Female Driving Instructors

Learn to Drive

Learning to drive with a female instructor

If you've recently ripped open a brown envelope to find your provisional licence inside the next step is to think about taking driving lessons.

This means you’ll be on the lookout for a good driving instructor, its a big choice and will have a major impact on your learning experience.

There's various things to consider in this choice, and some people feel more comfortable taking lessons with a female instructor. And others may be obliged to do so.

It’s essential to feel relaxed with your driving instructor. According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), most people take 45 hours of driving lessons before passing their test. That’s a lot of time spent with your instructor, so it’s important to pick the right one.

Here, we’ll look at what to consider if you’re thinking of taking driving lessons and the import things to think about when choosing an instructor.

What’s the difference between a male and female instructor?

There shouldn't really be any difference. Either should be equally skilled, and all driving instructors are trained to be patient and personable.

Can I learn with a female driving instructor with BSM?

Certainly BSM tries to be as accommodating as possible for those who specifically seek out a female instructor. We understand some people may feel more comfortable taking lessons from a woman, sometimes it’s just that simple,

Some may have taken lessons with a male instructor, it hasn’t worked for them, so they'd like to try a female instructor. This is also completely understandable, and something we'll try to accommodate.

However, in terms of expertise and experience, there should be no benefit in choosing a woman over a man or vice-versa. The key questions really are "Will my instructor be professional, will the lessons be structured and will they understand my learning style", as being at ease and following a structured development plan is paramount to success when learning to drive.

Why might someone feel obliged to learn with a female instructor?

There may be religious or cultural reasons for specifying a gender. For instance, some women may not be able to spend time alone with a man who’s not their husband or a relative. This could then be observed by choosing a female driving instructor. A man may have to choose a male instructor for the same reason.

Are there fewer female driving instructors?

Yes. There are roughly 40,000 Advanced Driving Instructors (ADIs) in the UK, and it’s estimated that around a quarter are female. So generally you’re around three times as likely to be assigned a male instructor.

So should I choose a female instructor?

That’s your decision. If you feel you’d rather take lessons with a female driving instructor, then we’ll do our best to assign you one. However, please be assured that any instructor assigned to you by BSM will be professional, courteous and either fully qualified, or in the final stages of their training.

They will display a pink or green DVSA badge respectively in their windscreen, so you know they’re DVSA recognised. And all will have been trained and tested to a very high standard.

We're confident that you'll have a enjoyable, successful learner experience with BSM. All our instructors will put you at ease, build your confidence behind the wheel and guide you safely to test, while imparting skills that will ensure safe driving for life.

As an extra layer of comfort, we offer a free switch policy, so if you don't click with your instructor, for any reason, you can switch to another free of charge.