24/06/2026
This is a picture of a car specifically used for training the next generation of drivers; you might have come across one recently in your daily commute, trip to the shops, day out with the family. It is clearly identifiable by the clearly-visible big L in bright red.
Some school cars aren’t fully marked up, they may have a roof box but almost certainly they will be displaying “L” plates.
Driving instructors in the UK go through a very thorough training and qualification process and have to undergo regular assessments to enable them to teach people the valuable skill of learning to drive and here in the UK.
Thanks in part to the skills and professionalism of most Approved Driving Instructors, we have one of the best rates of road safety in the world.
If you've ever been 'stuck' behind a learner driver then you will have passed your test driving a car , so congratulations on passing your test when you did and surely (hopefully) you must remember what it was like learning to drive.
Remember, this might be the very first time on a main road for this learner after they've spent a number of hours on very quiet side streets.
It might be that they are practising a scenario that has in the past been difficult for them. They might be on a mock test getting ready for their practical test. They might even be on their test right now, you just don't know.
What you can be certain of though is that their instructor is helping them to achieve the standards required of all drivers in UK law. If you don't like 20mph speed limits, if you think red traffic lights are only advisory, if you think they should have given way to you despite the give way line applying to your vehicle then I'm sorry, but there is nothing that the instructor will do about it. Blasting your horn, acting aggressively, gesticulating, driving erratically around the learner isn't helping them learn anything, other than making yourself look stupid and an example of how NOT to do things, and it CERTAINLY won't make the instructor or examiner say to their pupil go faster as this driver is tailgating us.
Please consider not using unauthorised signals (headlight flashing or waving at them ) to encourage learners to pull out of junctions or letting them cross in front of you, whilst you may think you are being helpful but this in all probabilities will overload their thought process and may cause problems such as panic as it’s something they may incorrectly deal with, its always best sometimes just to carry on with your journey leaving the learner to decide themselves when its safe to go.
Please keep a safe distance (2 seconds in good conditions if you're interested in the dry , 4 seconds in the wet ) and you'll find that the learner will soon turn off this road or pull up. You'll be interested to note that whilst you're "stuck" behind a learner your fuel economy will be better and you'll flow through traffic a lot smoother than driving a full throttle everywhere.
So to summarise please give learners a little respect, please keep your distance, if they make a mistake in front of you take a deep breath and relax, they are all trying really hard and they'll be out of your way at the next junction.
REMEMBER if you do act aggressively towards me or my pupil at any time you WILL be reported to the police and I will have great pleasure in using my dashcam footage to assist them with any prosecution.
If you are courteous to learner drivers and appreciate the skill and professionalism of our ADIs then on behalf of all of us I thank you. You really will make our lives in the passenger seat a lot easier.
Thanks
Please feel free to share this amongst your friends and hopefully it will make a difference to my day at work.
