Learning To Drive – Pink’s Handy Guide

Learner Drive Guide

Tearing up your ‘L’ plates is a little ritual of relief which underlines just what a big deal it is to pass your car driving test.

And that one moment – cracked it! –comes after weeks and months of time and money invested into getting on the roads.

So how do you go about it? How do you find an instructor? What about insurance? And, if you’re learning at a young age…can you really bear it if your mum or dad decide they want to teach you?

Here’s Pink’s handy guide to stress-free learning.

First things first. You’ll need a provisional driving licence, which you can apply for online (it costs £34). Most people can start learning to drive on the roads when they’re 17.

Once your provisional licence arrives, you’re good to go.

One of the best ways to find a suitable qualified instructor is through the recommendations of friends and family.

Alternatively, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) website has a dedicated page where you can find a qualified local instructor by typing in your post code.  

Most learners require around 45 hours of lessons, but everybody learns at different rates. Hourly lessons cost roughly £20 to £25, and experts say most learners need an extra 20 hours of practice on top of their instructors’ tuition.

And that’s where your parents, family and friends come in. You’ll need L plates on the car and your supervisor must be a qualified driver, over the age of 21, who has been on the roads for at least three years.

If you’re learning in someone else’s car, as is likely, you’ll need to make sure their policy covers you as a learner driver. And, if you’re practising in a vehicle which you own, you’ll need your own insurance.

You should be aware that it’s illegal for your friend or family member to use a mobile phone while supervising you.

While all this is going on, you should be preparing for your theory test – you can buy the official DVSA Theory Test Kit app, which helps you study, practise and take mock tests. It’s a bit like a quiz with theory test questions and hazard perception video clips. Essentially, you’ll need to know your Highway Code, traffic signs and understand essential driving skills. It costs £23 to book your theory test.

Some people decide to speed things up with an intensive driving course. There are serious pros and cons to consider. These courses often operate over one or two weeks and you can expect to be driving for five hours a day.

With a two-week course costing around £2,000, they are not cheap.  However, the RAC says they can be a saving if you show good aptitude which reduces the overall expenditure on long-term lessons.

The RAC also suggests intensive courses may not prepare you gradually for the real world of driving as thoroughly as conventional lessons. For instance, you’ll miss out on experiencing everything the weather can throw at you.

Once you’ve passed your theory test you can book your driving test for £62 (there is a wait of several weeks). Then, once you’ve passed your driving test, you can drive straight away – you must make sure you have insurance before you set off. And the best thing is, you’ve now got the option whether or not to take mum or dad with you.

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