Top tips – Practice Makes Perfect! Follow the tips we recommend below if you can get extra driving practice in your own car.
You’re more likely to pass your driving test first time if you can get some extra hours of driving practice in your own car.
Driving in a range of weather and light conditions on a good mix of different road types will complement your driving lessons and help you develop your driving skills.
Nervous drivers are not the best people to help you practice.
Start by driving in areas you are both familiar with.
And for how long. Start with short and focused 20-minute sessions and then build up gradually. Always drive using the MSPSL system and you will develop good habits that last a lifetime.
For example, they could agree to keep quiet whilst you’re driving and only intervene when there is a risk you’re not effectively dealing with.
Shouting is never a good idea! Instead, find a safe place to stop first. Then talk about what just happened and how it could have been handled differently.
There may be times where your instructor has trained you one way and your supervising driver does things differently. A good example of this is gear changes. Your driving instructor will teach you modern best-practice, but remember, these methods may have changed since your supervising driver passed his or her test.
You need to be able to concentrate. Filling the car with family members is not a good idea — we’ve all heard of back-seat drivers. Turning the radio off, or at least turning it down will help.
Even for the most experienced drivers, concentration and judgement goes out the window after an argument. If you find yourself feeling upset during a drive, find somewhere safe to stop and take a break.
Download a free private practice log to keep a record of each practice session. You can then share this record with your driving instructor, who can help you get the most out of your private driving practice.
Before you arrange your own private driving practice, there are some important things to be aware of. The following rules are legal requirements that must be followed — don’t start your driving career with a criminal record!
Your driving instructor will be able to tell you when you are ready to begin private driving practice. This will normally be once you have reached Level 2 in all skill areas.
At this stage, you will no longer need your instructor to talk you through each driving skill and you will feel confidently in control of the vehicle.
Before you arrange your own private driving practice, there are some important things to be aware of. The following rules are legal requirements that must be followed — don’t start your driving career with a criminal record!
