Supervise your learner correctly and legally

I find it absolutely amazing that within the first 24 hours a driving instructor (Norwich) has already been caught using a mobile phone (c/w coffee) and could not only get 6 points and a £200 fine but could also lose their career. The DVSA (the guys who monitor and issue instructor licences) take a dim view of any instructor with more than five points on their licence. Read about it here

It was reading this story I thought there has been loads of social network publicity about the new laws that changed on March 1st, telling you that you will receive six points on your licence a £200 fine, which for new drivers could mean having their licence revoked and them having to take their theory test and practical test again. What hasn’t been as publicly stated is THIS ALSO APPLY’S to SUPERVISING DRIVERS TOO !!!!!

Supervising Drivers are those fantastic people who sit with learner drivers to either teach them as instructors or those ever patient parents and friends who come along and help learner drivers get that much needed practice.
Now for the hard ball bit, being a supervising driver is NOT just a case of being in the car while the provisional driver, drives you around. No !!! The supervising driver is their to support the learner and have overall responsibility which is why ….. wait for this next bit …… I will put it in capitals and make it bold so it stands out ……… MUST ADHERE TO THE SAME RULES AS THE LEARNER DRIVER …. KAPICH!!! UNDERSTAND.

Lets make sense of that last statement the supervising driver must not do any of the following else they will be liable for the same fine as if the driver had got caught.

• MUST NOT USE OR HANDLE A MOBILE PHONE
• MUST NOT EAT, DRINK ETC
• MUST NOT HAVE CONSUMED ALCOHOL

Being a supervising driver can have fantastic rewards however it is a responsible role, so please don’t say you weren’t warned. Accompanying your offspring and using your mobile phone will still get you six points on your licence and a £200 fine.

Thanks for reading