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| DRIVING ON THE ROAD >How many lessons & How
much will it cost? |
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 SUPERMARKETS ARE A NIGHTMARE .... |
Your
goal could be to achieve safe, enjoyable and efficient driving, for
life. So why limit your driving lessons to just focusing on the
driving test? Use the time with your instructor to gain maximum experience in
all available types of road, weather and traffic conditions. Try situations NOT
included in the driving test, situations that you will meet in the real world:
driving on country roads, multi-storey and supermarket car-parking, reverse
parking between two cars, driving in another town.
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Many experienced drivers are scared of
these places years after they passed their L-test, simply because no-one (their
driving instructor) ever showed them what to do. The extra confidence YOU will
get from doing these things will make the driving test as easy as it really is
- after all, the examiner just wants to see you driving safely and competently,
just like everyone should. |
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 HOW MANY LESSONS THEN ? |
So how many lessons WILL
you need? There is a rule of thumb that on average a learner will need
one and a half hours of tuition for every year of his or her age. This may work
for you, but if you're not "average", you might learn faster or
slower than this. In reality, the number of lessons you will need will depend
on five factors:
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The qualities of your driving instructor
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An instructor who develops a good rapport with you,
and finds the most effective way for you to learn, will help you reach the
appropriate standard of driving quicker than an instructor who does
not. |
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Your age ....
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Although one's interest in
learning may actually increase with age, unfortunately one's ability to absorb
a new skill probably tends to decrease. However driving is a skill that can in
time be acquired by just about everyone, whatever their age. |
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Your natural aptitude for driving
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The skills needed for driving
are inherent in our make-up to a greater or lesser extent, just as some people
are "better" than others at, for example, crossword puzzles,
languages or sport. It might take you longer to learn to drive than your
friends or relatives, but this is nothing to be ashamed of. Indeed, the more
time you have to gain driving experience with a good instructor, the better a
driver you will probably be. |
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Your previous experience of being driven
and/or of driving ....
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Even if you have never driven
before, it is likely that you have been in a car driven by somebody else. The
way that person drove may have a significant influence on the way you drive, as
humans learn naturally just by observing someone else's actions. You may have
watched a "good" performance which may help you make rapid progress
with your lessons; or you might have watched a "poor" performance,
which may involve your instructor in spending more time guiding you towards a
better way!
If you have previous experience, either of driving a
car on private land, or better still, of riding a moped on the road, this may
well reduce the number of lessons you will need. |
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Any other driving you will be doing
outside your driving lessons ....
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In general, the more
experience of driving you get, the quicker you will learn. So if you have the
opportunity to drive legally with relatives or friends, take it. You should
note however, that if you have never driven before, it is best to delay any
extra driving until you have sufficient skills to control a car with minimal
assistance, and have enough knowledge and judgement to get around safely.
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If your
supervisor is more nervous than you are, has no clear idea about how to provide
guidance, and has no dual controls to rescue you with, you will realise the
pitfalls of this extra experience.
Extra driving sessions normally work best if you can be
accompanied by someone who is relaxed enough to let you get on with your
driving, with minimal "assistance" unless you require it. For this to
work, YOU need to have a clear idea about what you should be doing, and
hopefully you will be getting this from your official lessons. |
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| SOME DRIVING SCHOOLS ARE REALLY CHEAP AND
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Most learners have limited financial resources, so
the cost of each lesson is often perceived as the crucial factor in deciding on
which instructor to use. But you may not get the best value for your money by
deciding on this basis.
Which is more expensive: 36 hours @ £13/hr or 24 hours @
£17/hr? |
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| We cannot predict how many lessons YOU will
need, but these notes may give you some idea: |
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If you're 17 years old, have never driven before, and
won't be getting additional experience outside lessons......... maybe 20-40
hours |
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If you're 17 years old, have driven before and/or
will be getting additional experience outside lessons..............maybe 15-30
hours |
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If you're older, you will probably need
more...possibly a lot more! |
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| But don't worry, you
will get there in the end, and it is so good when you do! |
| DRIVING LESSONS ARE AN
INVESTMENT FOR LIFE |
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