08/06/2026
🚨 WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DRIVING INSTRUCTOR IS INAPPROPRIATE 🚨
Learning to drive can be stressful, but you should always feel safe. Unprofessional or inappropriate behaviour from an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) or Potential Driving Instructor (PDI) is completely unacceptable.
Every UK driving instructor must follow the DVSA’s Code of Practice. You do not have to tolerate violations.
What counts as inappropriate behaviour?
• Boundary Crossing: Unnecessary physical contact, discussing private lives, shouting/swearing, or using inappropriate language in person or via text.
• Safety Violations: Using their mobile phone while you are driving or while they are supervising you.
• Service Failures: Constantly cancelling, arriving late, cutting lessons short, or withholding paid-for lessons.
📋 Action Plan: How to Report and Take Control 📋
• Step 1: Stop lessons immediately. Your safety comes first. A simple text cancelling future lessons is enough, you do not owe them an explanation.
• Step 2: Report to the driving school. If they belong to a franchise, contact the school directly to launch an internal complaint.
• Step 3: Email the DVSA Driving Instructor Team. Email your complaint directly to [email protected]. (Note: The DVSA can investigate behaviour and contact the instructor on your behalf, but they cannot retrieve lost money).
• Step 4: Contact the police. If you experienced illegal physical contact, threats, or severe harassment, report it to the police. The DVSA will never force you to do this unless you want to.
🔍 Information to Include in Your Email 🔍
To help the DVSA investigate effectively, try to provide as much of the following as possible:
• Your full name and email address.
• The instructor's full name and driving school.
• Their badge/ADI number (found on the green or blue disc in their windscreen).Their phone number, email address, or vehicle registration.
• Evidence, such as screenshots of messages or payment receipts.
For more details, visit the official UK government guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-a-driving-instructor
🚗🛑 Please share this to protect other learner drivers 🚗🛑
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