How To Spot Illegal Driving Instructors And What You Should Do About Them

Using a qualified driving instructor is paramount; you need someone who you can trust to teach you, your friends or family members how to drive. If not taught correctly by a qualified instructor, a number of bad things could happen. Therefore, you need to know how to spot illegal driving instructors and it is equally important that you are aware of how to deal with them once you"ve realised they"re operating illegally.

Since 2007, in the U.K., all new instructors must have an enhanced CRB check before they are placed on a register of approved instructors. All instructors already on the register are also checked periodically. This is to help make sure that driving instructors are safe to get in the car with as quite often you"ll be left alone with them for long periods of time.

How do I know whether there are illegal driving instructors in my area?

The primary way that you can tell there are illegal driving instructors operating in your area is if the car does not have a valid licence displayed, or if they are using someone else"s licence. Check their photo ID and make sure they have their licence displayed before you consider getting in the car.

In the U.K., it is against the law not to display the appropriate licence on the front windscreen. When you approach cars that you suspect belong to illegal driving instructors, look for a green or pink licence. The pink one should feature a triangle and this denotes a trainee instructor. The green version should have an octagon and this denotes a fully qualified instructor. You should be able to see the licence in the driving instructor"s car, from the outside. If these aren"t fully visible for inspection, the owner of the licence can be fined up to £1000. If there isn"t one displayed at all, this definitely suggests that there is something not quite right about the operation.

If you hear that someone in your area/someone you know is getting really cheap driving lessons, be immediately wary. The way that some people get around not having the correct qualifications to be a driving instructor is by offering lessons cheap to those who are desperate to have them. That way, you"re less inclined to ask questions about their qualifications etc because they"re helping you get your licence for a much lower price. Ultimately, though, you are likely to be getting sub-standard lessons from an uninsured instructor. It is important that you don"t fall into the cheap lesson trap because driving is a valuable skill that you will use for the rest of your life and illegal driving instructors will be less likely to provide you with enough information to drive safely.

What should you do about illegal driving instructors once you find them?

If you know anyone who is taking lessons from illegal driving instructors, you need to approach them and make sure they know that they are being taught how to drive by someone who is operating illegally and possibly without insurance. Report any illegal driving instructors that you find to the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) by phone or email, if you"re a UK resident. Other countries will also have their version of the DSA"s Fraud team which can be approached if you"re living in another country.