Becoming a Motorist

You must be at least 17 years of age to drive a car.  There is an exception to the rule and this is if you are receiving disability living allowance at the higher rate and you can then start driving at 16 years of age.  You can apply for your provisional driving licence, 3 months before your 17th birthday either on line or by obtaining a D1 form from the Post Office.

Before lessons can commence you must be able to meet the legal eye sight requirement, which is to be able to read an old style number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres (67 feet) or the new style number plates which were introduced during 2001 from a distance of 20 metres (66 feet).  The new style number plates are easily identifiable as they start with two letters – eg DC12 DJC.

As soon as you are of age and have obtained your provisional licence you can start driving lessons.  The big question most people ask is “How many lessons will I need?”  Finding the answer is like asking “How long is a piece of string?” On average you can look at between 30 and 40 hours for a 17 year old.  Some take a lot less and some may take more – there is no definitive answer.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency recommends at least 45 hours professional tuition continued with 22 hours of private practice.  If you practice with another driver, the accompanying driver must be over the age of 21 and must hold a full licence for the relevant type of vehicle.  They also must have held the licence for 3 years. You must also display ‘L’ Plates to the front and rear of the vehicle in a conspicuous position and also as a learner driver you must have the appropriate insurance for the vehicle. When having driving lessons with me you will be insured to drive in my car. Click on the useful links tab above and then on the Learner driver insurance banner for if you start to have practice in another car whilst accompanied by a member of your family or a freind. (With this insurer you can pay for one week or one month of insurance……you dont have to pay for a full years insurance.)

Everyone learns at difference speeds.  What I will do is teach you to be a safe and confident driver in the least amount of hours required to reach this standard.

 

Your First Driving Lesson

You have no need to be nervous having your first lesson.  I will guarantee to make you feel at ease and you have the added security and safety of the training car having dual pedal controls.  Together, we will always be in full control of the vehicle.  You will need to bring  your provisional licence and I will provide you with your ‘Keep on Track’ file.  This is a booklet which covers each area of the driving syllabus and it also contains a progress record so you can personally track your individual progress following each lesson.  This booklet is yours to keep so bring it to each lesson and I will personally update it so you will always know exactly where you are up to.  I will also provide you with a password for you to log into the theorytestpro website which contains the bank of questions for the DVSA Theory Test.  It also incorporates the Hazard Perception part of the test. This is Free of charge to pupils of Dave Clark Professional Driver Training.

Moving Off

If you have had no experience of driving before – don’t worry!  I will drive you from your pick up destination to a quiet and safe place for you to move the car away for the first time.  I have a fully structured syllabus for you to follow and your driving lessons will be tailored to move along at your own individual pace.

Theory and Hazard Perception Test

In conjunction with your driving lessons you will need to study for these tests as they need to be passed before you can sit your Practical Test.  Any assistance you may require with these, I will be more than happy to help with….just give me a shout!

The theory test consists of 50 questions and to pass you must achieve 43 or above within 57 minutes.

The Hazard Perception Test consists of 14 different film clips and by the click of a computer mouse you have to identify hazards.  To pass this test you must score 44 or above from a maximum of 75 points.

Both the Theory and Hazard Perception Tests have to be passed on the same day in order for a pass certificate to be issued.  Should you pass only one of these tests, both have to be re-taken at a later date.