Driving Standards Agency warns of illegal driving instructors

The Driving Standards Agency's Fraud and Integrity (FIT) team is currently snowed under scrutinising over 400 cases of improper conduct and deceptive activity with regards illegal driving instruction, something which is said to be rampant across the UK.

Sounding like a typical red-top call-to-arms, this headline shouldn't scare UK citizens, yet vigilance is a must. In cahoots with the police at local, regional and national levels, the DSA is urging members of the public to be on their guard for those people masquerading as driving instructors in an attempt to extort cash from unwitting learner drivers.

Section 123 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 prohibits drivers from receiving payment in monetary terms for providing driving instruction, unless they have passed the driving agency's demanding three-part instructors test.

To eliminate the potential risks of falling prey to unqualified driving instructors, the DSA suggest you abide by the following set of invaluable procedures prior to arranging any lessons:

• Firstly, ensure that they display an in-date pink license or green certificate in their windscreen, and that the photo-badge is consistent with the instructor who wishes to offer their services to you.

• A pink badge denotes trainee driving instructor status, making such instructors entitled to proffer paid instruction whilst completing their practical experience.

• The green badge indicates that their name is in the Register of Approved Driving Instructors, which in itself assures the public that they are fully qualified to enter into the arrangement of lessons, culminating in the exchange of money, and as such, are subject to regular DSA checks to ensure their continued ability to teach.

According to the DSA, historically, culprits are more likely to be part-qualified instructors who have allowed their trainee licenses to expire, and those who were previously on the register but have been removed for whatever reasons. Recent revelations are somewhat more worryingly though, and imply that those who have never entered the process at all are impersonating driving instructors.

Any newly qualified driving instructor operating in the UK has to undergo CRB checks to ascertain that they are both fit and proper to impart their knowledge. More often than not, those suspected of operating outside of the law will be sent a letter through the post by the DSA, which works as a deterrent in itself.