Starting driving lessons...

Being able to drive is a fantastic skill: it can give you the freedom to go where you want, when you want. Are you ready for the challenge of becoming a skilled driver?

Getting started... 
 
Here’s a quick checklist to see if you can learn to drive a car
•You must be 17 years old.*
•You must hold a provisional licence for Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
•You must be able to read a new-style number plate from 20 metres
away (with glasses or contact lenses if you need them, as long as you always wear them when you’re driving).
•You must make sure any vehicle you drive is roadworthy and properly taxed and insured.
•Make sure you display L plates. You must display L plates on the front and rear of the vehicle where they can be clearly seen when you’re driving (L or D plates in Wales).
•You must be accompanied by a qualified driver who is over 21 and has held (still holds) a full car driving licence for at least three years – we’d recommend you have most of your lessons with an approved driving instructor.

*16 if you receive disability living allowance at the higher  rate
 
Learning to be a Good Driver

Good driving isn’t just about learning the rules of the road: your skill and your attitude as a driver are vital too, and you’ll keep learning and developing these over the years.
 
A Good Driver

•is responsible for what they do while driving
•concentrates on what they’re doing
•anticipates what could happen around them
•is patient with other road users
•is confident about how to drive safely.

The most important feature of a good driver is ATTITUDE.  There is no such thing as a "right to drive."  Driving is a privilege granted by the government, the government which owns and maintains the roads and can choose whether or not to permit you to drive on them.  That's why that little card is called a driver's "licence." 
No one has any more right to the road than anyone else.  If you're going to drive, you owe it to the other drivers and yourself to operate the vehicle in a
safe manner.  You owe it to the other drivers and yourself to operate a vehicle that CAN BE operated in a safe manner - well maintained and up to an MOT standard at all times. Safety first.

The same way you're borrowing the road from the government while you're on it, so is everyone else, which is why everyone is required to adhere to the same set of rules that minimises risk to everyone.  The speed limit is there not because the council assumes that's fast enough, but because the engineers who designed the road said that was fast enough, taking into account curves, blind spots, how much traffic there is and whether it's a neighborhood with children who might be close to the road.  None of this stuff happens to make your life more difficult; in fact the whole point of the road is to make your life easier.  It's up to the rest of us to make using the road easier for each other.

It is important that we remember.  We are all individual people, but we are One Nation, and there are things we must share in order to function.

Safe Driving and Happy Motoring.

Getting your Provisional Licence...

Before you can start driving on the road you’ll need a provisional licence, which currently costs £50.

The quickest way to apply for your provisional licence is online at GOV.UK. You’ll need a debit or credit card, proof of your identity (such as your passport) and your address details for the last three years.

You can apply for your provisional licence by post. You apply using a D1 form, which you can get from any post office. Find out more about applying by post at GOV.UK.

You can apply up to three months before your 17th birthday (or when you’re 16 if you receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance).

There are some things you must and mustn’t do when you’re driving with a provisional licence. Check GOV.UK to see the rules about driving with a
provisional licence.

Finding a Driving Instructor...

Who can teach you to drive?

If you’re paying someone to teach you to drive, they must be an approved driving instructor (ADI) or a trainee driving instructor.

You can also practise your driving with friends or relatives, but they must;

• be over 21
• have had a driving licence for at least three years
• be qualified to drive the vehicle you’re learning in.

See GOV.UK for more details about who can teach you.

Why do you need a driving instructor?

It’s really important to learn how to drive safely right from the beginning – bad habits are hard to break! Driving instructors are specially trained to teach you what you need to know to be safe on the road and pass your test. They have lots of experience and knowledge about driving, which they’ll use to help you become a confident, safe driver.

Finding an instructor

If you have friends or relatives who’ve learnt to drive recently, ask them if they would recommend their instructor.

You could also try searching online or using a local business directory.

It’s important to make sure your instructor is right for you. Try to choose an
instructor who;

• has a good reputation
• is reliable and punctual
• has a car that suits you.

If you start your lessons and find you don’t like your driving instructor, look for a new one: it’s important that you get on well with whoever is teaching you to drive.

Approved driving instructors can choose to follow the ADI voluntary code of practice.

How much will learning to drive cost?


Learning to drive can be quite expensive. The average cost of an hour’s driving lesson is £35+; if you need 45 hours of instruction before passing your test, it’ll cost over £1500 to get your licence – plus the cost of your licence and your tests. Lesson prices can vary widely between instructors, and depending on where you live. Doing some research locally will help make sure you're happy with the lesson price of your chosen instructor.

Some driving schools offer special deals for block-booking lessons or reduced rates for two-hour lessons, so it’s worth asking what deals are available when you book.

Finding a cheap instructor or trying to pass your test with too few lessons isn’t likely to save you money in the end. Without proper instruction, it could take lots of tries before you pass your test – which will cost you more money.

Planning and recording your driving

To help you get the most out of your lessons, it’s a good idea to plan your lessons with your instructor and record what you’ve covered. This will also help you see how close you are to being ready for your test.

Download the Driver’s Record here.

Practising driving

Like learning any new skill, it's important to practise your driving. The more you practise, the better you’ll get. Talk to your instructor and anyone helping you to practise about what you need to work on.

If the person who is helping you to practise passed their driving test a while ago, it might be a good idea for them to refresh their driving knowledge. They could try taking the practice theory test to see if there’s anything they need to brush up on.

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