Advice for parents giving driving lessons to their children

Supporting your child on their driving first driving lessons may be a great experience for both of you, but it can also be a stressful and anxious time. It is well worth giving this proper thought, not only to avoid stress and arguments, but also to get the best out of this driving practice.

When driving, keep the following in mind:

  • You are a supervisor, not a passenger. Be vigilant and keep an eye on the learner’s actions. Remain composed and offer constructive criticism.
  • Remember to pause for a conversation, a drink or a snack. It will help to relax both of you. It goes without saying, however, that you should avoid eating and drinking during the driving lesson.
  • Put your phones away, as this will avoid unnecessary distractions
  • Make sure your insurance covers you before giving any driving lessons. Most insurance companies do not cover for this scenario by default, and driving without insurance cover is the last thing you want.
  • Be encouraging and try to focus on positive feedback

Taking driving lessons from your parents is very helpful practice, but there is not substitute for the input of a professional driving instructor. Ideally, you will want to do a bit of both. Driving Lessons Edinburgh has very affordable rates. Call our Edinburgh office today to discuss your first lesson!

What Kind of Pedestrian Crossings Are There?

Understanding the different kinds of pedestrian crossings is one of the first things you learn during your first driving lessons.

In addition to being for pedestrian safety, you can encounter them or be questioned about them during your driving test. The purpose of pedestrian crossings is to facilitate safe pedestrian crossings.

The UK government site has a very good guide that people starting to take driving lessons will find very useful:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/know-your-traffic-signs/pedestrian-cycle-and-equestrian-crossings

Different kind of pedestrian crossings include: zig-zag road markings, puffin crossings, toucan crossings, equestrian crossings, pelican crossing, signal-controlled junctions, zebra crossings and parallel crossings. As you can see, there are quite a few and it is important that become familiar with all of them. It may seem a bit daunting at first, but their names will help you remembering what they and you will be glad that you do when you take your driving test.

Looking for driving lessons in Edinburgh? Why not give Colin a call for a chat and start working towards getting your driving licence today.

Driving lessons in Edinburgh: Stopping Distances

One of the first thing that we teach here is to understand and response stopping distances.

To pass both your driving test and your driving theory test, you must be aware of stopping distances.

The quicker you drive and the wetter the road, the greater the stopping distance. Additionally, it takes some time to comprehend the situation before braking. Bad weather conditions also have an influence on this, so it is best to give it a bit more when the road is wet of visibility is reduced – something we experience very often here in Edinburgh.

You can pass your driving test and stay safe on the roads long after by calculating stopping distances – so it is vital to learn how to calculate them as soon as you start taking driving lessons.

Starting with 20mph, multiply the speed intervals by 2 to give the safe stopping distance in feet. For each additional 10mph, increase the multiplication by 0.5 to provide the appropriate stopping distance:

• 20 mph x 2 = 40 feet (12 metres)
• 30 mph x 2.5 = 75 feet (23 metres)
• 40 mph x 3 = 118 feet (36 metres)
• 50 mph x 3.5 = 175 feet (53 metres)
• 60 mph x 4 = 240 feet (73 metres)
• 70 mph x 4.5 = 315 feet (96 metres)

A lot of pupils fail their driving test because they fail to respect the correct distances. So it is well worth making sure you make it second nature to judge the correct distance. And of course understanding the above is not just to pass your driving test: it is vital for being able to drive safely and avoid accidents.

Expect to learn more during your first driving lesson with Driving Lessons Edinburgh!

A Guide for Beginners: Driving an Automatic Vehicle

Because automatic cars are simpler to operate than manual ones, learning to drive one can be beneficial for people starting their driving lessons.

Beginners may concentrate better on steering, road awareness and making safe decisions in an automated car since there is no clutch pedal or need to shift gears, distracting them from the rest. This helps can boost the confidence of people who just started taking driving lessons, especially when they start to drive in Edinburgh’s busiest roads.

Having said that, here we use a car with manual gears, as we feel this is the best for learning and preparing you for your driving test. Once you master driving with manual gears, it is pretty easy to adapt to a car with automatic gears.

If you do any driving practice with family and friends, it may be a good idea to do so with a car that has manual gears to avoid any confusion in the first learning stages.

Call  Colin at Driving  Lessons Edinburgh and book your first driving lesson today!

Are Learners Allowed to Drive on the Motorway?

Indeed, students are allowed to drive on the highway. However they can do so only on a dual-controlled vehicle with a DVSA-approved instructor. This has been introduced on on the forth June 2018. Provided that they are in a dual-controlled car with a driving instructor who has been authorized by the DVSA, learner drivers are permitted to drive on motorways with their provisional license.

Therefore we can confirm that, in short, students are allowed to drive in the motorway, but only during their driving lessons with their driving instructor.

This makes very much sense. The motorway is a very dangerous environment and it is not a place where you want to make mistakes while driving. With the support of your driving instructor you can rest assured that you are safe at all times. Driving in the motorway without your driving instructor could you as well as others at risk.

For affordable driving lessons in Edinburgh, contact us today. We are always happy to advise and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

I have lost my theory test pass certificate – what now?

It’s crucial to understand that you will not get another physical certificate if you loose your theoretical test certificate. Rather, a letter will be issued by the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency). This letter is required when you show up for your practical test and will have the same function as the actual certificate.

Verifying your theoretical test certificate number online is one of the first things you should do. You can easily obtain this important piece of information by going to the Gov.uk website and use their “find-theory-test-pass-number” function.

To access your certificate number, you have to enter your first name, last name and valid driver’s license number. Applying for the replacement letter from the DVSA is quite a simple process when you have all that in place.

All of the above requires time and effort and for this reason you should make sure that you store your theory pass certificate in a safe place to avoid having to go through the procedure above.

Colin at Driving Lessons Edinburgh will be able to assist further, get in touch for a chat. We are always happy to help.

The Official DVSA Theory Test Kit

So you are taking driving lessons in Edinburgh: are there any useful app to help you?

The Official DVSA Theory Test Kit includes all the information required to pass the 2025 vehicle theory test. As the official DVSA app, it provides a wide range of content, such as the most recent DVSA-licensed multiple-choice questions and hazard perception videos, to make sure your knowledge is fully assessed.

Accessible for both iOS and Android, this is the most favoured method for studying while on the move. It comprises practice case studies, simulated exams and more than 20 engaging hazard perception videos. It is available for download on the App Store or Google Play Store. Installing it is very simple and does not require any specific technical knowledge.

It will help you staying on track, linking your progress with your driving instructor as well as friends and family. Timed mocked tests and test readiness measurements are also very useful features.

It is well worth considering for all our students taking driving lessons with Driving Lessons Edinburgh. If you need any help with the app we are always happy to spend a few minutes with you in order to get you going.

Having said that,  if you prefer physical study materials (i.e. printed, hard-copy), you can buy the Official Theory Test Book, the Highway Code and Traffic Sign flashcards by going to the TSO Shop at www.tsoshop.co.uk.

At what age will you have to re-take your driving test?

After all the classes and anxiety, the day you pass your driving test is exciting because you can finally hold your driver’s license. However, what is the duration of your license?

We can confirm the following:

Unlike other European countries, when a driver becomes 70, they do not need to repeat their driving test in the UK. Rather, their license must be renewed every three years after it expires at age 70. You can renew online or by mail for free – so it either case it will not cost your anything at all.

In order to renew, drivers must affirm that they are in good health and that their vision satisfies the requirements for driving. However there may be other reasons why you are unable to drive, such as having to retake the test if you have a medical condition that prevents you from meeting the requirements or if you have been disqualified for a driving offence.

The online form – or its hard-copy version if you opt for sending it back by mail – will ask a number of questions to assess your ability to drive.

The most important thing is that you are confident and competent in your ability to drive, so that you do not put yourself and others at risk while you do so.

If you need further advice about this, please do not hesitate to contact Colin and Driving Lessons Edinburgh and we will be happy to advise further.