Road Traffic Act 2006
How will the Road Traffic Act 2006 Affect Driving Instructors (ADIs)?
According to a press release dated 24.01.07 from the DSA (DespatchExpressThe_Road_Safety_Act_2006) the agency will be allowed to publish an ADI’s contact details, check test grade and pass rates. There is (and will continue to be) a heated discussion within the industry as to whether this information should be in the public domain, and whether it is useful to customers.
As far as Beyond Driving is concerned we have no worries with contact details and check test grades being published, but feel that publishing pass rates could lead to challenging customers being dropped, or driving instructors insisting on customers taking many more lessons than is necessary - in order to raise their pass rate. This could well be counter-productive if not thought through very carefully. We notice that there is an intention to ‘carry on talking to the industry about this’ - we are awaiting the phone call!
The Act also allows for the current voluntary code of conduct (Code of Conduct) to be made compulsory - which we would welcome.
Other possible introductions seem to include more extended tests, and re-testing to be introduced.
There are vague references to ‘vehicle simulators’, ‘new technologies’ and ‘recommendations about new methods of training’. Quite what this means we will endevour to find out for you!
All content © Tim Manwaring