The benefits of taking driving lessons with a professional instructor

For a young person or anyone who has relied on public transport to get around up until now, learning to drive is an exciting proposition. Not only does it offer them freedom and independence, but it also makes the city, region, state, and country much more accessible.

However, the act of learning to drive can be daunting, especially considering you share roads with others who seemingly drive like they are competing in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race!

While some may consider being taught mainly by a family member or friend, a much better thing to do is to take lessons with a professional instructor.

Of course, doing this does involve a cost, which adds up with each lesson you have. But it does provide you with numerous benefits that can make the learning process smoother, safer, and more effective.

If you are not sure what they are, this post will highlight the advantages of taking driving lessons with a professional instructor and why it’s the best choice for new drivers.

1. Expert knowledge and experience

One of the biggest benefits of taking lessons with a professional instructor is that you get to learn from their extensive knowledge and experience.

Professional driving instructors have to undergo rigorous training and certification before they are allowed to teach new drivers. This means they are up to date with the latest road rules, traffic laws, and best practices, which therefore ensures their students receive accurate and relevant information.

For instance, professional driving instructors with EZ Licence, follow a structured curriculum that is designed to help learners develop their driving skills step by step.

This approach ensures that all essential aspects of driving – vehicle control, road awareness, and defensive driving techniques – are covered systematically, which helps students become more confident and capable drivers.

2. Much safer

Learning to drive does come with significant risks, as you are on a road where accidents do happen. So, it’s important to always stay safe when learning to drive.

For this reason, most professional driving schools use dual-control vehicles that allow instructors to apply their foot on the brake or take control of the vehicle as necessary.

This added safety feature helps prevent accidents during lessons and provides the learner with more peace of mind.

Aside from having safer vehicles, professional instructors also teach defensive driving techniques such as anticipating potential hazards, maintaining a safe following distance, and staying alert to other drivers’ behaviours, which you might not learn from your parents or a friend.

3. More personalised instruction

Every learner is different, and a one-size-fits-all approach may not be effective for everyone.

Thankfully, professional driving instructors are able to tailor lessons to suit individual learning styles, strengths, and general areas that need improvement.

Therefore, they will pick up if you are struggling with parallel parking, lane changes or handling roundabouts, and provide you with targeted practice and guidance to help you get better at doing them.

Moreover, a professional instructor provides encouragement, reassurance, and constructive feedback in a measured way to help students build confidence and feel comfortable behind the wheel. This means they won’t shout at you or put you down if you make a mistake, unlike a family member or friend might.

4. They help you develop responsible driving habits

When you’re not learning from a professional driving instructor, you are more likely to be taught bad habits by whoever is teaching you. This can include things like distracted driving, speeding, and improper lane usage.

Professional instructors will guide you on proper road etiquette, including yielding to pedestrians, using turn signals correctly, and sharing the road with cyclists and motorcyclists.

They will also train you not to make mistakes such as failing to check blind spots, improper merging, or misjudging stopping distances, which can lead to accidents.

Through their lessons, professional instructors instil responsible driving habits in their students right from the beginning, which ensures they develop a strong foundation in safe and respectful driving practices.

5. Learning beyond the basics

Family and friends may only teach basic driving skills, but professional instructors go beyond this by educating students on real-world driving scenarios and advanced techniques that are not typically covered when learning from friends or family members.

This includes night and highway driving and handling specific emergencies, such as brake failure, skidding, or a sudden obstacle on the road, which are important aspects to know when approaching your driving test, and in particular, if you are planning a road trip after passing!

6. Preparation for the driving test

Talking of the driving test, passing it requires more than just basic driving skills.

Professional instructors are best equipped to help students fully prepare for their tests by familiarising them with test routes, common mistakes, and the specific criteria examiners look for.

They can even conduct mock tests to simulate real exam conditions and give students an idea of what to expect – which will help to reduce any anxiety they are experiencing and identify areas that need improvement before the actual test.

Additionally, they can help them brush up on their knowledge of road rules and reinforce safe driving practices that give them a better chance of passing their actual driving test.