(Weston Association of Professional Driving Instructors)

Incorporating North Somerset & District areas

All Members of the Association agree that they will be bound by this Code of Conduct, which provides as follows:

1. Members will, at all times, exercise reasonable skill and care and will diligently instruct clients in all relevant aspects of traffic and driver education.

2.  Members will ensure that any vehicle used for tuition is maintained in good and proper mechanical order, adequately insured (for the purpose of professional use), covered by a current vehicle excise licence (tax disc) and, where appropriate covered by a current Ministry of Transport test certificate (MoT). In addition members must keep vehicles reasonably clean and tidy, at all times.

3.  Members shall maintain proper standards of personal hygiene and dress and will, at all times, behave in a professional and courteous way, (avoiding the use of improper language or suggestions and/or any unnecessary physical contact with clients). Members shall also, in the course of their tuition, exercise awareness of the use of language, teaching aids, publications and written material that may be in contravention of the Associations equal opportunities policy.

Members must also be aware and act correctly with regards to the terms of the Race Relations Act and refrain from behaving in a manner which may offend a member of any ethnic group.

4.  All driving tuition must comply with the law relating to Road Traffic and all relevant statutes and statutory instruments, (or provision arising there from). 

5.  Members must not mislead the public as to the nature of services provided to them, or their School and no member shall knowingly (whether by statement or omission) misrepresent to clients, prospective clients or to the general public, his or her qualifications as an instructor.

6.  Members will provide clients with accurate information as to charges, duration of lessons and any other terms and conditions which shall form a contract between the Driving Instructor and the client. Furthermore, members will undertake to notify clients of any change in charges, terms and/or conditions as soon as practicable. In addition members will make every effort, in so far as is reasonable, to be punctual and to provide tuition for the entire period for which the client has paid.

7.  Members will refund any outstanding balance of moneys paid on account by a client in such a situation where the sum paid exceeds the tuition given and members will ensure any balance outstanding is refunded promptly. (Subject to any conditions mentioned in paragraph 6.)  

8.  Members undertake not to discuss any information disclosed by a client during the course of Professional Tuition with any party, except under obligation of law, further, members will not discuss, or pass any opinion upon a clients progress, or driving standard, with any party whatsoever, except for the purpose of normal consultation between Instructors in the same Driving School, unless lessons are being paid for by another person (or Company), in which circumstances such third party shall be deemed to have a right to this information, providing that, prior  to any such disclosure, permission is given by the client.

9.  Members will endeavour to provide accurate and impartial information to clients in respect to their standard of driving, general progress and training needs, in particular, members will at all times exercise their judgement in the utmost good faith with a view to avoiding excessive lessons on the one hand and ensuring against prematurely applying for a driving test on the other. The objective in exercising such judgement shall be to provide clients with the opportunity of passing the appropriate test as soon as their standard of driving appears, to the particular Instructor, to have reached the requisite level.

10. In the event of any dispute arising between a member of the Association and a client, whether appertaining to this code or otherwise, the member concerned shall provide the client with details of details of the Chairperson or Secretary of the Association and will notify such an officer also of the situation. Thereafter the appropriate officer will arrange for Committee member to act as mediator in an attempt to resolve any such dispute.

Additional collective policy decisions by the Association (Obtained at Ordinary, General or Extraordinary General Meetings by majority decision) relevant to the public.

Members shall not engage in the practical driver training of persons under the age of 16 years, on pre-driver training courses.

In addition to this Code of Conduct, Members shall agree, at all times, to conduct their dealings with clients and others in a fair, legal and professional manner.

Appendix 1 to the Code of Conduct identifies additional detail and dates that various Collective Policy Decisions were made By the Association.