In Learning to Drive we are going to take you through the basics of driving lessons from day one; all the way from moving off and stopping, up to and beyond the standard required for the driving test. You can use these pages to learn with a friend or relative; or to reinforce and revise the lessons you receive from your driving instructor.
Not using a driving school? Then I would highly recommend that your teacher gets hold of a copy of ‘Teaching a Learner Driver‘. Teaching someone else to drive is as much of a skill as the learning itself, and this book will take your instructor through each stage of your learning progress in a structured and methodical way.
If you prefer to read a book, The Learner Driver’s Manual is available from UK Driving Skills. This book contains all the information you need for learning to drive that you can read here, but also includes additional material.
You can also use The Learner Driver’s Logbook to keep a record of your lessons and progress. It’s full of useful information to help you while you’re learning to drive; and in addition it gives you somewhere to makes notes and write down your appointments.
Before we Begin
Before getting behind the wheel of a car on a public road, you must be sure of several things:
- That you have a category B provisional licence – the easiest way to get one is to apply online. If you have a full licence in another category, you can use this as a provisional for category B
- Your eyesight must be up to standard (can you read a car number plate from a minimum of 20 metres away?)
- Make sure you have insurance cover for the car
- The vehicle must be in roadworthy condition; ensure that it’s taxed and has an MOT certificate if necessary
- Anyone sat beside you must be over 21 years old, and they must have held a full category B driving licence for at least 3 years
- ‘L’ plates must be clearly displayed to the front and rear of the vehicle (but NOT stuck in the windows where they may restrict your view!)
Now would also be a good time for you to start learning the Highway Code! UK Skill’s version of The Highway Code comes complete with the added bonus of 200 Theory Test practise questions. You can also visit our online theory test practise pages; here you can use our free theory test questions in addition to signing up to get access to nearly 1000 questions and answers.
You can now either click the link below to start your journey or choose from the menu on the right.