As from 30th April 2009 all driving instructors must also be registered with the Road Safety Authority. If you are in the industry or want to join you will be interested in knowing what is required in order to become certified.
· The first step is to convince the Registrar you are a trustworthy person that is deserving of the trust students put in their students.
· Second you must be tax compliant and have a tax clearance certificate.
· Third you must have insurance for being a driving instructor, and have a reliable car, in good maintenance, that follows the road traffic act requirements.
· Fourth, and this is rather obvious, you must hold a full driving licence for the level of expertise you are teaching.
These are the basic requirements to even start thinking about becoming a driving instructor. There are two main paths to becoming qualified. The most common is to follow the three stage RSA course.
The alternative method is to prove that your current qualifications and experience are equivalent to RSA level. If you are interested in following this avenue you should visit the RSA webpage and follow their instructions on how to apply for exemption on all the training stages the course includes.
The ADI course is made up of three parts, Theory, Driving and Instruction techniques.
The theory test will be made up of a series of questions based on a list of books that are recommended reading in the course. Some of these books are included in the course and others you will have to buy yourself.
It is also a good idea that you read and understand the Learner Driving Test Report Form, also available at the official website.
How much will it cost?
Each stage of the course comes with a separate fee. Stage 1, the theory test costs 150 Euros; the driving test is 200 Euros, the Instruction ability Test is also 200 Euros which brings the course to a total of 550 Euros.
You will also have to pay a Trainee licence of 100 Euros.
Where will you be tested, and who will be doing the testing?
The theory test will be carried out locally but the driving test will only be available in certain locations. Your examiners will be RSA qualified ADI Examiners. All these examiners have been tested by the Waterford Institute of Technology.
What is the vetting all about?
As mentioned above, all applicants for ADI instructor must satisfy the registrar they are a person of good repute. The RSA is taking measures to satisfy themselves that this is so for every applicant. What could disqualify you? I hear you ask. Serious felonies like murder, drug charges, fraud, driving under the influence and other traffic offences are likely to disqualify you but each application will be assessed on its own merits.
In order to comply with the vetting requirement you must supply the ADI with a photocopy of your Driving Licence. All information collected and found by the officer in charge of vetting will be treated with total confidentiality.
Vetting forms are only available once you apply for an ADI instructor course or apply for exemption from the course.
What is the Trainee Licence all about?
Once you pass your driving test you can apply for a trainee licence, if and only if 1) you have not held such a licence before 2) you have a registered ADI that will sponsor you and supervise your work. Please note that the trainee licence is not designed to allow the student to work on a permanent basis but just as a way of allowing the student to improve his teaching skills for the training section of the course.
Author Resource:
Written on behalf of Total Fleet Services by John Eva
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