Once you have found the right instructor what should you expect? At Daleway we believe the early lessons are paramount in building a firm foundation to becoming a competent and safe driver. No matter what your previous experience your instructor should start off by teaching you the basics. Many instructors overlook them, which can result in time and money wasted!!

The Car
Always ensure the instructor explains the cockpit drill. This includes seat position, including headrest, mirrors, steering wheel position and mirrors. If you aren’t comfortable your drive will not be comfortable.

Next make sure you are made familiar with all the controls of the car including ancillary controls. These include Accelerator, Foot Brake, Clutch, Steering Wheel, Handbrake, Gears, indicators, windscreen wipers, headlights, fog lights and also the heating and demisting controls.

MSM
Mirror Signal Manoeuvre (MSM) is the procedure you must follow in everything you do when driving in order to be safe. So it is vitally important you grasp the concept from an early stage. A manoeuvre means any change of speed or direction. Essentially you must check your mirror, or mirrors, then signal correctly when necessary before any manoeuvre.

Moving off and stopping
This is basic but important and should be the first process to you learn by incorporating MSM. If you can’t move off safely and under control and can’t Park accurately at the edge of the road you aren’t going to pass your test. It’s not about going fast to begin with, get it right at slow speed first!

Acceleration and deceleration
Once you have got the hang of moving off and stopping its time to work on getting up to speed and changing gears. Making normal progress on the road and changing gears smoothly without losing road position is vitally important. This means you wont frustrate other road users! Also slowing down and practising changing down gears is just as important before you tackle your first junction.

Steering
A good instructor should identify early on if you are struggling with steering. If this is the case you should preferably use very quiet roundabouts to break you in gently or even go to a quiet car park to practice first before trying out junctions.

Driver qualities
To be a good driver you need to develop the following qualities; Concentration, Anticipation, Confidence, Patience and Good Habits.

Please contact me if you have any queries and if you’d like to start a discussion join us on facebook and/or follow us on twitter.

First up, choosing your Driving Instructor can be a difficult task, there are plenty to choose from, different prices, different offers…. where to begin?

Here are a few basic tips to help make the decision, which could be the difference between spending a fortune, or ultimately becoming a safe and confident driver.

1. Are They Qualified?
   It’s now compulsory for all driving instructors to display the license in the car or on their person. Make sure they are Fully Qualified ADI’s (Approved Driving Instructor) or at the very least licensed Trainee Instructors (PDI’s). If you contact an instructor, ask if they’re qualified and ask to see their license on the first lesson. It is against the law for anyone to take payment for driving lessons unless they are licensed. This simple check could save you time and money.
2. Get Recommendations
   Always ask around your friends and family for recommendations, who taught them? If possible choose a well established instructor or Driving School who actually operates in your area. This means they will be familiar with the area and test routes and will therefore be in a position to plan your lessons properly. Also if you keep your business local, you’ll be keeping locals in business.
3. What Kind of Car?
   The car can be important too. Always ask if you will be learning in a petrol or diesel. It doesn’t matter really but if say you are getting practice with a friend or family member, it is probably best that you keep to the same engine type. Cool cars are not always the easiest to learn in and don’t necessarily mean good instructor! Make sure the car is in good condition, comfortable and all round visibility is good for you.
4. You Get What You Pay For
   Price can be the main reason someone chooses a driving instructor. Obviously everyone wants value for money, but be careful. Unusually low prices can be a great indicator. Why are these people so cheap? Usually because they are not busy. Why are they not busy? Usually because they haven’t been getting recommendations. Why are they not being recommended? I think you can answer that one yourself!! Instructors who charge a middle or higher end range of price usually are busy because they do a good job and therefore don’t need to cut price. Remember the old saying “you get what you pay for”. Many learners waste hundreds of pounds with cheaper driving instructors before getting structured training with a good instructor. I have many clients who have made this mistake to their cost!
5. Are They Reliable
   Don’t be afraid to ask for references from any instructor you’re considering. A well organised driving instructor will put the work in to their scheduling so they can arrange a time that suits you and leave adequate time between lessons to ensure they are on time. If they constantly let you down, arrive late or won’t accommodate your schedule it isn’t good enough. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt that fitting everyone in when they want all the time can be difficult or sometimes there are traffic hold ups or life itself can get in the way, but if it happens to you regularly its not good enough. A good instructor will give you good warning if they can’t make it or if they’re running late. By the way please, please always allow your instructor the same courtesy.

There is much more to look for in an instructor once you’ve started your lessons but if you follow these tips it should mainly guide you towards the one you need to begin with. I will update you soon with what to expect from them during the course of your training.

Please feel free to email me – andrew@daleway.com – if you have any questions.

Andrew

Daleway was Co. Armagh’s first professional driving school and Eric has taught thousands of people from Craigavon and surrounding areas during the past fifty years. When the DOE introduced their professional qualification Eric became one of the first to become an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) in Northern Ireland. Since then the industry has morphed and fluxed like any other with exponential growth in the numbers using the roads since the 1960s, amendments to motoring laws and unquenchable thirst for increased speed and ever more powerful vehicles – changes which Daleway has witnessed and navigated. “I believe the most important aspect of our business and the secret to our longevity is the quality of or instructors”, says Eric.

In 1973 Eric married Serena Maxwell who had spent several years with the Civil Service. From this, Serena learned the skills of dealing with all kinds of people and she put these to good use in training to be an ADI! Apart from teaching Learner drivers, she progressed into the field of training instructors to pass the difficult exams needed to become an ADI. One thing she taught the ADIs was that they must practice the Daleway standards of sound instruction.

Understanding Your Client

“My wife Serena and I have always trained instructors to the highest standard, giving them the ability to adapt to the individual needs of each client. We have always been forthright in our ethos and continue to believe that as driving instructors we are not only teaching the skills necessary to pass the driving test but, and most importantly, our profession teaches people to use the road safely for the rest of their lives. It doesn’t matter if there are ten cars on the road or 110, teach people properly and they can use the road safely and with confidence. All our instructors understand that, and I believe that is why Daleway is now teaching our third and fourth generation of some families.”

A Growing Trend

The growing trend for instructors to win business in an increasingly flooded market by discounting the price per lesson. “It worries me,” says Eric. “Sadly the industry in this area is being destroyed and I would urge people to ask themselves why their instructor is working for so little. I believe, just as my father did, that a fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay, no matter what job or profession you are in. In driving instruction, the ultimate loser will be the learner and Daleway has already borne witness to this fact. We get many people who have tried the cheaper option in the hope of big savings and they find they have just wasted their money as there has been no structure to their training and a less than professional approach to instruction, which serves no one at the end of the day. We never undervalue our commitment to our learners, making them confident and safe drivers for the rest of their motoring lives. The number of people who have come to us like this is a worrying feature.”

Our Staff

Looking back, Mrs Lester was our outstanding receptionist who took exceptional care of Daleway pupils, even offering them a welcome cup of tea to steady the nerves before embarking on the test. She was a great mother figure to all. Recently retired after 25 years of service was Mr. Jimmy Ferguson, a lot of people are thankful to Jimmy for guiding them through the test and we still get people asking for him today. Mr. Raymond Johnston, an ex Northern Bank manager really enjoys the job of teaching learners and he still gets a great thrill from watching pupils progress and pass their test. He continues to have great success.

Golden Jubilee Offers

With the weight of fifty years of experience behind them, Daleway are now looking to the future as Andrew takes over, allowing Eric his much deserved and often postponed retirement. To celebrate and say thank-you to the community which has supported us for so long, Daleway is inviting prospective clients to telephone them or log on to the website to find out about their golden jubilee offers. “Serena and I are delighted to be passing the business on to Andrew,” says Eric. “We are thrilled not only at this personal success as a driving instructor, but also that he is willing and more than able to carry the Daleway name forward for another fifty years!”

Photo Caption

Left to right: – Jennifer Hanna Gwynne, Serena Dale, Eric Dale, Andrew Dale, Andrea Hanna. Andrea is currently learning with Andrew 33 years after her mother Jennifer passed with Eric. Andrea said “After being with four other driving instructors in the past I was so pleased to have found Andrew who is encouraging and informative, I learned more in an hour and a half with him than I did with all the others.”