driving lessons
To pass your driving test you’ll probably need some help and it's unlikely that you'll learn to drive in a week (but that is possible). You'll want to have driving lessons with a good driving instructor in a suitable car. If you’re in the position to get additional driving experience between lessons it will help you take your test with confidence.
Some people are luckier than others and can get driving instruction from a member of their family but the more the driving test changes and the more complex it becomes the more likely you are to need professional instruction.
Remember only a qualified driving instructor can charge money for teaching you to drive. A qualified instructor must display a certificate in the windscreen of his or her car.
Finding a good instructor
There are 2 types of driving instructors able to charge for driving lessons - fully qualified with the DSA (Driving Standards Agency (who display a GREEN octagonal badge in their windscreen) and those who are partially qualified (who display a PINK tiangular badge). The latter haven't finished their training but driving schools can employ them and often charge the same for a lesson. You need to know who's teaching you to drive and how good they are at it. Although it's impossible to compare one instructor directly with another partially qualified instructors have a pass rate of 35% compared to the national pass rate of 46% (source Dept of Transport). The first link below allows you to search for DSA Approved instructors only.
Most driving instructors operate in a reasonably small area — nobody will travel 100 miles to give you a 1 hour lesson - so use the search tools below to help you find a suitable driving instructor in your area. Or use your local contacts to find a good instructor — ask friends if they would recommend their instructor and if not find out why.
| Driving School Search tool | Information provided |
|---|---|
Contacts and distance away only |
|
Contacts only |
|
Contacts, costs and lots of reviews |
|
Contacts and costs |
|
Contacts only |
You're not stuck with the same instructor — you can always change to another if it doesn’t work out between you. Some instructors will offer a cheaper first lesson to see if it works.
The costs
1 hour driving lessons are usually in the region of £20 — 25, more in London, and on average you should expect to have to take between 30 and 40 lessons before going for your test.
It is possible to take intensive driving courses that promise that you'll 'learn to drive in a week' and it helps if you already have a great deal of 'road sense', from riding a motor-bike, for example.
The car
This should be suitable for learning to drive in, be in good condition and be reasonably clean, both inside and out. Your driving instructor is responsible for his or her car but if you are using any other car you must make sure that it’s roadworthy and that you don’t have your vision impaired by dirty windows or 25 cuddly toys on the parcel shelf.
The majority of cars have a manual gearbox and a clutch pedal but you can learn to drive and take your test in a car with an automatic gearbox if you find it easier. If you do, you’re restricted to only driving automatic cars. Recently there have been many different types of gearboxes launched, CVTs, automated manuals etc, if in doubt whether it’s a manual or an automatic, just count the pedals — no clutch pedal and it’s counted as an auto.
Getting more driving experience
If possible, getting more experience will help you prepare for your driving test but you need to think of several things before you do it:
- Is the person who's going to take you out allowed to? Unless they're over 21 and has held a full UK driving licence for at least 3 years then they can’t legally accompany you. That rules out your mate who passed his test last month then... and remember that they are the legally responsible driver and must act as such, so no chatting on the phone when they're meant to be supervising your driving. They also must wear their glasses or contact-lenses during your lesson if they would normally do so if they were driving themselves
- Is the car suitable? It almost certainly won’t have dual-controls, as most driving school cars do, and if it’s a tank-like estate car or a Ferrari, then it won’t drive like the driving school car that you’re used to.
- Is the car insured for you to drive it? Make sure it is, otherwise you could be in deep trouble if you end up having an accident. If you're thinking of using a family car to get more experience then it could well be cheaper to take out separate insurance via Provisional Marmalade or Collingwood than add you to the existing insurance policy. This will be more likely the higher the insurance group of the family car.
- Can you and this person ‘get on’ in stressful situations? There's no point in shouting back “Why?” if they tell you to “STOP!”. Perhaps they’ve seen something you haven't …
- Don’t forget to put the L- plates (or alternatively D-plates if you're in Wales) on the car before you go. Don’t forget to take them off again when the lesson’s over — magnetic L-plates make this really easy.
- Choose the time and place for your drive carefully. There's little point in driving in the town centre at rush-hour, for example. Plan your route too - you don't want to find yourself driving on a motorway when your licence doesn't cover you to do so.
