Driving Lessons in Harlow

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How to choose a driving instructor in Harlow

When looking for a driving instructor in Harlow, you’ll want to make sure you find someone who:

  • Makes you feel supported
  • Helps you enjoy learning
  • Won’t cost you an arm and a leg!

So, to find yourself the perfect instructor who ticks all of these boxes, we have 4 simple steps for you to follow:

1. Compare reviews

A lot of driving schools won’t display all of their reviews on their site, so it’s always worth having a look around on third party websites so you know exactly what you are paying for.

2. Decide what kind of driving course you want

Sometimes it can be pretty unclear what exactly driving schools in Harlow are offering. When signing up, make sure you check out how regularly you can have your lessons. Some learners go to schools to look for intensive-only driving courses, and then realise they can’t use the hours purchased as quickly as they had hoped.

3. Check that you can switch instructors

The last thing you want to do is spend your savings on an instructor you decide you don’t like after one lesson. When selecting your driving school in Harlow, make sure it has plenty of instructors available for you; this way you won’t be stuck using your pre-paid hours with the wrong instructor.

4. Avoid long waiting times

Keep an eye out for waiting lists when searching for your perfect driving instructor in Harlow. Quite often driving schools will try and offer you the world just to pop you on a long waiting list. If you’re keen to get started quickly, make sure you find out possible starting dates before going through with your purchase.

Tips for learning to drive in Harlow

It’s really important to make sure you’re getting enough practice in outside of your lessons if you want to learn quickly. The DVSA recommends at least 22 hours of practice in between lessons to make sure you’re ready for your practical driving test.

Local driving instructors in Harlow have given us their pick of the best practice spots in the area.

  • Southern way, Lidl: The car park for Lidl is ideal for practising your bay parking. With it being so large, you’re guaranteed to find a quiet area to really knuckle down and perfect your positioning.

  • M11: If you’re learning to drive in Harlow, chances are you’ll be using the M11 to commute to London. Make sure you let your instructor know you want to get your motorway practice in before your test so you’re 100% prepared when you’re doing it alone. It’s worth noting though you can only practise motorway driving with your instructor in a dual control car while you’re still learning!

  • A414 Roundabout: Nervous about roundabouts? Luckily in Harlow that won’t last long. With over 20 roundabouts in and around the city centre, practice is key. Once you’ve gotten to grips with them with your instructor, you can move onto bigger roundabouts like the A414 one. After that you’ll see the bigger ones are no scarier than the little ones.

  • Maddox Road: Maddox Road is the answer to all of your parallel parking needs. The quiet, long stretch of road provides ample opportunities for you to take your time with the manoeuvres and get confident with them before trying them out on busier streets.

Choosing your test centre

When you’re starting to get confident during your driving lessons in Daventry, your instructor will let you know that it’s time to choose a driving test centre. Most of the nearby test centres are a fair drive away, so your instructor may start to introduce longer lessons so that you can drive to your test centre location and get used to some of the test routes that could come up in your test.

Test centre pass rates

Loughton
45%
Bishops Stortford
43.7%
Enfield
38.7%

DVSA practical car test pass rates, 2018-2019.

Bishops Stortford Test Centre | Pass rate: 43.7%

Bishops Stortford Test Centre is quite close to the city centre, so when it comes to the big day, expect some traffic and be aware of other drivers on the road.

Address: South Rd, Bishop's Stortford CM23 3JQ

Enfield Test Centre | Pass rate: 38.7%

One of the trickier test centres about, Enfield has a slightly lower pass rate to the other test centres local to Harlow. However, as you get further into London this is to be expected. You can expect to face complex roundabouts here, as well as busy junctions. Remember to keep a calm head and think ahead and you’ll be fine!

Address: Innova Park Business Centre, 7 Solar Way, Enfield EN3 7XY

Loughton (London) Test Centre | Pass rate: 45%

Loughton can be quite an intimidating place to do your driving test, especially with it being situated on the high street, but you can see from Loughton’s pass rate that it’s not impossible!

Address: 284 High Rd, Loughton IG10 1RB

Test tips from driving instructors in Harlow

Local driving instructors in Harlow have given you the inside scoop for passing your test.

1. Check out the available parking

Driving instructors in Harlow know all too well how difficult it can be to find suitable parking in the moments leading up to a test. Make sure you research the parking at the test centre you book with and check out nearby areas to park in if you aren’t taking the test in your car.

2. Bring everything you need

The last thing you want to be doing before your test is rummaging around your bag and pockets doing a last minute checklist. Instructors in Harlow recommend bringing some water to your test, not to mention your provisional driving licence and your theory test pass certificate.

3. Have a lesson prior to your test.

Having that last hour to practise before your test allows you to focus on your driving. Don’t overdo it though, generally, instructors say that an hour is plenty of time to practise some last-minute manoeuvres and get you to your test feeling calm and ready.

Choosing between manual and automatic

When it comes to driving lessons, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether you want to drive a manual car or an automatic one.

Harlow is often used as a commuter town into London, in which case, you may want to consider having automatic driving lessons. Not only will this make driving in city traffic much easier as you won’t have a clutch to worry about, if you are in a hurry to pass, learning how to drive an automatic car does tend to be the faster option!

However, choosing manual does come with its own benefits. After passing your test in a manual transmission you can drive both automatic and manual later on without having to take another test. This can come in handy if you’re looking to hire a car abroad as the options won’t be as limited. Not to mention, learning to drive a manual car does tend to be cheaper and so is kinder to your bank account.

At the end of the day, there’s no right choice! The best thing you can do is make sure you have all the information before making your decision.

Driving lessons in Harlow

Harlow instructors cover the following nearby areas:

Standon, Enfield, Epping, Hertford, Cheshunt, Romford, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Hatfield and Stevanage.

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