With 2 weeks to go until I get back on the road, I thought I would post about what's changing with lessons to make them safer.
These changes are to help keep us and others safe and are in line with government guidelines. All of these will be in place until we are at Level 2 on the government’s COVID-19 alert system and some will need to continue until we are at Level 1. It is ultimately your decision to take driving lessons, if you wish to postpone until we are at a lower alert level please contact me.
- Lessons will be restricted to 1 hour wherever possible, or 1.5 hours where necessary due to location. The less time spent together, the lower the risk.
- Windows will be open as much as is possible to allow fresh air in the car. Remember to wrap up as it may get cold. The car needs to be well ventilated to reduce the risk, as the government have been telling us for a while, it's safer to meet outside than inside.
- You must wear a face covering on your lesson. If you feel you are unable to for any reason, please discuss this with me. If you wear glasses, please ensure that these will not steam up whilst you are driving. If you cannot provide your own, I do have a supply in the car at a cost of £1. I will be wearing a face covering during lessons. When we wear a face covering, we are less likely to spread the virus, remember, people can be infected and not show symptoms.
- You will need to wash your hands before and after your lesson, with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. I will wash my hands as often as possible and use hand sanitiser when it is not possible. Hand sanitiser will be available for you to use as often as you wish.
- I will not be wearing gloves, I feel they give a false sense of security. If you wish to wear gloves that’s fine but ensure you put them on after washing your hands and before you approach the car. Please check they are safe for driving.
- If you agree, I will take your temperature using a remote thermometer before you get in the car. If your temperature is 38°C or above the lesson will not go ahead as you should be self-isolating.
- If you have symptoms of COVID-19 in the 7 days before your lesson or develop them in the 7 days after your lesson, please contact me. If you have been in contact with anyone with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in the 14 days before your lesson, please contact me. I will do the same for you. If we are honest about how we are feeling, no matter how mild the symptoms, then we are less likely to infect others.
- I will check the day before and within half an hour of your lesson to check you are well enough to attend, have not been in contact with anyone with symptoms or been asked to self-isolate.
- If you are contacted by the NHS Test and Trace system, please contact me, I will do the same.
- I will disinfectant the car between lessons, ensuring all touch points and the seat covers are cleaned. I will arrive early for your lesson to give me time to do this. Lessons will need to start and finish where I am able to properly clean the car. Please do not approach the car until your lesson time or after I text you to tell you that the car is ready.
- I will deep clean the cars before lessons restart and once per week afterwards.
- If I need to demonstrate anything, the car will need to be cleaned before and after swapping seats.
- If I need to touch any of the controls, we will pull over and I will clean the area as soon as it’s safe to do so. We will also need to clean our hands, or change gloves.
- We will spend as much time as possible outside the car when we need to discuss anything so we can socially distance. The risk of infecting each other is lower outisde the car.
- We both need to face forwards whilst inside the car. This is a mitigation that is part of the governments 1 metre + rule for social distancing.
- If you are intending to travel abroad, please discuss this with me so we can make arrangements for a break in your driving both whilst you are away and for the two weeks following your return.
- If you bring anything with you to lessons (e.g. keys, phone) I will ask you to leave these in your pockets. If you bring a bag/coat this will need to be kept in the boot. Please try to limit what you bring with you.
- If it is likely to be raining, you may wish to bring an umbrella or wear a coat with a hood as you may need to spend time outside the car.
- We will not be sharing anything in the car like pens or my tablet so if you wish to make notes please bring your own materials.
- I have arranged an app which replaces the record cards, this will keep track of your lessons, payments and progress.
There are separate procedures for driving tests which I will discuss with everyone who has a test booked.