Learner driver called 999 because his instructor was late

A learner driver was given a lesson in making 999 calls after phoning for “emergency” police assistance because his driving instructor turned up late.



Police call handlers were left baffled when the man phoned just after 8am last Thursday morning to report his instructor had arrived minutes late for their session. After rowing over her arrival time the drive tutor asked him to get out of the car and put the brakes on his lesson – which prompted the learner to declare it an emergency incident and call for police back-up.

West Midlands Police have issued an audio recording of the mobile phone call to reinforce the message that dialling 999 should be reserved for genuine emergencies. In the recording the caller can be heard saying: “I’ve got an emergency…the person who’s supposed to be teaching me came late and now she’s asking me to get out of her car. She’s saying I’m giving her attitude - please come over.


YouTube link.

“I need someone to complain to. Who should I complain to?” The call handler advises him to speak to her employer or the body that regulates driving instructors and stresses such trivial matters don’t qualify as 999 emergencies. No further action was taken against the caller by the police, a force spokesman said.