Driving Lessons in Gateshead

View other guides: Driving Lessons in London, Driving Lessons in Birmingham, Driving Lessons in Manchester.

Deciding on a driving school in Gateshead

When looking for a driving instructor; you need someone who:

• Builds your driving ability
• Makes learning to drive enjoyable
• Is affordable

Which is why we've laid out 4 steps to finding a quality driving instructor in Gateshead

1. Compare reviews

Reading reviews is a great way to anticipate what your experience will be like with the driving schools in Gateshead. Be sure to select your review sites carefully - some can be a bit dodgy. Make sure you are reading reviews from legitimate customers.

2. Beware of terms and conditions

If you’re like most people, the chances are you usually tick the box to say you’ve read the terms and conditions even if you haven’t. But in this scenario, it’s important that you read them carefully. Some driving schools have hidden policies, like making your driving lessons expire if you don’t use them all within a short timeframe. Don’t get caught out!

3. Check that you can switch instructors

You don’t want to be stuck learning with someone you don’t get on with. So, the safest thing is to check that your driving school in Gatesheadcan match you with a new instructor easily if you decide you want to swap. Not all schools will have enough instructors to facilitate this, so don’t book until you’re sure.

4. Avoid long waiting times

The last thing you want is to book your driving lessons and then find out that you can’t get started for another few weeks! Many driving schools in Gatesheadwon’t tell you their waiting times upfront unless you ask directly. So again, don’t get caught out!

Deciding on a test centre

As soon as you're ready to start thinking about your test, you'll need to find a local test centre.Your driving instructor in Gateshead will give you a hand choosing the test centre that’s right for you, and then introduce you to the routes that could crop up on test day.

To see more test centres near you, enter your postcode on the DVSA website.

Top driving test tips from instructors in Gateshead

Local driving instructors in Gateshead have shared thier insider tips for passing your test.

1. Brush up on rural road driving

Our instructors in Gateshead say that rural roads can be difficult because usually, you’re permitted to drive on them at the national speed limit, but that’s not always an appropriate speed.

Make sure you practise judging what speed is sensible to drive at on country roads.

2. Drive defensively

When you’re driving in urban settings you need to be aware that not all drivers will drive well, or even follow the highway code! Make sure that you anticipate the behaviour of other drivers and adapt your own driving accordingly.

3. Directions aren’t the be all and end all.

You’ll receive directions from both the examiner and a sat nav at different points in your driving test. If you realise you’re in the wrong lane at the last minute, it might be dangerous to correct yourself. If that’s the case, it’s fine to make a wrong turn - it’s more important to drive safely than to follow directions accurately, and our local driving instructors say that you’re unlikely to be penalised.

Manual and automatic: which is best?

Before you step foot inside an instructors car you have to decide between manual and automatic driving lessons.

Manual licence holders are able to drive both manual and automatic cars, however, automatic drivers are stuck with automatic cars only.This flexibility can be handy when buying a car.

Manual lessons are often cheaper as automatic instructors are few and far between. Plus, driving a manual car gives you a greater sense of control, which many people prefer in rural areas or on longer-distance journeys along motorways and dual carriageways.

Taking automatics driving lessons may allow you to pass faster as you have less to learn such as clutch control.Driving in heavy traffic can also be more straightforward as there's no clutch and gear changes to worry about. So if you're after a motor to drive about Gatesheads busy roads, an automatic may be for you.

There are pros and cons to both, so it's worth spending some time to research and decide before you start.

Where we offer driving lessons in Gateshead

No matter where you are in Gatesheador the surrounding areas, our driving instructors have got you covered.