Driving lessons in Derby
Popular areas include:
Alvaston, Chaddesden, Crewton, Little Chester, New Zealand, Normanton, Pear Tree, Rose Hill, Sinfin and Spondon.
Enter your postcode above to check lesson pricing in Derby.
View other guides: Driving Lessons in London, Driving Lessons in Birmingham, Driving Lessons in Manchester.
Learning to drive in Derby
If you’re new to the road, you can’t get a city much better than Derby to get you up to speed. With plenty of quiet residential streets, cul de sacs and industrial estates, you’ll be spoilt for practice spots.
The Little Chester area, close to the River Derwent, is our top choice for getting to grips with the basics. Whether you’re hoping to practise moving off and stopping, steering or clutch control, this area is full of wide, quiet streets that will have you covered. City Road and Cut Lane are just two. Plus, you’ll find a few small roundabouts here that you can have a go on once you’re ready. They’ll be perfect for getting your head around lane positioning and signalling.
But this city isn’t just great for newbies. Once you’re feeling confident behind the wheel, head to the A52 or the A6. These dual carriageways will give you vital experience using slip roads and changing lanes. You’ll also want to head into the city centre to get some practice handling busy roads and dealing with one-way systems. The area around Eagle Market is particularly busy, so if you can keep your calm here, you’ll be able to handle (almost!) anything. With a Midrive instructor by your side, you’ll have your full driving licence before you know it!
Manual and automatic driving lessons
We like choice and we know that you do too. You can learn in manual or auto automatic driving lessons in Derby.
Make sure that you’re happy with your choice before arranging your first driving lesson. Learning in an automatic car is a little easier as there’s less to remember. But an automatic licence only qualifies you to drive automatic cars once you pass your test. On the other hand, a manual licence qualifies you to drive both transmissions, and lessons are a little cheaper.
If you’re going to be sitting at traffic lights in Derby city centre regularly then you might prefer to drive an automatic car, which would avoid you having to change gears and press the clutch each time you come to a standstill. But if you’ll be tackling the commute to Leicester or Nottingham then perhaps a manual car would suit you better, as it could give you an added sense of control. The choice is yours!
Driving test centre locations
When you’re ready to start thinking about your driving test, your instructor will help you to choose a test centre and will show you the routes that you need to be familiar with. There are two test centres in the Derby postcode area. The DVSA can help you to find other test centres nearby.
- Derby (Alvaston): Off Belmore Way, Alvaston, Derby, Derbyshire DE21 7AY
- Burton on Trent: Wellington Park, Burton on Trent, Burton, Staffordshire DE14 2TG