Driving lessons resume from Monday 6th July

This message is important. Please ask somebody to help you read it if you find it difficult to understand.

You are also welcome to phone me Monday to Friday between 10am and 1pm if you need advice.

---

I am so happy to be able to announce that the Government and DVSA have given the green light for driving lessons. Now, remember, that green means go if it is safe! To achieve this level of safety there will be a number of procedures in place, and this is what I’ll discuss below.

Before I dive into this, though, there is an important announcement about driving tests.

Driving test bookings

• All driving tests have been cancelled by the DVSA while test centres are made “covid-secure”. Even if your test was previously cancelled and rebooked, it has been cancelled again.
• The DVSA are not rebooking tests automatically. Booking will reopen in phases, starting with candidates who originally had tests in March, then April, then May etc. There is a UK backlog of approximately half a million driving tests to catch up and rebook: there is going to be a long wait, I’m afraid.
• You (or your instructor) will receive a notification when the booking website reopens for each individual candidate, and together we will discuss a new date.
• If you were test-ready, you will be offered “keep in touch lessons” on an occasional basis, and “refresher lessons” leading up to the new test date. Keeping your skill level high will mean we could take advantage of short-notice cancellations for driving tests.
• If your original test date was booked in anticipation of you being test-ready by the time the test date came around, naturally you will need additional lessons so that you still reach the required standard.

Driving lesson bookings

• Contactless payment in the car, or payment in advance via the website or bank transfer is preferred whenever possible.
• Where possible, lessons will be booked on the same day as your previous lessons, however please bear in mind that I am teaching fewer lessons each week due to the additional time taken between lessons for cleaning.
• Priority will be given to students who secured their lessons under the Bounce-Back scheme.

Pre-lesson health screening

• A few days before each lesson, you will receive the usual reminder text message.
• If you have Covid-19 symptoms (high temperature, persistent cough, loss of sense of smell) then please inform me: you will not be penalised for a genuine cancellation due to coronavirus.
• The evening before a lesson, you will receive another text message asking you specifically about your health. Please reply accurately and honestly; again, you will not be penalised for a genuine cancellation due to coronavirus.
• At the start of the lesson, I will carry out a non-touch health check before you get in the car. This health check will include questions about your health, a confirmation that you have washed your hands, and a temperature check using a no-touch thermometer.
• You will be offered hand sanitiser gel which must be used before entering the car.
• The car will have been cleaned following the previous student’s lesson, and you are welcome to inspect the cleaning log.
• On entering the car you will be offered disinfectant wipes to clean the car controls (steering wheel, handles, mirror controls, indicator stalk, seatbelt buckles etc) to your satisfaction.

Personal Protective Equipment

• You will not be expected to wear gloves during your lesson
• Your instructor may wear gloves for individual students if it is likely that the instructor will need to take control of the steering wheel.
• You will be expected to wear a face-covering which complies with the requirements for public transport.

Face coverings are not the same as face masks. The government set out advice for people on how to make their own face coverings easily at home, using scarves or other textile items. These face coverings should cover the mouth and nose while allowing the wearer to breathe comfortably and can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head to give a snug fit.

• Remember, if you wear glasses, a face-mask may make your glasses steam up, so keep them spotlessly clean to minimise the risk of fogging up.
• Reasonable exemptions will be considered for students who lip-read.

Driving tests (on the day)

• The test itself will not change. The required standard and what you will be expected to do during the test will be the same.
• Waiting rooms will be closed, with no access to toilets.
• Driving instructors will not be permitted to accompany you (sit in the back) on your driving test.
• At the end of the test, instructors might not be able to listen to the result and debrief.