Driving Tuition.
It is claimed that only 26% of learner drivers actually use Professional Driving Instructors for the full course of their learning to drive. The reason behind this apparently is that driving lessons are too expensive. These stats come from an online poll commissioned by a money saving website so the reason given is probably expected.
On the flip side less than 50% of drivers do not pass their practical driving test first time with only 47.2% achieving that result.
With this in mind you might wonder how not using a Professional Instructor is saving money if the driving test has to be retaken. Certainly there is nothing wrong at all with using family & friends to get in some much needed practice when learning to drive but to rely heavily, or even fully, on this is really not going to lead to a successful conclusion to sitting your driving test.
Our advice & best practice would be to encourage students to get in as much practice as they can in between lessons whilst gaining valuable practice on the tasks that you have covered in recent lessons. There is very little point in trying to learn new things if you haven’t mastered what you’re instructor is teaching you in lessons.
How many lessons would we advise? That’s the six million dollar question that is regularly asked & there is no simple answer other than there is no magic figure. You can need more than your best friend who might also be learning to drive at the same time but you might not need as many as your Aunt Jess who might well be a slower learner.
We all take things on board at a different pace so it isn’t possible to make claims as to how many you should or shouldn’t have. The average is approximately 35 to 40 hours but you could need much more or a lot less. A lot can depend on how often you can practice as well as how quick you learn.
One thing that is clear is your instructor should be able to have an idea how many you might need after your first lesson. You should have a report card which will be updated at the end of each lesson. This report card will be a record of your progress so far & should also demonstrate how far you have to go to complete the driving syllabus.
Your instructors notes each week will act as a reminder of what you should concentrate your practice time on. If need be, show your family & friends your report card & make sure they know the areas you really need to practice.
This practice can only help you both confidence wise & experience wise. It can also save you time & money by not needing quite as many lessons. So in short, having practice sessions in between your driving school lessons can improve your ability but don’t over do it & keep it relevant to your recent lessons.
Driving Lessons available in the following locations:
Hounslow |
Isleworth |
Osterley |
Twickenham |
Teddington
Read our article on – how to gauge quality driving lessons.