What Happens During an Intensive Driving Course?

Mention intensive driving courses to some and they’ll immediately picture a rushed, perhaps even frantic scramble to get learners through their tests as quickly as possible. This is, in the case of some Didsbury crash course driving courses, exactly the case.

Unfortunately, to approach a course of intensive driving lessons with nothing in mind but passing as quickly as humanly possible is to lose sight of what driving lessons are all about. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t take driving lessons only to get your driving licence. You take lessons to become a safe, confident and comprehensively competent motorist.

This is something that goes immediately out of the window, where instructors focus on nothing but getting their clients their tests as fast as they can.

What’s Involved in a Good Intensive Driving Course?

For the most part, an intensive driving course works in exactly the same way as a conventional driving course. It begins with the basics, familiarises learners with the fundamentals of safe driving and gradually guides them through the more complex aspects of responsible motoring.

The only difference is that with an intensive driving course, you put more daily and weekly hours into your tuition. Whereas a regular course of driving lessons may involve one or two hours per week over a period of several months, a crash course condenses everything into a couple of weeks.

Hence, you still take the recommended number of driving lessons (typically around 40 to 45 hours), but you complete them within a much shorter period of time.

How Do I Know How Many Lessons I Will Need?

Far too many driving schools market their intensive driving courses on the basis of false promises. Realistically, no driving school can ‘guarantee’ you’ll pass the first time around, or offer a ‘no pass, no payment’ policy on intensive driving lessons,

The requirements and capabilities of every learner are completely unique making it impossible to come through on promises like these.

Prior to booking your intensive driving course, it is recommended to organise an introductory assessment with your driving school. During this, they will build a detailed picture of your capabilities and your confidence level, enabling them to provide a more accurate estimate as to how many lessons you may need.

They may advise you to book a block of 20 hours to begin with, which can subsequently be extended if needed. Contrary to popular belief, there is a good deal of flexibility with intensive driving courses – it is not a one-size-fits-all solution for all learners.

Will I Pass the First Time?

Of course, it is the goal of every driving instructor to empower learners with the knowledge, skills and confidence to pass their tests the first time. But given how (literally) anything can happen on the day, guaranteeing a first-time pass is completely impossible.

Though again, this is one of the most common examples of misleading marketing you’ll come across, when shopping around for a driving school.

Truth is no responsible driving instructor should send a learner for their practical test, without being completely confident in their capabilities. The simple fact of the matter is that if you do not feel you are ready for your practical driving test, you should not be taking it.

Remember – passing your practical driving test does not necessarily mean that you are a safe or competent driver. It simply means that you were able to fulfil the examiner’s requirements on the day...nothing more.

It will be for you and your driving instructor to determine when you are ready for your test, but sitting it before you are confident in your capabilities is inadvisable. Plus, the more confident you are you’ll pass your test with flying colours, the greater the likelihood you’ll do just that!

For more information on any of the above or to discuss the benefits of intensive driving courses in Didsbury in more detail, contact a member of the team at Manchester Driver Training today.