Ian Waller takes his teenage son along for his first driving lessons – and there’s immediately a spot of sibling rivalry…
Do you remember your first driving lessons? Mine was with my dad at a trading estate in Wiltshire, the L-plates fixed on to my mum’s old Morris Marina and the car performing that kangarooing jerk across the quiet Sunday morning car park that all beginners seem destined to experience.
While my dad did a cracking job, how back then I would have loved to have a resource like Young Driver to help me out. Young Driver teaches drivers from 10-17 years old to drive on private land, providing a massive advantage when the road lessons come along and apparently resulting in a 80% reduction in accidents during the first few years after they pass their test.
My daughter had already benefited from Young Driver lessons before going on to pass her test first time, and now it was her younger brother’s turn.
For his inaugural lesson, we turned up on a Saturday morning at Cribbs Causeway’s car park H, to be greeted by a super friendly team, all ready and prepared for those beginners’ nerves and the deluge of questions that will inevitably flow. My son was quickly teamed up with driving instructor Diane and looked surprised to be immediately seated in the all-important right hand seat.
While I stood behind the safety tape with a cup of tea and a Double Decker, I was already waiting – camera in hand – for the judder, judder, stall of the first pull away. How disappointing that instead, barely three minutes after getting in the car, my son was pulling away with the smooth skills of a seasoned driver. Well that’s no good for the family Facebook account…
In fact, over the next hour (you can also book in for 30 minutes sessions), his progress was amazing, driving around the marked out roads with the other learners, all taking on roundabouts, stop signs, reversing and parking with admirable aplomb. Around him, drivers of all ages and clearly both beginners and more experienced mini-motorists, were equally impressive, and finishing each of their lessons with the broadest of grins, as well as feedback from their instructors and a book that records their progress to pass on to the next instructor.
Chatting to one of the other watching oldies, she explained that she’d bought the lesson for her 11 year old grandson as a present for doing well at school. For even younger drivers from four years and upwards, the option is there to try out the mini electric cars on offer – not quite the real thing but a very handy starting point.
One of the instructors also passed on that they’d enjoyed a lesson with a 92 year old student who was looking to regain her confidence in case her husband had to call it a day behind the wheel.
By the time my son had finished, he was grinning away, looking forward to the next lesson and ready to give me some advice for smooth gear changes on the way home – which was good of him… As for the lack of kangaroos, well I suppose that’s to be expected at a Bristol car park on a Saturday morning.