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Guidelines for driving lessons as a result of COVID-19 (02/07/2020)

Here is how your driving lessons will change as the lockdown is eased.

Since the end of March 2020, driving lessons have been put on hold, but as restrictions are eased from 4th July 2020, here is what a typical lesson will look like:

On the day of your driving lesson

On the day of the lesson, I will call or text you to ask if you or anyone in your household has any symptoms of COVID-19 within the last seven days, or have been in contact with someone who has within the last 14 days.

If you have, your lesson will be cancelled. Remember, even if you feel fine, you could be one of the many people who don’t show any symptoms, and by continuing with a lesson, you could endanger someone else’s life. The usual late cancellation charge will not be applied if the lesson is cancelled for reason of COVID-19. The following lessons will also be cancelled until you have recovered or until the end of your isolation period.

• For full information about COVID-19 and official government advice, head here.

What you should do before your driving lesson

If you are given the all-clear for the lesson to go ahead, I will advise you to do the following:

• Wear clothing that covers as much of your body as possible, Short sleeved tops are now acceptable. You should consider wrapping up warm during cold spells as the windows will most likely be open during the lesson to improve ventilation.

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds immediately before leaving your home for your lesson.

• Wear disposable gloves if you wish to, but only put them on just before getting into the car.

• Meet me by my car and not by your front door.

• I will chat with you before you are allowed to get in the car. This is an opportunity for me to check that you are not displaying any symptoms, and to also check you have washed your hands. Hand sanitiser will be dispensed.

• Expect me to have this chat with you at the beginning of each and every lesson. If I am not 100% happy about your wellbeing, I will cancel your lesson on the spot. Please do not take it personally, I am just trying to keep everyone safe.

• If you are a new client, you will be asked to hold up your provisional driving licence so I can verify it against the electronic check I will have conducted prior to our first meeting.

I will have cleansed all key surfaces inside and outside the car. These include: internal and external door handles • windows/mirror controls • seat/head restraints • seatbelt and its connection • gear lever • steering wheel • indicator and wiper stalks • car keys • training resources.

What you should do during your driving lesson

To reduce risk during the lesson, I will:

• Hold up any visual aids or training resources, instead of passing them between the two of us.

• Ensure neither of us face each other directly when talking about scenarios; remaining face forward is the safest option when a 2-metre gap between two people cannot be maintained.

• Make sure no devices are shared such as pens. I will provide any brief notes digitally via text or email where possible.

• I will again wipe down the car’s controls if and when I have completed giving you a demonstration drive, where requested.

• Ask you to make any payments electronically, and not in cash, where possible.

What about personal protective equipment?

I will not be wearing or providing disposable gloves. If you wish to wear them then you must provide and dispose of these. You must only put them on immediately before getting in the car, not before leaving your house.

I will be wearing a face mask during the lesson. In return I expect my customers to supply and wear their own face mask or covering to mitigate the risk of passing on the virus and to protect us both. Unless you have a satisfactory reason not to wear a mask, failure to bring a face mask or covering may result in the lesson not going ahead.

You agree that the wearing of gloves and masks will not impede your control of the vehicle or vision in any way. If I believe your control of the vehicle or vision is affected, and as such our safety is impeded in any way, then I reserve the right to terminate the lesson.

What you should do after your driving lesson

As you depart, we will not shake hands, and once you’re back home, wash your hands as soon as possible. You may also wish to wash the clothes and face covering you wore during your lesson immediately.

What to expect on your driving test

We will arrive at the test centre no earlier than 5 minutes before your test time. This will allow me time to wipe down the touch points on the passenger side of the car where the examiner will sit.

The examiner will meet us outside the test centre in the car park as the waiting room will be closed, as will the toilets. These will be made available only to someone who has a disability, a medical condition, or is pregnant.

The examiner will be wearing a face covering. You MUST bring and wear a face covering for the duration of the test. The examiner can provide you with one if needed. This is mandatory unless the DVSA is informed at the time of booking of a suitable reason why you are not able to wear a covering, such as a physical or mental illness, an impairment or a disability that would mean you cannot put one on or remove one yourself. You will be asked to remove this briefly in order for the examiner to verify your identity, and then to reapply it.

You will be asked if you agree to participate in the NHS Test and Trace initiative. If you refuse, your test will not go ahead.

I will not be allowed to accompany you on test, and I might not be able to be present for the debrief at the end.

The examiner may choose to fit a disposable seat cover to their seat, and will use anti-viral wipes to clean the touch points on their side of the car.

If you commit a serious or dangerous fault, or make 16 driving faults (often referred to as minor faults) that would result in a fail, you will be directed back to the test centre. Test conditions will continue until you return to the test centre, where the test will be ended and you will be offered a debrief.

If all this sounds pretty strict please remember, these restrictions are there to keep you, me and our families and friends safe from harm, and they won’t be in place forever.

Full and further information regarding these changes can be found on the desktop version of this website at www.freeway-som.co.uk/covid-19.html .