Learner drivers subjected to 'despicable' abuse

Marcus Sheppard taught Poppy Allen how to drive

Driving instructors say they and their learner drivers are experiencing regular abuse from other road users.

Incidents of intimidation, swearing and being spat at have been reported.

One newly-qualified driver said she thought she had failed her test after she was subjected to "despicable" abuse.

Police are encouraging drivers to share video evidence so they can prosecute offenders.

Jacqui Barr has been an instructor with Top Hat Driving School in north Bristol and South Gloucestershire for five years.

She said abuse had "got much worse since the pandemic" as she believes people's patience is wearing thin.

'Really aggressive'

"It's quite depressing really, because it's pretty much every week we will get beeped at," she said.

"A common one is you get really aggressive overtaking from people, sometimes they'll come round you on the wrong side of the road, go up on pavements, things like that."

"If you're very unlucky you might get a bit of verbal abuse as well," Ms Barr added.

Earlier this year, she reported an incident to police in which one of her learner drivers was spat at while practising a manoeuvre.

Avon and Somerset Police are investigating.

Marcus Sheppard said dealing with aggressive and impatient motorists was the worst part of his job

Driving instructor Marcus Sheppard from Bubble Driving School, which helps people learn to drive in and around Bristol, told the BBC he would "almost daily see people do unsafe thing to get around them".

He said: "A significant number of other instructors are very cheesed off with it, some have left, and some have taken to teaching in unmarked cars, so they don't become a target for people's abuse."

His former pupil Poppy Allen said she was unnerved during her driving test when a member of the public wound down their window to shout obscenities at her.

She passed her exam and the examiner said she had done nothing wrong.

Poppy Allen said she thought she had failed her test when a motorist shouted abuse at her

Ms Allen said: "I just think it's despicable behaviour. I think having a driving lesson or a driving test is nerve-wracking enough.

"I think to then hurl abuse at someone that's obviously trying to learn is just not acceptable. I think you have to be quite a nasty person to do that to someone."

A survey by insurance company Marmalade found 81% of learner drivers surveyed between October 2021 and March 2022 had experienced abuse or intimidation, with 11% saying it happened on most journeys.

The most common problem reported was tail-gaiting, but others reported being cut-up, involved in face-to-face confrontations and even being bumped into.

In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police said: "We encourage people to share video evidence (dashcam, cyclecam, helmetcam and others) of driving offences. 

"All the submissions we receive are reviewed and help us to prosecute offenders for a range of motoring incidents, including near misses and driving while using a mobile phone."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]