Terms & Conditions
These Terms and Conditions are an important part of your driving tuition.
Nathan McGinty is the owner and managing director of Drive IOW
By taking driving lessons with Drive IOW it is accepted that you have read and agree to these terms and conditions.
Be fit to drive: No alcohol to be consumed within 24 hours of a planned driving lesson. Ensure any and all prescribed drugs do not affect your driving. You must hold a current and valid provisional driving licence which must be produced on your first driving lesson, and at regular intervals throughout your training. Any changes to your driving licence due to medical conditions or driving convictions must be communicated to me immediately. Please ensure that you present yourself in suitable clothing, particularly practical footwear (no heels, sandals, open toed/backed shoes, flip flops or crocs!) . It is also important to attend lessons with any appropriate glasses or contact lenses for reasons of road safety. If I think you are unfit to drive for failing to meet any of these conditions, the lesson will be cancelled at your expense. I cannot accept responsibility for any injury, loss or damage arising from a driving lesson.
Payments: Lesson payments must be made at the beginning of each lesson by cash or BACS. McGinty’s Driving Academy does not accept cheques, debit or credit cards. Block bookings must be paid for in full on the first lesson of that block. Refunds will only be made in special circumstances. The refund will only be for lessons owed less any missed lessons or lessons that did not meet my 48-hour cancellation policy.
Driving lesson prices may be varied at any time with reasonable notice.
Cancellation Policy: 48 hours (2 full days) notice is required to cancel any driving lesson. If less than 48 hours (2 days) notice is given, the full lesson fee must be paid unless it is wavered at my discretion.
I cannot be held responsible for any mechanical or electrical failure which may cause the prevention or termination of a driving lesson or driving test. If the weather is too severe to take a lesson, I can re-arrange your lesson. The decision will be made considering your ability and any advice given by motoring organisations. If you decide to cancel at short notice due to weather and the conditions are suitable to drive, the lesson will be chargeable.
Driving Lessons: Your driving lesson will be on a one to one basis. You will always receive the full lesson time you have paid for. I will be happy to start and finish your lesson from different locations, providing these are agreed at least one week in advance, and that both are within the usual area of my work. A parent/guardian or friend is welcome to accompany you on one or more lessons by sitting in the back of the car. This is especially helpful if you are planning on private practice outside of our lessons. Please give notice if you plan to do this.
Penalties: Whenever you are driving in my vehicle, you will be under close supervision. However, I cannot be held responsible for any infringement of the law. Any fines that are incurred will be the responsibility of the driver. It is illegal for anyone (including a driving instructor) to take any motoring fines or convictions on behalf of the driver of the vehicle – this includes a learner during a driving lesson.
Practical tests: I will make every effort to help you reach a good standard of driving that will enable you to pass your driving test, and you must maintain regular lessons leading up to your test otherwise your test date might have to be moved back to give you more time to prepare. The only way to pass the driving test is to be properly prepared. In the interest of road safety, I reserve the right to withdraw the use of my car for tests without prior notice, should you prove to be unsafe and not up to test standard.
Driving test bookings always take priority over other lessons. Therefore, your lesson may be postponed to allow for someone else's driving test and vice-versa. Changes to lesson bookings as a result of this will be notified immediately. I would ask to be notified immediately a driving test has been booked and a copy of the conformation email to be forwarded to me.
The booking of a practical driving test is the responsibility of the client. The client should only book a practical driving test once the learning to drive syllabus has been taught, learnt, practised and the client can safely and responsibly drive on the public highway to an acceptable standard. The client should discuss the booking of their practical test with their Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) before doing so.
Damage to the Car: During lessons, I will make every effort to avoid damage to the car. However, if I consider that you were not listening to my instruction whilst driving in a dangerous or unpredictable way during a driving lesson and actual damage is caused despite best efforts made, you will be expected to pay half towards repairs (up to the level of excess on my insurance policy). This will be discussed at the time of the damage. In addition, during driving tests, the examiner will not prevent you, the candidate, from hitting the kerb or causing other similar minor damage to the car. Therefore, all damage caused by you whilst on test will be charged to you (up to the level of excess on my insurance policy).
Damage to Personal Property: Any personal items are brought with you on your lesson at your own risk. Any damage to these items are the responsibility of the pupil and will not be refunded or paid for by me in the event that they are damaged or lost. This includes all clothing and accessories, mobile phones, other portable tech, and jewellery.
Punctuality: I will contact you if I am going to be more than 5 minutes late for your driving lesson. The time lost will be added to the end of the lesson if possible, or added to another lesson at a later date. If you are late for your lesson, then that time will be lost.
Communications: To ensure that communication channels are in place, please ensure that I am aware of your current mobile number, landline number (if you have one) and email address.
Holidays and Availability: I will give you notice of holidays or days where I am unavailable. Please ensure that you do likewise. Please be sure to book your first lesson after your holiday or break in tuition, to retain your place on the diary and to maintain progress.
Code of Practice: I will abide by the Voluntary Code of Practice which has been agreed between DVSA and the main bodies representing Approved Driving Instructors.
In Car Recording: The tuition vehicle has been set up with a dash cam for safety and insurance purposes. This camera records the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as an internal camera on the driver and the passenger. This footage may be used for future training purposes as well as evidence in the event of an accident or a claim. In the event that this is used for future training, your permission will be requested.
GDPR: The new regulation of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) requires me to protect your personal information for as long as you are using my services as training records & purposes. I will never share your details with third parties without your consent. All personal information will be destroyed upon completion of my services. In order for me to keep you on my mailing list, I will ask for prior consent. My vehicle has a dash cam for insurance and training purposes - I am a registered data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under new regulations.
Complaints by clients should be made in the first instance to myself, the owner of McGinty’s Driving Academy. Failing agreement or settlement of a dispute, reference may be made to DVSA’s Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors who will consider the matter and advise accordingly. Should the Registrar not be able to settle the dispute he or she may set up a panel, with representatives from the ADI industry, to consider the matter further or advise that the matter should be referred to the courts or other statutory body to be determined.
By taking driving lessons with Drive IOW it is accepted that you have read and agree to these terms and conditions.