How to find the right Driving Instructor for you
So, how do you find the right driving instructor?
You're going to want a driving instructor who is
- local
- experienced
- has a good reputation
- is reliable and punctual
- has a car that suits you
- who comes recommended
- who is flexible about the choice of test centre
- who can fit you in around your free time
If your 17 then chances are that someone you know will already be learning to drive, ask your friends and family if they would recommend a local driving instructor to help you.
What if you don't know anyone that is currently learning to drive?
Well if that's the case then have a look online using Google or social media for driving lesson customer reviews and see what others have to say about their own driving lessons. You can also look at the GOV UK website finding your nearest driving instructor, all official driving instructors registered with the DVSA will be here on these pages and its really simply to use, just put in your local post code and the website will list 40 local driving instructors nearest to you. Remember this is an official register and should not be seen as sign of their quality or experience.
Customer reviews are probabily the next best thing to a genuine recommendation but how do you know if the reviews are genuine? Unfortunately, in your online search you will no doubt come across websites or driving schools with fabricated reviews or even paid for customer reviews. It's important for the customer reviews to have a full name and often the review will mention their driving instructor by name as well. You will often be able to see customer pass pictures along with the reviews on the driving school website or at the very least on the driving school's social media pages. Do your research and dont take all reviews on face value alone.
If you start your lessons and find you don’t get on or feel comfortable with your driving instructor, don't be afraid to contact the school and ask if you can change instructors to a different one: it’s important that you get on well with whoever is teaching you to drive as you will find with most experiences in life we don't always get along with everyone that we meet. The driving school should treat your request and the reason in complete confidence and there should be no come back to you for changing your instructor, they will be happy to help you change instructors so please dont worry about making this request. Please be aware that not all driving instructors are part of a driving school and some instructors work for themselves on there own as independents, in these circumstances it may not be so easy to change to another instructor.
If you have any serious complaints about your driving instructor or their conduct on lessons then firstly report them to their driving school, don't worry you won't get yourself in trouble and any reputable driving school will want to know of any problems or concerns who might be experiencing with one of their driving instructors. The driving school will be genuinely interested in your complaint, after all its the driving schools reputation on the line if there is a problem. Please don't ignore any concerns you might have and raise and concerns with the driving school as soon as possible. You can also take things further and report any driving instructor directly to the DVSA who govern driving instructors in the UK.
Other driving related subjects that you might find useful
How do I apply for my provisional driving licence?
What can I expect on my first driving lesson?