the local schools I could find

Quite a few were willing to finger the culprit and his organisation contacted me to say that he was being "retrained" about cycle paths, and the pupil who had been in the car was also being correctly taught about them

 

[broadway]

I would only "report it" if it was dangerous driving. He may be the best and safest driving instructor out there for all you know, but still be an obnoxious oik. You can be the better man and not retaliate. Chances are if he's happy to do that sort of thing, he hasn't got a boss to worry about.

If he's an obnoxious oik, he will be passing his attitude on to impressionable learners, to be better than him report him to the DSA for the good of the community