Intensive Driving Courses - Pros And Cons

Author: Mariya Roy

Most people are taught to drive over a period of several months, with around 1.5 to 2 hours a week spent driving with an instructor. On average, a learner driver needs around 45 hours with an instructor, and a further 20 or so hours of practice with family members. However, more and more people are now choosing to

cram those hours into shorter periods of time. Intensive driving courses typically last 5 to 14 days with a test pre-booked and ready at the end of the course.

Here we take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of intensive, or 'crash' courses.

Save money.

The average cost of a driving lesson across the UK is 24 per hour. Multiply this by the 45 hours recommended by the DVLA and it will cost you over 1000 to learn to drive. You then have the test fees, insurance and running costs to consider so any money you can save is very handy indeed.

Typically, intensive driving course cost much less than this, and many providers will also 'guarantee' that you pass first time, and will offer to pay for a second test for you, should you fail. Intensive courses don't require as many hours of learning as the traditional method, 30 hours is usually about what's needed.

Driving lessons in larger cities can be as much as 30 per hour, but the prices of crash courses are around the same, so an intensive driving course in London, for example, saves you even more money.

Save time.

If you need to learn to drive in a hurry, then an intensive course is the answer. Once you begin the course, you could be driving within 5 to 14 days, providing that you pass the final test of course.

You can either complete your theory test prior to the practical course, or you can take it during the week or fortnight of learning. Expert help is on hand to help you pass the theory test, which is much trickier these days than it used to be.

Some providers of crash courses even have residential centres and private roads on which to practise. So you can even learn to drive before you are 17 and take your test on your 17th birthday if you wanted to.

Waiting lists.

Many intensive driving courses are over subscribed and have long waiting lists. An eight week list is not uncommon. Of course, if you book far enough in advance, this is not a problem.

Experience long drives.

Traditionally, a newly passed driver has only ever driven for a maximum of 2 hours in one session. What's more, that 2 hours or so will have been broken up by periods of time spent practising manoeuvres, listening to the instructor and arranging future lessons.

With an intensive course, you will be driving for around 6 hours per day so you get used to long drives and the fatigue that they can cause.

Be prepared.

Do bear in mind that driving is tiring. An intensive driving course in London, or other urban areas, is going to be pretty stressful and physically and mentally draining. Even the more rural areas of the UK present their own challenges to the learner driver, so make sure you prepare yourself for an intense few days.

Drink plenty of water to help you concentrate and take plenty of snacks. If you feel tired, ask to take a break. Your instructor would much rather give you 10 minutes off for a coffee and a refresh than have you struggle on.

Perceptions.

Some parents see intensive driving courses as inferior to the traditional, 'weekly lesson method' of learning. A common misconception is that crash courses teach the students to pass the driving test, rather than teaching them to be safe, sensible drivers.

However, this isn't necessarily correct. Think about the traditional method of learning to drive. An instructor comes to your house and you then drive to the location of the test centre at which you will take your test. This can waste up to half an hour of time that could be spent practising urban driving (which is what you need to be good at to pass the test). Intensive courses however, tend to take place close to the test centre and concentrate on urban driving for almost the entire time. This can actually make for better drivers because if you are schooled in the centre of Birmingham, for example, any other driving after that will be a doddle.

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