Meet an AA Instructor
Lee Martin - AA Instructor of the year 2006
Q. Why did you become a driving instructor?
Lee Martin. One of my friends was a driving instructor, and I borrowed his car to teach my girlfriend to drive in. I really enjoyed teaching her, and my friend reckoned I was good at it, so it started from there.
Q. Have you ever had a crash during a lesson?
LM. In 16 years I've never had an accident during a lesson. There have been some near misses though – nearly always the fault of other drivers.
Q. What do you enjoy most about your job?
LM. I like the challenge of starting with someone who's never driven before, and turning them into a good, confident, driver. I really enjoy teaching in general – I've taught throughout my life in different sorts of jobs.
The job also provides the opportunity to meet different people – I make a lot of friends through my work.
Q. What do you like least about your job?
LM. I find it really frustrating when I've taught someone and I know that they're a good driver, and then they fail their test. It's usually because of being under too much pressure – for example if they need to get their licence for their job – and they succumb to nerves on test day.
The other problem I sometimes have is other drivers not giving us enough room.
Q. How many pupils do you have?
LM. I have about 38 pupils at the moment, collectively doing about 25 to 30 hours of tuition each week.
Q. What's the funniest thing that you've ever had happen during a lesson?
LM. There isn't really a funniest thing that I can think of; there are lots of little things. My pupils come from all walks of life so I get to experience loads of different perspectives. Some of my pupils have a great sense of humour, and some want to do funny things - like go around driving through puddles after a rainstorm, or chasing fire engines (we don't do that one though – following emergency vehicles is illegal!).
Q. How many tests did you have to do to qualify?
LM. I had to pass three tests; one to test my knowledge of the law and road rules, one to test my general driving, and one to test my ability as an instructor.
Q. Why did you sign up with the AA?
LM. I ran my own driving school for 10 years, which I enjoyed, but I felt a little isolated – I prefer to be part of a team. I was a member of the AA and I was very impressed with their brand and their general attitude, so they were the obvious choice for me.
The other thing I really like about being with the AA is the Ford Focus – it's a great car for teaching in.
Q. Do you find it easier to teach younger or older learners?
LM. I tend to modify my technique according to the individual learner, because everyone's different. Speaking very generally, I find that younger drivers tend to learn very quickly, although older drivers often benefit from more life skills in general.
Q. What's your proudest achievement in the job?
LM. I'm very proud to be the AA Driving Instructor of the Year 2006!
Q. Do you think that driving today is easier or harder than it was ten years ago?
LM. Driving today is more complicated – there's more traffic, and more variety on the roads. Pupils today need more than just technical knowledge to become good drivers – they also learn life skills, particularly tolerance and good manners.
Q. What things should pupils do to get the most out of their lessons?
LM. Pay close attention to their early lessons to develop a really good grounding to build on as they advance.
Q. Any other advice for learners?
LM. 'Sooner the better' is the best approach for learning to drive – don't put it off.
Finally, and I think this is really important, it's vital that you feel comfortable with your instructor – that you have a sense of rapport, and good communication. If you don't, then go to a different instructor.
