online Driving Lessons Advice (uk)
lesson advice page quick picks
- driving instructor or private practice?
- choosing a driving instructor (adi)
- driving lesson costs
- average number of driving lessons needed to pass the driving test?
DRIVING INSTRUCTOR OR PRIVATE PRACTICE?
This does not necessarily need to be a one or the other decision. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) advise that the best way to learn to drive (and pass your test!) is to take driving lessons with a qualified ADI plus, where practical, private practice with family or friends (see practical driving page and our Private Driving Practice e-book). Even if you are unable to undertake private practice with family or friends they may still be able to help with the learning process (please see the section on driving practice e-book). It is unlikely that anyone other than a fully qualified ADI will have the expertise to teach the full learning to drive syllabus and prepare the learner fully for, and passing, the driving test. I would therefore always advise someone wishing to learn to drive to seek professional tuition from an fully qualified DSA Approved Driving Instructor (ADI).
An Approved Driving Instructor is also likley to have a suitable car.
Sorry not one of these!
CHOOSING A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR (ADI)
I would suggest that the first question should be how do I want to learn? Do I
want to learn over a period of time possibly having 1 or 2 hours of paid tuition
a week, or do I want to learn on an intensive or semi intensive course over a
much shorter period of time? Of course there is also another question and that
is which will be the best way for YOU to learn to drive and pass your test.
There are plus and minus points for the different ways that you can learn to
drive. Learning over a period of possibly 20
to 30 weeks will give you plenty of time to take in all the new skills you will
be learning and give you time to gain more experience with practice with family
and friends, even if this is only talking through lessons with your parents both
before and after lessons. This is how most people learn, it will also spread the
cost and time needed for lessons and the tests over a longer period of time.
The next option is an intensive course, sometimes over as little as a week or 10
days. This often sounds great, as particularly a lot of 17 year olds cannot wait
to pass their test and be out driving on the road. This way of learning is
becoming increasingly popular but does suit everone! You should
think very carefully about whether or not this will be the best course of
action for you, and whether it will give you the best chance of passing your
test 1st time? Many people find it very difficult or impossible to take on such a large
amount of information and practice in such a short time. Normally you will need
to pay the full amount for the course in advance. If you then find it does not
suit you it may prove to be a very expensive experience. You will also not have
the opportunity to gain as much experience as someone learning over a longer
period of time, which is so important when it comes to passing your driving test, but
even more importantly after the test when driving on the road on your own.
Finally there is a third choice of a semi intensive course. This is often the
best way for many people. You can agree with the ADI prior to starting lessons
how many hours you will do each week, usually anywhere between 3 and 6 hours, and then
plan and book the driving test for when your instructor suggests you should be
ready. This will mean that you will know the date that you are working too, as
in an intensive course, but will also give you more time to gain the experience,
and practice that is so important. As an ADI myself I feel that this option
generally gives the learner the best chance of passing their test 1st time and
still becoming an safe driver.
Now that you have decided how you wish to learn you now need to find an
instructor. I would suggest that the best way is by recommendation. If you know
of someone learning or has learnt with a particular instructor (and passed) then if they have
recieved good tuition and have got on well with the instructor then it is likely
that you will too. Phone or email the instructor and ask them if they instruct
in the way you wish to learn, it is also worth considering their comments if
they feel that this way may not be the best for you. Always try and arrange
lessons well before you wish to start. Doing all of the above only to find your
chosen instructor cannot start lessons with you because they have no spaces at
suitable times can be disappointing. Remember a good instructor will often also
be a busy instructor so contact them well in advance. It may also be worth
waiting a short time until the instructor has a space rather than changing to an
instructor that you don't know. A good instructor will clearly make a huge
difference to you successfully learning to drive and passing your driving test.
Good tuition also normally means less tuition, therefore saving you money and
passing your test sooner!
Please remember only a qualified ADI may charge for driving lessons. The
instructor must display their ADI licence clearly when providing paid tuition.
If in doubt ask to see the licence which will have a valid to date on the front
and their photo and ADI number on the back. Further details can be found on the
Driving Standards Agency (DSA) website.
driving lesson Costs
Driving lesson costs will vary between different instructors and areas of the country. Normally you can expect to pay between £20-£25 per hour for an experienced instructor (ADI). Compared to many other services such as plumbers etc this is not a high hourly rate. Trying too save money by using a cheaper instructor is often a false economy. More lessons at a cheaper cost will still normally mean you paying more money in total.
Over the many years (14yrs) that I have been an instrucor I have lost count of the number of pupils that have come to me after taking a large number of cheap driving lessons and having got nowhere or having failed numerous tests. When we start our lessons and the pupil realises all the areas/topics missed, poorly covered or explained by their previous instructor, they really wish they had spent the time to find a good instructor in the beginning. Now there are lots and lots of very good instructors out there. So don't rush in, do your homework and find a good instructor who will teach you correctly and help you to pass your test, hopefully passing 1st time!
Instead of trying to save money on the cost of the driving lessons I would suggest looking at the section on practical driving and our own private driving practice e-book to see if there are ways you can, with private practice etc help reduce the overall number of hours paid tuition needed and possibly the number of tests needed to pass!
average number of driving lessons needed to Pass the test?
This is an extremely difficult question and one that instructors hate being asked. This is because it all depends on the person learning to drive (you). We all learn at different rates and find different subjects easy or difficult to understand and perfect. The DSA's website (October 2008) suggest that the average number of hours taken to pass the driving test is 45hours paid tuition, plus 22hours private practice, normally this will be less for younger learners and possibly more for anyone learning later in life. From my own experience I would suggest the better the tuition the less lessons will be needed. Whilst this is clearly a lot of paid hours of tuition, if the learner can receive good quality assistance from family or friends then the total number of paid hours needed to pass the test may be noticeably reduced. Unfortunately again from personal experience the quality of private practise varies greatly, from very good to extremely poor! This can then often lead the learner into bad habits, which will normally require more paid tuition to correct. Making the right decisions and preparation will help in keeping the number of lessons and therefore costs down.
If it is your intention to help a learner with private driving practice then our Private Driving Practice book is an absolute must for safe, effective tuition.
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