Driving Lessons in Bromley

The full guide to finding a driving school, choosing your test centre and passing your driving test in Bromley

How to choose a driving school in Bromley

You need a driving instructor in Bromley who:

  • Boosts your confidence
  • Makes learning enjoyable
  • Won’t rip you off!

That's why you should do these 4 things when choosing a driving school in Bromley:

1. Compare reviews

Look at good review sources to understand what your experience might be like with the school in Bromley you’re considering.

2. Beware of terms and conditions

If you block book lessons with some driving schools in Bromley, you might not get a refund on any unused hours. So if you decide to switch schools midway through your lessons, you may not get your money back. It’s important to check the terms and conditions to find out what happens if you don’t enjoy your lessons with any school you’re considering.

3. Check that you can switch instructors

If you’re not getting on with your instructor during your lessons, be sure you’re able to switch. Some driving schools in Bromley are unclear about whether you can change instructors, so doing some research into their policies is really useful.

4. Avoid long waiting times

Some driving schools in Bromley will only show their waiting times while you’re midway through booking lessons online, or after you have already booked them. See if you can find out how long you’ll have to wait before you book your first lesson so you're not waiting unnecessarily long to start driving.

Tips for learning to drive in Bromley

Put in some private practice between your driving lessons in Bromley to give yourself the best possible chance of passing your driving test first time.

Our driving instructors in Bromley have listed some of their top spots:

  • Durham Road: If you’re looking for somewhere wide and straight to get to grips with the basics like stopping and starting and clutch control, Durham Road could be the ideal choice. There are also a number of residential closes off it, which you could use to perfect your manoeuvres.

  • London Road: This is a busy road with lots of traffic lights, junctions and a large box junction. It’s a great place to hone your urban driving!

  • One-way system: There are a number of one-way streets around Bromley North station. Our driving instructors in Bromley suggest heading here to practise spotting and responding to road markings.

  • Bromley Hill: Bromley Hill is a great place to practise your hill starts. It’s a reasonably busy road though, so our driving instructors in Bromley warn that you’ll need to be confident before giving it a try!

Choosing your test centre

Once you’re progressing through your driving lessons in Bromley, your driving instructor will help you to choose a driving test centre. Luckily for you, the nearest test centres to Bromley all have very healthy pass rates!

Hither Green
49%
West Wickham
47.4%
Sidcup
46.9%

DVSA practical car test pass rates, 2018-2019.

Hither Green Test Centre | Pass rate: 49%

Hither Green Test Centre comes highly recommended by our driving instructors in Bromley. It has a very high pass rate for a London test centre - even higher than the UK average of 45.8!

Address: 42-44 Ennersdale Road, Hither Green, Greater London, SE13 6JD

Sidcup Test Centre | Pass rate: 46.9%

Sidcup Test Centre is situated on a quiet business park. It’s just a stone’s throw from the A20 - also known as the Sidcup Bypass Road - so brush up on your dual carriageway driving!

Address: 2 Crayside, Five Arches Business Estate, Maidstone Road, Sidcup, Greater London, DA14 5AG

West Wickham Test Centre | Pass rate: 47.4%

You’ll find West Wickham Test Centre on a narrow road just off the A232. Our driving instructors in Bromley say that you can expect to encounter a mix of busy urban roads and quiet residential streets on a test here.

Address: 56 Glebe Way, West Wickham, Kent, BR4 0RL

Check out the DVSA page to find your nearest driving test centre.

Test tips from driving instructors in Bromley

Our driving instructors in Bromley have shared with us some of their top tips for taking the practical driving test in the area.

1. Perfect your passing distances

On the test routes near Bromley, there are lots of narrow roads with parked cars on both sides. So, our driving instructors in Bromley recommend that you hone your passing distances and brush up on what the highway code says about rights of way.

2. Drive defensively

Drivers in London are known for being some of the most aggressive in the UK. Although Bromley may not be in the centre of London, you should still expect the unexpected from the drivers around you and tailor your driving accordingly.

3. Bring everything you need

Both your provisional driver’s licence and your theory test pass certificate will be required for your test. Be sure to bring them with you or our driving instuctors in Bromley have advised that your test could be cancelled.

4. Practise spotting hazards

There are some bustling urban roads on the test routes near Bromley, so it’s best to make sure you’re confident with your observations and can respond swiftly to any hazards you spot. The hazard perception part of the theory test should help you prepare for this!

5. Take a driving lesson beforehand

Our driving instructors in Bromley have suggested that you raise your confidence by arranging a final driving lesson just before your practical test. Try out a dual carriageway and practise any roads you’ve been struggling on.

Choosing between manual and automatic

Have a careful think about whether you want manual or automatic driving lessons before booking your first lesson.

Automatic cars don’t have a clutch pedal, just one for braking and one for accelerating. This makes them simpler to learn so you could end up passing your test quicker.

While Bromley has nothing too complex in terms of road types or traffic, the A21 can get quite hectic, especially during rush hour. So you might find an automatic easier as you won’t have to worry about changing gears.

However, manual cars are cheaper to purchase and can also give you a better feeling of control.

A manual licence lets you drive both automatics and manuals, whereas an automatic licence only lets you drive automatic cars. So you might prefer the flexibility of a manual driving licence.

They both have their benefits so the choice is up to you.

Where we provide lessons in Bromley

We have trusted driving instructors ready to teach you to drive throughout the London Borough of Bromley. Our popular areas include:

Beckenham, Biggin Hill, Bromley Common, Bromley North, Bromley South, Chislehurst, Downe, Orpington, Shortlands, Sundridge.

We also provide driving lesson across London. Check out some of our top areas:

Barking, Brixton, Clapham, Croydon, Dagenham, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Harrow, Hayes, Hounslow, Islington, Kingston upon Thames, Putney, Romford, Southall, Stratford, Sutton, Tottenham, Twickenham, Uxbridge, Walthamstow, Wandsworth, Watford, Wembley and Wimbledon.

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