Illegal driving instructors…are taking lessons now

2 minute read  |  July 28, 2016

The first is a theory test, the second is a test of their own driving skill and the third is their ability to teach someone to drive.

You have three attempts at passing the driving and teaching elements of the exam, if you fail in those initial attempts, that’s it. Do not pass go, do not collect £200. For many, they would see this as the end of their driving instructor dreams and move on to the next career path. For others, the test is just a piece of paper. They know how to drive and they know how to teach, they just struggle with tests. For those people the journey has just begun…

How do you spot an illegal instructor?

Surprisingly, illegal driving instructors won’t always dress like the pantomime villain. There are no eye patches, gold chains or maniacal laughs as they take your money and speed off down the street.

There is an easier way for you to spot if someone is in fact a dastardly fake. Just look for one of two license displays in their (or your) windscreen. A pink display with a triangle in it means they are a trainee, a green one with an octagon means they are a fully qualified instructor. On the reverse side alongside a picture of the driver, which must be no more than four years old, the instructor will have their own official license number.

Cheap, cheerful and deceitful

Don’t be afraid to ask a driving instructor if they are legit. It takes a moment to prove their qualification, especially when you’re about to embark on a professional relationship with them. If in doubt, ask.

Also, if a driving instructor’s price seems too good to be true, it possibly is.

With certain things in life you get what you pay for. If a ‘luxury’ holiday to Barbados for two weeks’ all-inclusive costs £200 then guess what, you’re sleeping in a cupboard below a herd of elephants while nursing a stomach bug from uncooked meat. Similarly, if you find an instructor that is half the cost of everyone else you’ve spoken to, you’re going to be disappointed. Imagine how long you are going to be driving in your lifetime and then divide the years by the extra the qualified instructor is charging…

Doesn’t seem so much now does it?

It’s not just your driving skills at risk

Qualified driving instructors undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), formerly known as a CRB check. This provides added protection for students who are putting their safety in the hands of someone they don’t know.

If you suspect someone is an illegal driving instructor, email or phone the DVSA.

DVSA Fraud and Integrity team – [email protected]

Telephone – 0191 201 8120

Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am – 6pm

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