Be a guiding light
DVSA Registrar Nick Taylor encourages driving instructors to be a positive role model
Intelligent Instructor is proud to have brought together industry experts to produce ‘The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Driving Instructor’.
It has been created in association with Drive.Day, a free magazine offering advice and guidance for those wishing to train and qualify as professional driving instructors.
This FREE 68-page digital magazine is packed with impartial, comprehensive, and detailed information for individuals looking to become driving instructors, and those who have already started out on the road to becoming a professional driver trainer.
Over the next ten weeks, we will publish a small selection of the articles in this guide.
This week, Nick Taylor encourages you to be a positive guiding light to new drivers.
Be a guiding Light
Driving Instructors play a key role in guiding learners to become safe and sustainable
motorists.
As a Driving Instructor, you’ll play a vital role in helping people gain an important life skill
and make a significant contribution to road safety. Many of the instructors I work with
impress me with their professionalism and commitment. The best instructors use their
experience to guide students, who are often young, on the importance of becoming safe
drivers as well as being ready for their test. They also play a vital role in educating students
on their role and responsibilities in terms of safety and sustainability when driving.
Working with developing minds is challenging at times. It means you need to know the best
ways to interact with students, and the environment you need to create to teach. If you have
not already done so, I’d encourage you to read our guidance on becoming a Driving
Instructor on www.gov.uk/apply-to-become-a-driving-instructor. This sets out your main
responsibilities as an instructor.
It’s also important you read and familiarise yourself with the National standard for driver
and rider training. This explains everything you’ll need to develop a successful driver training
programme. You will need to continue to use this when you are fully qualified.
At DVSA, we work hard to make sure our GOV.UK guidance is easy to understand and
accessible. To help you through the qualification process, we have created a step-by-step
guide.
I would also recommend signing up to our email alerts, DVSA Direct, so we can contact you if
there are any changes to the way instructors are regulated or to the learning to drive or
driving test process. We will also invite you to webinars or take part in research to help us
understand how easy our services are to use and to improve road safety. You can choose
which topics you would like to receive information on.
Another way to keep updated with industry news is by reading our Despatch Blog – giving
advice and information to driver and rider trainers. You can subscribe to this to make sure
you never miss one.
Joining an industry body, which represents the interests of the driver training industry, is
another great way of staying up to date. The National Associations Strategic Partnership
(NASP) is focused on promoting the interests of Driving Instructors. It is formed of
representatives from the Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council, the Driving
Instructors Association, and the Motor Schools Association. They work closely with us to
make sure we view our services through the eyes of customers and help us to make
improvements that support the driver training industry.
Progressing from Potential Driving Instructor (PDI) to Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), and
beyond, is a job with a lot of responsibility. By using the guidance and support available, you
can improve the likelihood of you qualifying. This will assist you in being ready for the
challenge of training Britain’s new drivers and helping them become safe and sustainable
motorists.
Nick Taylor
ADI Registrar, DVSA
Mirror, signal and proceed
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