Driving Instructor Day

Driving instructors have a very difficult job! Preparing drivers with rules of the road, sign memorization, safety issues and so much more is a really big job.

They are literally risking their own lives at times by giving the driver’s seat over to someone who is unqualified and a complete novice. But how else can a person learn how to drive but by doing it?!

In honor of these folks who work to make sure that the people behind the wheel are qualified and safe, Driving Instructor Day is here!

June 1900
First Commercial Driving Lessons in Britain
The Motor Carriage Supply Company of London begins offering paid driving lessons, with instructor Mr. Hankinson teaching customers to operate early motor cars.
May 1901
First Named Driving School Opens
William Lea establishes the Liver Motor Car Depot and School of Automobilism in Birkenhead, regarded as the first organization to describe itself specifically as a driving school.
13 March 1935
Voluntary Driving Tests Begin in Great Britain
Britain introduces a voluntary driving test scheme as a step toward improving road safety, laying groundwork for standardized instruction by professional teachers.
16 March 1935
First Recorded UK Driving Test Pass
Just days after tests start, Mr. R. E. L. Beere of Kensington is recorded as one of the first people to pass the new British driving test, highlighting the growing role of trained examiners and instructors.
June 1935
Instructor Registers and Dual Controls Promoted
The RAC and the Motor Schools Association create early registers of qualified instructors, while the association also promotes fitting dual controls in driving school cars to make teaching safer.
1957–1962
Campaign for an Approved Instructor Register
The Motor Schools Association, working with Member of Parliament Sir Harwood Harrison, pushes for a formal register of driving instructors, culminating in a House of Commons early day motion in February 1962.
January 1970
Compulsory Register of Approved Driving Instructors
In Great Britain the register of Approved Driving Instructors becomes compulsory, meaning only instructors who meet government standards may charge for lessons, firmly professionalizing the occupation.

History of Driving Instructor Day

The first mandatory national driving test was introduced in 1899 in the country of France, and around the same time the folks in various US states were joining in on the practice of requiring licenses for drivers.

Eventually this developed into the need for instructors to teach all of these drivers how to drive. But it wasn’t until 2022 that the inaugural Driving Instructor Day came to life!

Driving Instructor Day is celebrated on this day as a nod to the first ever driving test that was ever passed in the UK, on March 16, 1935. Though the test was voluntary at the time, the rules have obviously developed so that it is critical to pass a driving test in order to be legal and road ready.

How to Celebrate Driving Instructor Day

Show some thanks and appreciation to a drivers’ educator and perhaps even the whole staff by celebrating Driving Instructor Day. Get inspired for the day with some of these ideas and plans:

Take a Day Off

The first order of business for people who work as driving instructors is to schedule no lessons, no work, no tests and no training in celebration of Driving Instructor Day!

In fact, it might be nice to not have to go anywhere in a motor vehicle at all. Just hang out at home, invite some friends over, order takeout and have a little low-key gathering in honor of the day.

Thank a Driving Instructor

Those who have had a particularly helpful driving instructor, or who are currently taking lessons, might want to have a card prepared or just offer a verbal thank you in honor of Driving Instructor Day.

Family members and friends of driving instructors might want to make a big deal out of the day by taking them out to lunch or dinner, presenting them with a gift, or even scheduling to have a weekend away to rest from all of their hard work.

Drive Safely

Perhaps one of the biggest compliments a person can pay to their driving instructor of yesteryear is to follow the rules and drive safely!

If it’s been a long time, brush up on the guidelines and be sure to implement them. Far too many preventable accidents take place on the roads and highways every year, so in honor of Driving Instructor Day – and every day – just be a bit more careful.

Facts About Driving Instructor Day

Early Commercial Driving Schools Appeared Within Years of the First Cars

Organized driver training started surprisingly early; in Britain the Motor Carriage Supply Company of London was advertising paid driving lessons by June 1900, less than a decade after practical motorcars appeared.

By May 1901, the Liver Motor Car Depot and School of Automobilism in Liverpool was already running a dedicated “School of Automobilism” with professional instructors, illustrating how quickly society recognized that operating a car required formal teaching rather than casual trial and error.

Britain Created One of the First Formal Registers for Driving Instructors

The United Kingdom moved to regulate who could teach new motorists in the 1960s, after lobbying from the Motor Schools Association.

A voluntary register of Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) was created in 1964 under the Road Traffic Act 1962, and by 1970 only registered ADIs were legally allowed to charge for car driving instruction, an early example of professional licensing intended specifically to improve road safety standards.

France Pioneered the Driving Test in the 1890s

Paris authorities were among the first to insist that motorists prove their competence before using public roads. A police ordinance issued on August 14, 1893 required drivers of motor vehicles to undergo a test, and by 1899 France had a mandatory national driving examination.

This made France a model for later licensing systems that linked legal permission to drive with passing an official test, shaping the future work of examiners and instructors worldwide.

The First British Driving Schools Helped Normalize “Lessons” Behind the Wheel

When motoring was new, many early owners taught themselves or learned from mechanics, but purpose-built schools soon changed expectations.

In Britain, early 20th‑century schools not only provided instructors and vehicles but also introduced structured lesson plans and standardized maneuvers, such as hill starts and reversing, that resemble the syllabus used for modern driving tests today.

This institutional approach helped turn driving from an elite pastime into a skill that could be systematically taught to the general public.

Evidence on Whether Driver Training Reduces Crashes Is Mixed

Intuitively, people assume formal lessons make roads safer, but research paints a complex picture.

Reviews of international studies summarized by Australia’s National Road Safety Partnership Program have found that while training improves technical skills and test performance, traditional pre‑license driver education alone often shows little measurable impact on long‑term crash or injury rates, especially for young drivers.

This has led many safety experts to focus on supervised practice hours, graduated licensing, and hazard perception training alongside conventional instruction.

Extensive Supervised Practice Can Cut Novice Driver Crash Risk

Where driver education includes large amounts of supervised on‑road experience, the safety benefits become clearer.

A Swedish study summarized in an international review compared young drivers who had about 118 hours of supervised driving practice with those who had only 41 to 47 hours, and found up to 35 percent fewer post‑licensing crashes among the more experienced group.

This suggests that the amount and quality of practice time that instructors and supervisors provide may matter more than short classroom‑style courses alone.

Requirements to Teach Driving Vary Widely Across U.S. States

In the United States there is no single national standard for becoming a driving instructor, so qualification rules differ markedly.

Many states require a high school diploma, at least two to five years of clean driving experience, a background check, and completion of 30 to 65 hours of state‑approved teacher training before licensing, as reflected in programs like New Hampshire’s community‑college‑based driver education instructor course.

Other jurisdictions have loosened rules; for example, recent changes in Texas allow people to become licensed instructors with no mandated training hours as long as they pass screening, highlighting ongoing debate over how tightly the profession should be regulated.

Driving Instructor Day FAQs

What qualifications do people typically need to become a professional driving instructor?

Most countries require driving instructors to hold a full, clean driver’s license for several years, pass medical and background checks, and complete specialized teacher training and exams.

For example, in the Netherlands instructors must be at least 18, hold a valid car license, complete an approved instructor course, pass theoretical and practical tests administered by the IBKI exam body, and obtain a WRM competence card before they can teach.

Similar models with minimum driving experience, formal pedagogy training, and periodic refreshers are recommended across Europe through projects such as MERIT.

How does professional driving instruction influence young drivers’ safety compared with informal practice alone?

Research on novice drivers suggests that professional instructors contribute most when they go beyond basic car-handling and focus on “higher order” skills like hazard awareness, self-evaluation, and planning for risky situations.

A systematic review found that few studies directly compare professional instruction with informal learning, but programs that upskill instructors to teach these higher order skills show promise in improving safety attitudes and reducing risky behavior in young drivers.

The evidence base is still limited, so experts call for more rigorous studies that track crash outcomes over time.

What do road safety experts mean by “higher order” driving instruction, and why is it important?

“Hgher order” instruction refers to training that targets a driver’s attitudes, risk perception, self-control, and decision-making, rather than just maneuvering skills.

Observational research on professional lessons with young learners found that only about 15 percent of lesson time involved this type of teaching, and many opportunities to discuss issues such as speeding, distraction, and peer influence were missed.

Because most serious crashes involve poor choices rather than lack of basic control, experts argue that instructors should systematically teach learners to anticipate hazards, reflect on their own behavior, and manage social and emotional pressures while driving.

Are there international efforts to standardize how driving instructors are trained and assessed?

Yes. While each country regulates instructors differently, European projects such as MERIT have proposed minimum requirements that include solid theoretical knowledge of driver behavior, strong driving skills, structured teacher training, supervised teaching practice, and periodic continuing education and performance checks.

These recommendations draw on the “Goals for Driver Education” (GDE) framework, which links vehicle handling, traffic situations, personal motives, and lifestyle factors.

Although MERIT is not binding law, several countries use its principles when updating their instructor qualification systems.

How did formal driver education develop, and when did driving instructors become a recognized profession?

Organized driver education emerged as cars became common and governments started licensing drivers.

In the United States, some school districts were offering structured traffic safety instruction by the 1920s, often integrating theory and behind-the-wheel practice.

In the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, commercial driver training began as a small “cottage industry” and gradually professionalized as testing became mandatory.

Over time, rising traffic volumes and crash rates led many countries to formalize instructor licensing, with prescribed curricula and oversight to ensure consistent standards.

What are some common misconceptions about learning to drive that professional instructors often have to correct?

Driving instructors frequently report that learners underestimate the complexity of safe driving and overestimate how quickly they will be “test ready.”

Another misconception is that once a person can steer, brake, and park, they are essentially fully trained, when in reality long-term crash risk is more closely linked to hazard awareness, impulse control, and experience in varied conditions.

Instructors also challenge beliefs that speeding a little or glancing at a phone is harmless, emphasizing that many serious crashes stem from these “everyday” behaviors rather than extreme recklessness.

What does a typical workday look like for a driving instructor in practice?

Accounts from instructors show that their day involves far more than sitting in a car and giving directions.

Alongside several hours of lessons, they handle route planning, vehicle safety checks, student records, bookings and cancellations, communication with parents or other clients, and preparation for test days.

Many also invest time in keeping up with changes to traffic laws and testing criteria, and in some regions they are expected to attend periodic training to maintain their license or competence card.

This mix of teaching, administration, and ongoing professional development can make for long, irregular hours, especially during exam peaks.