Driving instructor arrested mid-lesson on suspicion of drug driving

A driving instructor has been arrested in the middle of a lesson on suspicion of drug driving.

Thames Valley Police officers stopped the vehicle in Slough, in Berkshire, on Dec 29 while it was being driven by a 17-year-old student, after being tipped off that the instructor was “under the influence of cannabis”.

The force has said that the instructor was arrested and that “shockingly the driving instructor tested positive for cannabis”.

A statement posted online by Thames Valley Police stated: “The driving instructor was arrested on suspicion of drug driving.”

It adds: “Due to the profession that he is in, all necessary authorities will be notified as we have a duty of care to safeguard those involved.”

Instructors typically face at least a four-year ban if they receive a drink or drug driving conviction.

The arrest follows a similar incident in Surrey in 2015, when local police detained a learner driver who tested positive for drugs, and their instructor, who was four-times over the legal limit.

In 2018, an instructor was arrested after failing a roadside test for cocaine while out with a pupil.

Instructors go through a rigorous training process to ensure that they are equipped to teach driving, and all formally registered “approved driving instructors” are required to be “fit and proper” persons.

Government guidance on approved driving instructors states that background checks will be done into criminal records, adding: “It’s… unlikely that you’ll be classed as a ‘fit and proper’ person if you’ve been found guilty of… driving under the influence of drink or drugs.”

Driving test investigation

In June, a BBC investigation revealed that a murky driving test market has developed, as some learners were found to be paying more than £200 to avoid months of waiting.

It emerged that candidates were purchasing exam slots that were secured by individuals or companies in bulk and resold at vastly inflated prices.

Some learners said they paid as much as £235 to book their practical test – more than three times the standard fee.

Profiteering on driving tests comes amid a chronic backlog following the Covid pandemic, with people having to wait as long as six months to take their exam.

Registering as a driving school on the Driving Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) website allows access to multiple booking slots, a BBC investigation found.

However, this feature can be abused because there is minimal verification to check whether the person registering does really run a driving school.