Learner Driver Lessons- Does The Car Matter?

Choosing a driving school to go with for your teenager's driving lessons is as crucial a decision as letting your teenager drive. The driving instructor has to meet acceptable standards of regulation, teach driving well, and produce a good driver for everyone's sake. You are paying, after all; you want the most out of your money. One consideration many people superficially make when choosing learner driver lessons is the car. Most people are merely satisfied with a new car that looks well maintained- and has the instructor's logo. Well, being new and well maintained are good qualities. Beyond these, however, you should pay close attention to the following areas concerning the car being used to teach your teenager driving.

Size

At first glance many people will not think much about it, but, smaller cars are more preferable to teach driving than larger cars. Larger cars are a bit more complex to manoeuvre. This may frustrate the learning process. This is why many learner driving lessons are done in small cars. Processes such as reverse parking and even taking corners may seem too daunting when using people carriers or four by fours. As a result, the learner may hardwire these concepts as "hard" in their mind forever.

Dual controls

These are a set of pedals on the passenger seat side in the instructor cars. They allow the instructor to take over the driving whenever necessary. All driving instructors should have dual controls installed in their cars.  Dual controls offer an extra assurance of security. When the learner accidentally makes a mistake, the instructor can take control of the car instantly using the controls. Learners tend to feel more assured of the safety of the process if these controls are present. 

Diesel or petrol

Today, it pretty much makes no difference which fuel alternative the car uses.  In the early days, diesel was preferable for learner driving lessons. The reason was that they were harder to stall. They were also easier to handle and control at slow speeds. With today's engine advancements, however, fuel types should not be your concern.

Tips 

Finally always confirm that the car you have been shown is the car your teenager will use for the rest of the lessons. Some instructors may have cars for showing clients but use different cars for the actual learner driving lessons. Confirm this with the instructor. It is also a good idea to ask for a first trial lesson for free or at a discount before settling with the instructor. This will give you an opportunity to see if the instructor and you or your teenager can successfully work together during the lessons. It also gives the learner a feel of the car before settling on the school. 

Keep this information in mind as you look for learner driving lessons for your child.