Driving instructors teach people the skills needed to drive safely, understand road procedures and pass their driving test. This will initially involve assessing the learner's driving knowledge and skills and planning a series of lessons geared towards helping the learner to get their driving licence.

Most driving lessons follow a similar pattern and involve:

• introducing the learner to the vehicle controls
• enabling the learner to develop the correct driving attitude and approach
• carrying out manoeuvres safely, including turning, reversing and parking
• developing a sound understanding of road laws
• dealing with emergency situations
• maintaining the vehicle.

A driving instructor monitors the learner at all times. Many use dual controls to make slight adjustments to their driving when necessary. As the learner becomes more competent, the instructor will take them onto busier roads, dual carriageways and more complex junctions like roundabouts.

Driving instructors also teach road safety, the Highway Code and basic vehicle checks. When the instructor thinks the learner is ready, they will apply for a driving test date. As well as preparing learners for the practical test, the instructor may also cover the theory side in depth, although most learners do this in their own time.

Specialist Instruction
Experienced instructors can specialise in particular areas of driving instruction, such as advanced or high-performance driving, disabled drivers' instruction, passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) tuition and large goods vehicle (LGV) driver training.

Hours and Environment

As a driving instructor your working hours will vary and often include evenings and weekends. There may be seasonal variations in bookings, particularly around Christmas or during the summer to fit with school holidays.

Most of your time is spent in the car, driving to collect clients, then sitting in the passenger seat during lessons. Each lesson normally lasts between one and two hours.

Skills and Interests

To be a driving instructor you should:

• have excellent driving skills, road safety knowledge and enthusiasm for driving
• be able to give instructions clearly and concisely
• be able to adapt your teaching style to suit all clients, for example nervous learners
• have patience and good interpersonal skills
• be able to stay calm and point out errors in a constructive way
• have a sense of humour
• be observant and able to react quickly and safely to any problems
• have a basic knowledge of car mechanics, for example when explaining about changing gears, steering and vehicle checks.

Entry

Your first step is to becoming a driving instructor is to register with the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to train as an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI).

To apply for registration, you must meet the following criteria:

• have held a full UK/EU driving licence for at least four years out of the last six 
• have not been disqualified during the last four years
• complete criminal record and motoring conviction checks
• pass a theory test and pass two practical exams within two years of the theory part (see the Training section below for details).

Training

Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) exams
ADI exams are in three parts:

• a computer-based theory test
• a practical test of driving ability
• a practical test of teaching ability.

You must pass each part before taking the next and you must qualify within two years of completing the theory test. You can take the theory test as many times as you like but you only have three attempts at each of the practical tests in any two-year period. 

Courses are run by specialist training schools and by driving schools. Course length, content and teaching methods all vary, as do training costs, so check with individual training providers.

Trainee Licence
If you pass the first two parts of the ADI exams, you can join the trainee licensing scheme (although this is not compulsory) to help gain experience of driving instruction. The trainee licence is valid for six months and gives you the right to receive payment for driving instruction with a driving school. There are various conditions attached to the use of the licence and the DSA website in Further Information below has full details of these.

Joining the ADI register
Once you have successfully passed all three parts of the qualifying exams, you join the ADI register and are given a registration certificate to display in your car.

You have to renew your registration every four years and ADI Registrars require you to take a test of continued ability and fitness to give instruction. Your name can be removed from the register if you fail to meet the required standards.

Specialist driving instructors
Specialist instructors usually have further professional qualifications. Some employers in road haulage and bus and coach services train their experienced drivers to become instructors within the company or at a specialist training school.

A voluntary register of LGV instructors has been introduced by the DSA; a similar register for the Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) industry is run by GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council for passenger transport. See the DSA and GoSkills websites in Further Information for details.

Professional qualifications
The Driving Instructors' Association (DIA) offers continuing professional development (CPD) schemes and qualifications, such as the Diploma in Driving Instruction, in conjunction with Middlesex University, and the Advanced Instructor and Examiner qualifications (DIAmond). The DSA is also developing a CPD scheme. See the DIA and DSA websites below for more details.

The NVQ in Driving Instruction is also available at Level 3, covering areas such as safe driving, facilitating learning, monitoring driver progress and driving regulations.

Opportunities

Most driving instructors are self-employed, but you may start by working within a franchised driving school. The main career progression route is into self-employment but competition can be intense, as there are no restrictions on how many instructors can operate within an area.

With experience, you can work as a specialist instructor for a large commercial transport company or a bus and coach operator. You could also consider learning to train people in defensive driving or to retrain traffic offenders. The police, fire service, ambulance service and the armed forces employ their own driving instructors.

There may be opportunities to become a senior instructor or a driving school manager. The DSA occasionally recruits experienced driving instructors as driving examiners.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Full-time driving instructors can make around £15,000 in the first year.
Average earnings for established instructors are around £23,000 a year.
Experienced instructors can earn over £30,000 a year.

Income is based on the cost of the driving lesson and the amount of hours worked. Lessons can be charged from £12 to £27 an hour; and instructors can work up to 48 hours a week. Car maintenance, running costs and other expenses have to be paid out of that amount. 

Instructors working through a franchise usually pay a weekly fee of up to £300, but will have a car provided. They still have to buy fuel.

Further information