How To Get Started

The first thing you must do before booking any driving lessons is obtain a provisional licence. This is a legal requirement. You can either apply online at www.gov.uk or pick up a D1 form from your local Post Office.

You must be 17 years of age or over.*
*Unless you are disabled and receive mobility allowance, in which case you must be 16 or over.

You must have the licence in your possession before you start driving, simply applying is not enough!

Your eyesight must meet a minimum standard. You need to be able to read a car number plate with letters 79.4mm high at a minimum distance of 20.5m for the older format (e.g. X123XXX). Number plates in the current format have a narrower font and should be read from a minimum distance of 20 metres. It is your responsibility for ensuring that your eyesight meets the minimum requirement every time you drive. The Police can stop you at any time and ask you to take an eyesight test. You will be required to demonstrate this on the practical driving test. If you cannot do this you need to see an Optician before your first lesson or before you get behind the wheel.

Next step is to contact Sandra’s Driving School and book your first lesson. Exciting times 😊

To complement your professional driving lessons it is advisable to have private practice. Any full licence holder who is age 21 or over and has held a full licence for more than 3 years is able to supervise you. You must also be insured to drive the vehicle, unless driving on private property (supermarket or council car parks do not count as private property).

The average number of driving lessons for people passing their driving test is 45 hours of professional training and 22 hours of private practice. The DVSA believe that learners who prepare in this way perform better on tests.

Accompanying your provisional licence will be a driver’s record. This is used to help monitor your progress on the structured learning programme set by the DVSA. Sandra’s Driving School will make sure that you have covered the DVSA syllabus adapting it to any previous knowledge and experience.