Your First Driving Lesson

On your first driving lesson, you can be picked up from home or pre-arrange a location to meet with your driving instructor. Before the meeting, ensure you have your provisional license and glasses with you if you need them!

If you don’t have a provisional license, you can apply by clicking here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence.

The driving lesson will start from the moment your instructor picks you up. Sometimes, the instructor will drive you to a nearby, quiet location away from all traffic. On the route, your instructor will brief you on what you will be taught so you know what to expect. We understand that the first driving lesson often makes learners nervous, so feel free to ask questions anytime.

Once you’ve arrived at a suitable place from where you will be able to drive, your instructor will ask you to swap seats. Before you enter the driver’s seat, you’ll be asked to carry out an eye test by reading a car registration number from approximately 70 feet. If you can do this, the lesson will continue as planned. But if you cannot read the number plate, your lesson will continue, but only consists of teaching controls, and you won’t be permitted to drive. You must have an eye test, glasses or contact lenses to continue with your next lesson.

Assuming you have passed the eye test, you will be asked to sit in the driver’s seat with your instructor in the passenger seat. You will be given much information, so listen carefully and ask questions anytime!

This is the start of your controls lesson. You will be taught what we call “the cockpit drill,” meaning you’ll need to be seated comfortably and capable of reaching all controls quickly. Then, you will be told about all the primary controls and functions and how to use them correctly.

Further, your instructor will teach you about gear levels (manual drivers only), the handbrake, indicators, and steering. You will be taught what the dials on the dashboard mean and how to read them. If you’re learning in a manual car, your instructor will teach you how to change from 1st gear to 2nd.

Please note that this lesson section can last from 20 to 30 minutes.

Mock Driving Tests – Recommended for All Pupils

For pupils not currently learning with Streetwise, we recommend booking a Mock Driving Test (manual or automatic) through our sister driving school.

A Mock Driving Test is a practice test conducted and marked like an official examiner would perform an actual driving test.

It is an invaluable exercise that every pupil should experience before taking their official driving test, and it offers an unbiased, third-party opinion.

Pupils who do not have a mock test are more likely to fail due to the unknown experience and structure of the test, but those who do stand a greater chance.