PUPIL Terms & Conditions
Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully.
By booking and receiving driving lessons with SOS Driver Training, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.
1. Fees AND Offers
Lesson fees will be confirmed by your allocated SOS Driving Instructor. Fees may be changed from time to time. However, pupils will normally be given a minimum of one month’s notice of any increase to their regular lesson rate.
Payment for lessons is made directly to your allocated instructor using the payment methods they accept. You may be required to pay for individual lessons or block bookings in advance in order to secure your lesson time.
Where a discounted block booking has been purchased and the pupil decides to discontinue their lessons before all prepaid hours have been used, any refund due will be calculated by charging lessons already taken at the instructor’s standard pay as you go hourly rate applicable at the time the block booking was purchased.
Any remaining balance will then be refunded, subject to the cancellation policy and any outstanding charges.
Any promotional offers or discounted rates may be subject to additional conditions, which will be explained at the time of booking.
All lesson fees are paid directly to your allocated instructor unless otherwise stated.
2. BOOKING AND PAYMENT FOR DRIVING LESSONS
All driving lessons must be arranged and confirmed directly with your allocated SOS Driving Instructor.
Where possible, please give your instructor as much notice as possible of the dates and times you would prefer. This will give your instructor the best opportunity to offer lesson times that are convenient for you, subject to their availability and existing pupil commitments.
A lesson will only be considered booked once the date and time have been confirmed by your allocated instructor.
PAYMENT IN ADVANCE
You may be asked to pay for your driving lesson in advance directly to your allocated instructor. Your instructor will advise you of their payment arrangements and when payment is required.
Advance payment helps to secure your agreed lesson time and allows your instructor to manage their diary effectively. Driving instructors reserve specific periods of their working day exclusively for individual pupils and may be unable to refill that time at short notice if a lesson is cancelled or not attended.
Where advance payment is required, your lesson may not be considered fully secured until payment has been received.
Any cancellation or refund of a prepaid lesson will be subject to the applicable cancellation policy.
DRIVING LICENCE
Lessons can only be provided where the pupil holds a valid and appropriate driving licence which permits them to drive the tuition vehicle.
You must inform your instructor immediately of any changes to your driving licence or circumstances that may affect your legal entitlement to drive, including any endorsements, disqualification or restrictions received during the period in which you are receiving tuition.
3. CANCELLATIONS AND CHANGES TO LESSONS
You must give your allocated SOS Driving Instructor a minimum of 24 hours notice if you wish to cancel or change a driving lesson.
Where less than 24 hours notice is given, the full lesson fee will normally remain payable. Where the lesson has been prepaid, the corresponding lesson time may be deducted from your prepaid balance.
If you repeatedly cancel or rearrange lessons, particularly at short notice, your instructor may require payment in advance before accepting any further bookings.
We understand that occasionally circumstances arise which make cancelling or rearranging a lesson unavoidable. However, excessive or repeated cancellations, frequent changes to agreed lesson times, or extended periods between lessons can disrupt both your learning progress and your instructor’s ability to manage their diary effectively.
Where this becomes an ongoing issue, your instructor may discuss alternative lesson arrangements with you and, where necessary, may withdraw their services and discontinue future lessons.
Any decision will take into consideration the individual circumstances and the pattern of cancellations or missed lessons.
4. PICK UP AND FINISH LOCATIONS FOR LESSONS
You should agree the pick up and finishing location for your lesson directly with your allocated SOS Driving Instructor when arranging your booking.
If you wish to change the agreed pick up or finishing location, please give your instructor as much notice as possible. Any alternative location must be agreed with your instructor and will be subject to their availability and existing commitments.
Where a different pick up or finishing location results in additional travelling time, this time will form part of your booked lesson. Your practical driving time may therefore be reduced to ensure your instructor can arrive on time for their next pupil, driving test or other commitment.
Your instructor may be unable to accommodate a change of location where insufficient notice is given or where the requested location is outside their normal working area.
5. PRACTICAL DRIVING TEST BOOKINGS
You are responsible for booking and managing your own practical car driving test through the official GOV.UK service. SOS Driver Training and your driving instructor cannot book a practical driving test on your behalf.
Before booking your practical test, you should speak to your instructor to discuss whether you are likely to be ready to take the test by the proposed date.
You should agree the test centre you intend to use.
You should check that your instructor and tuition vehicle will be available.
You should ask your instructor for their ADI reference number, where appropriate. This can be entered when booking to help avoid dates when your instructor is unavailable.
When booking your test, you should choose a date by which you can realistically expect to have reached the required standard.
You should also be aware that DVSA rules may limit the number of changes that can be made to a practical driving test booking and may restrict changes to nearby test centres.
You should not book or change a practical driving test without first checking your instructor’s availability.
Booking a practical driving test does not guarantee the use of your instructor’s tuition vehicle.
For further information regarding the current practical driving test booking rules, please refer to the official GOV.UK guidance titled Changes to Driving Test Booking Rules in 2026.
6. USE OF YOUR INSTRUCTOR'S TUITION VEHICLE AND PRACTICAL DRIVING TESTS
Your allocated SOS Driving Instructor reserves the right to refuse or withdraw the use of their tuition vehicle for a driving lesson or practical driving test where they reasonably consider it necessary for safety, legal, insurance or professional reasons.
This may include, but is not limited to, the following circumstances.
Your driving is considered below the standard required to safely attend a practical driving test, or your instructor does not reasonably believe that you are likely to reach the required standard in the time available.
Your progress or driving standard has been affected by missed, cancelled or insufficient lessons leading up to your practical test.
You have not completed sufficient recent training or assessment with your instructor for them to reasonably assess your readiness to use their vehicle for the test.
You appear unwell, excessively tired or otherwise unfit to drive safely.
Your instructor reasonably suspects that you may be under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or medication which may impair your ability to drive safely.
You do not hold the appropriate valid driving licence or cannot meet any legal or insurance requirements applicable to the vehicle.
Lesson, test day or other agreed fees remain unpaid.
The vehicle becomes unavailable due to mechanical failure, accident, damage, safety concerns or circumstances outside the reasonable control of the instructor.
TEST READINESS
Your instructor will continually assess your progress and will discuss any concerns regarding your test readiness with you.
Where appropriate, your instructor may recommend additional training, a mock test or that your practical driving test is moved to a later date.
The final decision regarding whether the instructor’s vehicle is made available for a practical driving test remains with the instructor, taking into consideration your driving standard, safety and their professional responsibility.
Where reasonably possible, your instructor will give you as much notice as possible if they are unable or unwilling to provide their vehicle for your practical driving test.
TEST DAY FEES AND VEHICLE HIRE
Each SOS Driving Instructor is responsible for setting their own test day fees, which may differ from their standard lesson rate.
Your instructor will advise you of the applicable test day charge before agreeing to provide their vehicle for your practical driving test.
The test day fee may include a pre test driving lesson or warm up session, travel to the practical driving test centre, hire and use of the instructor’s tuition vehicle during the practical driving test, the instructor’s time while waiting during the test, the post test debrief and, where applicable, the journey home or to another agreed finishing location.
The total charge and amount of time allocated for test day will be agreed directly between you and your allocated instructor.
Test day fees are set independently by individual SOS Driving Instructors and may therefore vary between instructors.
Payment may be required in advance to secure the instructor and tuition vehicle for the agreed test date and time.
VEHICLE OR INSTRUCTOR UNAVAILABILITY
SOS Driver Training and your allocated instructor will not be responsible for reasonable losses or expenses arising from circumstances outside their reasonable control, including vehicle breakdown, accident, illness, mechanical failure or other unforeseen circumstances which prevent a lesson or practical driving test from going ahead.
Where a lesson cannot take place due to circumstances attributable to the instructor, every reasonable effort will be made to rearrange the lesson.
If your instructor attends for a practical driving test but the test cannot proceed because of circumstances attributable to you, for example, you have booked the wrong date, time or test centre, fail to bring the required documentation, or otherwise fail to meet the DVSA’s requirements, the agreed test day charge will remain payable.
7. VEHICLE DAMAGE
Pupils are expected to treat their instructor’s tuition vehicle with reasonable care at all times and to follow any reasonable instructions given by the instructor regarding the safe operation and use of the vehicle.
Where damage is caused to the tuition vehicle as a direct result of a pupil’s deliberate action, negligence, misuse of the vehicle or failure to follow a reasonable instruction given by the instructor, the pupil may be held responsible for the reasonable cost of repairing the damage, subject to the individual circumstances.
This may include damage to tyres or wheels.
This may include alloy wheel or wheel trim damage caused by striking or mounting a kerb.
This may include damage to bodywork, mirrors or other external parts of the vehicle.
This may include damage to the interior, controls or equipment.
This may include damage caused through misuse of the vehicle or its controls.
Pupils will not normally be held responsible for fair wear and tear, mechanical failure, pre existing damage or damage arising from circumstances reasonably outside their control.
Any incident will be considered individually, taking into account the circumstances, the pupil’s level of experience, any instructions or intervention provided by the instructor and any applicable insurance arrangements.
Where a pupil under the age of 18 is involved, any matter relating to vehicle damage will also be discussed with their parent, guardian or carer.
8. GIFT VOUCHERS
SOS Driver Training gift vouchers are valid for 6 months from the date of purchase, unless otherwise stated on the voucher.
Once the recipient has commenced their first driving lesson, they will have a further 6 months from the date of their first lesson to use any remaining lessons or credit included within the voucher.
For example, if the first lesson is taken during the fifth month after purchasing the voucher, the recipient will have a further 6 months from the date of that first lesson to use the remaining balance.
Gift vouchers are subject to instructor availability and do not guarantee a particular instructor, lesson time, vehicle type or practical driving test date.
9. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
SOS Driver Training takes complaints seriously and will aim to deal with any concerns fairly, professionally and as quickly as reasonably possible.
Where possible, you should first discuss any concern directly with your allocated SOS Driving Instructor, as many issues can be resolved quickly through open communication.
If the matter cannot be resolved directly with your instructor, or you do not feel comfortable raising the matter with them, a formal complaint may be made to SOS Driver Training Ltd in writing by email or letter.
Please provide as much relevant information as possible, including your name, your instructor’s name, details of your complaint, relevant dates or circumstances, and any steps already taken to try to resolve the matter.
SOS Driver Training will review the complaint and, where appropriate, discuss the matter with both the pupil and instructor with the aim of reaching a fair resolution.
If a complaint relates to a consumer or business service issue and cannot be resolved, you may seek independent advice from Citizens Advice.
If your concern relates to the professional conduct of an Approved Driving Instructor, you may also contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in accordance with its current complaints procedure.
Nothing within this complaints procedure affects your statutory rights.
TOTAL DRIVE PUPIL TERMS OF USE
These Terms of Use apply specifically to your access to and use of Total Drive, the online booking and learning platform used by SOS Driver Training.
These terms should be read alongside the SOS Driver Training Pupil Terms and Conditions.
By accessing and using Total Drive, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to these Terms of Use.
1. PURPOSE OF TOTAL DRIVE
Total Drive is a third party online platform used by SOS Driver Training and its instructors to support the administration and delivery of driving tuition.
Depending on the services available to you, Total Drive may allow you to view and manage driving lesson bookings, view your instructor’s available lesson times, communicate with your allocated instructor, view upcoming and previous lessons, track your driving progress and development, access learning resources and access theory training materials where available.
Total Drive is a third party service and is not owned or operated by SOS Driver Training Ltd.
2. YOUR TOTAL DRIVE ACCOUNT
You must provide accurate and up to date information when registering for and using Total Drive.
Your login details are personal to you and should not be shared with another person.
You are responsible for taking reasonable steps to keep your account and login details secure.
If you believe somebody else has gained unauthorised access to your account, you should notify your instructor or SOS Driver Training as soon as reasonably possible.
Access to Total Drive may be suspended or restricted where there is reasonable evidence of misuse, inappropriate behaviour, security concerns or suspicious activity.
3. USING TOTAL DRIVE TO MANAGE LESSONS
Total Drive may allow you to view, request, book, change or manage driving lessons with your allocated instructor.
Lesson availability displayed within Total Drive is subject to your instructor’s diary and availability.
A request submitted through Total Drive should not be treated as a confirmed lesson until it has been accepted or confirmed through the system or directly by your instructor.
Your main SOS Driver Training Pupil Terms and Conditions continue to apply to all lessons arranged or managed through Total Drive.
4. COMMUNICATION THROUGH TOTAL DRIVE
Messaging and communication facilities within Total Drive should be used primarily for matters relating to your driving tuition, bookings and learning.
All communication must remain appropriate and respectful.
Abusive, threatening, discriminatory, offensive or persistently inappropriate use of the platform may result in your access being restricted or withdrawn.
Where permitted by the platform and applicable law, relevant communication records may be reviewed where reasonably necessary to investigate a complaint, resolve a dispute, address a safeguarding concern or investigate misuse of the service.
5. PROGRESS AND LESSON RECORDS
Your instructor may use Total Drive to record information relating to your driving tuition, including lessons completed, subjects covered, progress and development, areas requiring further practice, instructor notes and upcoming lesson arrangements.
These records are intended to support your learning and provide you with an overview of your progress.
Information recorded within Total Drive reflects the information and professional assessment available at the time and may be updated as your training progresses.
6. THEORY TRAINING SUITE
Where available, you may be offered access to theory training resources through Total Drive.
A separate fee may apply for access to the theory training suite. The applicable price and access arrangements will be explained before purchase.
Theory training access relates to digital learning resources provided through the platform.
Access to the theory training suite may be subject to additional terms imposed by Total Drive or the relevant third party provider.
SOS Driver Training will provide reasonable assistance where possible if you experience difficulty accessing the service but cannot guarantee the operation or availability of third party systems.
7. PERSONAL INFORMATION AND DATA
Information provided through Total Drive may be used for purposes connected with administering and supporting your driving tuition. This may include maintaining your pupil account, managing lesson bookings, communicating with your instructor, maintaining lesson and progress records and providing learning resources.
Your allocated instructor may have access to information reasonably necessary to manage and provide your driving tuition.
Total Drive may process personal information in accordance with its own privacy policy and applicable data protection requirements.
SOS Driver Training will handle personal information for which it is responsible in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and its privacy policy.
8. PLATFORM AVAILABILITY AND TECHNICAL ISSUES
As Total Drive is a third party platform, SOS Driver Training cannot guarantee continuous or uninterrupted access.
Access may occasionally be affected by maintenance, software updates, technical faults, internet problems or other circumstances outside the reasonable control of SOS Driver Training.
Where Total Drive is unavailable and you need to discuss an upcoming lesson, you should contact your allocated instructor directly.
You are responsible for ensuring that you have suitable internet access and a compatible device where required to use the platform.
SOS Driver Training will provide reasonable assistance where possible but cannot guarantee that it can resolve technical problems relating to Total Drive or other third party services.
9. APPROPRIATE USE
You must not attempt to gain unauthorised access to another person’s account.
You must not share another pupil’s personal information obtained through the platform.
You must not use Total Drive for unlawful, abusive or inappropriate purposes.
You must not attempt to interfere with the operation or security of the platform.
You must not upload or send malicious, offensive or inappropriate content.
Serious or repeated misuse may result in access to Total Drive being restricted or withdrawn.
10. RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PUPIL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
These Terms of Use relate specifically to Total Drive and your use of the platform.
Your separate SOS Driver Training Pupil Terms and Conditions continue to apply to your driving tuition, including lesson fees, advance payments, cancellations, driving licence requirements, practical driving tests, test day fees, use of tuition vehicles, vehicle damage, gift vouchers and complaints.
11. ACCEPTANCE
By accessing and using Total Drive, you confirm that you have read and understood these Terms of Use.
You agree to use the platform responsibly.
You agree to keep your account information secure.
You understand that Total Drive is a third party platform.
You agree that the SOS Driver Training Pupil Terms and Conditions continue to apply to your driving tuition.
PUPILS UNDER 18
Where the pupil is under 18, a parent, legal guardian or responsible carer aged 18 or over should also be provided with these Terms of Use and the SOS Driver Training Pupil Terms and Conditions.