We got in touch with a learner driver, to write about their experiences whilst learning and to give us an insight into their driving test. Here is their story:

I have certainly missed a roof.....and heaters!

I've decided to write about my experience as I learn to drive again at the tender age of 28! This blog will, in my own words, give you an insight as to what it’s like as a learner driver from my first lesson to my test and hopefully not anything after that! I have been using public transport or driving a 125cc motorcycle for the last few years. I have now bitten the bullet and decided enough is enough, I NEED A CAR!! I have already retaken my theory and passed first time for the second time, as I had to retake the theory again as it had expired.

Time for my first lesson

I booked my lessons through a local driving school and after two weeks of waiting for an available slot and instructor, my first lesson was booked - a 2 hour grading lesson – to see how many lessons I would need before my test and to see how competent a driver I am. My lesson was booked for 5:30pm on a Friday evening, in Cardiff that’s still pretty much rush hour depending on where in the city you drive, so I wasn't that excited to learn we were going to do one of the test routes. Although after 20 minutes of driving to the test centre the traffic had died down considerably.

Don't forget to check your rear view mirrors

My instructor is a really nice gentleman, although sometimes rather stern, he definitely likes to chat. He is very experienced and really does teach well, I think I've found a great instructor. He’s very much a teacher who lets his students learn by driving as much as possible and not showing you endless diagrams on an iPad – or as I was used when I was learning 10 years ago, a scruffy overused hand book. Once I had driven to the test centre, my instructor asked me to pull into the car park and started to tell me where I went well and where I didn't do so well. From his observations on our 20 minutes journey to the test centre, the positives were:

• I use my mirrors a lot and signal when required
• Gear changes are very smooth
• Speed awareness is fantastic
• My anticipation of other road users is excellent. I think this is because of my experience with a motorbike

But where I didn't do so well was;

• I didn't check my rear view mirror enough (In my defence I haven’t needed one of them for over 10 years using a motorbike)
• Using one hand on steering wheel when turning
• Overuse of foot brake (This is because the car I have been using in personal lessons with my partner is an automatic)

Going back to the basics, it's easier than I remember last time around.

So after a brief conversation about how to and how not to drive, my instructor then said we would do a mock driving test, which would include – a completely new element to me – Independent driving. This is now somewhat old news, but something that was never around when I took my last driving test, so was very fun to do and something I think could be adapted further in the future, with the use of sat navs and maybe a good old fashioned use of the A to Z (Ever been lost in the middle of nowhere? Try getting signal then!). We then did various manoeuvres including, reversing into a parking bay (this is actually easier than a lot of drivers make it look!), Turn in the road (not a three point turn as I was taught) and parallel parking, which in truth was never something I liked doing, but after some great tips from my driving instructor, I think I've managed to pin it down and enjoy carrying it out. We then drove the test route and afterwards we went through how I did. My instructor was very pleased with my overall driving and said I should probably book my test as soon as possible. (The current waiting time to book an extended test in Cardiff is around 6-12 weeks!)

Test booked.....Now the hard work starts!

I’ve managed to book my test for the end of January, and have also booked in a few more lessons before I take it. I will be writing future articles on my lessons and letting you know how I get on with my and hopefully showing you how I progress as a driver. I hope you enjoyed reading and come back soon for the next instalment.

Would you like to write an article for InstructorcoverPlus? We are looking for a driving instructor to write about their experiences. If you are interested please email us at marketing@instructorcoverplus.com Why not tweet us using #ICPlusBlog or send us a message on Facebook and let us know what you'd like to hear about.