The following document explains the agreement between (referred to as “myself, me or I”) Wayne M. Hawley ADI Registered 773952 and Students using my Driving School business services.
In brief: All new pupils and learner drivers must present their provisional driving licence and National Insurance number on their first lesson, the licence must be taken to the theory test and practical driving test.
A beginners course is provided for those with very little, or no previous driving experience.
An introductory / assessment lesson is provided for those who have driven before or looking to book or plan an intensive driving course.
When planning and booking an intensive course we recommend you make use of one of our assessment/ introductory lessons to establish best training practices and methods. This will also serve to establish the best times, dates and duration in hours for the course that is to be tailored to your specific requirements.
At the time of booking to reserve the instructor and diary space a £100 deposit is taken - this deposit is deducted from the course total.
Normal, regular, weekly lessons are chargeable per hour and lesson fees are to be paid at the start of each lesson unless a block payment.
Once a deposit is made for an intensive course I will ensure that I will be totally available to cover the hours you book plus the driving test period.
Payments are made by either cash or online banking
All lesson times are pre-booked and must be attended on time and you must be fit to drive without exception.
Any pre-paid lessons or courses are not transferrable to any other party and are valid for 6 months from date of first booking.
The duration of the driving test is charged as a one (2) hour lesson fee for both driving lessons and intensive driving courses - this is in effect for the 'hire' of the car for the driving test.
Any refunds I provide will only be after a 48-hour notice period (giving an opportunity to re-book the cancelled lessons). When I provide a refund, there will be no administration fee charged to cover the bank charges.
Licensing and legal entitlement to drive:
You must be of legal age to drive and produce a valid UK/Northern Ireland provisional Category B driving licence or have a full EU Driving Licence. It is your legal responsibility to confirm your licence is legal and valid, and to inform me of any changes before driving. As such changes may affect your legal status to drive - you must check the new Brexit terms and conditions.
Before your training begins, I will ask for your driver’s number and national insurance number to check whether you can use my services or not. Please remember that it is a legal requirement to have your driving licence (in your current address) with you whilst driving a vehicle. Foreign (non-UK/NI/EU) driving licence holders must comply with UK (DVLA & GOV.UK) rules & regulations at all times.
By agreeing to these terms & conditions you are agreeing that your driving licence and your residency status comply with all legal requirements, and you must declare to myself immediately any changes or concerns that you may have about non-compliance. Users of non-UK/NI/EU driving licences must familiarise themselves with the legal restrictions on the use of a non-UK/NI/EU driving licence and restrictions of use due to extended UK residency or visit ("Driving on an International Licence").
Any discrepancy whatsoever will result in the refusal of my services.
Ability to drive:
You must meet the legal eye test requirements for driving, which means you must be able to read the standard UK approved number plate at a minimum distance of 20.5 metres (67 feet). If you need to wear glasses or contact lenses in order to meet this requirement then you must wear them whenever you drive. You are advised to have your eyesight checked prior to your first driving lesson or as soon as you can after your first driving lesson.
You should arrange for your eyesight to be retested at regular intervals, and annually is recommended. You must not be under the influence of drugs/alcohol during your training. In the event of there being any signs of drugs/alcohol misuse, I will withhold the use of the training vehicle for use of tuition or driving test until you are in a legal and fit state to drive, and may terminate lessons forthwith.
Any prescribed medication that may affect your driving must be declared to myself prior to lessons and to the DVLA medical board. If your medical circumstances change, such that there is a requirement in law to declare these to the DVLA medical board, you must declare these and temporarily withdraw from driving until such times as DVLA medical board have reached a decision regarding your circumstances unless advised otherwise by same.
Changes in status, or temporarily unable to have lessons:
You must notify me of any change of your ability, health changes or entitlement to drive, for example, if your driving licence is revoked or, if for medical reasons, however slight, and if you have to take any medication either on a temporary or long-term basis.
If your health changes or there are medical reasons such that you should voluntarily withdraw from driving, or you are instructed not to drive by a medical professional, you must inform me immediately. If you are feeling unwell, please let me know as soon as possible. If you think you might recover in time for your lesson, it is better to have spoken to me in advance than to cancel without any prior warning on the day.
Payment:
Driving lessons must be paid for on the day by cash, online banking, a banking App agreed in advance, block payment, or in advance by cheque, with a minimum of 5 working days to clear when paying by cheque, or other payment methods previously agreed with me. If you intend paying in cash on the day of your lesson and you do not have sufficient cash on you, please tell me at the start of the lesson, so that a cash point can be located.
Driving tests.
On the day of a practical driving test, a minimum of a 2-hour fee is payable for my time (in addition to the DVSA test fee, already paid). This will cover commuting time and the time taken for the test itself. I am not responsible for driving tests postponed or cancelled by the DVSA. The DVSA will explain to you what compensation you may be entitled to in the event of a test cancellation. A driving test appointment will always take precedence over an arranged lesson.
Cancellations & Late Attendance Policy:
I cannot be held responsible for lessons postponed through bad weather, my own illness or unexpected mechanical breakdown of the vehicle. I will endeavour to arrive on time however, due to unforeseen circumstances such as breakdown, accidents and traffic hold-ups etc; lesson times may need to change or even be cancelled.
If cancelled by myself, no fee will be charged, and an alternative lesson will be offered. If you wish to cancel a lesson, a minimum of 48 hours notice must be given within the hours of 9am and 6pm weekday or weekend. All contact outside of these hours is not monitored .You must ensure that I have received your notice of cancellation, text messages are not a guaranteed form of communication.
Failure to give reasonable notice will result in the lesson(s) having to be paid for in full. Lessons can be cancelled by telephone or text message but must be confirmed by myself to you by reply. You must not assume that I have received your message if I do not respond and confirm receipt of the cancellation. I will arrive at the pre-arranged pick up point & time. If you do not show up, I will wait 10 minutes and try to make contact with you.
After a further 5 minutes, I will leave and you will have to pay for the lesson in full, except if an exceptional reason can later be proven, whereupon another lesson may be booked.
Use of tuition vehicle – safety (tuition and driving test):
Should you fail to reach a satisfactory standard of driving and are likely to be a danger to other road users, or are in an unfit condition through a substance (e.g. drugs) or alcohol abuse as described above, I have a responsibility to the driving test examiners and the public not to allow the use of the training vehicle for the purpose of training or the driving test. This is in the interest of you, the driver / the driving test candidate, myself and/or examiner, other passengers and other road users, and is a precautionary safety measure.
DVSA guidelines do not allow for a learner driver to take a practical test just for the experience. Some driving test candidates expect to feel nervous on the day of their test, which is fully understandable. Some candidates resort to using recognised medications and herbal remedies- it is important to check that these treatments do not cause drowsiness and it is encouraged that people planning to use such remedies try them out several times, first of all in a non-driving setting, and then, if considered safe, in a driving environment.
Driving Test cancellations by DVSA:
No responsibility can be taken by me for tests cancelled by the DVSA for whatever reason. Lessons fees will still have to be paid for but may be claimed back from DVSA in compensation. I am not responsible if you cannot take your driving test because you have failed the eyesight test. I will be responsible for, and liable to you for a retest fee if you’re driving test is cancelled due to a faulty condition of the tuition vehicle. Standards of practice. I will provide a fully maintained, roadworthy vehicle suitably adapted with dual controls and fully insured for driving tuition and driving tests. I will at all times behave in a professional manner, treat you with respect and consideration and give you instruction to the best of my ability. I will refrain from any form of physical contact unless necessary for the purposes of training, and only then with your expressed agreement, except on rare occasions when, in an emergency, I have to make a physical intervention in order to prevent or minimise the risk of danger of collision with another road user or physical entity. I will maintain standards of appearance to a level commensurate with learning, best described as "smart casual". The use of water and some sweets is encouraged.
The tuition vehicle is a strictly no smoking environment, but if you smoke, you may request to stop the lesson to smoke if you find this necessary. It is perfectly acceptable to ask to do this, and if you need a comfort break for any other reasons, please do ask.
If you would like me to expand on any aspects herein or anything else for that matter, please let me know before sending a confirmation (EMAIL) of receipt confirming that you accept the full contents of the agreement.
I am happy to answer any additional questions you may have.
Please EMAIL: wmh1@hotmail.com.
