Britannia Driving School - Consumer Right Exist?

theoretica

That driving instructor doesn't sound like they would have suited me. However, you sound very set on learning to pass the test, rather than learning to drive well regardless of whether things (like faster roads or parking spaces without lines) come up in the test.

Silvertabby

lister wrote: »

OP, there is only one person on this thread you need to listen to (apart from me ), and they have a '4' and a '5' in their user name (not necessarily in that order).

Firstly, as an ADI, I can honestly state that 50 hours driving isn't unusual at all, it is barely above average (for taught hours, disregarding any private practice).

I would agree that, taking what you have written at face value, your instructor wasn't worth the plastic that wraps his/her green badge.

Sadly lots of ADIs are like you describe, 'my way or the high way' - far too many equate being in control of a lesson with 'do what I say'. They are two different things.

Keep trying instructors until one 'feels' right. We are out there, but you do have to sort the wheat from the chaff.

50 hours ! Yea Gods ! I thought I only needed as many as just over 20 hours (and 2 tests) because I learned to drive in Germany, in a RH drive car, in accordance with German road laws (practical test) and the UK highway code (questions at the end) - and that at least 2 lessons had to be on the autobahn!

System

lister wrote: »

Firstly, as an ADI, I can honestly state that 50 hours driving isn't unusual at all, it is barely above average (for taught hours, disregarding any private practice).

Wow. I passed my car test with 8hrs, my Cat C with 20, my Cat C+E with 20. All first time.

One wonders how much milking of the cow is going on if 50hrs is barely above average. Certainly with my son once he mentioned he'd run out of money for lessons after 3 months they all of a sudden decided he was ready for his test coincidentally that very same lesson. He passed first time. He then also did a Cat C in 20hrs and Cat C+E in 20 hrs and passed both first time.

NBLondon

I probably had 30 to 35 hours and passed first time. No significant extra practice; I wasn't on my parents insurance or anything (unlike the classmate who drove her Dad's Granada to 6th Form each morning before letting him carry on to work).

Lily_W

Thanks everyone. I know it is a very long post, not everybody has sufficient time to absorb all the details.

For those who questioned I couldn't drive or shouldn't drive, I think it is also a question towards to the DVSA examiner's judgement. My test results on 16th Jan was 4 faults + 1 dangerous fault, remember technically you're allowed to have 15 faults, but no serious or dangerous faults.

The 1 dangerous fault I had (too close to a left parked car when meeting oncoming cars at a narrow road), as someone mentioned here is "just basic common sense'. Me too, I thought it's not a difficult point to conquer, more practice more cautious I should be able to pass next time. That's my mental state before I met my new instructor from Britannia Driving School. I even wasn't afraid to change instructor and change car, as I believed that the driver's skill should be the key to pass the driving test. (I'll explain separately why I changed instructor.) I only realised later that an experienced driving instructor can use his !!!8216;power!!!8217; to destroy your newly build confidence. (I simply thought that instructors would like to wish their students good luck.)

Yes, I did pay for the driving lessons and was aiming to pass the driving test. If the driving test involves parking without white lines, driving at night at high speed, I would certainly practise for that... But I also know that receiving your full driving license is only a proper start on the way to become an experienced driver, that's why there is a Pass Plus to help you gain experience in areas of driving that you will not have covered in the standard driving lessons.

societys_child

50 hours . . . :rotfl: I had 8, and passed :j

Lily_W

I would say that my instructor from Britannia Driving School was unkind, unhelpful, destructive, and very possible without "student/customer focus" in his mind at all.

Unkind
!!!8216;On the first training day, at a car park my instructor numbered out a parking bay and asked me to reverse in, that was a bay at the end of the parking lot not far from the planting area where there were not enough white lines exist. I asked can I park to the other side please, which is empty, also I need the white lines to find my reference point? He still insisted me to park into that bay he!!!8217;s targeted!!!8230; I then followed out his instruction but reminded him that an examiner will ask you either drive into or reverse into a bay, but you can choose which bay to park. !!!8217;

Please note that was a new car to me, I've reached the level can do both bay parking without detailed explanation, but with the aid of the white lines I can test out and adjust my new reference point quickly.

What could be the benefit for him to be tougher than the examiner?
Student may struggle and takes longer time to master the manoeuvre.

Unhelpful
I was sharpening up for my driving test, he was not student/customer focused, instead withdrew the opportunities for me to practice my initiative. I!!!8217;m not joking, even the bay parking manoeuvre he will shout out when to turn your wheel. You can imagine what could be when we drove on the road, I just could not tell him to !!!8216;shut up!!!8217; directly, at the end (on the testing day) when I couldn!!!8217;t bear in more I asked him to give me mock test.

There is one example, his instruction !!!8216;turn!!!8217; wasn!!!8217;t correct, I had to correct him but he refused to take in. (Maybe just because that!!!8217;s a piece of information from the student.)

The forward bay parking manoeuvre, we normally choose a bay where the neighbouring bays were empty. When I drove into the bay then packed the car, at that position he will ask me to turn the wheel. I said I could not do this, if I do I will fail my test. You have to straight reverse back about three quarter of the bay then turn into the direction you want. (In the real time if you are a full licensed driver you may choose to go across lines when the neighbouring bays are empty, but the learner drivers are obliged to follow the correct procedurals.)

Another point, the 20 minis independent driving with a Satnav, if we have the Satnav and the mock testing routes, it supposed to be an advantage for the student. But he!!!8217;s not allowing me to use my Satnav.

Destructive
'My test was set at 10:14am, we arranged 2 hours training before the test. At a car park I practiced bay parking to double check my reference point. There was one manoeuvre I wasn't entirely happy with as I had to correct myself once. He instructed me to leave the car park, I asked can I practice one more time please? He said no. I asked again and explained further that I'm going to have my test very soon I need to have the confidence that I can do this parking beautifully in one go. He still insisted me to leave, said we would find another car park. I replied "what's wrong with this car park? It's early morning, the car park is almost empty, plus we're not causing any trouble..." However I followed his instruction and left the car park. I said to him, I couldn't believe this, if you ask your instructor "can I please practice one more time?" An instructor would say "No", you must prefer to live at the Victorian time, wouldn't you consider to adapt a little bit of the modern way of thinking that actually I'm one of your clients?

As he said we then went to another car park where I practiced the bay parking. The question is, is it really necessary on the testing day to be destructive, also exhaust your student's energy in this way? At one point I had to remind myself not to argue further with him, what if at the last minute he tells me that I cannot use his car?'

In regards to the point that he instructed me not to indicate...(detail is in the main post) I!!!8217;ve tried to get some professional opinion.

Q: May I ask a question about how to correctly give Indication/Signal in relation to one way system please? Thank you.
One example !!!8211; When emerging out of a One-Way Street to a T-junction where traffic light controls are in place. You get in the correct lane to turn left, can you omit the Indication/Signal to the left just because your position shows that the only way you can turn is turning to the left?
Another example !!!8211; When at a T-junction with sign shows no right turn, you are turning left. If you indicate and signal to the left, is it very wrong?

A: Yes you can omit the signal when in a dedicated lane. However, providing your signal does not cause any confusion, it!!!8217;s usually best to signal regardless just to ensure other road users know your intent. The same applies to your second example, no need to signal but if you are signalling and providing it doesn!!!8217;t cause any confusion, then there is not an issue.

This !!!8216;omit the signal!!!8217; is really something new to me, no instructors have mentioned it to me before. On the other hand, I would like to think that a thoughtful instructor would not try to confuse a learner driver on the day before their test when signalling is actually not a wrong doing. In consideration that we are more worried about if the learner driver forgot to signal.

Lily_W

Don!!!8217;t worry I!!!8217;ve moved on. There are more important things in life which will need your attention.

It is sad in this Business Model - Instructor and Learner Driver.
The driving test failure, the learner driver seems be bound to bear all the responsibilities!
Does Learner Driver also have the Consumer Right?
What can they do when Learner Driver received a faulty product, improper service?

I also recognise that there is an incentive for some instructors to produce less than successful results !!!8211; it is good for their business.
There should be a review of driving instructor, their performance and practice. They owe it to their customers.

(I!!!8217;m sorry, if you are a Real Professional Instructor.)

Bye!!!8230;

cajef

Lily_W wrote: »

There should be a review of driving instructor, their performance and practice.

I have got news for you, all driving instructors are licenced by the DVSA, their pass rates and performance are monitored and they have to undergo a reassessment of there capability to instruct with a senior DVSA examiner at least once every four years, if they do not reach a certain standard they can lose their licence to instruct.

lister

cajef wrote: »

I have got news for you, all driving instructors are licenced by the DVSA, their pass rates and performance are monitored and they have to undergo a reassessment of there capability to instruct with a senior DVSA examiner at least once every four years, if they do not reach a certain standard they can lose their licence to instruct.

Except that we all know that the standards check is a game. For one hour every four years, you have to play the game to a particular set of rules, and for the next 8000 hours give or take (assuming 40 hours a week for 50 weeks of the year) of teaching you are free to do what the hell you like.

Admittedly, standards checks have been made very slightly more difficult to bluff your way through, but only if you are a little bit hard of understanding or simply don't bother to find out the rules.

The old check test was a total joke, and a concussed orang could be trained to 'oook' their way through it.