Building a House and Learning to Drive

Dave Allen, ADINJC General Council

Introduction

Building a house and teaching someone to drive, why are they so similar!
This concept was explained to me a number of years ago by the Head of Training at British School of Motoring (BSM), and it has always stuck with me.

The Foundations

Let’s explain the similarities. I should say from the outset that I’m not a house builder, so bear with me.

A house needs solid foundations to support the entire structure that will be built on top of it. The walls, ceilings, windows and roof – in fact, everything above ground level – depend on those foundations.

If the foundations are weak, the structure won’t be strong enough. It will wobble, tremble and may even collapse when put under pressure.

Now let’s compare this to learning to drive.

A learner’s foundations are the proficient use of the controls that change the speed and direction of the vehicle. This includes the clutch, gears, accelerator, brake and steering. I would also include mirror use and basic road positioning as essential foundations.

If these core skills are built well, and time and effort are invested so the pupil can control the vehicle confidently, later topics such as emerging, crossing traffic at busy junctions and negotiating roundabouts become much easier.

How many times have we seen pupils hesitate at roundabouts or T-junctions because they lack confidence in clutch control and are frightened of stalling.

I’m not saying this is the only reason, as hesitation can have many causes, but clutch control is something that can take some pupils several lessons to truly master.

Classic manoeuvres such as practising the turn in the road and hill starts can really help develop this skill. Instructors can also assist by controlling the steering so the pupil can focus solely on the clutch, or by controlling the clutch while the pupil concentrates on steering correctly.
Using a quiet or deserted area gives you the time and space needed. Angle starts also work wonders for improving coordination.

Walls and Scaffolding

Now let’s look at scaffolding and support structures.

Once the foundations are in place, scaffolding is used to help build the walls while keeping the builders safe. When the walls are secure, the scaffolding is removed.

In learning to drive, the scaffolding represents the level of help we provide to build a pupil’s knowledge, skills and understanding. As with building a wall, once the structure is secure, we gradually reduce that support – or remove it altogether – when the pupil can cope independently.

Roof

Finally, the roof of a house protects everything underneath it.

In driving, this is similar to the higher levels of the GDE matrix. A pupil’s thoughts, beliefs and values shape their driving behaviour, helping to protect them, their vehicle and other road users.

Takeaway

For example, a nervous pupil is likely to make mistakes like stalling, hesitation or a lack of progress.

An overconfident pupil, on the other hand, may take risks such as moving off without proper observation, emerging when they shouldn’t, or driving too fast for the conditions.

I always remember the phrase:

“To teach John to drive, first you must know everything about driving – but equally important, you must learn everything about John.”

In other words, understand what motivates your pupil and how they learn best. 👍

Liam Greaney, ADINJC General Council

Introduction

In the UK context, a national, fully implemented Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system does not yet exist.

As it currently stands, as soon as your learner passes their driving test they are allowed to drive a 3.5 tonne vehicle (or 4.25 tonne if electric) on any public road in the country and in any conditions, and with up to eight passengers.

Now like most instructors, I have a chat with my pupils about the New Drivers Act and remind them that now they’ve got rid of me, they need to make sure that they don’t require my services again.

I also talk to them about their first solo drive and the adjustment to driving independently.

Many young drivers can’t wait to pass their test so they can enjoy the freedom of the open road, often keen to drive in a way that feels fitting for someone who has just passed.

But from the 1st October 2026 a number of reforms are being introduced across the UK in what is hoped to be the biggest shake-up in road safety for years.

In Northern Ireland, alongside other measures, Graduated Driver Licensing will be introduced.

The Case for GDL

The statistics are stark: 8% of young drivers aged 17–23 are involved in 24% of road traffic collisions.

GDL aims to introduce driving in phases by applying additional restrictions, easing young drivers into higher-risk driving situations more gradually.

Alongside other measures being introduced across the UK — including logbooks, minimum learning periods (MLP), minimum hours and a structured syllabus — this approach should lead to improved road safety.

One caveat with the MLP is whether it simply becomes a recognition of a 24-week waiting period, and who is responsible for completing and validating logbooks showing that the syllabus has been covered and minimum hours completed.

That said, you have to start somewhere.

Benefits of GDL

The current UK system uses provisional (learner) licences that come with both restrictions and freedoms.

Restrictions include the minimum age of 17 and vehicle requirements that clearly indicate the vehicle is being driven by a learner. There must be a supervising driver aged over 21 with at least three years’ driving experience.

The rules that apply to supervising drivers also apply during supervision — for example, learners cannot be used as designated drivers to take someone to the pub.

Learners are only permitted to drive on motorways when accompanied by an approved driving instructor in a dual-controlled vehicle, and motorway driving is not tested during the practical test.

One of the freedoms within the current system is that there is no obligation to take lessons with a professional driving instructor. As long as a learner holds a valid provisional licence and has passed the theory test, they can book a practical driving test.

From 1 October, new requirements will include a minimum learning period, logbooks and a structured syllabus. However, none of these changes mandate the use of a professional driving instructor, nor do they require the test to be taken in a dual-controlled vehicle.

Provided the vehicle is legal and roadworthy and meets a few other requirements, it’s test ready.

Once these requirements are met — and the candidate has been resident in the UK for at least 185 days — they may take the test. On passing, they are subject to a two-year probationary period.

But what will happen on the 1st October 2026 in Northern Ireland?

According to the press release:

• A six-month night-time driving restriction will apply to drivers under the age of 24
• Age-related passenger restrictions will apply, except for family members, unless passengers meet the learner supervising driver criteria

Problems with GDL

There are, however, legitimate concerns.

Would rural areas be unfairly penalised?

Could restrictions on night-time driving create an economic barrier for young people, particularly given how early it gets dark during winter months?

Enforcement is likely to be event-driven rather than process-driven.
In the event of a serious collision, what appetite would there be to enforce rules that could substantially reduce compensation paid in a non-fault accident?

There is also the issue of the so-called “cliff-edge effect” — what happens when the restrictions are suddenly lifted?

The last point might already apply when learners pass their test anyway, are we just postponing the problem?

Takeaway

“As per the PACTS Road Safety Manifesto, to which ADINJC is a signatory, we support wider continuing discussion and debate around the potential introduction of GDL in this country.”

Introduction

Not all superheroes wear capes; some of us are ADIs and PDIs just doing our jobs.

I’ve told everyone that I meet in the course of my normal day that I saved a life, and now I want to share my story with you.

I was in my professional role as an ADI and out on a lesson with a pupil.

My Story

We were parked on the common on the left-hand side of the road with a crossing point in front of us called ladies mile that is quite popular.

A man walked out in front of us, who was preceded by two small dogs that should have been on leads but were not.

The pupil and I had a short conversation about whether dogs should be on leads and what the Highway Code says about this.

I explained how, a few years ago, another pupil and I had run a dog over, but fortunately it survived.

I related how the crowd had gathered around the injured hound and its owner.

After sorting out my pupil, I explained how I felt I had no choice but to go over to the injured animal and its owner, which I did.

Fortunately, the owner immediately admitted to the crowd that he should have had it on a lead and that he only took his eyes off it for a second.

His kind actions probably saved me from the lynch mob.

We contacted each other the next day, he to tell me that the dog was making a full recovery and me to say that my pupil informed me that she had spent the night praying for the dog.

I was pretty pleased with myself because we had done everything right, and the dog was going to be alright.

It starts to get dangerous.

At this point, my pupil, who was looking at me with rapt attention, starts screaming “oh no, oh no”.

There is a small boy of about three running along and heading straight out into the road, following the man with the dogs, who I assume to be his father.

I looked up into my interior mirror, and there was a car heading straight down the road toward where the small boy was about to run out.

Because of the parked cars behind us, the small boy could not see the car coming toward him, and by the same token, the driver of the moving car couldn’t see the small boy.

I reached over and gave the horn a loud blast, which froze the little boy in his tracks.

His mum and dad, on different sides of the road, both a little distance away, just looked over and stared.

I choose not to get into any discussion with the boy’s parents over what just happened.

I’d like to think that they were about to have a full and frank discussion on parental responsibility.
My pupil, who has a small child of a similar age, made the point to me that her child is kept in a buggy for just the reason we had just witnessed.

I praised her for helping to save the small boy’s life.

What are the takeaways from this?

Life can change in an instant:

• For that small boy, being hit by a moving car at head and chest height would probably have been fatal
• Maybe I’m wrong about the possible outcome, the boy might have stopped, or the car might have gone past without hitting him
• One of his parents might have called out and stopped him

There might have been all sorts of reasons that the boy’s parents didn’t have him under control:

• Maybe one thought the other was doing the job
• They could have argued and not concentrated
• Poor parents
• Good parents, but having a bad day

Having a safe way of doing things keeps you safe

• The routine of always doing something means you don’t have to think about it
• A split-second lapse can be life-changing
• Driving is full of routine POM, MSM, PSL and LADA

For me, the instinctive reaction of a mirror check saved that boy’s life as it allowed me to get to the horn.

I’ve probably been driving for something like fifty years, and never has a mirror check made such a profound difference.

In some ways, I’m thinking I’ve been wasting my time for the last fifty years with those mirror checks, but that day they paid off in the biggest way possible.

The problem with all our little routines is that we never know when they are going to be needed.

But when they are needed, the payoff can be life itself.

Conclusion

Not all superheroes have capes; sometimes, a green or pink badge says it all.

Liam Greaney
ADINJC Committee Member

Introduction

• Being a winner is nice, whatever you are doing, you are doing something right, but do we learn more from failure?

• The DVSA publishes the Driving Test Data. Click the link, then scroll down to DRT121F to see for yourself.

• This will list the top ten fails from 2007 to 2024, and what will be striking to you is the consistency of what our pupils are failing on.

First Place is:

• Junctions (observations)

Without fail, this is the consistent number one, and we all should take note of this.

Second Place is:

• Mirrors (change direction)

For complete accuracy, I should point out that ‘Mirrors (change direction)’ was number three in 2007, but every year before and since, it has been number two.

It is never out of the top three.

Third place:

• Moving off (safely)

Never out of the top ten, it is normally a mid-table failure.

Interestingly, its twin, Moving off (control), last got a mention in 2020 when it was placed tenth and prior to 2020, it was rarely out of the top ten.

I think it would be reasonable to assume that the rise of the auto has led to the demise of this fault in the top ten.

Fourth place:

• Junctions (turning right)

A regular finisher in the top half of the table. If the top three are observational faults, this is the highest finishing positional driver fault.

Fifth Place:

• Response to signs (traffic lights)

Always in the top ten, apart from 2007 when it didn’t place, this one is closely related to seven and eight.

Remember, at the beginning of a Driving Test, the examiner says, “I want you to follow the road ahead unless otherwise directed by road marking or traffic signs”.

If your pupil does not see either the markings or the traffic signs, or worse still, does not know how to deal with them, how will they cope in normal driving?

Sixth Place:

• Control (steering)

A mid-table finisher since the stats have been recorded, it did for the period 2014-2019 achieve third place consistency before dropping back to mid-table.

Along with number four, this is a positional driver fault.

Seventh Place:

• Response to signals (road markings)

It wasn’t till 2011 that this started placing in the rankings of failures; it is now making its way slowly up the table.

This could have a number of causes, such as volume of traffic giving less opportunity to see the road marking and lack of road maintenance, meaning that they are harder to see.

Eight Place:

• Response to signals (traffic signs)

This didn’t enter the tables until 2011 and remained at number ten till 2018, and has slowly moved up.

The comments on five and seven also apply here.

Ninth Place:

• Positioning (normal driving)

A mid to bottom table regular placing, your position is the first part of your PSL routine.

Tenth Place:

• Use of speed

A late entrant to the tables, it has only been placed for a couple of years.

Possibly changes to the driving test have resulted in more high-speed roads and hence a greater emphasis on the use of speed.

What does this all tell us:

A read through all the data will tell you a number of things.

• Observation is the main driver fault
• Control faults have gone from 3 out of 10 down to 1 in 10
• Positional faults are roughly the same at 3 in 10
• The “Control (Steering)” driver fault could be positional, or it could be procedural

Has the rise of auto reduced the number of overall control faults?

If the above is true, is this why observational driver faults have increased?

Has the increased volume of traffic on the roads made an observational driver fault more likely?

Would this explain why “Response to signals”, while not mentioned once in 2007, gets three slots in 2024?

Would the reason for the two comments above be that a driving test candidate only has so much bandwidth to deal with things?

If the reason above was valid, does this mean that most candidates are taking the test too soon before they can comfortably process everything that’s happening around them?

Is the marking of the driving test changing?

We have noted elsewhere that in 2007, 0.5% of test passes were zero faults, while now it’s nearly 5%.

See table DRT121E from Driving Test Data

Clearly, if your pupils’ chance of getting a zero-fault driving test result has gone up nearly tenfold, but the overall pass rate is only up about 5%, so something is happening.

How can we use this:

The DVSA regularly publishes a blog with a list of the Top Ten Fails on a Driving Test.

I strongly urge you to read this for the following reasons:

• The list of fails, while it does change, remains fairly consistent in what fails
• If you want to know how an examiner marks things, it will be there for you to read in black and white
• It won’t be comprehensive, but it’s a very good start

• You could get your own report Your Driving Test Data, compare your results and use the Top Ten Fails on a Driving Test blog to improve

Micro Training:

For example, with your own pupils and “Moving off (safely)”, make doubly sure that they are checking the blind spot and acting on what they see.

Reference The Highway Code Rule 159 and Driving The Essential Skills, and you are covering driving theory with your pupils, which is part of both Part 3 and Standard Check criteria.

If you see another road user not doing this or doing it badly, ask your pupil about this. “What made them do it like that?” “What could be the consequences of doing it like this?”

Using what is happening around you is part of both Part 3 and Standard Check criteria.

It won’t take long before your training becomes pretty solid.

Note here, there is a methodology:

• Read the DVSA’s  Top Ten Fails on a Driving Test blog

• Pick an item from the list of fails
• Look up any Highway Code rules that apply
• Do the same with Driving the Essential Skills
• Watch out for what is happening on the road relating to the item you’re looking to improve on
• Use that situation with your pupil

Work your way through the list, and you will have a good idea of how an examiner marks driver faults. Follow these steps and your own pass rate should improve.

Liam Greaney
ADINJC Committee Member
www.driving-pro.com

Introduction

NASP recently reached out to the newly appointed DVSA Chief Executive Beverley Warmington to welcome her to the role. Here is her response.

Email Response

Dear Stewart, Peter and Carly

Thank you for your letter and warm congratulations on my appointment. I recognise NASP as a key partner to DVSA and value this important relationship.

DVSA’s mission is to keep Britain moving, safely and sustainably and this isn’t something we or any other organisation can achieve alone. It takes collaboration across government, local authorities, enforcement agencies, industry and road safety groups to make a real difference.

The Government’s recently published Road Safety Strategy aims to:

• Support road users
• Take advantage of technology, data and innovation for safer vehicles and post-collision care
• Ensure our infrastructure is safe
• Provide robust enforcement to protect all road users

I’m sure like many others in the industry you’ll have read the strategy and have ideas on how your organisation can support its aims. We look forward to hearing them and exploring how we might work together to help achieve better outcomes for road users across the country.

Over the coming weeks I’ll be settling into the role. My background and priorities – anchored in operational leadership and service improvement – mean I will be focused on listening, learning and spending time with colleagues and partners across our services. This will take time, but my commitment is clear – we will keep engaging with you regularly.

I will be focused on tackling the issues the industry is currently facing, including driving test waiting times, improving the customer experience for instructors and learners, and supporting the profession to deliver safe, high-quality training and tests.

Once I am more settled, our External Affairs team will be in touch to set up a meeting with either me or members of my senior leadership team, to discuss and agree shared priorities for 2026 and beyond.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Your support and insights will be invaluable as we move forward together to build a safer future on Britain’s roads.

Yours sincerely,

Beverley Warmington
Chief Executive Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency

We are delighted to announce that Dr Ian Greenwood has been appointed as the new Patron of the ADINJC.

A Warm Welcome from the Chairman, Stewart Lochrie.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr Ian Greenwood as the new Patron of the ADINJC.

I met Ian at the Driving Instructors Convention last year, and was instantly impressed by the way he delivers his messages on road safety. He is persuasive and eloquent, and I have nothing but admiration for the role he has taken on following the death of his daughter in a road crash in 2008.

I look forward to working closely with him to raise both industry and public awareness of the need for continual improvement and education on the subject of road safety.”

Driving Instructors will be able to hear Ian speak at the ADINJC Scottish Conference on Sunday 17th May 2026.

More information on tickets can be found here.

Looking Ahead with ADINJC

Ian remains deeply curious and concerned about how road safety policies in the UK are made, delayed, or sometimes ignored, despite the continuing toll of death and serious injury on our roads.

Driving instructors play a vital role in shaping safer behaviour among novice drivers and have the potential to make a lasting, positive difference for everyone who uses our roads. Ian is eager to learn from, support, and collaborate with ADIs across the country in pursuit of that shared goal.

We are honoured to welcome Dr Ian Greenwood and look forward to working closely with him to strengthen road safety awareness, education, and advocacy across the profession and beyond.

Project Edward Webinar and Initial Reactions

It was a pleasure to be invited to participate in Project Edward’s extremely well-attended webinar response to the launch of the government’s Road Safety Strategy last week.

Over 500 people logged in to hear reactions from a panel of invested parties (I believe the word “experts” was even used at one point): from myself, representing the ADINJC, to road safety campaigner Dr Ian Greenwood, to Joy Allen, Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham.

Overall, most of the speakers were positive about the aims of the strategy, if not immediately convinced by the number of consultations referenced (it’s not just a DVSA thing) in lieu of more immediate, concrete action.

Graduated Driver Licensing and Key Omissions

For my own part, I took the opportunity to restate ADINJC’s support for a wider debate on Graduated Driver Licensing, a disappointing omission for many. You can learn more about the PACTS Road Safety Manifesto, which the ADINJC supports, here.

I also managed to have a bit of a moan about the omission of the two words “driving instructor” from a 23,000-word document on road safety.

This omission bothers me a great deal.

The Safe System and Human Behaviour

The Safe System, embraced by the new strategy, is about levelling up different areas to drive down road deaths. It takes as one of its basic principles that human beings will make mistakes and may choose to behave in ways that will result in sub-optimal outcomes. And all of this despite knowing better.

One area (in my experience, conspicuous by its absence from the majority of road safety dialogue) clearly in urgent need of levelling up is driving instructor training and development.

The Missing Role of Driving Instructors

Driving instructors do a good job, generally, often in difficult circumstances. We are not helped currently by test-waiting times and DVSA’s inability to recruit an adequate number of driving examiners. We operate within a culture where quick passes are more important than a thorough driving education. Our basic training is inadequate for the challenges of the mid-21st century. And, of course, we are self-employed – meaning additional training costs more than the list price, in real terms.

It is my view though, that the targets identified in the Road Safety Strategy will be extremely difficult to meet without systematic improvements to how the almost 45,000 driving instructors on the register are trained to engage with young people on behavioural and higher-order cognitive issues.

Training, CPD, and Systemic Weaknesses

It is generally accepted now, even within our own profession, that the majority of driving lessons delivered in the UK prepare young people for a test that focuses on Levels One and Two of the Goals for Driver Education (GDE).

Furthermore, there is no mandatory requirement within the driving instructor training and testing process for driving instructors to demonstrate knowledge of, understanding of, or an ability to address in-car any aspects of the higher levels of the GDE, for example, those elements that cause most road crashes.

Added to these factors is the frankly unsustainable situation where, once basic training has been completed by trainee driving instructors, there is no incentive or compulsion for any of us to improve our knowledge and skills. CPD is entirely voluntary, and as a result, is undertaken by a minority (albeit a growing one) of instructors.

From “Under-Utilised” to Under-Prepared

I have often heard driving instructors being referred to as an “under-utilised resource”. Perhaps I’m just having a bit of a bad day while writing this – it’s very late on a Friday – but this too bothers me.

We can only be considered under-utilised if we, as an entire profession, can contribute to improvement and progress on what has come before. In other words, our entire profession must become capable of developing the thinking, reflective, and higher-order cognitive skills of our learners.

Until we get there, we’re not under-utilised – we’re under-prepared.

Stewart Lochrie
Chairman

Raising the bar beyond training

If the last post about Archilochus was about training and goal setting, this one is about raising the bar and setting beliefs about standards.

You might ask what the difference is between goals and expectations.

We might reply that goals are specific and describe the road to getting there, while expectations are the destination.

You’re already delivering solid, deliberate training.

Your skills are sharp, your feedback is precise, and your safety culture is strong.

But the powerful lever you might be underutilising is your expectations.

Archilochus reminds us, “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”

So if the training is solid, how can we rise to a higher level of expectation?

The actual ceiling of a learner’s performance is not just how well you train them, but what they believe they’re aiming for and what you expect them to achieve.

That last bit is very important.

It’s about our beliefs about what we want our pupils and ourselves to achieve.

Why expectations matter, even when training is strong

Goals and expectations are both about the future, but they play different roles in motivation, planning, and everyday life.

Understanding how they differ helps you set better plans, communicate more clearly, and avoid needless disappointment.

Goals tend to deal with the lower levels of the GDE.

Expectations tend to address the higher levels of the GDE.

What goals are?

Goals are concrete targets you actively pursue and are things you do for yourself and the pupil.

They describe a desired end state and are typically specific, time-bound, and measurable.

You and your pupil will control goals.

You decide what you want to achieve and map out steps to get there.

Goals organise effort, create direction, and provide a basis for progress tracking.

Goals invite action and elicit planning, skill-building, and resource allocation.

What expectations are?

Expectations are beliefs about how things will unfold in the future and what you want your pupil to achieve.

They describe anticipated outcomes, behaviours, or circumstances.

Expectations often involve others, environments, chance or what might happen post-test.

Expectations shape our attitudes and emotional responses.

If they’re realistic and well-communicated, they help coordinate effort.

If they’re vague or unspoken, they can lead to frustration when reality diverges.

Expectations are largely about anticipation and perception.

They color how you interpret events and interact with others.

We as people rise to other people’s expectations of ourselves.

We want our pupils to rise to our expectations of them.

Key differences, side by side

Control:

• Goals are primarily within your control; you set and pursue them
• For example, aiming to pass a driving test by the end of the year
• Expectations are often not fully in your control; they are a belief that you can pass your driving test by driving safely

Clarity:

• Goals are explicit targets you can measure
• For example, learning to turn right at a road junction safely
• Expectations are sometimes implicit beliefs about the future that may go unspoken
• For example, believing that good driving is about consideration for others

Purpose:

• Goals mobilise action and planning
• For example, learning how to deal with spiral roundabouts
• Expectations shape comfort, patience, and readiness for different outcomes
• For example, being able to deal safely and comfortably with all roundabouts

Emotional impact:

• Achieving a goal yields clear satisfaction
• For example, passing your driving test
• Unmet expectations can cause disappointment
• Met expectations validates both yours and your pupils’ self-worth

Where they intersect

They influence each other:

• A goal creates a framework that helps manage expectations
• Conversely, existing expectations about others or processes can shape the difficulty and phrasing of your goals
• Think here about situations that you see on the road with your pupil and use that to create safe expectations
• “Was it safe?” and “How would you have handled that?”

They can become misaligned:

• If your expectations about your pupils’ responsiveness are too optimistic, you may miss milestones despite having a solid goal

Practical guidance for using both well

Separate planning from expectation-setting:

• Write down your goal clearly first, then list the key expectations you have about others, resources, and timelines
• See our post on Learning Contracts

Make expectations explicit:

• “I aim beyond the driving test, and we will cover all the National Syllabus with you as far as I am able ”
• Clear communication prevents resentment.

Reframe expectations as probabilistic:

• Give your pupil realistic assessments that deal with real-life driving
• Seek to replace luck with skill
• Remember that your pupil should be able to deal with situations rather than places
• The practice of safe judgment should become the real skill in driving, as it is in life

Build feedback loops:

• Regular check-ins align reality with both goals and expectations, allowing you to adjust promptly
• Talk to and listen to your pupil
• You both need to be pulling in the same direction with the same amount of effort
• Ask for feedback on how you’re doing for them

Plan for contingencies:

• What if that car signalling left to turn has left its indicator on and is not turning
• This is your chance to shine on a Part 3 or a Standards Check
• Ask the “What if” and “How would you handle it?”
• Use a bit of driving theory, for example, “What does the Highway Code say about this?”

Bottom line

Goals are the targets you pursue.

Expectations are the beliefs you have.

Both shape behaviour and outcomes.

We meet and achieve goals, but we strive for expectations both of ourselves and others

Introduction

Being a Driving Instructor is a unique job.

We’re teachers, coaches, risk managers, emotional regulators, and sat-navs all rolled into one.
We spend hours in traffic, navigate all kinds of pressures and sit next to learners who are often anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed.

It’s no surprise that conversations around stress, focus, and well-being keep popping up.

One word that often gets mentioned is mindfulness, and for some people, that’s enough to switch off immediately.

So before anyone worries, this isn’t about chanting, sitting cross-legged in a lay-by, or being told to “just breathe” when you’re already running late.

This is simply about awareness, choice, and having a few small tools available if and when they’re useful.
Nothing more. Nothing forced.

Let’s Clear Up Some Common Misconceptions

Mindfulness has picked up a lot of myths along the way, especially in practical, hands-on professions like ours.

Myth 1:

“Mindfulness means emptying your mind.”

Nope. Minds don’t work like that, especially not instructor minds.

Mindfulness is more about noticing what’s already there, not getting rid of it.

If we can master this in some way, shape or form…we can pass these techniques over to our learners and give them the tools to allow themselves to acknowledge their thoughts, breathing, feelings and body language.

Myth 2:

“It’s basically meditation, and meditation isn’t for me.”

Meditation can be a form of mindfulness, but mindfulness itself can be as simple as noticing your posture, your breathing, or the tension in your shoulders while waiting at traffic lights.

Myth 3:

“It’s too soft or fluffy to be useful.”

Actually, many people use mindfulness in high-pressure environments because it helps with focus, emotional regulation, and decision-making.

It’s used in a practical sense….just another tool.

Myth 4:

“If I try it, I have to believe in it.”

You don’t. Just like any coaching technique, you can test it, adapt it, or decide it’s not for you.

We are all different, just like our learners….but you can’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Why Mindfulness Can Be Relevant for Driving Instructors

As Instructors, we’re constantly reacting to: learners’, traffic/weather conditions, test pressure and our own internal commentary.

Mindfulness isn’t about changing the job; it’s about how we relate to what’s already happening.

Some Instructors find that a little more awareness helps them:

• Reset between lessons instead of carrying stress forward
• Respond more calmly to learner errors
• Notice when they’re tired, tense, or distracted
• Stay present rather than mentally replaying the last lesson or worrying about the next one

It’s not about becoming perfectly calm.

It’s about noticing earlier when things are starting to build and then finding a practical solution to prevent or find a resolution.

Quick and Easy Mindfulness Exercises (Car-Friendly)

These are designed to be simple, optional, and realistic. Things you can do between lessons without making a big deal of it.

1. The One-Minute Reset

Before starting the engine:

• Sit back in the seat
• Take three slow breaths
• On each exhale, consciously drop your shoulders

That’s it. No visualisation, no affirmations….just a brief reset.

This is also a great technique to use with learners when they need to press the “reset” button in their lessons.

2. The Five-Point Check-In

Silently notice:

• 1. Your feet on the pedals or floor
• 2. Your back against the seat
• 3. Your hands on the wheel
• 4. Your breathing
• 5. One sound outside the car

This helps bring attention back into the present moment before the next lesson begins – another great technique to use with your learners when they are distracted or they have cognitive overload.

3. Tension Spotting

While parked, quickly scan your body and ask: “Where am I holding tension right now?”

Jaw? Hands? Neck? If you notice it, soften that area slightly or do some light stretches specific to those areas.
If you don’t, no problem. Awareness is the goal, not fixing.

4. Traffic-Light Breathing

Use red lights as a cue to slow your breathing:

• Inhale gently
• Exhale a little longer than the inhale

It’s subtle, practical, and fits naturally into driving.

There’s Something for Everyone……..If You’re Open to It

Mindfulness isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Some instructors love breathing exercises, while others prefer body awareness.

Some find mindfulness through movement, routines, or even tidying the car between lessons.

And some won’t connect with it at all…..and that’s okay.

Just like our learners, we’re individuals.

We all bring our own experiences, preferences, and biases.

What helps one person focus might irritate another.

The value isn’t in forcing a technique, it’s in having options.

An Honest Note: It Might Not Work for You

Mindfulness isn’t magic, and it’s not a guarantee.

For some people, it doesn’t click, doesn’t help, or feels like extra effort.

That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong; it just means it’s not your tool.

This is simply one approach among many.

You’re allowed to be curious, sceptical, or somewhere in between.

Mindfulness doesn’t need to be another thing on your to-do list.

It’s not about becoming calmer, better, or more “zen” as an instructor.

It’s about noticing what’s already happening and giving yourself a little more choice in how you respond.

If one small exercise helps you reset between lessons, that’s amazing.

If you try it and move on, that’s great….you can keep exploring and adding more tools to your toolbox.
Like good instruction, mindfulness works best when it’s flexible, practical, and respectful of the individual behind the wheel.

© Charli Howe
ADINJC Committee Member

Introduction

This article was triggered by receiving one of these inquiries that only wanted a mock test, and then the use of my car to take their driving test in.

Saying No

Ok, let’s start with the obvious reason why we shouldn’t be offering the use of your car for test purposes only.

Reason 1

If your vehicle gets involved in a collision whilst on the test, your vehicle will be off the road for a period of time.

You will lose income and probably some of your pupils as well if they miss lessons or tests, because your car will be off the road until you source a dual-controlled replacement, of course.

Reason 2

The result of the test will be recorded against your PRN number.

If you are an ADI and you have your ADI badge in the windscreen, it will affect your TIP parameters and increase the chances of you being called up for a Standard Check.

Even if you are a PDI, the result will be recorded but not recognised until you qualify as an ADI.

Again, increasing the chance of getting a Standards Check earlier than expected.

Reason 3

Examiners do notice the standard of the people you are presenting to for driving tests.

Yes, it shouldn’t influence the outcome of the result of a practical driving test, but if you made a habit of presenting people of a poor standard to test, don’t be surprised if these examiners report this to the test centre manager.

They, in turn, can report it to the ADI enforcement team, again triggering a Standards Check earlier than expected.

Reason 4

Reputation. Getting lots of people through the driving test improves your reputation, and people will tell other people about your successes.

And of course, you can post your pupils’ happy and joyful faces on social media, and they can write good reviews about your success.

People do look at reviews when selecting who they want to teach them to drive.

Saying Yes

Ok, a bit conversational, let’s look at some of the reasons why you might take them to test, but under certain terms and conditions, of course.

I have done this myself in a few instances, but I wouldn’t normally apply these measures.

Reason 1

The pupil has a genuine reason why they don’t have a car or a driving instructor to take them to the driving test.

We shouldn’t always believe that the reason they don’t have a car or a driving instructor is that the instructor doesn’t think they are ready to take it, or that they haven’t taken lessons.

We can always find out this when you talk on the phone with them.

Genuine reasons could be many, like instructor illness, a change of career, the instructor not being available at that time to take them or family issues that affect their availability.

Reason 2

Your diary might have availability that you need to fill.

Especially if you’ve had a number of recent passes or pupils leave for various reasons.

How to Choose

Ok, finally, let’s cover the conditions that you should have in place to protect your reputation and your business.

1. Should you not think the pupil is at a suitable enough standard to pass, then you shouldn’t be taking them to a practical test in your vehicle.

You should make it quite clear to your potential new customer that they need to take an assessment with you before attempting a driving test.

If they are suitable, great; if they aren’t, you will have to explain why.

Be firm but fair, as they may want to postpone their appointment and take lessons with you if you act with integrity.

I have had pupils who have postponed their practical test because both they and I didn’t think they were ready.

However, on the other side of the coin, I have assessed people who are clearly nowhere near the required standard of driving and still deluded enough to think they will get lucky on the day.

Remember, you are the professional, not them. Just remember the four reasons I gave earlier as to why not to take them!

2. Have these terms and conditions in writing and get your pupil to agree to them, or even better, get them to sign them, so there are no consequences to your reputation.

Final notes

In summary, do what is best for our business in the long term, not the short term.

Your reputation is critical in developing good customer relationships, and if most of your pupils are successful in passing, then they start recommending you to their friends and family!

© David Allen
ADINJC Committee Member
‘A’ Grade Driver Training