Driving lessons in Dagenham
The most popular areas to learn to drive in Dagenham include:
Alder Walk, Barking, Becontree, Chadwell Heath, Elm Park, Goodmayes, Loxford, Rainham, Romford and Seven Kings.
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View other guides: Driving Lessons in London, Driving Lessons in Birmingham, Driving Lessons in Manchester.
Learning to drive in Dagenham
Dagenham’s busy roads can be a challenge, but they’ll make you into a confident navigator of urban roads by the time you’ve passed your test. With one of our top-rated local instructors by your side, that shouldn’t take too long!
It’s always best to start out on quiet residential streets, to build your confidence in the car. Your instructor might take you somewhere like Oxlow Lane, where the lack of cars is perfect for getting used to life behind the wheel. You’ll practise skills like clutch control, moving off and stopping, and signalling, until you’re ready for bigger challenges.
If you want to practise on dual carriageways, there’s the A12 to the north of Dagenham and the A13 to the south, close to the Thames. The A13’s three lanes can seem daunting to begin with, but keeping up your mirror checks and ensuring your lane positioning is correct will stand you in good stead.
Country roads may seem hard to come by inside the M25, but if you head north of Dagenham, through Havering Park, you’ll be in luck. There you’ll find Bournebridge Lane and Hook Lane, narrow winding roads which will serve you nicely. The more types of roads you can experience around Dagenham the more confident you’ll feel come your test. We’re sure you’ll do great!
Taking your test in Dagenham
The main test centre in Dagenham is the Goodmayes Test Centre, although there are a couple nearby in Barking. We’d recommend going for whatever’s closest to you, as you’ll always know your local roads best. The DVSA stopped publishing test route information, but your instructor will help you get to know the possible routes around your chosen centre.
The Goodmayes Test Centre is on Goodmayes Road which is busy with local shops, so take care and look out for pedestrians early on, and when you return to the centre. Like most London test centres, the Goodmayes Test Centre is in a built-up, residential area, so most of the roads you tackle will be 30 mph. For the most part you’ll be dipping from A and B roads in and out of narrower backstreets.
The A12 and the North Circular are the two dual carriageways nearby, but because the test is only 40 minutes, it’s unlikely you’ll spend much time (if any during rush hour) on these roads. All the same, it’s good to be prepared, so make sure you practice on a variety of roads in the lead up to your test. You'll do just fine!
Driving test centre locations
There are three test centres to choose from in the Dagenham postcode area:
Goodmayes: 98 Goodmayes Road, Ilford, Greater London, IG3 9UZ
Barking (Tanner Street): 84 Tanner Street, Barking, Essex, Greater London, IG11 8QF
Barking (Town Quay): Driving Test Centre Barking (Town Quay) Unit 9 Town Quay Wharf, Barking, Essex, Greater London, IG11 7BZ
Manual and automatic driving lessons
Everyone’s different, so we offer a choice of manual and automatic driving lessons in Dagenham.
It’s always a big decision choosing between a manual and an automatic driving licence, as they both have their advantages. A manual licence lets you drive both manual and automatic cars, and the lessons also tend to be cheaper. A manual car gives you a good sense of control and can be handy on hills when you need to quickly change down a gear for more oomph.
On the other hand, an automatic can be easier to learn in, as there’s less to get your head around, so you could get your licence faster. If you think you’ll be travelling through Dagenham during rush hour, an automatic will make life easier as you won’t have to keep changing gears in stop-start traffic. There are benefits to both manual and automatic, so the choice is yours.