Learning to Drive
Learning To Drive
How long will it take or how many hours will I need to pass my test?
Difficult question to answer as everyone learns at a different pace, and many factors have to be considered. The DSA recommend 45 hours of tuition with an Approved Driving Instructor [ADI] together with 22 hours of private practice.
Should I learn with a friend/family member?
Any private practice with a friend or family member can help greatly as it gives you further experience and exposure to everyday road conditions, requiring you to practise your response to situations, making decisions, dealing with roundabouts etc. Try it, if possible, building on the initial tuition from a professional experienced and fully qualified driving instructor. Beware of conflicting information. What Mum or Dad was taught years before may not be the correct procedure any more.
Should I choose single driving lessons?
Some students just like to take it nice and slowly, learning at a steady pace, giving them time to think about what they have learnt the week before, with time to digest it. Or, if you are on a budget, this is the ideal way to learn to drive, just paying weekly when you have your driving lesson, knowing where you are all the time. Not every one can stand the pressure and strain that the intensive courses put you under, if you think all the time I have to get this right, my driving test is only a few days away.
Or, how about an Intensive Course?
Intensive Courses are popular with learners of any age, because they make it possible to learn to drive within a 5 day course - rather than spinning it out, sometimes over almost a year [with one lesson a week].
Some people feel as if they have been learning for what seems like for ever, and don't feel as if they are making any progress, and would just like to get it over as quickly as possible.
Some are on a restricted schedule, at home from school, college or university; some taking a week's holiday off from work.
Advantages include learning to drive over a shorter period gives you less chance of forgetting what you have been taught, and overall progress will be quicker with you spending longer periods of time behind the wheel.
However, with only a limited number of days there behind the wheel, your overall experience will be somewhat limited, and you will not have had time to reflect quite as much as those who learn over a longer period of time.
I am happy to work with you - whatever your wishes - or needs.
I sometimes say, 10 hours to learn to control the car, 10 hours to learn the manoeuvres, and ten hours to polish it all up to test standard.