How Long Does It Take to Learn How to Drive – Beginners Guide

Last updated on August 7th, 2023 at 12:29 pm

From childhood days it is anyone’s dream to drive a vehicle. But we wonder how long does it take to learn how to drive. Whether it is a girl or a boy knowing how to drive is an advantage especially in today’s world. Being independent and doing your things alone is important as people are very busy these days. So even for this knowing how to drive is vital so that you can attend to your work independently without depending on others.

Anyone can learn to drive, but what is important is to learn to drive SAFELY. If you don’t drive safely you are walking into danger. Learning how to drive is what will make you an expert on it. So, the question you all have now is how long does it take to learn how to drive.  No one can give an exact timeline for this as it depends from person to person. However, I can give you some valuable tips to speed up learning to drive safely, effectively and efficiently.

5 Valuable Tips that determine how long it will take to learn to drive

1. Number of driving lessons

It would be good if you could have driving lessons daily comprising of each driving lesson of 01 hour to start with at the first 2 or 3 days and increase it by 2 hours on the next days. I f you find it difficult to do the driving lessons daily you could do it 3 days a week. Once you get used to driving and once you gain confidence you could do it twice a week.

But it is not advisable to have driving lessons once a week as the tendency will be to forget on what you have learnt. How long does it take to learn how to drive depends on the number of driving lessons you have had and how you have mastered it.

2. Number of practice sessions

Once you have gained confidence in driving and if you feel that you have mastered the art of driving you could drive a friend’s or a relative’s vehicle with your friend or relative being present whilst you drive. The advantage here will be that you will be driving various types of vehicles and with various people guiding you with so many expert advice. By this method chances are that you will learn quickly and be a good driver.

3. The practice you have in driving on different road situations

Driving through different roads and different times of the day will give you a better insight as some roads will be crowded with people and vehicles causing heavy traffic. Further, some of the road surfaces will be bad with potholes and the surface of the road being damaged.  It would also be necessary for you to drive through various weather conditions and in the night times as well. Hence, the thorough practice you have in driving on different road situations will be a key factor in determining how long does it take to learn how to drive.

4. How confident are you in dealing with hazards

There is no point in mastering the art of driving if you cannot deal with the hazards and drive safely. You need to check and adjust the rear-view mirror of your vehicle as well as the side mirrors before you start the vehicle and be satisfied that you adjusted them so that you could see properly. This is a simple thing which most people tend to forget. Focusing on the road ahead as well as around you whilst you drive will make you a safe driver.

Most people drive haphazardly hence it is your responsibility to be able to deal with hazards and be well prepared to overcome any dangers. This is a crucial factor that will decide on how long it takes to learn to drive.

5. How well versed are you with road rules and road signs

Being educated on road rules and road signs is important as it will prevent accidents and unnecessary litigations being prosecuted in Courts for not adhering to road rules. There are many books and literature available on road signs and road rules and therefore it is advisable to study them. At the driving test you are bound to be questioned on the road rules and road signs and I know of many who have failed this theoretical test although they have mastered the art of driving.

Remember on the day of your driving test you will be checked not only on your driving skills but on your knowledge about the road rules along with the road signs as well.

Therefore, how long does it take to learn how to drive depends on how thorough you are with the 5 tips provided above as this will speed up learning to drive safely, effectively and efficiently.

Some tips on choosing the driving instructor

When you learn to drive for the first time it is important to ensure that you choose an instructor who can make you a confident driver and an expert in driving. Some people are scared to drive, and they have a fear in driving, that is mainly because if you are scared of the instructor you will get nervous when you learn from him and that will create a fear in you.

Thereby driving can be stressful for you if you learn from the wrong instructor. So ensure that you choose an instructor who is qualified, who has a good reputation, an instructor that you are comfortable with and a reliable instructor. These factors have been explained below in detail:

  • Qualifications of the instructor

Some people do not investigate the qualifications of the instructor. They feel that a driver who is competent to drive a vehicle is more than enough from whom they could learn to drive. This is totally incorrect. Although a driver may be competent to drive and may have years and years of experience in driving vehicles what should be understood is that he or she does not have the required skills in training a beginner.

A trained and qualified driving instructor will know the correct steps and the professional way of training a beginner from start to finish. Hence, it is vital to ensure that you check the qualifications of the driving instructor of whom you proposed to learn to drive.

  • Reputation of the instructor

You need to investigate on the reputation of the instructor. The experience the instructor has in teaching how to drive and how well the people who have learnt from the instructor drives is important to judge the reputation of the instructor. Check on the recommendations that people give and make the decision of finalizing the instructor based on the recommendations you get from your trusted sources.

  • How comfortable you are with the instructor

If you are nervous and scared with the person whom you are learning to drive, you will not be comfortable at all. Driving is something you will have to be confident hence ensuring that the person you are learning to drive from is someone with whom you are comfortable is vital. The instructor should be someone who will support you, a person you will be safe with and most importantly a person that you have confidence.

  • Reliability of the instructor

How long does it take to learn how to drive also depends on the reliability of the instructor. If your instructor is not punctual in the driving classes, there is a tendency for you to take a long time for you to learn to drive. Your instructor also should have the same interest and passion to teach you on how to learn to drive quickly.

Most driving instructors charge a fee per class. Therefore, certain instructors will purposely drag the number of lessons just to make sure that he earns more. Hence, ensure that you choose the right instructor who is reliable.

You are now ready to take the Wheel

Finally, the moment of truth that you have been waiting for. You are ready to take the wheel now. Stop worrying if you are nervous in driving because if you are thorough with the tips given above you are sure to be an excellent driver. Driving is not difficult if you know the basics in driving and learn from the right person.

Learn to drive and keep practicing and until you are a confident driver you can drive with someone who knows how to drive and with a “L board” so that you and the others are cautions and careful. You can also start driving in your residential area until you are confident and then during off peak hours. Once you are confident you can then drive in peak hours and then when you are super confident you are ready to drive long journeys. Driving a vehicle boosts the confidence levels of an individual and takes you on a journey of exploration. So why wait….Go take the wheel and drive safely and confidently and most importantly enjoy driving.

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