This blog talks about the pros and cons of being able to have private driving lessons in Bourne in your own car when learning to drive.
Here is Alex Woods from Morton, in his brand new Hyundai i20 – a rather swish car I’m sure you’ll agree? He started driving lessons in Bourne with BIG TOM Driving School (Bookings: 0800 689 4174 ) as an absolute beginner having never driven before.
He has had 18 hours of driving lessons with his driving instructor before his Parents bought him this lovely new car. He has now started private driving lessons with his Mum but realised that he was having problems parking up.
As such, today he has had another 2 hour driving lesson in Bourne with his BIG TOM driving instructor, but as you can see, driving his own car now rather than the BIG TOM driving school car, so as to start looking at the manoeuvres for the driving test, and for real life driving too. Having had a chance to try a variety of different types of manoeuvres, he now feels confident to continue his private driving lessons with his Mum.
There is a lot to be said for this approach that Alex is taking. Making use of a driving school car initially means that the learning experience is safe, calm, and Alex has the assurance that he can safely make mistakes without there being serious consequences. Making mistakes in this manner is a fabulous way to learn. As his ability and confidence increases he is now beginning to take private driving lessons with his Mum. As long as safety is not compromised, this is a very good idea. It really does not help if you start taking private driving lessons too early; it can be very stressful for both parties, as well as endangering the safety of everyone around them. In addition to those negatives, what can also happen is that rather than using private driving lessons to reinforce and practise the good and safe driving techniques learnt with your driving instructor, what can happen if you start them too soon, is that those techniques have not been properly learnt yet, and therefore instead of reinforcing good driving, instead, poor technique creeps in, and even worse, starts to become habitual as they are further repeated, going unchallenged on private driving lessons.
Alex is now contemplating taking his driving test in his own car, and that again, has some very real advantages to it – as ultimately that will be the car he is going to drive once he has passed his driving test.
So in this blog I have tried to weigh up the positives and negatives of taking private driving lessons when learning to drive. The responsibility for the safety of everyone is one consideration, but equally important is “owning” the learning process so that you feel that you are making good quality progress, in a learning environment that is enjoyable for all. If you don’t have a sense of controlling how you are learning to drive, then you may be less inclined to acknowledge and enjoy the responsibility and pride in the outcomes. It’s a delicate balancing act, and one that with experience, I would advise you don’t rush into too soon.
If you have any questions on the subject of private driving lessons, please ask away.
BIG TOM Driving School Bookings: 0800 689 4174
www.bigtom.org.uk
