Newslink January 2022

Q&A with...
It’s time to dial down the
hatred towards learners
Many ADIs stumble into their
career as a driving instructor
but for Bryan Phillips, seeing
his mum learn to drive fired
a desire to become an ADI
from an early age.
When did you become an ADI, and
what made you enter the profession?
I qualified in April 2009. Being a
driving instructor was always the career
path I wanted to go down since at
primary school.
It began when my mum was learning
to drive; that kick-started my interest in
cars and driving, and that’s when I knew
this is what I wanted to do.
I’ve always had a motoring
background. When I left school back in
1997 I got a job in the car parts
department with Citroen Glasgow, then
later I moved into car insurance with
Direct Line in 2005 and now here I am,
living the childhood dream as an ADI!
What’s the best bit about the job?
The obvious best bit is your pupil
passing their test. However, for me it’s
also about helping people develop their
confidence not only as a driver but as a
person. Anxiety is so high these days that
many don’t believe they can do it, it’s the
look on their face when they see that
they can.
... And the worst?
It’s got to be the peer pressure the
learners have. They are all in competition
with one another to see who can pass
first and with the fewest lessons, and
some parents get in on the act. We live
in a world where many value ‘likes’ on
Facebook rather than learning to be safe.
Everyone learns at different rates, some
fast, some slow, but the slow ones feel
rubbish that they are not as far on as
their peers and it holds them back.
What’s the best piece of training advice
you were ever given?
Never assume your pupil understands
what you mean. This proved brilliant
advice when working with a pupil with
autism. It amazes me how the brain
works for different people.
I’m currently teaching a few pupils
with Asperger syndrome and it’s
amazing.
What one piece of kit, other than your
car and phone, could you not do
without?
Dash cams are an amazing teaching
tool – and they also come in handy on
the rare occasion that one of the lovely
members of the public try to get lippy for
no apparent reason!
What needs fixing most urgently in
driving generally?
The hate for learner drivers. It’s
unbelievable the lengths some drivers go
to get in front of the learner driver, only
to get caught at the next set of traffic
lights!
What should the DVSA focus on?
The DVSA should focus more on their
staff. There are many highly professional
people working in the DVSA, however,
like all workplaces, they have their share
of ‘bad eggs’ who seem to get away with
treating others like pieces of dirt.
No one is above anyone, and these
individuals need reminding of this.
It’s stressful enough on a candidate
going for an L-test but it goes to another
level when they are presented with an
examiner with zero people skills.
What’s the next big thing that’s going to
transform driver training/testing?
The talk of digital driving licences
seems to be one that could be
interesting. I’m not sure if it’s a
transformation for the best though, with
all the technology scamming that goes
on these days.
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NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2022