Driving You Forward
Learning to drive should be an enjoyable, exciting experience! Passing the driving test can open up many new oppertunities and experiences, but knowing how best to achieve this can be difficult. What route (sorry about the pun) should you take? How should you choose a driving instructor? or should you learn with family and friends? If you are the parent of the leaner how can you help?
Our aim is to provide you with the information and advice on these and many other questions, to help you to make the right decisions. All the information has been compiled for Your Online Driving School by an experience Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), the owner of a long established driving school in the UK. We will however not be trying to sell you driving lessons through this or any other driving school, so you can be assured that as well as getting professional advice, it is also impartial advice.
Why not try one of our e-books or downloads available through our new online shop (secure PayPal and credit/debit card checkout). We also have a carefully selected range of books and DVDs available through us as an official Amazon Associates member.
The 5 Steps To Driving Test Success
Following our 5 simple steps will give you the best chance of passing your driving test first time.
- Before Starting Lessons.
You have your provisional driving licence and have arranged your first driving lesson (see our driving lesson advice page). So now you just sit back and wait to start No. If you want to get the most from your first lessons then some study now will really help.
First make sure you have an up to date Highway Code. This contains essential information for the learner driver, in fact all drivers should really have a copy and remember don't just buy it read it! This will give you the information you need to get the most from your first driving lessons.
The next area to look at is that of basic driving skills, such as clutch/brake control and steering etc. Reading up on these will give you a head start when you begin your driving lessons. I would recommend buying a Learning to Drive book, ebook or reading our own basic skills articles. Remember the study you do now is going to really help and spending a little time and money now is going to end up saving you a lot more time and money on lessons and test later.
- Theory Test
The theory and hazard perception tests cost £31.00 (May 2009) so you don't want to keep taking tests, much better to pass first time. Unfortunatly there is really only one way to give yourself the best chance of doing this and that is to study.
I would strongly recommend using one of the excellent Cds/Dvds that are available. Don't however think of this study as separete from your actual driving practice. Remember the theory questions are all about driving and the hazard perception test is aimed at improving the learners ability to see potential hazards. You should therefore try to use what has been learned during the theory test study to help with the actual driving. This cross over study also works the other way, as you can do alot of study for the theory test when on your driving lesson. Hopefully your instructor will include (where appropiate) information that will help with the theory test into the lesson. Don't however be afraid to ask questions during your lessons, if these will help to clarify a theory or hazard perception question, by placing it into a practical setting.
- Lesson Preparations.
Most driving instructors will follow a structured lesson plan. This means that if your instructor tells you, or you ask, you will know what will be covered on your next lesson. This will give you the oppertunity to study (try our recommended books) this topic prior to your next lesson. If, for instance the next lesson is going to be on roundabouts, you can read up on how roundabouts work, which will make a huge difference on your next lesson. As well as reading up for the next topic why not discuss this will parents or friends. Remember the more preparation you do prior to your lesson the better your lesson is likely to go. The result will be you needing less lessons, saving you both money and time. This makes it well worth that little bit of effort and time. So don't miss out.
- Private Practice
Driving with family and friends can really help when learning to drive. I always suggest that learners take this opportunity if they can, as long as they can answer yes to the following questions.
Will the cost of the insurance be covered by a saving in the number of paid driving lessons needed, or tests taken?
Does the accompanying driver meet the legal requirements? and have enough time to do regular lessons?
Finally will the lessons be well planned and correctly cover all the key areas?
This last question is easily answered with a yes if you use a quality instruction book, such as our own ebook. Or no if the accompanying driver simply tries to rely solely on their own driving experience, as it is highly unlikely that they will have the expertise without reading what is actually required. Remember you want to benefit from this practice and for it to be safe!
- Driving Test Success.
Correct preparation for the Driving Test can and does make a huge effect on the test result. So how can you prepare correctly?
As well as making sure you can deal with all the various junctions and manoeuvres correctly, you should also practice in an actual test situation. Mock tests are an excellent way for the learner to get used to how the test will be conducted, which will help enormously when actually on the test.
Another excellent way of preparing for the test is to use revision/prompt cards. Most people will have used revision/prompt cards when studying for exams, however they work just as well for the Practical Driving Test. The aim of our own cards is to help the learner to recall key information, even under the stressful situation of the test. Regular use of professionaly prepared revision cards can and will make all the difference.
how to?
Welcome to our new series of articles looking at various driving skills that the learner will need to become proficient in, plus some regularly asked driving questions. Over the following months we will be covering: Clutch Control, Brake Control, Steering, MSM Routine, Gears, Judging Traffic, UK Drive (rules of the road), Planning and Awareness, How to Park a Car (Reversing).
To see this months article click here.
As you can see you may need a good sense of humour to be a driver.
