There should be regulation of driving instructors, shouldn’t there?

[whereisitnow]

I read this article this morning and then sat and considered how many people I knew had complained to me personally about dodgy driving instructors. I thought of at least two from the last few years.

'We were sexually abused by our driving instructor' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2gynnv9q4o

I totally agree. My eldest had a horrible experience with a driving instructor - not SA - but bullying and intimidation (as well as being a useless instructor). I've complained to the DVSA who took it seriously but are fairly powerless to do anything. We realised, through a random post on FB, that many others locally had had the same experience. In those circumstances though most people just quietly change instructors so there's no real record of what has happened and then others unwittingly book with the 'problem' instructor. I spoke up on FB and google reviews about our experience but instantly regretted it as this man obviosuly knows where we live and has my contact details and is known to intimidate people. So far, there haven't been any repercussions though.

I'd definitely support there being more regulation and a better way of review and reporting instructors.

My dd had a first one who was bad enough that he was known about by at least one other instructor. My niece, living elsewhere, had two pervy older men, so sadly gave up. I heard about another young woman who gave up for that reason, and who had a different instructor. Years ago my own first instructor was dodgy enough that I spent the lessons livid that I was paying him to make stupid remarks about gear sticks. Like the others, I was too young to say anything. My second, also male, was great. My dd did confront hers, though, and got out of the car mid lesson.

My first one 50 years ago used to use the pretext of telling me how to operate the clutch to touch my leg. I spoke up and changed instructors, got the one with stomach ulcers instead😉