Government advice is currently suggesting that driving instructors might be able to return to work on the 4th of July. Naturally, this is subject to change at any time, however, we are using this as a target date and making preparations to recommence lessons in the safest way possible.
How we will keep safe
As a business, there will, of course, be strict measures in place to be “Covid-Secure”, as per government guidelines. We will also need to make changes to our working style to ensure we can operate viably. This document sets out these changes, what we will do, and what you will be expected to do before, during, and after your lesson.
Face masks
Your instructor will wear a face covering. Students will be required to provide their own clean face covering and wear it during the lesson. Exceptions may be made for learners with hearing impairments who need to lipread.
Students who wear glasses may find that wearing a face-covering causes their glasses to steam up. This can be minimised by using washing-up liquid to keep the lenses clean.
Hand hygiene
Students must wash their hands immediately before a lesson, and will be required to use a hand sanitiser provided by the instructor before touching any control surfaces. If you have any allergies that may affect you in this respect, please let your instructor know.
The instructor will clean the car controls at the end of your lesson, before driving away. As an additional step, disinfectant wipes will be provided at the start of the lesson for the student to clean the controls (any controls touched by hand e.g. handbrake, gear stick, steering wheel, indicator stalk) to their satisfaction. The instructor will dispose of these wipes.
You will not be expected to wear gloves as we feel this reduces the ability to use controls safely. Your instructor may wear gloves if students are in the early stages where the instructor may need to intervene and use the controls e.g. gear stick, steering wheel.
Air circulation
It is recommended that car windows be open when driving, however, this can make it difficult for students to hear the instructor and vice-versa. We will, instead, keep the front windows closed, keep the rear windows open, and use the heating/cooling system to keep adequate ventilation through the car, directing from front to rear.
Bounce Back Lessons
Sadly, this period of lockdown has caused many driving instructors to hang up their keys, and find other means of employment. Inclusive Driving is exceedingly proud of our achievements in the last 12 months, and we are determined to survive. Trainee instructors, who have only a six-month licence, have also been affected, and driving schools who previously used large numbers of trainees are finding themselves in difficulty.
With fewer instructors in the area, demand for lessons is expected to be high and we will of course need to ensure our diaries are full. However, we have relied heavily on loyal customers such as you, and we will not take advantage of you by being greedy and pushing up our prices.
In fact, we intend to make a sensible business decision to protect ourselves and at the same time reward you for your patience and loyalty.
Keep a lookout for an announcement coming soon from Inclusive Driving about our “Bounce Back Lessons” offers. These time-limited offers will allow you to secure a place in the diary, and benefit from a choice of special offers.
Train as a Driving Instructor
As driving is an essential skill for almost every job, we expect the Driving School industry to ride the storm and flourish sooner than many other industries. At inclusive driving, we are qualified to train instructors. During the period of lockdown, we haven’t sat still: we have developed our own training course and are ready to release it.
In three parts, the first is a theory unit, which you could easily study during lockdown!
If you or a member of your family has experience in special needs and has held a driving licence for at least three years, then you or they could become an Inclusive Driving Instructor!
Please get in touch by email to info@inclusivedriving.co.uk if you would like further details.
Keep safe, and we hope to see you in July!
