STEVES DRIVING SCHOOL

1. YOUR DRIVING LICENCE

Clients must personally ensure that they hold a valid signed current driving licence, which must be produced at the first lesson and may be subject to occasional checks by the driving instructor. Clients must inform the driving instructor if they receive any endorsements on their driving licence during the time they are receiving tuition. Clients must ensure that the correct details are shown on their licence, such as current name and address etc. Clients must inform their driving instructor of any disabilities they have which might affect their ability to drive. If in any doubt, please speak to your instructor before driving.

2. APPOINTMENT CARD

Steves Driving School will issue an appointment card on the first lesson; all clients are advised to keep the card with them during lessons to enable an accurate record of training and to assist with planning of future lessons. This card will be updated to show all appointments and all debits from the customer’s prepayments.

3. PUNCTUALITY

In their own interests clients are advised to be punctual for their lesson appointments. All such appointments should be recorded in their driving record card to ensure that mistakes are avoided. The instructor would normally wait for a maximum of 15 minutes before the lesson would be abandoned and the lesson fee forfeited or become due for payment. A reciprocal waiting time may become necessary if the instructor is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Any lesson time lost as a result of this would be made up by the instructor either at the end of the normal lesson time if possible or at a later date. Any such shortfall should be recorded.

4. CLIENT COMFORT

In the interest of comfort, health and safety, clients are advised to wear suitable footwear and comfortable clothing that does not restrict any movement, please ask your instructor for any advice you may require. The training vehicle is kept at a comfortable temperature, and you should not need to wear any coat or jumper whilst driving.

5. TUITION FEES

Payment for lessons should be made by cash to your instructor or using the payment method on the prices page. A driving lesson is defined as lasting 60, 90 or 120 minutes. All accounts must be cleared before proceeding on an official driving test.

6. POSTPONEMENT OR CANCELLATION OF A LESSON OR LESSONS BY STEVES DRIVING SCHOOL

a. If by reason of a vehicle failure or other emergency, a lesson has been postponed at short notice, an alternative appointment shall be made with mutual consent. Should the postponement be a driving test, the school shall be responsible to the pupil for the fee of the next test if it cannot be cancelled within the required time (see paragraph 8), regardless of the client’s continuation of lessons with the school. Clients should appreciate that it may not always be possible to notify cancellation in the unlikely event of a breakdown occurring on the way to a lesson.

b. Driving tests take priority over lessons, therefore a lesson already booked may sometimes have to be cancelled or postponed if the school receives short notice of a driving test.

c. (Except provided for in a) above, the school will where possible give notice of rearrangement or postponement of a lesson within the same time limit as the school imposes upon a pupil postponing or cancelling a lesson.

d. If circumstances arise that the instructor feels that it would be in his/her or the client’s best interest to discontinue future lessons, then the client will be notified of this fact in writing. Every attempt will be made to find a suitable alternative instructor or driving school for the client, but the client is under no obligation to accept any such offer. In this event, a refund will be made of any monies remaining in the client’s prepayment account.

7. POSTPONEMENTS OR CANCELLATION OF LESSONS BY CLIENTS

a. At least 48 hours notice of postponement or cancellation of a lesson is required. Late cancellations will be charged for as specified in the fees section.

b. Such notice to the school or instructor (in writing or by telephone) shall be deemed to have been served on the day that the communication is received at the schools premises, where it will be timed and recorded by Steves Driving School. Telephone answer machine messages and text messages, and also email messages are equally acceptable methods by which to cancel or postpone lessons.

8. POSTPONEMENTS OR CANCELLATION OF A TEST

a. The attention of clients is drawn to the fact that a statutory period of notice is required under government regulations for the cancellation or postponement of a test. This is currently three clear working days.

b. If possible the pupil will be advised in good time of the advisability of cancelling a test. The school/ instructor cannot be responsible for the loss of the test fee if the pupil fails to immediately notify the test booking office. The address and telephone number is given on the test appointment document.

c. The instructor cannot be held responsible for any postponement or cancellation of a test by the testing authority – at whatever notice.

9. SCHOOL/INSTRUCTOR GUARANTEE

a. The School/Instructor guarantees that only a legally authorised instructor will give tuition.

b. Instructor official authorising documents will be displayed on the windscreen of the car and may be inspected freely at any time.

c. The School car will be clean and tidy. ( Weather conditions can play a big part in this)

10. THE DRIVING TEST

a. Your instructor will advise the appropriate time to make an application for a driving test. The advice will be based on the client’s progress to date. It does NOT imply that the necessary standard has been reached or that it will for certain be reached by the appointed test date. The school/instructor will not hesitate to advise, where necessary, the postponement of the test. This condition is intended to save the pupil expense, unnecessary failure and the consequent delay in waiting for another test and obtaining a full licence.

b. The school/instructor reserves the right to withhold the use of the school car for the test or lesson, if in the opinion of the instructor the client is:

Not at driving test standard

Medically unfit (including eyesight)

Under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Is not properly licensed to drive

Consistently fails to keep, or is late for appointments

Falls into arrears over payment

If for any other reason, the instructor considers the client will be unsafe to handle a motor vehicle.

c. Clients may be accompanied on the test by a supervising examiner, whose job is to ensure that official standards of testing are observed by examiners. This is a legal requirement and is in the public interest.

d. You are reminded that when you go to take your driving test you must take the required documents. Failure to comply with this regulation will mean the examiner will have to cancel your test; you will forfeit your test fee and have to apply for a new test date. In this case, you will also be expected to pay your lesson fee to the instructor.

e. In the event of the test appointment being made by the client, the client is required to notify the school/instructor as soon as possible, of the date and time of the test and show the booking confirmation letter to their instructor on their next lesson. The school/instructor cannot accept any responsibility for booking an incorrect time or date of a test unless the appointment letter is produced. If the appointment is sent to the school/instructor, then an undertaking is given to show the client the document on the next lesson or notify them as soon as possible. A letter will always be sent to the client.

11. INSURANCE

a. The school car is fully insured for tuition and driving tests. The insurance certificate is available for inspection upon request.

b. No liability of any kind can be accepted by the school/instructor for the loss of, or damage to any property belonging to, or in the possession of the client.

12. LEGAL LIABILITY

a. Clients should be aware that their instructor’s primary objective is to promote road safety and in doing so he/she will have to issue instructions which the clients must be prepared to carry out without undue argument. A continued failure on the client’s part to comply with such reasonable instruction will be deemed as a breach of responsibility of the client, and the lesson may be immediately terminated. In the interests of safety, future lessons may be cancelled for this same reason.

b. The instructor will make every effort to train you to the highest standard but can in no way be held liable for any errors you commit whilst driving and unaccompanied by your instructor either before, during or after a test pass.

13. COMPLAINTS

a. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your tuition you should notify your instructor without delay and no later than seven days from the date on which the cause of complaint arose. Every effort will be made by the school/instructor to satisfactorily deal with the complaint; these terms of business for approved driving instructors form the basis for negotiations.

b. Should any dispute be unresolved mutually then the client has the right to refer the matter to: DSA. http://www.dsa.gov.uk/

By booking lessons with Steves Driving School you are agreeing to our terms of business.