As with everything, COVID-19 means the way your lessons are conducted will change when you resume them. Not only will I do things differently but you may also be required to complete additional tasks.
If you are starting lessons for the first time I will ask you to provide a ‘driving licence check code’ so that I can check your driving licence before we start lessons. The ‘check code’ can be obtained at: https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
The code lasts for 21 days and can only be used once. For me to look at the code I will need you to supply me the following information:
1. Your code
2. The last 8 characters of your driver number which can be found on your driving licence.
3. I will check the licence details only 24 hours before your first session of training takes place.
4. I will ask you to read a number plate at a distance of 20.5m with or without eyesight correction when we meet up for the first time.
Before the Lesson:
Section A)
You may be asked by your instructor for proof of twice weekly Rapid Lateral Flow Test results
Before every lesson I will contact you to check if:
You have any symptoms of coronavirus such as a cough or a high temperature – find out more here: www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms-and-what-to-do
You have been in contact with anyone that is showing symptoms
You or anyone they have been in contact with, have travelled from a high risk region
It is important that you answer these questions honestly as I do not want to put myself or any of my other pupils at risk.
This will also avoid the lesson being cancelled halfway through if I decide you are not well enough, which may have financial implications to you.
I will also ask if you are shielding a vulnerable person in you household
Section B)
Please ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, in line with Government guidance, immediately before leaving the house or place of work.
There will be no handshakes
I will be keeping the windows open at all times
I will wear appropriate clothing
The car will be sanitised before you get in
Please wear long sleeves and trousers and not wear open-toed shoes
Please avoid using cash where possible as this can spread the virus. Use other methods of payment such as a bank transfer.
Section C)
Once I arrive at the pick-up point I will again assess whether you are well enough to start the lesson.
I will not let you get into the car straight away.
From a distance (min 2m) I will have a conversation with you to assess whether you seem yourself or have a cough that you did not notice before.
I will ask you to place any outerwear such as your jacket/jumper/bag inside a plastic bag in the boot to help reduce spread of infection
Again if I am not 100% happy with your state of health or demeanour I will not start the lesson and explain that the lesson will have to be postponed until you have recovered.
During the lesson:
The lesson content and structure will remain the same as before. I will make sure the lesson has client-centred aims and objectives and is appropriate for you. You may find that I go back to areas that you have covered before, it may have been a considerable amount of time since your last lesson so I will need to reassess where you are.
I will not share a pen or device where possible. If I do, I will clean with anti-bac straight afterwards.
Training resources will be held up and not passed between the two of us.
We should try to avoid directly facing each other when discussing scenarios.
If I provide a demonstration drive I will need to wipe down the controls before and after. If you
are wearing gloves, then change the gloves just before and after the demo drive.
The windows will be open to some degree for ventilation, even in wet weather.
In hot temperatures, the air conditioning may not be used and air not recirculated through car.
Discussions during the lesson may be held outside of the car, which is a little different to what you have been used to.
Personal Protective Equipment:
(Your instructor will insist you wear a face covering)
The COVID-19 virus can be spread through contact points and air-borne droplets so personal protective equipment may be advised.
Gloves – these can be used providing they do not impede the safety and handling of the vehicle, please supply your own.
Face coverings/masks – There is a little concern over wearing face coverings because it can hamper communication and for those wearing eyesight correction it can steam them up and impede vision but a face covering MUST be worn.
If you arrive to your lesson without a face covering I will be able to provide a mask at the cost of £1
Plastic shields must not be worn due to injury that could be caused if an airbag was to detonate. For these reasons the Dept for Health have advised us to look ahead when in conversation and not look at each other.
After the lesson:
Once the session is finished dispose of any gloves or mask safely and wash your hands thoroughly for a minimum of 20 seconds. It may be advisable for you to change all of your clothes on return to home and wash them to help protect your household.
Your practical driving test
I will explain to you the processes that will be in place post lockdown, but it is likely that there will be some changes as to how the driving test will be conducted. It is very likely that I may not be allowed to accompany you on the test and may also not be allowed near the vehicle at the time of the debrief at the end of the test. A strict hand washing regime is likely to be in place at all test centres. The contents of the test in terms of manoeuvres etc has not changed.
We will need to adhere to this process until further notice.
Should any advice or guidance change, you will receive updated notes to reflect this.
All these measures are in place to make sure your driving lessons are as safe as possible and to give you the opportunity to learn and develop your skills
