Private Practice : Before you Start
Make Sure The Learner Is Ready
Before taking a learner driver on practice lessons, you need to ensure that they have mastered basic car control skills, such as the emergency stop. You should wait until he or she has had some professional lessons in a dual-controlled car first, and talk to their instructor to find out when they are ready to start private practice.
You will need to ensure that both you and the learner meet all the legal requirements (see The Law section of this website).
Make Sure You Are Ready
It is always worth brushing up on your own skills before you take a learner out on Private Practice drives, to make sure that you do not pass on any bad habits you may have acquired, and that you do pass on the same messages as the driving instructor. If you drive for work then you could ask your employer to fund a driver assessment course.
Follow this link for advice on refresher driver training. Driver assessment and advanced training courses can be found in The Links section.
At the least, make sure that you are familiar with the latest edition of The Highway Code.
Make Sure Your Car is Ready
Your car must be in a safe and legal condition. Click here for further advice.
You may also wish to buy an interior rear-view mirror for the passenger side to help you see what’s happening behind from the passenger seat. Be sure to locate it well away from any airbags, and you should check that it is positioned safely with your vehicle manufacturer.
Keep Records
During the learning period, it is helpful to keep a log book of your learner's development. There are two publications from the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) which can help you do this, 'The Drivers Record for Pupils' and 'The Official Guide to Accompanying L Drivers' which can be purchased from good bookshops.
Decide What You Want To Work On During The Practice
The aim of private practice is to give the learner more experience in dealing with the situations they have been introduced to in their professional lessons.
Before you take a learner driver out on a private practice drive, decide on the skills that you want to focus on. These could be things that the learner wants to practice in order to gain more confidence, or areas that the instructor has said need improving. See The sections on Talking To Your Learner and Talking To Your ADI.
The 'The Drivers Record for Pupils' is also a good way of identifying key areas to work on.
 |
Helping Young People Learn to Drive
 (PDF format 274kb)
This small booklet summarises the information which can be found on this website about how best to supervise during a private practice lesson. It also covers issues, such as how to prepare a car and a route and some information about what happens after a test. |
- -
