Chris's Diving School
The areas leading driving school, offering top quality tuition, in a relaxed, friendly environment at affordable prices.
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Tuition for new learners, learners approaching test standard, pass plus, motorway lessons, advanced driving lessons, refresher courses.
Problem Solving:
Problems reversing, don't understand roundabouts, flustered in congested traffic, hill start nightmares and many others
Making learning to drive affordable for everyone.:
Covering Garstang, Galgate, Lancaster University, Lancaster, Heysham, Morecambe, Hest Bank, Bolton-le-Sands, Carnforth and outlying areas..
A Leading Lancaster Driving Instructor
Getting Started with Driving
To drive you need to read a number plate that is up to 20.5 metres away (old style number plate). If you can’t or are not sure then it is worthwhile getting your eyesight checked at an optician. An instructor should check this on your first lesson before you drive along with checking both parts of your provisional license.
While you’re waiting for your provisional license to come back you may as well start looking for a driving instructor. If you're going to pay someone to teach you to drive, they must be an ADI or hold a trainee licence.
It's unlikely that anyone except an ADI would have the experience, knowledge and training to teach you properly.
Nine out of ten learners who passed the practical test on their first attempt were taught by an ADI rather than a friend or relative.
There are important considerations when choosing an instructor. These include price, availability, car, reputation, pass rate and grade amongst other things.
It is important not just to go for the cheapest option. It maybe cheap but you may need more lessons to get to test standard or even more attempts at the test later.
If an instructor can fit you in for a lesson but then not again for 2-3 weeks, is this really going to help you progress? Do you need evening or weekend lessons? (These are normally busiest periods for instructors – make sure you can get your lessons a regular basis) Do you need more than one session a week? All these need to be considered to make sure you training goes as well as it can.
The car is important most instructors use manual cars. If you need an automatic car then ask the instructor, if they don’t have one they may know someone who does. Petrol or diesel? Diesels are easier to drive in general being more forgiving with the clutch and gears, but as most cars are petrol this could cause you problems after your test. The car should have dual controls in order to make the lessons totally safe, even when you make the occasional mistake. The car should also be insured, feel free to ask to see your instructors certificate of insurance. If they don’t have it on them they should be able to produce it for your next lesson.
Talk to people about instructors and their experience. If one person did not get along with an instructor your thinking of learning with don’t be put off this may just be a clash of personalities. But if several people share the same concerns then it is more likely to be accurate.
An instructor’s pass rate is important. But unfortunately these are not published. This means you have to be careful. Some instructors mislead people with their pass rate either by mistake or intentionally. It is easy for an instructor to exaggerate their pass rate or miscalculate it. For example someone passes their test on the 10th attempt that should be a 10% pass rate, some people will see it as the person passed so its 100%. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Instructors regularly take check tests to ensure they still have the ability to teach at a good standard. After the check test they will receive a grade between 1 and 6. Ideally you want an instructor with a 5 or 6 grade, possibly a 4 but 3 or less is below the required standard and they will receive another check test soon. Again these are not published at the moment.
*For all candidates that Chris presented on test in 2011. The average for all instructors and candidates at Heysham Test Centre was 52%(over 30% less than Chris)