Learning to Drive with Family & Friends   

One way you could put strain on a family relationship/marriage is getting your partner or a family member to help you learn to drive. It might not quite end in divorce, but it can be a very testing and stressful time for  someone to teach a family member who has not instructed anyone before, especially if it's in their pride and joy.

Whether you've had 5 or 50 lessons, driving your own car for the first time can seem different to driving your instructors car, take sometime before heading out to familiarise yourself with all of the cars controls.

Learning with family and friends is an important part of the learning  process as it allows you to gain further experience between your lessons and to practice what you have recently been taught. Whether it be driving to work or taking the time to practice on an evening, the practice you will gain will prove to be invaluable and could mean you will be ready for your test sooner than you think, after all it's all about (quality) time behind the wheel.

For someone to be able to sit in with you they must have held a full licence for at least 3 years and must be 21 years of age or over. If they do not meet these basic requirements then they cannot legally assist you in learning to drive.

You must also ensure that you have adequate insurance to drive the vehicle and if at any stage you want the friend or family member to drive then they must also have the necessary insurance.

It is advisable that the 'instructor' takes these few pointers into account:

Keep an eye out for bad habits!

• Such as the pupil not checking their mirrors enough, resting their hand on the gearstick or not keeping their hands on the wheel when stationary at traffic lights for example.

Don't relax too much!

• Ensure you are ready in case an emergency or hazard appears, you won’t have dual control so you need to put your trust in the learner.

Don't have too high expectations!

• The person you are teaching is still learning and they will make mistakes, this may mean that your alloy wheels get a few marks in the early days.

Keep descriptive and consistent with directions/terms!

• Be clear and precise, give good clear instructions (in plenty of time) relating to directions and driving techniques.

Choose appropriate routes carefully!

• Avoid motorways as you cannot legally drive on one until you pass your test, also avoid really busy roads that may cause the learner to be put off, start with small estates or business parks out of hours to build yours and your learners confidence.

Stop and discuss!

• Take a few breaks and chat about how the driving is going, give a few pointers, however take the time to listen to what the instructor has also said. Keep a calm environment! Don’t shout and stress, no matter how stressful this could be, instead keep calm and be at hand to help.

!!Most of all be patient and understanding!!