The following terms and conditions represent the basis upon which training is offered by Roads Ahead Driving School. 

The provision of training is subject to the acceptance of these terms and conditions.

                                                            Driver Training Terms & Conditions of Business (Updated 26th June 2020 re-Covid 19)

If you have any disability or special needs that may require me to make adjustments to the training then please let me know at the earliest opportunity.

Supervision: For the purposes of assessing, maintaining and improving standards it may be necessary for another driving instructor or driving examiner to observe a driving instructor giving tuition. The client may expect an observer to be present on any of their lessons; notice of this would usually be given in advance of the lesson, however this might not always be possible. Driving Examiners are periodically supervised conducting driving tests, therefore the client might be accompanied on their driving test by a supervising examiner, and this is a legal requirement.

Lessons in Clients Own Car: All driving lessons are normally conducted in the driving school cars. On rare occasions tuition may be given in the clients own car, this will only be done if the individual driving instructor is willing to do so, and they may require an initial driving assessment in the dual controlled driving school car before doing so. The clients car must be legally roadworthy, taxed, insured and have an MOT certificate (when necessary). The clients’ car must be insured for the use of the driving instructor to give professional driving tuition and for the driving instructor to drive; this must be confirmed in writing by the clients’ insurance company. The use of the clients car is entirely at the clients own risk, and neither the driving instructor nor The Driving School will be held liable for any damage or accident howsoever caused. There will be no alteration in fees payable in view of the increased risk and responsibility of giving tuition in a non dual controlled vehicle.

Clients Property: The client is responsible for the care of any property they have with them when attending a driving lesson and should ensure they do not leave anything behind. The driving instructor and The Driving School will take no responsibility for any loss of or damage to any property belonging to, or in the possession of the client.

 

Legal Liability: The client in accordance with road traffic law is legally responsible for any traffic offences that occur whilst they are in charge of the vehicle. The driving instructor will endeavour to train the client to the highest possible standard, however they cannot be held responsible for the standard of driving or any errors that are committed whilst they are not giving tuition, either before or after the client passes a driving test.

Complaints: If the client is not happy with any aspect of tuition, or of the standard of service offered, they should raise the matter with their driving instructor with the minimum delay, and not later than 7 days from the date of the cause of the complaint. Every effort will be made by the driving instructor to resolve any complaint or issue. If the client and The Driving School cannot reach a satisfactory agreement then the client can approach ‘The Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council’ (ADINJC); or ‘The Driving & Vehicle Standards Agency’ (DVSA) for non binding arbitration. 

 

The terms & conditions of business under which driving instruction is provided are outlined below:

These terms and conditions of business are a contract between the client and the driving instructor/The Driving School. Any alteration to these terms and conditions of business will always be notified to the client in writing, in advance of the change. These terms and conditions shall be construed under the laws and subject to the sole jurisdiction of the courts of England & Wales. These terms and conditions of business do not affect your statutory rights.

Code of Conduct: The driving instructor and The Driving School abide by a Professional Code of Conduct, copies of which are available on request.

Documentation: Before or on the first driving lesson, the client will be supplied with a copy of the ‘Terms & Conditions of Business’ of The Driving School, Privacy Policy, details of tuition fees, contact details of The Driving School and their Instructor and an appointment card if required. The client will be asked to sign a copy of the ‘Terms & Conditions of Business’ to state that they have read understand & agree to be bound by them. Entitlement to Drive The client must hold a current, valid driving licence that entitles them to drive in the UK. The client must satisfy the requirements of medical fitness to drive, including being able to read a number plate at the prescribed distance. The driving licence must be produced at the clients’ first driving lesson, and it will also be checked periodically by the instructor. Any points, endorsements, bans, convictions or restrictions of any kind on your licence must be notified to The Driving School immediately.

Fitness to Drive: It is the clients’ responsibility to ensure that they are fit to drive. The client must inform their driving instructor or The Driving School as soon as possible of any medical condition, disability or injury that may affect their ability or entitlement to drive. The client must inform their driving instructor if they feel unwell before or during a lesson. The client must ensure that they do not drive whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs (some prescription and ‘over the counter’ medicines can cause drowsiness). The client should ensure that they do not arrange driving lessons at times when they are likely to be tired, stressed or otherwise distracted. The client must wear suitable footwear, and clothing that does not restrict movement or impede their ability to drive safely in any way. Where spectacles or contact lenses are required in order to meet the eyesight requirement for driving, they must be worn at all times while the client is driving.

Behaviour: The driving instructor & The Driving School will not tolerate any form of verbal or physical abuse, whether directed at the driving instructor, a driving examiner or any other road user. The driving instructor reserves the right to terminate any lesson at any stage should in their sole opinion they feel that it is inappropriate to continue because of the client’s behaviour, sobriety or state of mind. In these circumstances the lesson fee is forfeit, and it is at the instructors’ sole discretion as to whether further transport is provided. The instructor or The Driving School is not liable for any cost of transport procured by the client or arising thereof.

Payments: All lessons must be paid for in advance, the lesson, credit is not offered. Payments should be made be made by bank transfer. Where a client falls into arrears with payments, The Driving School reserve the right to discontinue tuition until such time as the clients account is brought up to date, this may include withholding the use of the driving school car for a driving test. In the event of a cheque being returned by the bank an additional charge of £50 to cover the bank charges and administration costs incurred. In the event of any further action being needed to recover any monies owed further charges may be made to cover the costs of administration. The client will be given written notice of other charges added.

Lesson Fees: Before or on the first driving lesson, the client will be supplied with details of tuition fees. Any alteration to tuition fees will always be notified in advance, and a copy of the new fees supplied if requested.

Change of Tuition Vehicle: Tuition vehicles are periodically changed, either permanently, when a vehicle is sold, or temporarily, due to mechanical or other problems. When it is necessary to use a replacement vehicle for a driving test, every effort will be made to give the client as much notice as possible, in order that time can be arranged for familiarisation with the new vehicle, however, in the case of replacement due to mechanical problems this may not always be possible. The Driving School will not be responsible for any losses (e.g. test fees) if the client chooses to decline lessons in the replacement vehicle.

Postponement of Lessons by the Driving School: Lessons might sometimes need to be postponed at short notice due to illness, mechanical breakdown or some other emergency or unforeseen occurrence. In such a case then a mutually agreeable alternative appointment will be made. Every effort will be made to notify the client of the postponement as soon as practicable; however, in some circumstances it may be difficult to notify the client in advance of their appointment time. In all other circumstances The Driving School will endeavour to keep all appointments; however when it is necessary to alter an appointment a minimum of 24hours notice will be given.

Postponement of Lessons by Client: Any driving lesson appointment which the client does not keep or does not give at least 48hours notice of cancellation will be charged for in full. Notice of cancellation by the client can be given by telephone directly to the driving instructor, The Driving School or by text. The time of cancellation will be deemed to be the time when the message is received by either your driving instructor or The Driving School. The Driving School reserve the right to impose a longer period of notice required for the cancellation of appointments on any client who consistently cancels lessons and also to insist on prepayment for all appointments. Appointment Times The client should keep a record of all appointment dates and times in order to avoid missed appointments (appointment cards will be supplied if requested). The driving instructor will wait 10 minutes after the appointment time before deeming the lesson to have been cancelled with insufficient notice. The driving instructor will make every effort to be punctual, however traffic conditions may sometimes make this difficult, so the client should allow a 10 minute waiting period. Should the driving instructor not have arrived or made contact with the client during the 10 minute waiting period, the client may assume the lesson to be cancelled. The lesson will commence either at the appointed time, or the time that the driving instructor arrives, if that is later.

Driving Tests: Driving Tests should not be booked without first ascertaining the availability of your driving instructor and car, and agreement being reached with your driving instructor as to your readiness for the driving test. Clients should notify their driving instructor of the time, date and location of their driving test as soon as practicable and the appointment confirmation must be shown to your driving instructor for verification on the next driving lesson. No responsibility will be taken by The Driving School for incorrect bookings unless the driving test confirmation is produced. No responsibility will be taken by The Driving School for driving tests booked at times when the driving instructor is unavailable. In the interests of road safety clients will only be allowed use of the driving school car for a driving test if the driving instructor agrees that the client is at test standard. . When the use of the driving school car is withheld for a driving test, the driving instructor will where possible give the client sufficient notice to enable them to cancel the test without loss of the test fee.

Cancelled Driving Tests: When a driving test is cancelled due to mechanical failure of the driving school car, illness of the driving instructor or any other reason that is the responsibility of The Driving School then the client will be entitled to the cost of their next driving test fee to be paid for by The Driving School. The next driving test fee will not be paid by The Driving School if the client is given sufficient notice to cancel their driving test appointment without loss of the test fee. The Driving School will not be responsible for any additional tuition fees incurred whilst waiting for the next driving test appointment. The Driving School have no control over tests cancelled by the DVSA. When a driving test is cancelled by the DVSA the full fees due to The Driving School for driving lessons and the use of the car for the driving test are still payable in full, unless cancelled in accordance with the normal period of notice. When DVSA cancel a driving test because there is not an examiner available it can be possible to claim back any losses incurred by the client, including a proportion of the lesson fees, this is the responsibility of the client not The Driving School. When a driving test is cancelled because the clients’ documents are not in order the fees due to The Driving School for driving lessons and the use of the car for the driving test are still payable in full, unless cancelled in accordance with the normal period of notice.

Refunds: When a client pays in advance for lessons, they shall be entitled to a refund at any time of any monies for unused lessons, for accounting purposes this refund will normally be made by bank transfer. When a discount has been given for the prepayment of lessons and a refund is requested, the lessons taken by the client will be charged at the full single lesson hourly rate. Any balance refunded will be minus an admin fee to a cost of two full priced lessons (priced at date of cancellation).

Covid-19 Update:

1. These terms and conditions will only need to be signed once and will apply for the whole duration of COVID-19 until otherwise stated. These terms are applicable to every driving lesson that you will receive. Occasionally you will be requested to sign an additional copy. Addition copies are also available on request. 2. Your lesson must be prepaid before the day of your lesson. You can pay by the following methods: - Online Banking - Direct Bank Transfer - Cash only accepted as a last resort. Must be exact amount if possible, NO CHANGE GIVEN.. - Cash will be deposited in a separate bag to avoid unnecessary contact. 1. Your hands MUST be thoroughly washed and sanitised before entering the vehicle. If this is not possible, hand sanitiser will be made available to you. 2. Before entering the vehicle, your instructor will ask you to confirm that you are fit to drive and have no COVID-19 symptoms, which are: - a high temperature - a new continuous cough - a loss of taste or smell

Your instructor will also ask if anyone in your household/bubble has symptoms. If you or anyone in your household has symptoms the lesson will be terminated and future lessons cannot re-start until you have recovered and for a minimum of 14 days unless you supply proof of a negative test result.

Please note: If you display any COVID-19 symptoms whilst driving, the lesson will be terminated immediately & lessons will be suspended for 14 days.

1. The following will have been completed prior to you getting in the vehicle: - All contact surfaces cleaned with anti-bacterial wipes. - The vehicle will have been properly ventilated.

2. Your instructor MAY wear a face mask AND/OR protective gloves. You MAY also be asked to wear a face mask. Your instructor can provide one for your or you can provide your own. You can also wear protective gloves should you wish to do so. If you are not requested to wear a mask or gloves, avoid touching your face.

3. Your lesson brief and debrief may take place outside of the car

4. No additional passengers will be allowed to sit in on lessons

5. Air flow will be maintained at all times, either by having windows open or use of airflow through vents

6. We will not provide any handouts or ask you to touch any of our training materials. You may use your smart phone to take a photo.

7. Lesson cancellation fees will still apply unless you have symptoms of COVID-19 and need to self isolate. If you confirm you have COVID-19 symptoms, we will not charge any cancellations fees if you cancel. Lessons will be suspended for 14 days.

8. If your instructor is asked to provide your details to NHS Track and Trace Agents he will do so immediately. If he is asked to self isolate by Track and Trace Agents we he will do so until he is declared fit by testing. You will be made aware should this happen.

9. These precautions may not stop transmission of COVID-19. You are taking lessons at your own risk as are we.

We are following guidelines from the DVSA along with other organisations.

We take your privacy seriously. Full details of our privacy policy can be found on our website at the following address: https://www.roadsaheaddrivingschool.co.uk

You must hold a current, valid driving licence, provisional, full or international, and produce it on (or in advance of) your first training session.  

Sickness, tiredness, alcohol, illegal and prescribed drugs may affect your driving; any of these could put you and other road users in serious danger. 

Please note that some 'over the counter' drugs may affect levels of concentration; always read the instructions on the packet. If you are taking any drugs please check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure they will not affect your driving. If you have recently taken alcohol or drugs (legal or illegal) please inform your Driving Instructor. In the interests of public safety, I reserve the right to cancel your driving lesson or refuse the use of the driving school car for the driving test if there is any suspicion of impairment because of illness, drugs or alcohol. 

You may face action from the Police if you choose to ignore the law regarding fitness to drive.

If you need to cancel or re-arrange a lesson at least 48 hours notice will be required for single lessons of up to two hours duration. Failure to give notice will result in a valid claim for an equivalent value in compensation (i.e., a cancellation fee will be charged or credited) I will do everything possible to ensure that your lessons start and finish on time, but I reserve the right to cancel, postpone or change lesson lengths and start/finish times under certain circumstances, (e.g., dangerous weather conditions). In the event of postponement fees paid in advance will be carried forward.

I reserve the right to cancel a lesson at short notice if it is suspected that the pupil may be unfit due to the effects of alcohol, drugs (prescribed or otherwise) or any other condition (illness), that would cause his/her driving to be dangerous or illegal. In such circumstances the lesson fee will be payable.

I reserve the right to refuse use of a driving school vehicle for test if I consider that provision of a vehicle could cause a risk to public safety. Where a school car is used for test, the booking period will be based upon my normal diary schedule. Depending on the time of the test this will require a minimum two hour booking and possibly longer. 

While I will make every effort to ensure that the vehicle supplied for test will be fully road worthy and comply with all legal requirements at the start of the test, I cannot be held responsible for vehicle failure that occurs during the test and I am not liable for consequential loss. I cannot be held responsible for test appointments cancelled by the DVSA due to bad weather, sickness, staff shortages or other reasons. Such cancellations are beyond my control and therefore the lesson fee and 'use of car' fee for the booked period will be charged. I will advise about claiming compensation from the DVSA.

I agree to abide by the conditions of the Professional Code of Conduct (an e-mail copy of which will be provided on request). In the unlikely event of complaint or dispute the guidelines of the Code of Conduct will be adhered to.

Below is the DVSA's code of conduct so if you ever feel that a driving instructor is not conducting themself in a correct manner then contact the DVSA at the address at the bottom of this list. 

A driving instructor who gives lessons in a motor car in return for payment must be on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors' (ADIs), To gain entry to the register prospective instructors need to pass a series of examinations administered by the Driving & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). People training to qualify as ADIs who have part completed the examinations can obtain from the Agency a licence to acquire practical experience which is strictly limited to six months. Once fully qualified and on the register, ADIs are regularly tested by DVSA to check their continued ability to give instruction to an acceptable standard. DVSA and the driving instruction industry place great emphasis on professional standards and business ethics. The code of practice set out below has been agreed between DVSA and the main bodies representing ADIs; it is a framework within which all instructors should operate. 

Personal Conduct 

- The instructor will at all times behave in a professional manner towards clients 

- Clients will be treated with respect and consideration 

- The instructor will try to avoid physical contact with a client except in an emergency or in the normal course of greeting 

- whilst reserving the right to decide against giving tuition, the instructor will not act in any way which contravenes - legislation on discrimination. 

- The instructor will safeguard and account for any monies paid in advance by the client in respect of driving lessons, test fees or for any other purpose and will make the details available to the client on request 

- The instructor on or before the first lesson should provide clients with a written copy of his/her terms of business to include: 

- legal identity of the school/instructor with full address and telephone number at which the instructor or his/her representative can be contacted 

- the price and duration of lessons 

- the price and conditions for use of a driving school car for the practical driving test 

- the terms under which cancellation by either party may take place - procedure for complaints. 

- The instructor should check a client's entitlement to drive the vehicle and his or her ability to read a number plate at the statutory distance on the first lesson, when presenting a client for the practical driving test the instructor should ensure that the client has all the necessary documentation to enable the client to take the test and that the vehicle is roadworthy. 

- Instructors will advise clients when to apply for their theory and practical driving tests, taking account of local waiting times and forecast of clients' potential for achieving the driving test pass standard, The instructor will not cancel or re-arrange a driving test without the client's agreement. In the event of the instructor's decision to withhold the use of the school car for the driving test, sufficient notice should be given to the client to avoid loss of the DSA test fee 

- The instructor should at all times, to the best of his or her ability, endeavour to teach the client correct driving skills according to DSA's recommended syllabus. 

 

 - The advertising of driving tuition shall be honest; claims made shall be capable of verification and comply with codes of practice set down by the Advertising Standards Authority

 

- Advertising that refers to clients' pass rates should not be open to misinterpretation and the basis on which the calculation is made should be made clear. 

 

Conciliation 

- Complaints by clients should be made in the first instance to the driving instructor/driving school/contractor following the complaints procedure issued 

 

- Failing agreement or settlement of a dispute, reference may be made to DVSA's Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors who will consider the matter and advise accordingly

 

- Should the Registrar not be able to settle the dispute he or she may set up a panel, with representatives from the AN industry, to consider the matter further or advise that the matter should be referred to the courts or other statutory body to be determined. 

For further information or advice write to:

The ADI Registrar Driving & Vehicle Standards Agency,

Stanley House, 

56 Talbot Street

Nottingham