02/04/2026
A Tribute to Peter Carey - Approved Driving Instructor from the Life President of the Association of Approved Driving Instructors. (AADI)
I have known Peter for the best part of 2 decades, maybe a little longer and found him to be a dedicated individual who was passionate about serving a community of learner drivers who had come to the driver training industry in the hope of taking that next step to independence.
Peter would regularly take on students who had come to him from other driving instructors who had found them too difficult or lacked the patience to help these young people to succeed.
Peter had a special talent and campaigned for those with special needs or who learned in a different way, to many of the other students wishing to learn to drive.
Peter was one of just three national champions in this field of special needs and who worked tirelessly to give his students a level playing field, even to the point of actually re-writing the Highway Code in a way that those with Dyslexia or similar learning difficulties would be able to read and understand the crux of the question and who then would have a better chance of understanding what the answer might be, instead having to fit into the one size fits all system advocated by the Driving Standards Agency, (DVSA).
Peter, and another champion (John Brown) would be my go-to friends and colleagues for advice in my role as the Chair of a national driving instructor association when the topic of Special Needs was on the agenda at meetings with the DVSA. Even though the DVSA would usually dismiss the efforts that Perter made to help those who he felt were disadvantaged, HE NEVER GAVE UP..
Peter joined me on our executive committee for a period to work on those subjects that were very dear to his heart. Our progress was always slow, given we were being pushed back by those who had little empathy or understanding about the issues Peter fought tirelessly for over many decades. He was truly a dedicated colleague ready to take on those in high office, even though he appreciated it was always going to be an uphill struggle.
A friend first and colleague second, who will be sadly missed. R.I.P Peter.
Barry Kenward.
