Choosing the right instructor

Sir Arnold Clark understands, from experience, the anxiety associated with a parent as their child takes to the road for the first time.

This is why the Arnold Clark Group has heavily involved itself in supporting the Parents of New Drivers guide from Good Egg Safety.

Here’s our simple and easy to follow ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ of picking a driving instructor.

Do...

Find an approved instructor, the easiest way to do this is to visit the motoring section on direct.gov.uk to find the nearest approved instructor in your area.
Choose an instructor that your son or daughter is comfortable with. Regardless of reputation, if your child isn’t comfortable their learning experience will suffer as a result.
Ask to join on one of the lessons to see how your son or daughter is progressing; assuming that your child is comfortable with this.
Make sure the driving instructor is displaying his Green (Approved Driving Instructor) or Pink (Potential Driving Instructor, i.e in training) badge, it is illegal for them not to have this clearly on display.
Take your son or daughter out for regular drives to encourage them to refresh skills they have learnt on the driving lesson.

Make a block booking with an instructor until your son or daughter is completely comfortable with them and you have a realistic time frame in mind of how long it will take to pass the test.
Put unrealistic time limits on the learning process, some people take 6 months, others 2 years.
Always go for the cheapest option, usually rates will be very competitive however if a driving instructor is considerably cheaper there may be a good reason for this.
Rely solely on the phonebook or internet to make a choice about who to employ as your driving instructor, word of mouth is key to making the right choice about who is right for your child.