Learning to drive is a rite of passage for lots of young people. However, people of any age make the decision to learn, and it can be difficult to know what exactly you should be looking for in a driving instructor.
For most people, the aim is to pass as soon as possible after acquiring all the knowledge and skills from their lessons, so to give yourself the best chance of passing, there are some things to look out for to help you on the road to becoming a driver.
Firstly, think about the time frame. If you’re a college student who will be off to university next year, now might not be the right time to learn to drive. You might not be able to afford a car as a student, let alone all the running costs, or you may not have space to park, so you will have at least three years where you won’t be able to drive consistently.
Conversely, if you aim to start looking for jobs in around six months, now might be the perfect time to start learning so you’re hopefully qualified by the time you start your search.
You should also consider the sort of instructor you want. You could opt for a big, national chain or a smaller, independent tutor. It is generally preferable to choose an instructor near you so you can learn on familiar roads.
For example, if you’re from Surrey, choose a Surrey instructor located relatively nearby so you can practice in the area you will do most of your driving once you’ve passed, and ideally where you will take your test.
The type of car you learn in should be another factor. Whereas manual cars used to be vastly more popular, automatics are becoming rapidly more common, so the choice is entirely yours.
If you feel you would find it easier to learn in a car where you don’t need to worry about gears, opt for an automatic, but remember that you will only be qualified to drive automatics. If you learn to drive in a manual car, you will then be qualified to drive any car henceforth.
Make sure you check the reputation of your driving instructor. Check out reviews online and see if you can talk to any former pupils to find out how they found the tutor.
Every instructor will have a different style, and it might be that you need to have a few trial lessons with several tutors before you find one with a style that you will find easiest to learn with. At the end of the day, it’s your driving test, so don’t feel guilty about changing tutors if it’s not working out.
Risto Roig recently passed his driving test and offers his experiences in learning to drive to help those who might be unsure about where to start.
