Tips for private practice

Helpful tips for accompanying drivers

To accompany a learner driver, you need to be at least 21, have held a full driving licence for at least three years and clearly display 'L' plates on the back and front of your car.

The Driving Standards Agency recommend a grounding in driving skills with a fully qualified instructor before you start accompanying a learner.

Driving techniques have changed a great deal over the last few years and techniques that were expected on test years ago might well be frowned upon nowadays. The accompanying driver may well be in for a few shocks!!!

Below are a few tips: ·

Cool, calm, collected!!! Never go out in the car if het up. If things get heated during the practice time, stop and come back to it another day.
Try to allow your learner to practice what their driving instructor has taught them, rather than just going “out for a drive”.
Remember that driving a straight road into town everyday is great but does have it’s limitations. The test is not on a straight road!!
Vary the routes as much as possible.
Never rush your learner, go at their pace. This might mean you are going round the same circuit again and again until they ‘click’.
You are there for your learner to practice their homework not to introduce new topics.
It may be useful to book a demo drive with the driving instructor so he can show you exactly what is involved with learning to drive nowadays.
Remember that there will be many different techniques your learner knows that are alien to you.