The Student Room Group

Driving instructor responsibilities

A close friend of mine has failed their driving test today because their instructor supplied a different car than the one my friend had been learning in due to his original car being in the garage. How is this fair? No lessons in the replacement vehicle were available as he was too busy and it was short notice!! This has angered me and I'm trying to find out if there's any possibility of a re-test due to these unfair circumstances.
Reply 1
I see how it is frustrating. But in theory, your friend should be able to drive any car safely. After all he/she isn't going to be driving their instructors car when they have the license, and it will most likely be a different one. I really doubt anything can be done, other than to speak with the instructor to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Original post by Virgo Mortensen
A close friend of mine has failed their driving test today because their instructor supplied a different car than the one my friend had been learning in due to his original car being in the garage. How is this fair? No lessons in the replacement vehicle were available as he was too busy and it was short notice!! This has angered me and I'm trying to find out if there's any possibility of a re-test due to these unfair circumstances.


IIRC it's the test takers responsibility to provide the car, so although the driving instructor was in the wrong there's no ground for a re-test.
Original post by SaruP
I see how it is frustrating. But in theory, your friend should be able to drive any car safely. After all he/she isn't going to be driving their instructors car when they have the license, and it will most likely be a different one. I really doubt anything can be done, other than to speak with the instructor to make sure it doesn't happen again.


Driving any car safely comes with time and experience, every car is different, so when you've spent months practicing in the same vehicle and then on test day it's a totally different car that you're not used to, it's bound to pose problems for the driver. Just feel the test could of been postponed somehow or the instructor could of taken steps to make sure his student was fully prepared.
Original post by Virgo Mortensen
A close friend of mine has failed their driving test today because their instructor supplied a different car than the one my friend had been learning in due to his original car being in the garage. How is this fair? No lessons in the replacement vehicle were available as he was too busy and it was short notice!! This has angered me and I'm trying to find out if there's any possibility of a re-test due to these unfair circumstances.


The fact that this is an issue suggests that ' your friend' is not test ready.

by the way , who are you considering claiming against ? and what is the loss ?
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Virgo Mortensen
Driving any car safely comes with time and experience, every car is different, so when you've spent months practicing in the same vehicle and then on test day it's a totally different car that you're not used to, it's bound to pose problems for the driver. Just feel the test could of been postponed somehow or the instructor could of taken steps to make sure his student was fully prepared.


if you cannot drive a vehicle adequately with 1- 2 hours practice in the vehicle then you are frankly not ready to be a driver and it has to be questioned about test -readiness

in 'real life' you may be expected to drive vehicles you are type familiar with with zero 'practice' time ...

at Least it wasn;t a Bedford Midi, Mk1 Renault master or a Mercedes car / Vito ...
Original post by Virgo Mortensen
Driving any car safely comes with time and experience, every car is different, so when you've spent months practicing in the same vehicle and then on test day it's a totally different car that you're not used to, it's bound to pose problems for the driver. Just feel the test could of been postponed somehow or the instructor could of taken steps to make sure his student was fully prepared.


I would actually say this is a really good thing. Your friend will be getting a different car to his instructors car once he passes so it should show he can drive any. Has he not been doing practice with his parents in their/his own car ?
If your friend failed because he couldn't drive the car he'd been practicing in then he isn't ready to be a driver. He should've had an hour or so before just to find where the bite of the clutch is and be familiar with the car and where stuff is but no more than that.
Reply 7
Whilst I have sympathy the other posters are right, once the test is passed you might be thrown the keys of some random car to go from A to B, you might later drive a hire car, you will not get an induction for either .e.g my brother in law once could not start a hired Volvo abroad as he did not know he had to depress the clutch to get the engine to start, I once had to move an XK8 and could not work out how to operate the handbrake.

The fact is cars do vary, clutch bite varies, even handbrakes (Merc Auto handbrake operated by a pedal by foot, release a pull on the dashboard)

My son is currently learning, he is fine on manoeuvres in his instructor' car, he is painful in my wife's Fiat 500 (Burning clutch), he is yet to get the feel and is therefore not yet test ready-once he can go from one to the other without high revs in the Fiat at low speed to prevent stall he will be ready.
Reply 8
Original post by Virgo Mortensen
Driving any car safely comes with time and experience, every car is different, so when you've spent months practicing in the same vehicle and then on test day it's a totally different car that you're not used to, it's bound to pose problems for the driver. Just feel the test could of been postponed somehow or the instructor could of taken steps to make sure his student was fully prepared.


You are missing the point. I know it takes awhile to familiarise yourself with a new car, and like I said I understand the frustration, because your friend is obviously keen to pass. I am just saying that you also have to realise that once he passes, he will have the legal right drive a new car that he will be unfamiliar with... if your friend can't pass in a new car, what is to say he won't be a dangerous driver in his eventual new car?

Besides the instructor is not even obliged to provide his car for the lesson...

You asked a question, and I answered: As frustrating as it may be for your friend, there is nothing you can do and you have no valid ground to stand on. Only thing left is to talk to the instructor and makes sure the right car is available for the next time...

It's really making a big deal out of something that isn't.

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