Learning to drive with a Driving Standards Agency (DSA)
With an average of 45 lesson hours and 22 practice hours required to pass your driving test, learning to drive with a Driving Standards Agency (DSA) Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) can be expensive.
As an alternative, many people choose to learn to drive, or get extra driving practice, with a friend or family member.
All DSA info can be found at .
Who can I ask to help me learn to drive?
Anyone over 21 who has held a current and relevant full licence for three years can help you learn to drive, but do remember:
Only a registered ADI can charge money for teaching you to drive.
An ADI is qualified to teach driving. They will have held their licence for four years, have taken tough theory and practical tests, and are regularly assessed by the DSA who require a high standard of tuition.
An ADI will probably provide a fully insured dual control car and be responsible for any repairs or damage.
What will I need to learn to drive?
If you learn to drive with a friend or family member, a car that is not too big or powerful and with good visibility is ideal.
The car must be roadworthy, taxed and, most importantly, insured for you as a learner driver. There are a number of options for learner driver insurance from around £3 per week (see ).
You will also need to display red ‘L’ plates at the front and back of the car, when you learn to drive. ‘L’ plates cost around £5 and are available from car accessory shops or from Amazon below.
It is advisable for whoever sits in the passenger seat and is helping you learn to drive to use a removable rear view mirror (like those fitted in driving school cars) – see our Amazon store.
In order to be properly prepared to pass your test, you will need to follow and practice the 24 key skills covered in the driving test. These are all listed in The Official DSA Guide to Learning To Drive – see our Amazon store…
You can keep a record of your driving progress using:
You can also keep a record of your driving practice using:
What should I practice?
Even with professional driving lessons it is important to practice what you have learned between driving lessons. Your driving instructor, and the friend or family member helping you learn to drive, should discuss tasks to work on. Try and practice:
On as many types of road as you can
In different types of traffic and weather conditions, even in the dark.
On dual carriageways (where the national speed limit applies) as you may be asked to drive on this type of road during your practical test.
Consider your driving helper’s needs too
Remember, learning to drive is tiring, but so can supervising someone else’s driving. So take things slowly and keep drives short at first. Always consider traffic conditions and your abilities. Drive carefully and stay safe.
