Whether you’ve finally reached the minimum driving age and get your learner’s license, or you’ve been old enough for a while but haven’t had the inclination or known how to go about learning to drive, here are some tips to help get you confident behind the wheel in no time!

It’s important to plan this well, because even though learning to drive is a lot simpler than you might realise, it can be easy to put it off or feel discouraged if you don’t learn as fast as you hope or practice as often as you should.

If possible, purchase a car, or learn to drive in a vehicle that you will be able to access easily.

It can be confusing if you frequently change the type and size of car, meaning you have to re-familiarise yourself and adjust mirrors and seating every time. You can of course get car insurance specifically to cover learner drivers, so you don’t need to worry should you have an accident.

Your partner, a close friend or family member – anyone who is legally able to teach you and who you know well – is usually the best teacher when you are first starting out.

They will be patient and you feel more at ease and comfortable to ask questions or make mistakes. Choosing a location you are both familiar with will also simplify the process, and because you are comfortable with each other, you can be honest about what does and doesn’t work with their teaching methods.

You will learn much faster and find it easier if you make a consistent, regular effort to learn: aim for at least 3-4 times a week.

If your teacher cannot make these amounts of times, enlist the help of several friends, but do try to use the same car. Also understand that they will all have a slightly different way of teaching or driving – if you find this too confusing, fewer lessons but ones that are more consistent will be more effective, even if it means getting your license will take slightly longer.

There is are a wide variety of driving schools available, and you can often choose between either using a car of your choice, and/or using their own learner car service.

Once you are feeling somewhat confident behind the wheel, you need to take at least one professional lesson as the instructors can tell you exactly what you need to improve on before you sit the test.

Driving schools or professional lessons can quickly add up, so if you want to save money, it is best to learn with a friend first in order to get the most value out of your professional lessons.

Once you have your restricted license (congratulations!), be sure to make the most of it.

As when you were learning, the more often you drive, the more comfortable and confident you will become for when you finally sit the full license test.

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