Learning to Drive With Your Parents

Learning to drive can be both an exciting and worrying time in anybody’s life. Having control of a vehicle with no experience can be extremely daunting. Driving lessons can end up being quite costly, at an average of £24 an hour, so it’s no wonder that learning to drive by other means can be quite tempting. With most Learner Driver insurance policies, there aren’t any curfews or time restrictions so it’s easy to get yourself on the road…with the right person to accompany and teach you!

While most learner drivers opt for lessons with a qualified instructor, it is said that they could significantly benefit from doing at least 30 hours of driving practice outside of a structured lesson environment. That being said, for a learner driver to drive with supervision, the person supervising them must be at least 21 and have held a valid driving licence for at least three years.

So, what’s better? As most learner drivers find, the job of supervision when driving will most often fall to their parents, so we’re going to look at both the pros and cons of learning to drive with a parent/guardian.

PROS

You may feel far more comfortable with somebody you know

As a new driver you’re faced with many worries, one of which is the uncomfortableness between you and a driving instructor that you don’t know. Driving with somebody you know means you are more able to relax which means you’ll be far less likely to make mistakes as a result of nerves, from the get-go.

It can be cheaper!

Even with the cost of a short-term Learner Driver insurance policy, it can still end up being far cheaper due to the amount of practice you’d be able to get in comparison to multiple lessons. However, bear in mind that if you keep failing your test due to not having proper lessons, then this could end up costing more in the long run.

They Know You!

Your parents will probably know you as well as anyone, and they will likely have a good idea of how you learn, and the best way to help you start driving. Also, because you’re more comfortable with each other, you can relax more and not have to worry so much about being polite…you can be more vocal if you’re unsure, scared or upset.

Flexible

Booking lessons and ensuring that your driving instructor has slots available for you can be stressful. Cancelling or rearranging if you are unable to attend can hold you back from a decent learning pace. Learning with a parent is flexible, you are able to both go out to drive whenever suits you best and there’s no worry if you can’t make it.

More Practice

If you’re just learning via an instructor, then you are limited to your hourly or 2-hourly lessons, to get behind the wheel and practice. If you’re learning with a parent as well, you have greater opportunity to drive, and more access to a car, so can get more hours and miles under your belt, before you take your test. They can also take more time to go over things with you and explain things in more detail if you’re not sure, as you aren’t limited by your lesson time.

CONS

Bad Habits

Everybody gets bad habits when driving. A qualified driving instructor is taught to drive by the book, and thus they teach to drive that way. A parent will not have this strict practice when driving and will have far more bad habits when on the road. When learning to drive you want to avoid these bad habits as much as possible as these are things that will severely hinder you when trying to pass your test.

No Dual Controls

When you learn in an Instructor’s car, they will most likely have dual controls meaning that they can assume control of the car if you’re having trouble or look like you might cause an accident. If you’re learning with a parent, in their car or your own car, it won’t have dual controls and so wouldn’t have this added protection.

Uninformed

Your parent may have learnt to drive many years ago, they may not even remember their own driving test, nor know anything about the current driving curriculum. This means that while you are learning you may not be learning to the standard required to pass your driving test.

Limited Schedule

While learning with a parent can give you more flexibility, it does mean that you are reliant on them being available, and working around their schedule, often going out after they have finished work or at weekends. Stressful

Keep in mind that driving can be stressful, and for some, one of the largest benefits of driving with a parent is if you are stressed out or tense it can be far easier for you to discuss with your parent about it and take a step back. However, this can also have the opposite effect, and because you are closer to a parent than your instructor, you can be more likely to argue or disagree with them, and this could impact your driving…so be prepared for some arguments!

Learning without an Instructor might seem cheaper but could be a false economy; saving money on lessons in favour of learning solely with a parent and not having professional training from an instructor could ultimately cost you more in time and money…and sanity!

Learning with a parent can be a great thing in combination with driving lessons, as it means you get the freedom to go out when you want with your parents, and it also increases the amount of practice you get. It also helps you refine your driving skills more, by putting in to practice the things that your driving instructor has told you, so when it comes time to take your test, you’ve got more experience of how you should drive..

If you decide to combine driving lessons and learning with your parent you should ensure that both people are on the same page; you’ll need to be vocal on what you’ve been learning, what you know already and what you need help with. Learning with a parent is a great way to get more practice, and while it can get a bit heated at times, bear with it…it’ll all be worth it in the end, once you’ve passed your test!