For driving instructors or those thinking about becoming a driving instructor.
DorWey Driving School - The First Two
Lessons
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Please Note. Before we start your first lesson I will need to see both parts of your driving licence. You should have a paper document as well as the plastic ID. Both parts make up the full licence so I will need to see them both before you can drive. I will also have to check your eyesight. You should be able to read a vehicle number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres. If there are any problems in either of these areas, please give me a ring as soon as possible. |
If you are reading this page you may be a client waiting to take their first driving lesson with DorWey Driving School. If you are - then welcome! My name is Paul and I will be your DSA* Approved Driving Instructor (DSA - ADI). I fully appreciate that you may be a little apprehensive about learning to drive but don't worry - this is quite normal and most clients soon get over this and enjoy their driving.
Once you have passed your driving test and you have access to a car, you will find that your life is transformed! Gaining a driving licence is like receiving a passport. The days of having to ask friends or family for a lift or relying on public transport will be gone. You will be able to pick up your keys, jump into your car and go wherever your fancy takes you. You should remember this because it is important that anyone learning to drive is well motivated and remains motivated. It is extremely difficult to teach someone to drive if they are not very interested and are not prepared to work at it.
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Private Practice A few clients may be lucky enough to have a car available for private practice during their driving course and this can be extremely beneficial. Practising clutch control and steering around a car park before the course starts can also be very helpful but make sure that you are insured. I suggest that before you venture out onto the main roads in a private car you wait until you have completed the lessons on roundabouts and then practised them until you are confident. Even then it would be better to start somewhere quiet, like on a large car park at a time when it is mostly empty. Every car is different and you may spend the first hour stalling quite a lot as you find where the clutch 'bite point' is and how the car reacts to your input. This is something you may want to first master in private rather than in traffic on the main roads.
Clients should recognise that if they do go out driving with friends or family the person supervising may be very nervous. This can translate into a few sharp words so please be understanding. Remember that there will be no dual controls available in your practice car and your supervising driver will have little physical control over the situation. This lack of control over the car may make them feel very uneasy. Also bear in mind that in the early days you may (or may not?) be aware of one or two problems around the car as you drive along but your supervising driver, due to experience, will most likely be aware of many more. This may explain why they are getting a little agitated now and again when you can see no apparent reason for it! If private practice becomes too much of a problem and too tense then it may be better to leave it alone for a while!
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During your driving course please log onto these ‘Client Information’ pages on a regular basis. You will be able to read about lesson subjects before they take place. This will give you a valuable insight and prior knowledge which will help you understand the subject and enable you to get through the theory quickly – which will allow more time for driving. On completion of the lesson log back on to the relevant lesson pages so that you can read through the material again. This should help reinforce what you have learnt and to clarify any grey areas.
Remember that if at any time you are unsure of anything, anything at all, please ask!
You should buy a copy of the Highway Code (available from W.H. Smiths etc.) before your first lesson. Once you have a copy, look through it. As the course progresses keep using this book to help you understand how you should be driving your car and coexisting with your fellow motorists. Once you have passed your test don't discard it, use it to refresh your memory or read up about rules that you are not clear about.
The first lessons will take place in a quiet, low-speed area where you will be able to experiment with the car without too much bother from other drivers. You will be driving a diesel powered Toyota Yaris – a car which is considered to be ideal for learning to drive in.
On the way to the first lesson I will give you a briefing about the theory test and the practical test. Once we arrive we will swap seats, with you taking up position in the driver's seat. I will then take your details, which will include information from your driving licence (please see above), for my records.
If you want to read about the tests click on the 'Tests' door on the left - but don't forget to come back to this page.
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The first two lessons involve quite a lot of driving theory. If the new client can look at and study these pages - Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 (see links below) - before the start of the course, they will be able to come to the lessons partially prepared. This should mean that we can move through the theory side of the lessons quicker, which will give more time for driving. |
| I hope that you will find your driving course with DorWey Driving School both challenging and rewarding. Remember that every student has the occasional ‘off’ day, when progress appears to be going backwards. In any form of education this is quite normal but is especially noticeable when carrying out tasks that involve manual skills, such as driving. The situation will very likely take a change for the better at the next lesson. |
* DSA = Driving Standards Agency
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Copyright Information - January 2002. The copyright of this web site and the downloads found within (apart from third party material) belongs to its author, Paul Pearson ADI - DorWey Driving School. Material may not be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from the author. The diagrams and information found on this page are for the exclusive use of DorWey Driving School clients. If any driving instructor or driving school wishes to use any of the material found on this page they must first contact DorWey Driving School.
If anyone finds that this material is being used elsewhere please e-mail DorWey Driving School. E-mail here------> Report