DSA response

Dear Ms Drew

Thank you for your email of 7 August about the problems you have had with your approved driving instructor (ADI), Steve Eggleton.

The Registrar’s role is to ensure that the standard of instruction provided by ADIs is satisfactory, and the instructor is a ‘fit and proper’ person to remain on the Register.

All ADIs are required to undergo frequent tests of continued ability and fitness to instruct (check test) to ensure their level of instruction is to the standard required by the Registrar. Steve will receive a check test at least once during their period of registration.

The Registrar has the power to remove someone from the Register on the grounds that they are not a ‘fit and proper’ person; however, this is usually only when the instructor has been convicted of an offence (motoring or non-motoring) or after repeated reports of bad practice have been received and investigated.

The standard of instruction you have described is not what we would expect from a driving instructor and so in order to investigate your complaint we do need to obtain comments from the instructor involved.

We will therefore need your written permission to forward a copy of your email to Mr Eggleton.  Once we receive your permission, we will forward your complaint and add a record of this complaint against him on the Register.

If we do not receive a reply from you, we will assume you do not wish to take your complaint further.  However, in line with our standard practice we will keep all correspondence relating to your complaint on file for two years.

Please be aware that Steve is under no obligation to provide us with any comments in reply to your email.  If we do not receive a reply from them, we will make no further contact with you. 

If you feel that Mr Eggleton has broken a contract, you can follow up your complaint through the civil courts and might wish to pursue this matter through a solicitor.

Alternatively, you could seek advice from your local Trading Standards Officer about the best way to proceed.  Trading Standards have the power to investigate your claims and prosecute if necessary.  If the outcome of such action is successful, I should be grateful if you could notify me.

Yours sincerely