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More info
- Teach others how to drive cars and other vehicles
- You'll normally work for yourself and choose your own hours, but expect to work some weekends and provide your own vehicle
- Opportunities to progress to become a driving examiner or an advanced driving instructor
As a driving instructor your day-day work may include checking each learner's driving knowledge and ability, planning a series of lessons to get learners ready for their driving test, teaching about road safety, driving laws and the Highway Code, giving instruction on the use of vehicle controls, steering, turning, reversing and parking safely, demonstrating how to deal with emergency situations, discussing basic vehicle checks, keeping records of appointments and payments and managing your business.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Check each learner's driving knowledge and ability
- Plan a series of lessons to get learners ready for their driving test
- Teach about road safety, driving laws and the Highway Code
- Give instruction on the use of vehicle controls, steering, turning, reversing and parking safely
- Demonstrate how to deal with emergency situations
- Discuss basic vehicle checks
- Keep records of appointments and payments
- Manage your business
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You can set your own hours, but should be prepared to work evenings and weekends. You'll spend most of your time in the car. Lessons typically last between 1 and 2 hours.
You'll need
For this role you will need excellent driving skills, road safety knowledge and enthusiasm for driving, the ability to give clear instructions, the ability to adapt your teaching style to suit each learner, the ability to react quickly and safely to any problems.
You'll need to pass motoring conviction checks, pass enhanced background checks, be able to read a licence plate at 90 feet (27.5m) (wearing glasses or contact lenses is allowed), have a full UK or EU driving licence, held for at least 3 years and be over 21 years of age.
You first need to apply to become an approved driving instructor. You can find training providers on the Approved Driving Instructor Register Guide.
You'll need to pass the approved driving instructor part 1 and part 2 exams. You'll then get a licence to give instruction and legally charge for lessons.
You must also pass the part 3 exam to get onto the register of approved driving instructors.
It may help your career if you join a driving instructor association.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience and training you could move into specialist areas like training disabled drivers or those driving passenger carrying vehicles, large goods vehicles (LGV) or emergency services vehicles. If you're highly experienced, you could become a driving examiner.