Learn to Drive
How do I start learning to drive?
Before you can start taking lessons you will need your provisional licence. You can apply for a licence three months prior to your seventeenth birthday (15 years and 9 months old) but can only start driving when you are 17.
Can I take driving lessons without my provisional licence?
No. Unfortunately this is not possible. Before you can start driving, you must have a provisional driving licence for Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
You provisional licence is then checked by your instructor before you commence the first session. With your provisional licence in hand, you’re ready to start. You can now drive on all roads except motorways.
How many lessons will I need before I am ready for my test?
There’s no minimum number of lessons and this really depends on how quickly you learn the various components introduced by your instructor. Everyone learns at a different pace and you should not put pressure on yourself if you don’t remember a new concept straightaway. Ultimately, the end goal is to take the test with confidence.
Can I / Should I practice driving with family or friends?
There are no rules to say you shouldn’t practice with a friend or family member. However, there are a few points to consider. Anyone you practise your driving with must:
- have had their full driving licence for three years
- be over 21
- be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you want to learn in
If you fail to meet these areas you can be fined and get up to six penalty points on your provisional licence.
There are no restrictions on passengers and you may drive with as many as the vehicle can legally hold. It is illegal for friends or family members to use a mobile phone while they are supervising you.
You need to be insured as a learner driver on your own car and ensure you’re covered by someone else's insurance if practicing in their car. Some insurance companies may require the supervisor to be over 25. The ramification of driving without insurance can be very severe with consequences ranging from a fine, eight penalty points and being banned from driving.
Another important consideration is bad habits. We always encourage learners to get as many hours under their belts as possible, but if this means picking up habits that do not contribute positively, you could be undoing the hard work you have put in with your instructor. Always practice what you have already done with your instructor and not something introduced by others.
How will the lessons be structured?
The lessons are designed to introduce information in manageable chunks, building on what was taught in the session before. The aim is to cover new elements regularly while ensuring learners are happy and confident with topics already covered.
Before a lesson starts instructors introduce the topic to be covered in the lesson and close with the summary of everything that was introduced. This helps learners identify if learning took place in the lesson.