Knowing how to drive is one of the essential survival skills in the 21st century. Not only is it vital to your ability to commute effectively in urban environments but it also makes it so much easier to travel. Still, knowing how to drive and knowing how to drive well are two different things. Now, your skill as a driver depends on several factors, one of which is your driving instructor. Therefore, the process of becoming a great driver starts with recognizing and hiring the right driving instructor. Here are six tips to help you out.
Check their credentials
The very first thing you need to do when choosing a good driving instructor is to check their credentials. This means making sure that they have all the necessary qualifications and that they’re approved by a sanctioned government body in charge of this area. Other than just checking credentials, you might also want to check if they have any ongoing disciplinary actions. Sure, accidents happen, however, you don’t want to settle for anything less than ideal for your money.
Look for recommendations
The next piece of advice that you can receive when it comes to choosing a good driving instructor is to look for recommendations. Almost every driving school out there has the necessary credentials and the curriculum that matches your standards. The problem, however, lies in the competence of their teachers, their willingness to go that extra mile, and their relationships with students. This is something that you can discover via recommendations both online and offline. Due to the fact that the majority of your acquaintances are drivers, what you could do is ask around for competent and reliable instructors.
Inquire about their pass rate
When looking for online courses, a 100 percent pass rate would be quite horrible and would discredit the course in question. When it comes to a driving instructor, the closer you get to this mark the better. However, you shouldn’t set your requirements to this unrealistic level. This is why you need to take into consideration any instructor with an average pass rate of over 60 percent. Keep in mind that there are some people to whom even the most competent of instructors can’t help, due to their unwillingness to put in the effort. Most importantly, don’t just take their word for it. Use available platforms to check if their pass rate is really what they claim it to be.
Look them up online
Another thing you can do is try to digitalize your research by looking them up online. This helps you out in several ways. First of all, it’s a lot easier for you to make a comparison between various driving schools and instructors, seeing as how you’ll have an insight into their prices and availability right away. The quality of their website can also serve as an indicator of their professionalism. Also, options like EzLicence driving lessons can allow you to make all the necessary arrangements in under a minute.
Inspect the vehicle
One trick that you should definitely use is to inspect the vehicle once you go to the interview. You see, you’re not just looking into the performance of the vehicle. This would require advanced mechanical skills, while you’re only just beginning to learn how to drive. What you can take notice of, however, is how well-maintained the vehicle is. The amount of care and preparation that they’re investing in their vehicle is probably the best indicator of their work ethics and their seriousness.
Assess their approach and style
Keep in mind that you’ll spend a lot of time with your driving instructor, which is why it’s important that you have compatible personalities. For instance, if you consider yourself an introvert, what you need is someone who knows how to respect your personal space. When it comes to didactic methods, this too is where personal preferences diverge. You see, there are some people who need time to process everything and there are those who prefer a tough-love approach. In other words, you need to pick a driving instructor that you like.
Keep in mind that finding the right driving instructor isn’t an exact science. This means that, even with all the steps of precaution, there’s a slight likelihood of making a mistake. Fortunately, this is not final and if you realize that you’ve made a mistake, it’s far better to outright admit it and back out. After all, it’s only money (and a modest sum), so why would you put up with inadequate education or unpleasant company for the sake of it?
