| Driving Schools |
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Every teenager yearns for the day they turn 17 and can apply for their provisional driving license. Learning to drive is one of the most liberating of achievements: the freedom given by being able to get into your car and drive, to work, to school or college, to the shops, to see your friends and family, really opens up your horizons. When you are ready to start your driving lessons, there are a few things you need to consider. 1. Are you over 17 years of age and do you have your provisional driving license? You must be 17 or over to be able to legally drive in the United Kingdom. To prove this, and that you are therefore eligible to drive, and thus begin your driving lessons, you need to have a provisional license. This license allows you to begin driving on the road when accompanied by a fully qualified driver. To et your provisional license just pick up form D1 from your local post office or by writing to the DVLA, fill it out and send it to the DVla along with authenticating documents and the required fee, or you can apply online via the DVLA website. If you want a head start, and you are not yet 17, then some driving schools and centres have simulators that you can use to begin to learn about the basics of safe driving. By using a simulator, you will be one step ahead when it comes to getting on the road and beginning your driving lessons for real. Needless to say, it is never too early to being reading and learning the Highway Code. 2. Do you already hold a full UK driving license and are looking to learn how to drive for other purposes? If you just want to take a refresher course to keep your driving skills at their best, then just progress to step 3 below. If you are looking to extend the entitlements of your current license, to entitle you to drive larger vehicles, minibuses and buses for example, you will need to apply for a provisional license to entitle you to be able to take lessons on the road for one or other of these vehicles. To do this, just go to the post office or apply for forms D2 (application) and D4 (medical report) from the Post Office or direct from the DVLA, and fill them out and return with the required fee and proof of your current full license. When you have your new provisional entitlement you can begin to learn how to drive these other forms of vehicle. 3. Who do you want to learn to drve with? You will find tat tee are a lot of different options for earning to drive in your local area. There will be driving schools, driving centres, and individual driving instructors, all advertising their services. Most driving schools and centres, and some private instructors will have a website detailing their services and company information, so this is a good place to start your search for driving lessons. Very beneficial is to ask friends, family and work or school colleagues who they learned to drive with; these word of mouth recommendations will help you narrow down your search. It is also good to meet your potential instructor and see if you get on well with them. After all, when you start your lessons, you and your instructor will be sharing a car for quite some time! It is also a good idea to decide whether you have a preference for a male or female instructor, most driving schools will offer both. Do not be shy to request a particular instructor: the more comfortable and at ease you feel the better your lessons will be and te better you will learn how to drive. Your driving lessons will also be more fune and enjoyable! Aways gather as much information as you can because it is important to make an informed choice as the driving skills you will be learning will stay with you for life. 4. What timescale do you have for learning to drive? Most of us will choose to have one or two driving lessons of 1 to 2 hours each per week, which offers a schedule of lessons we can comfortably fit in with jobs, school, college, family and social activities. It is important to have regular lessons, but it is also important that they fit in with your lifestyle so you keep learning on a regular basis and do not have to cancel your lesson. Sometimes however, you may prefer to take an Intensive Course of lessons, in which you will learn to drive over a shorter period of time. These intensive courses are ideal for those of us who need to learn to drive and get our full driving license quickly - say because of job requirements - or for those of us with prior experience and feel more confident about starting out learning to drive on the roads. Choose the option that suits your needs and requirements; comfort, regularity and repetition are the keys to learning how to drive. 5. What tests do I need to pass before I can drive unsupervised and unaccompanied on the road? Getting your full driving license requires that you pass two test elements, the theory test and the practical test. Before you can take your Practical Driving Test you must first pass both parts of the Driving Theory Test. The Driving Theory Test begins with a multiple choice test of 50 questions about aspects of driving based on the information in the Highway Code. You can elect to run through a practice session of this test, which is highly advisable to familiarise yourself with the layout of the test. After you have completed the multiple choice questions, you will be allowed a short break before taking the Hazard Perception Test. This test requires you to watch 14 videos, and interactively react to the developing hazard(s) you see. It is important to react quickly and safely. Wen you have finished both parts of the test you will be given your results. If you have failed either section, you will need to retake both parts of the test. If you ave passed you will be able to take the Practical Driving Test. The Practical Driving Test wil involve a 50 minute or so drive with a qualified driving test examiner. Your driving instructor will spend most of their time preparing you for this part of the test. Pass the practical test and you are free to legally drive on your own. |
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