A. As from 1St July 2007 a driving school car is a place of work so therefore smoking is banned inside the vehicle. You may however stop at anytime and get out the car if you wish to smoke.
A. This is down to the individual, the D.S.A. figures show the average person will take about 45 hours with a driving instructor plus 22 hours private tuition which is a total of 67 hours. Remember that is an average, some people do pass in much less time but then some do take longer.
A. This again is down to each individual. Most of my pupils have a two hour lesson, once a week. If you only wish to do one hour a week that is fine but remember, one hour a week could take you over a year to pass the test. If you wish to do more hours a week that is fine too but will be down to the instructor as to whether you can be fitted in.
A. Once you have had a few hours tuition and you are certain you wish to carry on with your driving lessons, then start revising for your theory test.
A. A U.K. driving test for a car is currently £62.00 Monday to Friday and £75.00 for evening or weekend tests. A theory test currently costs £31.00.
A. You can book a driving test at any test centre you wish however, it is best to check with your instructor first as some do prefer to stay local. Personally I will go to which ever test centre you wish to use but please remember that I may not know the area so I will be unable to point out any test territory to you.
A. You will use the vehicle that you take your lessons in, you may use your own car for a test if you wish but it must be fitted with an interior mirror for the examiner to use, be road worthy and also you must make sure it is insured for the purpose of a driving test. The examiner is not there to teach you so not all car insurance will cover you for a test situation.
A. This is down to your instructor. If you can give as much advanced notice as possible of where you wish to be dropped off, then the more chance your instructor can do it. It is not always possible however due to the location of the next lesson therefore it is up to you if you wish to end your lesson early or be dropped back at home.
A. When you feel ready to learn, you should really want to drive, to learn to drive
You need to be 17 years old (16 for a disabled person) and have your provisional license ready to show your instructor who will need to see both the paper and photo card. If you have the old style provisional then you will just have a paper section.
A. Once the examiner has given you a certificate to say you have passed the test then you can drive. If you have a photo license, your examiner will ask if you want them to send your provisional license away for a full license (this is easier for you) or if you wish to apply for it yourself. Quite often your instructor will drive you home from the test centre so you will have some time to calm down from the exciting news.
A. If your parents wish to see your progress after a while, I have no objections to that. You will be nervous of course as you know they will be watching you but it will also be good experience for you to carry passengers.
A. I can’t recommend anything as every person is different. All I can say is some of the things people take or do to try to relax include calming tablets, rescue remedy, some like to be hypnotised, some prefer to be left in silence. Do not take alcohol or any medication that could make you drowsy.
A. Yes it is, it can give you some valuable information about driving, it will give you some motorway experience and it can also give you anything up to 30% off your car insurance. Ask your instructor if they are Pass Plus registered and for a list of insurance companies who support the Pass Plus scheme. (Click on the services tab for more information on the Pass Plus course)
Page updated: 11/11/09
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