So you have selected your preferred driving school in and booked your first lesson! It probably feels a bit daunting so here I hope to ease your fears and explain what you can expect from a first lesson…

I am assuming here you are having a single 1 hour lesson.

Hopefully to start with your instructor arrives on time so your nerves do not have time to build too much. Obviously with traffic they might not be spot on time, but anymore than 5 minutes you would expect a telephone call beforehand to warn you.

Once they arrive you can either go out and greet them, or wait for them to come to your door. After a brief greeting and introduction they will more than likely drive you to a nearby area that has quiet, wide roads, with plenty of space. They should check your Provisional Licence to make sure you have a valid one. This is nothing personal – it would be unprofessional of them for them not to do so, as if for some reason you did not have one they would be breaking the law by taking you out on the roads! They should next test your eyesight to ensure it is good enough to be driving. This is simple and should not be anything to worry about. You will be asked to read a number plate from approximately 20 metres, with or without glasses. The reason we do this is because your eyes will be tested in this way on your driving test, and if you are unable to do so, your test would be cancelled.

The main thing to understand with this lesson is there will not be too much actual driving involved. You will get into the drivers seat from the start though and be shown how to adjust the seat and mirrors to a comfortable and appropriate driving position. You will be shown what you need to see through each mirror and how close your feet and arms should be to the controls. The next task will be to get familiar with all the controls within the car and understand what they all do. This involves everything on the dashboard including the indicators, windscreen wipers, where the speedometer is and the pedals, amongst others.

The next part will be to start the Moving off and Stopping phase. This involves learning how to prepare the car to move off, the Mirror Signal Manoeuvre procedure, and of course how to stop the car safely at the side of the road. Once you start this you’ll probably be surprised to see at least 30-40minutes has gone by already. Also baring in mind the hour lesson includes getting you to and from your home, or wherever you need to be, so you may only have 10-20 minutes left at this point. You will then most likely repeat this a few times as practice makes perfect!

And that is about it for your first experience in the car. I am certain the hour will fly by and you will be eager for your next lesson to come around.

In my next article I will be going into more detail about the Moving Off and Stopping part of the lesson, explaining exactly what preparing the car means and involves the Mirror Signal Manoeuvre procedure and being able to stop safely at the side of the road.

JV