Just be careful who you do it with.

If you’re taking driving lessons it can help to speed you along towards your test if you get some practice with family or friends. A lot of my pupils have mates who promise that they will go out for a drive to help them along. When it comes round to actually going out on the road the excuses pile up and nothing actually happens. It makes me laugh a bit but you know what people are like.

A while ago I saw these two lads in a car and you could tell that one was trying to teach the other to drive. The guy playing instructor looked well proud giving out the advice as the car bounced along the road, swerving all over the place. Were they displaying L plates to the front and rear of the vehicle? Of course not. I would be very surprised if they made it back to base without some sort of incident.

Just to recap, the person who accompanies a learner driver must be at least 21 years of age and held a licence for 3 years. Having had a licence for 3 years is no guarantee that the person has had a lot of driving experience and is in a position to teach you how to drive. You’ve got to be careful who you go out on the road with. Another thing to check is that you are actually insured to drive the vehicle. Remember that failure to display L plates will invalidate any insurance.

Listen to your friendly driving instructor.

Parents are notorious for teaching bad habits. Unintentionally I dare say. It’s just that they may not have had any further driver training since they passed their test some time in the eighties. I passed mine in the eighties and things have changed a lot since then. It’s good to get time on the road but if your instructor says one thing and your parents say another then it’s probably the instructor that’s correct.

Use of the mirrors is one of the main things missed during private practice. The accompanying driver rarely seems to have their own rear view mirror which shows how much importance they put on them. Very dangerous if the person supervising can’t see what’s behind. Lack of dual controls can make the person accompanying the driver a bit nervy. All they’ve got is the handbrake to yank at if things go wrong.

That said, there can be great benefits to gaining private practice in between lessons. It’s better to do it in the later stages of learning when you have covered the entire syllabus. Make sure the person you are with has a good amount of road experience and enough knowledge of the basics to correct mistakes and help you build up your confidence.
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